No link to Timeslips 10.5

[dprell]

After setup on win2k with timeslips 10.5 (open, even) and TR4TS installed and configured with my name (same as name1 in timeslips and logged in as administrator on win2k pc) when I hit the hotsync button, everthing links (email, calanders, notes) and HotSync Log says:
...
...
HotSync operation started 02/01/02 16:47:57
OK SyncWise Datebook
OK SyncWisePro AddressBook
OK SyncWise To Do List
OK SyncWisePro Mail
TimeReporter for Timeslips conduit [build #105] started 02/01/02 16:48:07
User <David> connecting....
TimeReporter for Timeslips -not- started. 02/01/02 16:48:07
OK Memo Pad
OK Expense
...
...
OK System

and is done. However, when I open TR4TS, there are no clients, no tasks, no slips, no anything....

something I said?
P.S., this is the eval package.
/Davidp

[vidal]

Hi,

This means most likely there is a problem with the license that was entered into the Palm, e.g. invalid, expired, etc.

You can check the license by turning on extra diagnostic debugging in the conduit. It will then show the license in the Hotsync log.

Vidal.

[dprell]

Here is the log file results:

HotSync operation started 02/06/02 11:09:43
OK SyncWise Datebook
OK SyncWisePro AddressBook
OK SyncWise To Do List
OK SyncWisePro Mail
TimeReporter for Timeslips conduit [build #105] started 02/06/02 11:09:59
sizeof=452/actsize=516/ret=452
David/AI@CQN@UL4SCCDA04MAR2002
User <David> connecting....
Extra Diagnostic Debugging ON
Failed to LoadLibrary.
Failed to initialize. Reason returned: -18
An error occurred within this program. If the problem persists, please contact iambic Software technical support (support@iambic.com). Please include a copy of this log.
OK Memo Pad
OK Expense
...
...
...

Any suggestions????

[dprell]

After waiting four days for a response to my request, I spent the last day and a half trying to get answers from a convoluted knowledgebase. I decided to try the newer dll's for TS10.5,,, it worked.

Seeing as you are the only 'game in town' for timeslips use with a pda, I have to use your products. Don't missunderstand me, I like your products, it's just that your extremely poor technical response time makes me very unhappy with depending upon your products for the key item that I use for invoicing.

Response to technical queries is very poor. Your knowledgebase access and query ability is very poor.

[MRLAccountant]

I feel your pain. I had to wait almost 10 days to get an e-mail from someone trying to fix my problem. Then their fix didn't fix if you know what I mean.

I'm caught in a Catch 22 - Their license agreement says that they will always help current iambic customers before they will assist demo users, but I'm trying to get thsi running so I can convince my company to buy it (about forty copies of it to be exact), but if we can't get support on the demo, I won't be able to convince them to buy it. It's bad marketing and bad management to give new users an excuse NOT to buy your product.

--Mike

[vidal]

Hi dprell and MRLAccountant,

I'm very sorry about the problems you encountered and the time it took for you to get a reply. I am not happy about this either.

The reality is that we are currently somewhat understaffed in the TimeReporter for Timeslips support area. There were some new issues introduced in 10.5 that took us by surprise and a while to sort out. It is not the first time than a Timeslips updated version or SR has broken TimeReporter for Timeslips unexpectedly.

We are working on adding resources and improving the knowledge base too. All these things take time and money so please bear with us.

I am glad to hear the product is working for you now.

Yours respectfully,

Vidal.

PS. We released an update to TR4TS yesterday on our website with some more fixes, etc. If it is working for you you can ignore it for now. If anything else goes wrong, try the update.

[dprell]

Vidal:
Thanks for the response. There are many knowledgebase products that allow for freeform queries. You should allow the customers, demos and paid, to use these freeform queries unrestricted.

Requests:
Where do we submit requests? Because we vary the billed rate for travel time based upon the clients normal rate, we have the second rate field set to the "half-rate" amount. Additionally, because we have "in-shop" rates and "emergency rates, we use specific positions in the rates field to refect those specific values (overtime, weekends, double time, travel time, in-office research, etc). We'd like to be able to specify the rate, either by position (1,2,3,4,etc) or by amount.

Again, Thanks.
/David

[MRLAccountant]

I can answer the last part. Those features can be set up in TimeSlips. We use 7 different rates and as we set them up in TimeSlips, I noticed it updates the slips accordingly-- this includes slips brought over from TimeReporter. If you don't know how to set these rates up, you might try to contact either TimeSlips technical support, or contact your TimeSlips Consultant.

Hope this helps,
--Mike

[dprell]

Mike:
Thanks, we have it setup in TimeSlips, I would like to see it working in TimeReporter! If it is, how do I get TR to show me the rates or the TS rate position?
DavidP

[MRLAccountant]

I think that is one of the space-saving qualities of TimeReporter. It doesn't show rates beyond a certain extent. In my business, this is a good thing, because we don't always want the TimeKeepers to know how much we are charging our Clients for the work that they do -- mostly because Engineers don't understand the concept of overhead -- however, when you get it into TimeSlips, it should show you all the necessary information so that you can produce bills and invoices accordingly.

--Mike

BTW: I don't suppose you've gotten your References to load properly, do you? That's the problem I am currently having. We have different references for each client, and it's only taking a section of our Activities and putting in the References - not what I need.

[dprell]

Mike:
perhaps I'm not making it clear.. Which is not unusual! (I'm a Physics Grad...., 'nuf said)

We have the various rates already setup in TS, it's been working for over six years. Of the seventy clients, some are over fifteen years with us and, have a older rate structure. Most have the newer rate structures. I agree with you, the engineers don't need to see the rates, just what rate category to list when they enter their activities and client notes in the PDA using TR.

The question: Is there a way or place in time-reporter to identify the TimeSlip rate (or TimeSlip rate position) on each task entered in Time Reporter? For instance, when I use my PDA with TimeReporter - if I were to enter a technical response for a customer in SF, I'd enter a new time slip for the activity at the clients rate schedule 1, a fixed expense slip for the GG Bridge toll, a fixed expense slip for parking, a fixed expense for the mileage and a time slip for the travel time at the rate schedule 2, which is half the normal client rate. I can't find a way in TR to allow the engineers to enter a rate schedule other then the default schedule 1.

How do I do that? I don't think there's a way with Time Reporter to vary the rate schedule to reflect the schedules in Time Slips????
David

[MRLAccountant]

It appears that ours is set up differently that yours. Our system set the defaults according to what they pick.

For example, If they pick Client A, Activity B, and Reference C, it will select Rate 4. Whereas if they pick Client B, Activity C, and reference A, it will select Rate 3

This works particularly well since TS 10.5 allows for up to 20 different rates. We have over a hundred clients, and with our system, we feel like it would be too much to ask the engineers to remember all the different rates for what they do.

Sorry I couldn't help with your prob...
--Mike

[dprell]

Mike,
let me get this clear (my over 50 yr old brain), I can setup TimeSlips to vary the rate according to the client/activity (and/or reference) selected and Time Reporter will use that rate? So if I select client AAA and use onsite work at rate of $200.00/hr and then add Client AAA travel activity it will select a rate of $100? (As long as the rate tables are setup correctly??)
/Davidp

P.S., sorry I couldn't help you with your original issue!

[MRLAccountant]

That's the way we have ours set up. Our company uses a TimeSlips Certified Consultant, she showed us how to do it.

AND, on top of that, if there ever are any "strange" items that occur, we can still use an override rate. It was a win-win situation for us.

--Mike

[dprell]

Kool!
thanks
/Davidp

[MRLAccountant]

David,

I was just wanting to check up on you and see it you got that TS feature set up. Our consultant said she'd be glad to help you out if you need her. If you'd like I can give you her number...

--Mike

[dprell]

Had my bookkeeper check it out and she was able to setup the clients and activity lists in the fashion you'd mentioned.... It seems to be working!
Thanks for assistance and it's made a difference in the amount of time the acct'ng staff has to spend 'improving' the slips!
/DavidP

[MRLAccountant]

Glad I could help!

--Mike