ComputerEase is an accounting software that SyncLinx and AccountLinx are compatible with that can help expedite data entry and time data entry. SyncLinx allows you to import key equivalent entities such as employees, locations, and/or cost codes (activities) directly into your ExakTime Connect account. AccountLinx is used to export your employee's time data into a ComputerEase compatible format.

If you have any questions or concerns during setup and/or use, you can contact us with the "Request Support" link at the top of the page and we will try to assist as best as possible. Keep in mind, however, that we are not ComputerEase support. We will try to assist you as much as we are able, but there are aspects of ComputerEase that are out of our area of expertise and your questions may be better served by ComputerEase support or your trusted contact to answer/assist.

As ComputerEase allows flexibility to fit various needs, we cannot take every unique setup into account. It is advised to read through this article before setting up SyncLinx/AccountLinx to understand what is needed ahead of time.

Table of Contents

• Special Considerations for SyncLinx/AccountLinx and ComputerEase
• Setting Up SyncLinx and ComputerEase
  • Installing ComputerEase ODBC Drivers
  • Setting Up ODBC Data Source
  • Setting Up SyncLinx to Use ComputerEase ODBC Data Source
  • Using SyncLinx to Import Entities
• Using AccountLinx with ComputerEase
  • Selecting ComputerEase as your Exporter
  • AccountLinx Settings Unique to ComputerEase
  • General Use of AccountLinx
• How to Import Time Data into ComputerEase
  • Creating an Import Layout
  • Importing Time Data

Special Considerations

ExakTime "Cost Code" vs. ComputerEase "Cost Code"

It is also important to note that the term "Cost Code" is different between ComputerEase and ExakTime. ExakTime uses the term "Cost Code" for activities (what the employee is doing) while ComputerEase uses the term "Cost Code" as a combination of the ComputerEase job, phase, and category IDs.

Phases and Category Codes for Jobs

As ComputerEase setups can differ, it may be helpful to read the below information to see if it applies to you.

When setting up your phases and categories in AccountLinx, it is important to note how the phases and categories are set up in your ComputerEase company as well.

The ideal setup for your jobs in ComputerEase is to have consistent phase and category IDs between them. If the phase and category IDs can differ between jobs, it can result in additional data clean-up.

In the example below, we have an ideal setup where the phase and category codes are consistent for all jobs with little room for misinterpretation. The unideal setup has different phase and category codes between the two jobs, resulting in unique phase/category code combinations. 

If the phases and categories are different between your jobs in ComputerEase, you will either need to make them consistent for all jobs in ComputerEase to prevent confusion or add additional locations/cost codes to take into account all the possible jobs, phases, and category combinations for ComputerEase.

The former option may require adjustment of existing practices in ComputerEase, but would require the least work moving forward with a consistent set of phases and category codes across all jobs.

The latter option would not require any changes to ComputerEase, but could lead to employee error in ExakTime with numerous duplicate/similar cost codes.

Setting Up SyncLinx and ComputerEase

While SyncLinx is able to connect to ComputerEase, some setup will depend on how your current ComputerEase is set up, as having multiple company files and/or company files stored on networked computers can add some complexity.

If you are unfamiliar with setting up ComputerEase and/or setting up & installing applications, then you may need to consult your IT professional for assistance as some steps require additional computer permissions that regular users may not have.

If you encounter any errors for any of the steps below, please note the error you receive, and at what point you received the error, and take a screenshot of the error if possible so we can better assist you.

Installing ComputerEase ODBC Drivers

The first step will be to install the ComputerEase ODBC drivers on your computer(s) to help third-party applications, such as SyncLinx, connect to your ComputerEase company file(s).

The required ComputerEase ODBC drivers are installed with the setup.exe file generally found in your ComputerEase installation under \ComputerEase\Accounting\odbc.

When running setup.exe, you will be presented with three options:

• Install standard ODBC driver and configure data sources
• Install client ODBC driver
• Uninstall ODBC driver

Use "Install standard ODBC driver and configure data sources". This is the most commonly used option.

Setting Up ODBC Data Source

After installing the ODBC drivers, you will need to set up the ODBC connection with the Windows ODBC Data Sources application.

1. On your computer that has SyncLinx, ComputerEase, and the ODBC drivers installed, navigate to C:\Windows\SysWOW64 and run odbcad32.exe. 
2. Click the System DSN tab and click Add.
3. A window to select the ComputerEase driver should open. Select the "ComputerEase" driver and click Finish.
4. A window labeled "Setup" should open to set up your ODBC connection. In the "Setup" window, fill out the provided fields:
   • Data Source - Enter the name for the ODBC connection, such as "ExakCE" or "ComputerEase". There cannot be a space at the end of the data source name.
   • Directory - Type/enter the folder path for your ComputerEase company file.
     • It is generally located in C:\ComputerEase\Accounting\data\ if stored locally and is in a folder generally labeled with "s101", "s102", "s103" and so forth.
     • If stored on the network, it may be \\servername\ComputerEase\Accounting\Data.
     • When entering the folder path, it would be entered as C:\ComputerEase\Accounting\data\s101 for example.
     • If you have multiple company files, you may need to test multiple folders to find the appropriate one. 
5. If you are trying to connect to multiple company files, you may need to go back to Step 2 and add additional ODBC connections with different and recognizable names.

Setting Up SyncLinx to Use ComputerEase ODBC Data Source

Now that the ComputerEase ODBC drivers have been installed and the ODBC data source has been set up with the drivers, you will now need to set up SyncLinx to use the ODBC data source.

1. Open SyncLinx if not already open.
2. Go to Tools at the top and click Select Data Source.... This should open a window with a list of available data source options.
3. Select "ComputerEase" and click OK.
4. A warning may appear saying that there is a connection error, this is expected if the SyncLinx connection to ComputerEase has not been done on the computer. Click OK on the warning. 
5. A window should open to set up the settings for the ComputerEase data importer. Click Connection. 
6. A Connection Setup window should open. In the Connection Setup window, set up/enter the following information.
   • DSN - Select the data source name that was added in the previous section from this dropdown menu.
   • Driver - Select the "ComputerEase" driver from the dropdown menu.
   • User - Enter your ComputerEase username/user ID.
   • Password - Enter your ComputerEase password.
7. Click Save then click Save again to return to the main page of SyncLinx.
8. Click any of the "Get Employees/Locations/Cost Codes" options at the top of SyncLinx and double-check the entities that are queried. If the entities are not what you expect, then the ODBC data source set up in the previous section may be pointing to the incorrect company file.

SyncLinx Settings Unique to ComputerEase

There are two different SyncLinx settings that may help when importing certain entities into ExakTime.

1. Go to Tools at the top and click ComputerEase Settings....
2. There are two options available:
   • Include the ID for Location Names - You can add the location ID before or after the location name in addition to importing the location ID from ComputerEase into the location ID field in ExakTime.
   • Import Cost Codes per Location - If enabled, will help limit the available cost codes that a location can use when importing your entities.
     • It is generally best to import your cost codes, then the locations as the location will only allow certain cost codes that it can see. If there are no cost codes when locations are imported, it will not be able to specify what cost codes are available for the location.

Using SyncLinx to Import Entities

For more information about the basic use of SyncLinx, you can refer to the following article.

Using AccountLinx with ComputerEase

AccountLinx does not connect to ComputerEase directly and will instead export your ExakTime time data into a file that you can import into ComputerEase. 

Selecting ComputerEase as your Exporter

1. Go to Tools and click Exporter Settings.... 
2. The Exporter Settings window should open. Click Select Exporter.... 
3. A window with a list of available exporters should open. Select ComputerEase and click OK.

AccountLinx Settings Unique to ComputerEase

The ComputerEase exporter for AccountLinx offers a variety of settings when exporting your time data to help tailor the time data to your company's needs. These settings are unique to AccountLinx and will not affect ExakTime Connect or Mobile. If any of the settings offered do not sound familiar to you, then you may not be using the setting in ComputerEase, can disregard the AccountLinx setting, and leave it as <None>.

1. Go to Tools and click Exporter Settings.... 
2. The Exporter Settings window should open. Click Configure....
3. The Configuration window should open. You should see the following options:
   • Map Phase To - Associate a phase with an ExakTime location or cost code. The phase should match the ComputerEase phase.
   • Category To - Associate a category with an Exaktime location or cost code. The category should match the ComputerEase category.
   • Class To - Associate a class with an ExakTime employee, location, or cost code. The class should match the ComputerEase class.
   • Map Equipment Number To - Associate an equipment number with an ExakTime employee, location, cost code, or equipment. The equipment number should match the ComputerEase equipment number.
   • Equipment Cost Code to - Associate an equipment cost code with an ExakTime employee, location, cost code, or equipment. The equipment cost code should match the ComputerEase equipment cost code.
   • Map Alternate Pay Type to - Associate an alternate pay type with an ExakTime employee, location, or cost code. The pay type should match your ComputerEase pay type. This is generally used to help differentiate if an employee should receive a different pay type depending on who it is, where they worked, or what they did. For more information about alternate pay types and how they should be used, you can refer to the following article.
   • Work Type to - Associate a work type with an ExakTime employee, location, or cost code. The work type should match the ComputerEase work type.
   • Department to - Associate a department with an ExakTime employee, location, or cost code. The work type should match the ComputerEase work type.
   • ComputerEase Version - Select if you are using ComputerEase version "8.0 or above" or "7.9 or below".
4. Click OK on the Configuration window and click OK on the Exporter Settings window to return to the main page of AccountLinx.
5. Click the appropriate "Map Employee/Location/Cost Code/Equipment" option to see the columns from the options enabled in Step 3.

General Use of AccountLinx

• For more information about mapping your entities in AccountLinx, you can refer to the following article.
• For more information about exporting time data AccountLinx, you can refer to the following article.

Example of AccountLinx Export

An example of an AccountLinx export opened in Excel has been provided below. The columns have been preformatted based on ComputerEase's template. There are some blank columns as we are trying to best match the export file to ComputerEase's template and not all fields are used by us.

While you can manipulate the exported data after it has been exported, it is highly discouraged as it can result in data discrepancies when double-checking any data.

Special Consideration for SyncLinx/AccountLinx and ComputerEase

ExakTime "Cost Code" vs. ComputerEase "Cost Code"

It is also important to note that the term "Cost Code" is different between ComputerEase and ExakTime. ExakTime uses the term "Cost Code" for activities (what the employee is doing) while ComputerEase uses the term "Cost Code" as a combination of the ComputerEase job, phase, and category IDs.

Phases and Category Codes for Jobs

As ComputerEase setups can differ, it may be helpful to read the below information to see if it applies to you.

When setting up your phases and categories in AccountLinx, it is important to note how the phases and categories are set up in your ComputerEase company as well.

The ideal setup for your jobs in ComputerEase is to have consistent phase and category IDs between them. If the phase and category IDs can differ between jobs, it can result in additional data clean-up.

For example:

• If Job ID 200 has Phase 20 for Clean up and Category 20 for Labor, and Job ID 300 also has 20 for Clean up and Category 20 for Labor, then everything should be fine.
• If Job ID 300 has Phase 20 for Clean up and Category 20 for Labor, but Job ID 600 has 20 for Travel and Category 50 for Administration, then the time data could result in ComputerEase interpreting data incorrectly.

If the phases and categories are different between your jobs in ComputerEase, you will either need to make them consistent for all jobs in ComputerEase to prevent confusion or add additional locations/cost codes to take into account all the possible jobs, phases, and category combinations for ComputerEase.

The former option may require some adjustment of existing practices and maybe require least work overall while the latter option could lead to employee error in ExakTime with numerous duplicate/similar cost codes.

How to Import Time Data into ComputerEase

While the steps below may not cover all scenarios of importing into ComputerEase, they should cover the basics of what to expect.

If you need assistance, please feel free to contact us, but keep in mind that we are not ComputerEase support. We will try to assist you as much as we are able, but there are aspects of ComputerEase that are out of our area of expertise and your questions may be better served by ComputerEase support or your trusted contact to answer/assist.

If you have not created an import layout, refer to the following "Creating an Import Layout" section. Otherwise, jump to the next section on how to import time data into ComputerEase.

You can also refer to some instructions in AccountLinx by clicking "ComputerEase Exporter Help" in the top right.

Creating an Import Layout

The import layout is crucial for helping ComputerEase understand what data is to be expected in the columns of the AccountLinx export.

1. From the main menu of ComputerEase, navigate to the Payroll System and click Enter Labor Distribution by Job.

   

2. A window for "Enter Labor Distribution by Job" should open. Leave the "Cost Code" field blank and select "REGULAR" in the payroll field by clicking the ? icon. Click OK.

   

3. A window for "Labor Distribution by Job" should open. Navigate to File and click Import from a File.

   

4. A window for "Import Labor Distribution" should open with two fields for "Import From" and "Use Layout". Click the ? icon towards the right of "Use Layout".

   

5. You should see the layout list window. Click New on the Labor Distribution Import Layout List window.

   

6. A new window should open to create your import layout.

   

   1. Enter a description for your import layout, such as "AccountLinx Import".
   2. Specify the type as "Tab Delimited".
   3. Select a field from the list of available fields towards the top and select the column that it would correspond to in the bottom section, then click Assign to Field.
      • You can click "Load Sample" towards the bottom left to load your AccountLinx export to have a visual of how ComputerEase would interpret the data.
      • The fields are generally assigned to specific columns. Most fields will not be used by ExakTime and will be blank in our AccountLinx exports. You can leave a column unlabeled or assign different fields to a column, but please be aware that this may also impact how ComputerEase interprets AccountLinx files.
      Click to view the recommended field layout

      Field Name	Used by ExakTime?	Column	Description
      Emp	USED	Column #1	Employee ID
      Type	USED	Column #2	Type of work (1=Regular, 2=Overtime, etc.)
      Otmult	NOT USED	Column #3	Overtime multiplier
      Class	USED	Column #4	Employee Class
      Job	USED	Column #5	Job Code
      Phase	USED	Column #6	Phase Code
      Cat	USED	Column #7	Category Code
      Department	USED	Column #8	Department Code
      Worktype	USED	Column #9	Work Type
      Unionloc	NOT USED	Column #10	Union Local
      Billat	NOT USED	Column #11	Bill at
      Hours	USED	Column #12	Hours Worked
      Rate	NOT USED	Column #13	Hourly Rate
      Amount	NOT USED	Column #14	Total dollar amount for the record
      Date	USED	Column #15	Date the work was performed
      Des1	NOT USED	Column #16	Description of work done
      Des2	NOT USED	Column #17	Description of work done
      Wcomp1	NOT USED	Column #18	Workers compensation code
      Wcomp2	NOT USED	Column #19	Workers seconadry compensation code
      State	NOT USED	Column #20	State being worked in
      Local	NOT USED	Column #21	Local taxing authority being worked in
      Units	NOT USED	Column #22	Units completed
      Costtype	NOT USED	Column #23
      Costcode	NOT USED	Column #24	Not used by ExakTime as the job, phase, and category code will be used to generate the ComputerEase cost code
      Equipnum	USED	Column #25	Code for the equipment
      Equipcode	USED	Column #26	Equipment cost/revenue code
      Equiphours	USED	Column #27	Hours the equipment was used

   4. After assigning the fields for the columns, click Save to save the import layout. You should see the layout list screen with your newly saved import layout. 

      

Importing Time Data

1. From the main menu of ComputerEase, navigate to the Payroll System and click Enter Labor Distribution by Job.

   

2. A window for "Enter Labor Distribution by Job" should open. Leave the "Cost Code" field blank and select "REGULAR" in the payroll field. Click OK.

   

3. A window for "Labor Distribution by Job" should open. Navigate to File and click Import from a File.

   

4. A window for "Import Labor Distribution" should open with two fields for "Import From" and "Use Layout". Click the ? icon towards the right of "Import From" and select the exported AccountLinx file.

   

5. Click the ? icon towards the right of "Use Layout". A window with a list of previously created layouts should appear. Select your AccountLinx import layout and click Use.

   

   

6. Click Import. Your time data should load into the "Labor Distribution by Job" if the data is properly interpreted by your import layout. From here, you should be able to continue your payroll. If you are unsure of what to do after this, it would be best to consult ComputerEase support or your trusted contact on what to do next after the time data has been imported into ComputerEase.
   • If you are unsure if the data will be properly interpreted, click Preview to view a preview of how your import file will be interpreted by your layout. 
   • If ComputerEase does not recognize the data, a window will open specifying what data is not being imported with the opportunity to correct the data before importing it. The most common cause is the phase and/or category codes not being associated with the job for the time record. If you are consistently receiving import errors, note what is not being recognized so we can try to assist you.