Base Module - Getting Started
Get this guide as
PDF
file (Adobe Acrobat).
For a printer friendly version
click here.
This Getting Started document will guide
you through the
working process of the 3f Software Planner
Base Module, which takes less then an
hour. Once you have gone through this
paper, we strongly suggest that you take a look
at the “Advanced
Features” paper where more powerful
advantages are described.
It is assumed that you have set up a 14-day
trial account on our hosted server or that 3f
Software Planner has been installed on your own
server. If you have not yet set up the trial
account, go to
http://www.3fsoftwareplanner.com/start/
to do so.
CUSTOMIZING
Step 1. Enter employees
Click Projects & Resources > Login
Resources
|
On the "Login Resources" page click “Add
New” |
 |
and fill out the form. |
Note: Set up a new Department by
clicking Administration > Departments
Step 2. Enter clients
Click Projects & Resources > Client and
Projects
|
On the "Client and Projects" page click
“Add New” |
|
and fill out the form. |
Note: Set up a new Project Type by
clicking Administration > Project Types
Step 3. Set up client project
Click Projects & Resources > Client and
Projects
On the “Client and Projects” page, click
“Add/View Projects” to the right of the
specific client for whom you wish to set up
a new project.
|
On the “Project List” page click “Add
New” |
|
and fill out the form. |
Step 4. Add tasks to client
project
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client >
Name of Project > (Optionally version
number, if project is linked) > Tasks
|
On the “Task List” page click “Add
New” |
|
and fill out the form. |
Note: Please disable your popup
blocker for the server address.
Important: An unlimited number of
persons may work on the same task at the
same time. Therefore, enter hours for the
team as a whole.
Step 5. Set Up System Defaults
(Optional)
Click Administrative > System Defaults
Define your mail server for out going
e-mails.
Define time tracking round off.
Upload images (e.g., your logo) to be used
as header on printouts and in HTML
e-mails.
TIME TRACKING
Step 6. Start daily check-in
time tracking (First Level Time Tracking)
|
Click |
 |
to start First Level Time Tracking. |
Note: Always stop First Level Time
Tracking at the end of the day. Please
refer to Step 11 to see how.
Step 7. Start time tracking on a
project
task (Second Level Time Tracking)
Click the
Tree View > Name of Client > Project Name >
Project Time Tracking
Click the task you wish to track time and
work on.
Step 8. Start time tracking on a non
project task (Second Level Time Tracking)
|
Click |
 |
to go to the Non Project Task page.
Click the task you wish to track time
and work on. |
Note: Non project tasks are not
related to client projects. Use non
project tasks to track time for
accounting, sales, etc. Create a new “Non
Project Task” by clicking Administration >
Non Project Tasks
Step 9. Stop or cancel time tracking
on a task or non project task (Second Level Time
Tracking)
|
Click |
 |
in the tree view to go to the “Today” page. A directory
of today’s time tracked is
listed. |
|
To stop time tracking, simply click |
 |
which is found towards the right of the
active task. |
|
To cancel time tracking, simply click |
 |
which is found towards the right of the
active task. |
Step 10. Take a break (Second Level
Time Tracking)
|
Click |
 |
to pause time tracking
on a task. |
|
Click |
|
to restart time
tracking after a break. Time
tracking will continue on the task you
were working on prior to the break. |
Note: If your company policy dictates you
stop all time tracking during breaks,
please proceed to Step 11.
Step 11. Stop daily time tracking
(First and Second Level Time Tracking)
|
Click |
 |
to stop all time tracking. |
Step 12. Submit timesheet
Click the
Tree View > My Workspace > My Timesheet
> Today's Date
Recommendation: We suggest you
submit Timesheets on a daily basis at the
end of your working day. During the day,
you can add comments to a
|
task being time-tracked by clicking
this icon |
 . |
Take note that to be able to add
comments to a task, time
tracking must be running on a task.
|
Note: To allow timesheet
submission, Second Level Time Tracking
must be stopped.
If the task is finished, enter 0 in the
"Rem. Hrs." (Remaining Hours) field.
If the task is not finished, enter an
estimate of remaining working hours in the
"Rem. Hrs." (Remaining Hours) field.
Note: You should only enter the
remaining hours for yourself. Do not
estimate remaining hours for other team
members.
Enter your written report in the yellow
field using the “Reporting” function.
|
Click |
 |
to submit your timesheet. |
Step 13. Tasks Remaining Hours
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client >
Project Name >
Project Management > Tasks Remaining Hours
The person in charge of the project
accepts or corrects the remaining working
hours for each individual task as
submitted by the resources.
|
Planned Hrs: |
Original planned hours |
|
Rem. Hrs: |
Corrected remaining hours |
|
Res. Rem. Hrs: |
Estimated remaining hours as projected
by team members |
Recommendation: We suggest you
review your projects on a daily basis, as
the remaining hours are the foundation for
the Project Overview reports.
Note: To set a task to "Finished",
enter 0 in the "Rem. Hrs." (Remaining
Hours) field across the task.
REPORTS
Note: All reports
are based on submitted timesheets only.
1. Time Report
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client > Project Name >
Project Reports > Time Report
This report shows total hours worked on
the active project shown in the status bar at
the bottom of the screen.
|
Set the date range by clicking |
 |
“Date from” and |
|
“Date to” then press the |
 |
button. |
You may filter results by “Department”
and/or “Resource” and you may use the
“Group by” option.
2. Project Overview
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client > Project Name >
Project Reports > Project Overview
This report lists all the tasks set up
within an active project.
|
Hours Planned: |
Originally planned hours |
|
Hours Actual: |
Realized working hours |
|
Hours Remaining: |
Remaining hours of a task as set by
the person in charge of the project
(see Step 13) |
|
Deviation Planned/Actual: |
Difference between planned and
realized hours
Formula: Planned - Actual |
|
Deviation Planned/Current: |
Number of hours ahead or behind
original schedule
Formula: Planned - (Actual +
Rem. Hrs) |
|
% Finished: |
The percentage finished for a task
Formula: 100 * [Actual /
(Actual + Rem. Hrs)] |
3. Project Home
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client > Project Name >
Project Management > Project Home
This is the Project Summary.
|
Plan
Hrs.: |
Original planned
hours per project phase |
|
Act.
Hrs.: |
Total realized working hours per
project phase |
|
Rem.
Hrs.: |
Best possible
estimate for remaining hours as made
by the person in charge of the project
per project phase (see Step 13) |
|
Percentage
(%): |
Percent completed
Formula: Act. Hrs / (Rem. Hrs. + Act.
Hrs.) |
Keywords
trial, guide, step by step, step-by-step,
tutorial, how to, how-to, approach,
learning, teaching
