We understand that with a flexible and robust system, one can be overwhelmed with what to do. To help with this, we have created a list of common items to periodically review and check.

While the checklist does not have a specific order for you to complete, some items may need to be completed before other steps (such as editing time cards before closing a pay period) and items can be skipped or done more/less frequently, depending on your company's needs. We have also provided links to supplemental resources if you are not familiar with an item.

We also offer a list of best practices to keep your ExakTime system running smoothly.

Bookmark this page so you can refer to it in the future!

Daily

• Import New Entities with SyncLinx - If your company uses SyncLinx, you can import entity data from supported applications. This can help you quickly import new employees or locations into ExakTime Connect for time tracking.
  • If you are also using our Core HR module, do not import Employees via SyncLinx into ExakTime. As Core HR is the "source of truth", it is best to import/enter your employees into Core HR first so it can propagate the data to ExakTime automatically.
• Assist With Installing ExakTime Mobile - If your company is using ExakTime Mobile, it is important to assist new and/or existing employees when installing and using ExakTime Mobile. We offer a variety of online resources and printouts that you can offer your employees.
• Review Employee Time Records and Cards - Review your employees' time cards to make sure that you have received records from your employees for the end of the previous day and the current day.
  • We do not recommend editing time records if they are for the same day as it is possible that your employees' records are waiting to be sent.
  • It is often best to double-check with employees/supervisors (if possible) and edit time records on the following day of occurrence to prevent any erroneous work.
  • If you have not received your employee's records, here are a couple of things that you can check just in case.
• Review Employee Field Notes - Review any field notes sent by your employees from ExakTime Mobile. These field notes can provide context about events related to locations, employees, and more.
• Review Expenses - Review any expenses submitted by your employees from ExakTime Mobile or ExakTime Connect. 

Weekly/Per Pay Period

• Review Employee Time Cards and Make Corrections - Review your employee's time cards and make any corrections as needed.
  • When performing edits to an employee's time card, make all your changes at once, then save your changes. This can help save time when compared to saving after each edit.
  • Ideally, your employee's time cards should have no warnings/exceptions. Time records with warnings should be corrected for proper time record calculations and accuracy. Time records with exceptions should be addressed but can be ignored, such as for missed manual meal breaks, depending on your needs.
• Have Employee Review Time Cards - It can be beneficial for your employees to review their time cards on ExakTime Connect or ExakTime Mobile to confirm that their time cards are correct.
• Review Time Off Requests - If you are using "Time Off", review and approve/deny time off requests. Also, check to ensure you are appropriately staffed for the requested days off. 
• Approve Time Cards - Have your Employees, Supervisors, and/or Admins approve the time cards for assurances that everything is correct.
  • Any time punches made from the field such as ExakTime Mobile or JobClocks are placed into the "Quarantined Time" page and will not go to the respective time cards until the cause of quarantined is removed, such as by unapproving a time card.
  • If a time card has been approved and the time card is edited by a user with sufficient permission, all lower-level approvals will be removed for the employee and/or supervisor to reapprove.
• Close Your Pay Period - Use “Pay Period Closing” when you have passed or completed the pay period to ensure time is secure and finalized after you have finished.
  • Closing your pay period will also trigger time off balance accruals, depending on your time off plans.
  • Time cards in a closed pay period cannot be modified. Any time punches made from the field such as ExakTime Mobile or JobClocks are placed into the "Quarantined Time" page and will not go to the respective time cards until the cause of quarantined is removed, such as by reopening a pay period.
• Review and Create Your Employees Upcoming Schedules - If you are using "Schedules", review your existing employee schedules and update them for the upcoming work week(s).
• Generate Necessary Reports - Generate any necessary reports for others to review, physical/digital copies, etc.
• Map Your Data in AccountLinx - If you are using AccountLinx, map your entity data (employees, locations, cost codes, and/or equipment) to the equivalent data in your payroll application to ensure smooth and successful time data imports.
• Export Time Data with AccountLinx - If you are using AccountLinx, use the recommended process to export your time data into your payroll application to begin your payroll.
• Maintain your Entity Lists - Keep your lists of Employees, Locations, and Cost Codes up to date by deactivating them when they are no longer needed.
  • For example, if the work for a Location is complete, it's best to deactivate it to ensure Employees no longer use it when clocking in or for Admins when editing time cards.
  • A deactivated entity such as a location or cost code will be unavailable for ExakTime Mobile (when clocking in) or ExakTime Connect time cards (when making edits). Be sure to deactivate when it should no longer be used in the field or the office. 
  • Deactivating an entity doesn't delete the entity so it can be used for reporting, historical tracking, or be reactivated for more work in the future.

Monthly

• Deactivate Unused Copies of ExakTime Mobile - When an employee has left your company, it is important to also deactivate their copy of ExakTime Mobile to ensure the copies of ExakTime Mobile are unable to send erroneously data to your ExakTime System.
• Check for Updates to Accounting/Payroll Application - It is generally understood that keeping any application up to date is important for bug fixes and enhancements. This can be important for accounting/payroll applications as they may update tax data, making these updates crucial.
  • Where this can be a concern is when applications that connect to your accounting/payroll application, such as SyncLinx/AccountLinx, are not yet compatible with the latest versions. If you are unsure if latest version of your accounting/payroll application are not compatible with SyncLinx/AccountLinx, feel free to request more information about compatibility with the link at the top of the page.
• Check for Updates to SyncLinx/AccountLinx - While SyncLinx/AccountLinx will prompt you for any new updates, you can skip them to continue using the applications. If you do skip these updates for any reason, it is best to update SyncLinx/AccountLinx when you have the opportunity to receive any bug fixes and enhancements. 
  
  • Depending on the payroll application you use, such as Sage 50 (CAN), you may want to hold off on updating SyncLinx/AccountLinx until you are sure that SyncLinx/AccountLinx will be compatible with your payroll application version. If you are unsure, feel free to request more information about compatibility with the link at the top of the page.

Yearly

• Review Your Policies - As labor laws/regulations can change at various governmental/regional levels, it can be important to review your employee and location policies to ensure your overtime, rounding, meal breaks, etc. are in line with laws/guidelines for your region/union.
• Review Your Security Roles - Double-check your security roles for ExakTime Connect or ExakTime Mobile and make sure that they are still set up appropriately based on your employee and company's needs. 
• Review your Time Off Plans and Accruals - If you are using "Time Off", double-check that your Time Off plans, accruals, and/or employee balances are set appropriately for the upcoming year.