Setup approach

System settings and data

First Things First

A modern enterprise-class software system has a standardized system setup meant to organize system setup data. For example, you will have profiles or system records for employees, assets, groups, jobs, phase codes, etc. You will populate these profiles with data values to create unique profiles. For employees, Mary Q. Smith will have a unique profile with her login name, company ID, first name, last name, etc. The same for Jobs, Tasks, really any records you will need to use in the system. The format of these profiles, i.e. the number and types of data fields they contain, will be designed to capture, store and use employee data so they can login, track and submit hours, expense and other data, have it approved, reported on, and sent to payroll, accounting or ERP systems. 

System Settings
The details of a Pacific Timesheet setup are things like:

• Preset Time Periods
• Security Permission profiles
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
• Policies
• Pay Codes
• Timesheet templates
• Expense Sheet templates
• Expense Entry Fields
• Bill Rate Options
• Pay Rate Options
• Approval Levels

After the system settings are done, you are ready to complete the setup by inputting system data.

System Data

Think of system setup data like the razor blade that fits into the handheld razor.

For example, in John Smith’s profile, there are many property values that go into making his employee profile unique, like:

Field Name	Data Value
Login	john.smith
First Name	John
Last Name	Smith
Status	Active
Employee type	Non-exempt
Policy	California hourly
Template	Attendance timesheeet

When you have the wrong handheld razor, the razor blade won't fit properly. Similarly, for Pacific Timesheet, if you do not have the system setup with the correctly-defined Policies, Templates or Security Permissions, your employee setup data won't fit anywhere into the system.

This same logic applies to all object profiles that you might setup in the system (Cost Centers, Projects, Phases, Tasks, etc.)

So the next step, before we start to develop and input our system data, is completing the System Settings.