FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Our frequently asked questions are organized by the features we offer. Is your specific business question not answered here? Send us an inquiry in the form below. We will be happy to help !
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Release Notes
Mobile Application Release Notes
Version 1.9
- Bug fixes
Version 1.8
- Allow timecards to be saved without all required fields/forms; validation requires this information is complete before user can submit for approval
Version 1.5
- Time stamp record for date and time of submission and approval of time cards.
- Requirement to add a reason for rejecting time card before saving changes.
- Added Simple Projects to mobile projects list.
- Update save and submit button logic in timecard detail page.
- Changes to ensure save is not enabled in popup until comment is entered in the text area.
Version 1.4
- Backend updates to improve system resources.
Version 1.3.4
- Added ability to carry forward some details from previous timecards when creating new timecards.
Version 1.3.1
- Alpha-numeric sort order has been implemented in drowdown lists.
- Various usability upgrades including addition of yes/no to toggle boxes to make them more user friendly.
- Bug fix for issues related to app not loading data properly when launched offline.
Version 1.2
- Custom Forms are integrated into the MobileApp with supporting reports available in the WebApp.
Version 1.0.4
- Start/End time that wrap past midnight are now calculating the total hours correctly.
- 140-character phase-level comment fields have been added to time cards to allow for phase or project specific comments.
- Add ability to delete rejected timecards from list page.
- Disable isDriver toggle if the timecard is not editable.
- Fixed a bug; when submitting a timecard on the list page, the “hours don’t match” popup showed up in front of detail page.
- Rebuilt the offline syncing engine.
Web Application Release Notes
Version 2.22
Production
- Release of Production Charts (additional production reporting) for use by Contractor-level account users.
- Bug fix for ‘Pull Hours’ button in blocks.
Roads
- Performance improvements to road projects including speed of ‘Pull Hours’ function.
- Improved layout of project hours for easy review.
Equipment
- Major improvements to the Equipment Module; allow for more detailed tracking of equipment utilizations and the first step towards determining hourly rates for specific equipment.
Time
- Changed validation process to allow users to save partially completed time entries with minimal information; validation still required for submit function.
General
- Various usability and visual bug fixes throughout.
User Impact
- Low—most noticeable changes will be at the Contractor-level
Version 2.19
Simple Project
- New module is only available for Contractor user accounts and is intended to allow admin staff to be able to create projects for non-production activities such as administration, payroll, general maintenance, etc.
- These projects do not require a block to be entered in order for timecards to be submitted.
Production
- Customer forms can now be added to production projects.
Roads
- Custom forms can now be added to road projects.
- Added date validation so that entry of start dates and end dates are more controlled.
Equipment
- Custom forms can now be added to equipment.
Time
- Time stamp recorded for date and time of submission and approval of timecards.
- Phase specific hour categories to show depending on the type of hours typically performed for that phase (eg. “Bunching” phase will have option to input Production, Downtime, Maintenance, Service, General, and Travel Hours whereas “Supervision” phase will only have General hours as an option for input.
General
- Various usability and visual bug fixes throughout.
User Impact
- Low to moderate – mainly noticeable at the Contractor account level.
Version 2.17
Road
- Cleaned up old fields and duplication road section.
- Added “Rebuild” Construction Classes for road projects.
- Added a section to road projects to upload supporting documents.
- Improved the calendar in road projects to allow for year to be easily adjusted.
- Migrated existing road project data into the new schema.
- Updated query-builder to allow for more specific filtering in road project list page.
User Impact
- Added primary phases: “low bedding” and “log hauling” to equipment module.
Time
- Option to “Archive All” a range of timecards.
- Inactive user timecards are hidden from filtered lists unless the “Include Inactive Users” checkbox is selected.
- Added title to PDF Time Card Report.
- Added time stamps to PDF Time Card Report – “this data was generated from TimberTracks on [date xx/xx/xxxx]”
- Fixed bug related to pulling timecard hours into road projects.
General
- Various usability and visual bug fixes throughout.
User Impact
- Low to moderate – mainly noticeable at the Contractor account level.
Version 2.15.2
Platform
- Improve backend quality assurance testing capabilities.
- Improved daily backup performance.
Production
- Fixed volume calculation in actual hours by phase section.
Time
- Fixed reported bugs in PDF Timecard Report.
- Fixed bug related to travel being allocated properly in Summary Reports; all hours recorded as “Crew Travel” now are automatically coded as travel hours in all reports.
- Backend improvements to fix limitations for running timecard reports. Additional future updates planned to improve report generation speed and amount of data permitted in a report.
General
- Various usability and visual bug fixes throughout.
User Impact
- Minimal
Version 2.15
Platform
- Streamlined integration of custom forms into API.
- Improve backend quality assurance testing capabilities.
Time
- Time Card Summary Report has been revised to better capture phase-level comments.
- Time Card Summary Report now contains a new worksheet report for Employee Hours by Phase.
- Alpha-numeric sort order has been implemented in the Phase Manager and in Time App dropdown lists.
- Ability to PDF and print individual or groups of time cards when required by hourly clients or during a dispute.
General
- Various usability and visual bug fixes.
User Impact
- New Custom Forms feature may require some training of staff, however, forms will only appear if a contractor has published forms. Forms will not appear if there are none created and therefore no immediate user impact.
- The order of some items in the dropdown menus may have changed slightly but now they are logically ordered by category and either numerically or alphabetically.
Version 2.14
Platform
- Integration of Custom Forms into API.
- Revision of authentication and token system that affected login for certain users.
Road
- Phase specific hours may be pulled from approved time cards directly into Road Projects.
Time
- Time Card Summary Reports are now available at the Employee and Supervisor level on the WebApp allowing employees to take ownership of their time card records.
- Custom Forms are integrated into both the WebApp and the MobileApp with supporting reports available.
- Contractor level draft and publish options added to forms section to control versioning and availability of fors.
General
- Various usability and visual bug fixes.
User Impact
- New Custom Forms feature may require some training of staff, however, forms will only appear if a contractor has published forms. Forms will not appear if there are none created and therefore no immediate user impact..
Version 2.11
Performance
- Upgrades to improve the speed and rendering of browser features.
Time
- 140-character phase-level comment fields have been added to time cards to allow for phase or project specific comments..
- Submit button will be disabled if user does not input a project or phase/hour.
General
- Various usability and visual bug fixes.
User Impact
- Some substantial changes related to comments in time cards. No other major design or interface changes.
- Primarily usability improvements.
Version 2.10
Performance
- Upgrades to backend API to improve performance.
User Impact
- No major design or interface changes.
- Primarily usability improvements.
Version 2.9
Time
- Fixed comment section to default to “General Comments” category. Category can still be changed by user.
- Reports general bug cleanup..
Admint
- User that becomes “Inactive” for a given company can now create a new TimberTracks account with a different company.
- Merged user “Terminated” status with “Inactive” which allows a terminated user account to be reactivated in the future, if necessary.
Generalt
- Various usability and visual bug fixes throughout
User Impact
- No major design or interface changes
- Primarily usability improvements
Version 2.8
Platform
- Added functionality for the app to “remember” filter settings when users navigate between pages. This includes: ordering of items, number of records, query filters, etc.
Production
- Phase-specific production hours will now automatically imported from approved time cards directly into the productivity section of a given project.
Time
- Time card comments added to the Time Card Detail report.
General
- Various usability and visual bug fixes throughout
User Impact
- No major design or interface changes
- Primarily usability improvements and bug fixes
Version 2.5
Production
- Added ‘Customer’ as a query option
Time
- Include the filters applied to time cards list page to the reports being generated
- Added an ‘Add Timecard’ button to Dashboard
- Added functionality to delete rejected time cards, as well as a confirmation message when trying to delete a timecard
- Added logic so that rejected time cards cannot be resubmitted without changes
General
- Various usability and visual bug fixes throughout
General
- Various usability and visual bug fixes throughout
User Impact
- No major design or interface changes
Primarily usability improvements
General Questions
Can TimberTracks be used outside British Columbia?
TimberTracks was built from the ground up for British Columbia logging, however we can adapt TimberTracks and develop versions specific to other regions. Please contact us for details.
Is my data backed up?
Yes. The TimberTracks database is cloud based using multiple redundant servers and access points to protect the data and maximize access even if there are internet interruptions.
How do I know my data is protected?
TimberTracks is secured through 256-bit encryption technology that encrypts communications between your web browser and the server using SSL (Sector Socket Layer) technology.
Where is my data stored?
TimberTracks is hosted in the cloud on redundant servers located in various places in North America.
Can I remove my data from TimberTracks?
Once you have provided us your data, we will keep it in TimberTracks for the long term benefit of the industry.
Who owns my data?
You own your data. As a subscriber, you provide TimberTracks only with a perpetual license to store your data and report it in aggregate form to other subscribers or third-parties.
If a subcontractor is also a subscriber, do I get a credit for the fees they pay?
No, The TimberTracks fee and data collected is based on your data and information.
How do I know TimberTracks data is real?
TimberTracks collects data from various contractors in various forms. The data is incorporated into TimberTracks to a common format for easier comparison.
TimberTracks conducts validation comparisons of entered data to ensure it fits achievable performance and conducts random field audits of contractor data to ensure it matches what actually occurred.
Is TimberTracks a rate model?
TimberTracks collects data from actual contractor experiences in productivity (logging, hauling, and road construction) and costs (equipment, logging trucks, overheads) to assist contractors and their customers in understanding the industry norms for similar types of work and operating conditions. Contact us regarding development of rate models for specific needs.
What is TimberTracks return on investment?
TimberTracks is not a cost centre for your business. It identifies opportunities to improve management of your business that lead to improved profitability.
Existing TimberTracks subscribers have been able to achieve annual returns on investment of up to 2,400% through identification of efficiency issues compared to industry and their ability to present factual variation rationales in rates paid by their customers.
We cannot guarantee that past results can be duplicated or will be achieved by all subscribers. We do know that subscribers that actively use TimberTracks to manage their business generally experience improvements in profitability.
Is TimberTracks for coastal logging or interior logging?
TimberTracks was designed for use in British Columbia. Both coastal and interior versions were built from the ground up to capture only the important data applicable to that region. Coastal data is kept separate and distinct from interior data and is not shared. Coastal reports only include coastal data while interior reports only include interior data.
Can any subscriber see my company information?
No. Only you and TimberTracks administrators can see your specific company information. Other subscribers will only be able to view aggregate reports that may or may not include your specific information based on the fields they select in a query. Even if your data shows up in a subscriber query, it will only be displayed in aggregated, non-identifiable form.
TimberTracks Time Questions
Is there a timecard phase for mechanics?
The short answer is yes. TimberTracks Time has a phase for mechanics where they can record the phase and the equipment they worked on and their hours associated with that equipment.
The Phase Manager in TimberTracks Time allows a Contractor user account to create as many or as few phases as is necessary for that subscriber’s business. Need a mechanic and a mechanic helper phase? No problem. Just create another mechanic phase and create a name that works for your business.
What type of users accounts are there?
TimberTracks Time has three subscriber user accounts – Contractor, Supervisor, and Employee.
Employee User – Employee user accounts have access only to their own timecards. They can create and submit their own timecards only. They are unable to run reports or see timecards from any other user accounts.
Supervisor User – Supervisor user accounts have access to submitted employee timecards that have them listed as the supervisor to review and approve/reject. They can also create and submit their own timecards. They are unable to run reports or see timecards other than those submitted to them and their own.
Contractor User – Contractor user accounts is able to review and approve/reject all submitted timecards for that subscriber. They can also create and submit their own timecards for approval. Contractor user accounts can also run reports whether for payroll or management purposes. It is the only subscriber account able to create or terminate accounts for a subscriber. Contractor user accounts set, and can later change, the user account type when creating other user accounts. For example, if an employee becomes a supervisor, the Employee user account can be changed to a Supervisor user account by a Contractor user account.
Subscribers can have as many accounts of each type as they want. Most subscribers have the key administration staff involved in payroll and management reporting and business owners set up with Contractor user accounts with several Supervisor user accounts based on company size and all remaining staff having Employee user accounts.
How can I access TimberTracks Time?
TimberTracks Time is available as a web app through any modern browser or as a standalone app available for iOS or Android mobile operating systems. The mobile apps enable electronic timecard creation even while not connected and then synchronize with the server when the device connects to the internet.
Is TimberTracks Time available for iPhones or Samsung?
Yes, TimberTracks Time is available for iPhones and iPads in the Apple App Store and for Samsung or other Android operating system mobile devices in the Google Play Store.
Are you interested in reducing the headache associated with the administrative duties around payroll time? Increase your accuracy and efficiency with TimberTracks Time today!