Skip to main content

​
Overview

The Time module displays a comprehensive log of all technician work time entries. These entries are created automatically when technicians use the work timer on tasks, or can be entered manually for retrospective adjustments. Time entries track working hours, travel time, expenses, and link directly to work orders, tasks, customers, and assets. Time Tracking List View
Time entries are the source of truth for labor hours. Every task worked, every work order completed, and every customer visit creates a time entry that tracks who did the work, how long it took, and what it cost.

​
When to Use Time Tracking

Access the Time module when you need to:
  • Review all technician labor hours across work orders
  • Verify time logged against work orders and tasks
  • Manually create time entries for work done offline
  • Adjust or correct automatically-created time entries
  • Analyze labor hours by technician, customer, or job type
  • Export time data for payroll or billing purposes
  • Track expenses incurred during service calls
  • Monitor working time vs travel time patterns

​
Where Time Entries Come From

Time entries are created in two ways:

​
1. Automatic (from Mobile/PWA Apps)

Most time entries are created automatically when technicians use the Work Timer feature in the Fentu PWA or Mobile Technician apps. When technicians clock in and out of tasks in the field, the system automatically creates time entries with:
  • Technician name
  • Start and end times from the timer
  • Working time calculated in minutes
  • Work notes (mandatory)
  • Links to work order, task, task line item, and customer
  • Marked as chargeable by default
For details on how technicians use the work timer, see the PWA Technician or Mobile Technician documentation.

​
2. Manual Entry (from FSM Web UI)

Dispatchers and managers can create time entries manually when needed: When to Use:
  • Recording work done before timer feature was available
  • Adjusting time that wasn’t logged properly
  • Adding administrative time or non-task work
  • Correcting timer mistakes
How to Create:
  1. Navigate to Service Management → Time
  2. Click New button
  3. Fill in required fields
  4. Save the entry

​
Time Tracking List View

​
What You See

The Time list displays all time entries across your organization:
ColumnShows
NameAuto-generated name “Work Timer - [Asset]” or custom name
ResourceTechnician who performed the work (links to their profile)
TaskTask this time is logged against (links to task detail)
Start TimeWhen work began (date and time)
End TimeWhen work ended (date and time)

​
List Features

Filter time entries by branch location using the branch dropdown at the top of the page. Only shows entries for the selected branch.
Use the search box to find specific entries by name, technician, task, or work order number. Narrows results in real-time.
Click Columns button to show/hide additional columns:
  • Customer
  • Work Order
  • Task Line Item
  • Type (work classification)
  • Working Time
  • Travel Time
  • Pause Time
  • Expense Amount
  • Notes
  • Remarks
  • Chargeable status
Export all visible time entries to Excel for analysis, payroll processing, or billing. Respects current filters and column selection.

​
Creating and Editing Time Entries

​
Creating a New Time Entry

When you click New, you’ll see a form with the following fields organized by section:

​
Time Entry Fields

FieldTypeDescription
CustomerLookupCustomer for whom work was performed. Links to customer record.
Work OrderLookupWork order this time applies to. Auto-populates customer when selected.
TaskLookupSpecific task within the work order.
Task Line ItemLookupIndividual line item on the task (specific asset or work item).
EmployeeLookupTechnician who performed the work. Required field.
BranchLookupBranch location where work was performed.

​
Time and Duration

FieldTypeDescription
Start TimeDate/TimeWhen work began. Hidden when editing timer-created entries.
End TimeDate/TimeWhen work ended. Hidden when editing timer-created entries.
Working TimeNumberTotal time worked in minutes. Auto-calculated by timer.
Travel TimeNumberTime spent traveling to/from job site (minutes).
Pause Time QuantityNumberBreak time to subtract from working time (minutes).
Break TimeTextDescription of breaks taken.
Working Time LabelTextCustom label for working time display.

​
Work Type

FieldOptionsDescription
TypeDropdownClassification of work performed:
• Corrective Cluster - Emergency/breakdown repairs
• Preventive Cluster - Scheduled preventive maintenance
• Combined Cluster - Mix of corrective and preventive
• Combined Fault - Multiple fault repairs
• Combined Incident - Multiple incident responses
• Incidental Maintenance - Minor unscheduled work
• Installation - New equipment installation
• Preventive OHA - Preventive maintenance with overhaul
• Online Service - Remote/online support
• Fault - Single fault repair
• Support Contract - Work under service contract
• Incidental Support - Ad-hoc support work

​
Documentation

FieldTypeDescription
NotesText AreaDetailed work notes. Mandatory for timer-created entries. Describes what was done.
RemarksText AreaAdditional comments or special instructions.
ChargeableCheckboxIs this time billable to the customer? Checked by default for timer entries.

​
Additional Fields

FieldTypeDescription
Expense AmountNumberDollar amount of expenses incurred (materials, travel, etc.).
SignatureSignature FieldCustomer signature (captured via mobile/PWA apps).
Image First - FourthImage UploadUp to 4 photos documenting work (captured via mobile/PWA apps).

​
Time Entry Detail View

When you click on a time entry from the list, you’ll see all the details organized in sections:

​
Detail View Sections

Shows the complete work context:
  • Customer - Who the work was for
  • Work Order - Which job this time applies to
  • Task - Specific task within the work order
  • Task Line Item - Individual work item or asset serviced
  • Employee - Technician who performed the work
  • Branch - Location where work was performed
Why this matters: Full linkage allows you to analyze time by customer, track labor costs per work order, and see which assets require the most maintenance time.
Time breakdown and calculations:
  • Start Time - When work began
  • End Time - When work finished
  • Working Time - Net time worked (minutes)
  • Travel Time - Time spent traveling (minutes)
  • Pause Time Quantity - Break time deducted (minutes)
  • Break Time - Description of breaks
  • Type - Classification of work performed
Duration Calculation: Working Time = (End Time - Start Time) - Pause Time
Work notes and remarks:
  • Notes - Detailed description of work performed (mandatory for timer entries)
  • Remarks - Additional comments or special circumstances
  • Chargeable - Whether time can be billed to customer
Best Practice: Notes should explain what was done, not just repeat the task name. Example: “Replaced compressor bearings, cleaned condenser coils, tested system under load” instead of “Maintenance work.”
Additional information captured via mobile/PWA:
  • Expense Amount - Out-of-pocket costs incurred
  • Signature - Customer signature (if captured on-site)
  • Photos - Up to 4 images documenting the work
Usage: View photos and signatures that technicians captured in the field.
Complete audit trail showing:
  • When entry was created
  • Who created it (technician or admin)
  • All modifications made
  • Who made each change
  • Field-by-field change log
Accountability: History prevents disputes about time entries and shows when adjustments were made.

​
Recognizing Timer-Created Entries

Time entries created by the work timer (from mobile/PWA apps) have these characteristics:
  • Name: Auto-generated as “Work Timer - [Asset Name]”
  • Type: Set to “effort”
  • Chargeable: Checked by default
  • Notes: Always filled in (mandatory before timer stops)
  • Start/End Times: Hidden when editing (timer data is authoritative)
When editing timer-created entries, Start and End Time fields are hidden to preserve timer accuracy. If times need adjustment, modify the Working Time field directly or create a new manual entry.

​
Common Time Tracking Scenarios

​
Scenario 1: Reviewing Daily Technician Time

Goal: See what technicians worked on today How:
  1. Go to Service Management → Time
  2. Filter by branch if needed
  3. Sort by Start Time (most recent first)
  4. Click on entries to see detailed notes
  5. Export to Excel for reporting
Analysis: Compare working time vs estimated time on tasks to improve future estimates.

​
Scenario 2: Verifying Time Before Payroll

Goal: Ensure all technician time is logged accurately How:
  1. Filter by date range for payroll period
  2. Export to Excel
  3. Sum working time by technician
  4. Cross-reference with scheduled work orders
  5. Identify missing time entries or discrepancies
What to Look For:
  • Gaps in time coverage (days with no entries)
  • Unusual working time amounts (very short or very long)
  • Missing notes or documentation

​
Scenario 3: Correcting a Timer Entry

Goal: Technician forgot to stop timer, now shows 8 hours instead of 2 Options: Option A - Edit the Entry:
  1. Find the time entry in the list
  2. Click to open detail view
  3. Click Edit
  4. Modify Working Time field to correct minutes
  5. Add a remark explaining the correction
  6. Save
Option B - Delete and Recreate:
  1. Delete the incorrect entry
  2. Click New to create manual entry
  3. Fill in correct start/end times
  4. Copy notes from original entry
  5. Save
Option A is faster, but Option B creates a cleaner audit trail showing the entry was recreated manually.

​
Scenario 4: Analyzing Labor by Customer

Goal: See how much time we spend on specific customers How:
  1. Export all time entries to Excel
  2. Create pivot table with:
    • Rows: Customer
    • Values: Sum of Working Time
  3. Convert minutes to hours (divide by 60)
  4. Sort by total hours descending
Insights:
  • Which customers require most labor
  • Whether contract pricing covers actual time
  • Which customers have longest travel times

​
Scenario 5: Finding Time for a Specific Work Order

Goal: See all labor hours logged against work order WO-2026-045 How:
  1. Use search box to search “WO-2026-045”
  2. Or use Columns button to add Work Order column
  3. Filter/sort to find entries
  4. Sum Working Time for all matching entries
Use Case: Calculating total labor cost for job costing or billing verification.

​
Time Entry Actions

Edit Entry

Modify time entry details. Note: Start/End times hidden for timer-created entries to preserve accuracy.

Delete Entry

Remove incorrect or duplicate time entries. Creates audit trail of deletion.

Export to Excel

Export filtered time entries for external analysis, payroll processing, or billing.

View Related Records

Click links to Customer, Work Order, Task, or Resource to see full context.

​
Tips and Best Practices

Make it a habit to review time entries weekly:
  • Check for missing entries (technicians who forgot to log time)
  • Verify notes are filled in completely
  • Look for unusually long or short entries
  • Confirm travel time is being tracked separately
Why: Catching errors early makes corrections easier and improves data quality for billing and payroll.
Require technicians to write meaningful notes:
  • ✅ Good: “Replaced worn drive belt, adjusted tension, tested motor operation”
  • ❌ Bad: “Maintenance”
  • ✅ Good: “Diagnosed faulty relay, replaced part #R-4429, confirmed heating cycle”
  • ❌ Bad: “Fixed heater”
Why: Detailed notes help with warranty claims, repeat visits, and customer communication.
Train technicians on when to use each Type:
  • Fault - Emergency breakdown requiring immediate response
  • Preventive Cluster - Scheduled maintenance per service contract
  • Installation - New equipment setup
  • Support Contract - Work covered under maintenance agreement
  • Incidental Maintenance - Minor unscheduled repairs
Why: Consistent classification enables accurate reporting on preventive vs corrective work ratios.
Always log travel time in the Travel Time field, not working time:
  • Helps optimize technician routing
  • Shows impact of service area geography
  • Identifies jobs where travel exceeds working time
  • Supports billing if travel is separately charged
Why: Travel is often non-billable overhead. Know how much time is lost to travel.
For major work, ensure time entries include:
  • Detailed work notes explaining what was done
  • Photos (if captured via mobile/PWA)
  • Customer signature (if obtained on-site)
  • Expense amounts for materials purchased
Why: Complete documentation prevents billing disputes and supports warranty claims.
Not all time should be marked chargeable:
  • Chargeable: T&M work, billable service calls, installations
  • Non-Chargeable: Warranty repairs, rework, goodwill service, work under all-inclusive contracts
Why: Accurate chargeable tracking is essential for profitability analysis.
Track expenses incurred during service calls:
  • Parts purchased at local supplier
  • Mileage or fuel costs
  • Parking fees
  • Equipment rental
Why: Captures full job cost, not just labor. Can be billed back to customer or tracked as overhead.
When reviewing or verifying time entries:
  • Open time entry detail view
  • Review work notes for what was done
  • Check supporting photos (if available)
  • View customer signature (if captured)
  • Reference history for when entry was created and by whom
Why: Complete documentation supports billing accuracy and resolves disputes.

​
Common Questions

Time entries created by the work timer have Start and End Time fields hidden during editing. This is intentional.Reason: Timer data is the authoritative record of when work actually occurred. Allowing edits would compromise this accuracy.If you need to adjust: Modify the Working Time field directly (in minutes), or delete the entry and create a new manual entry with correct times.
Notes: Describes the actual work performed. This is mandatory for timer entries and should detail what was done, parts replaced, issues found, and results.Remarks: Additional context like special circumstances, why extra time was needed, customer requests, or internal notes about the job.Example:
  • Notes: “Replaced failed capacitor on outdoor unit, tested system operation, confirmed cooling”
  • Remarks: “Customer requested we return next week to check filter. Ordered replacement on account.”
Look at the Name field:
  • Timer entries: “Work Timer - [Asset Name]” (auto-generated)
  • Manual entries: Custom name or empty
Also check the History tab:
  • Shows who created the entry
  • Timer entries created by the technician via mobile/PWA
  • Manual entries created by dispatcher/admin in web UI
This depends on your system permissions. Generally:Technicians: May be able to edit their own entries for a short period after creation Dispatchers/Managers: Can edit any time entry Admins: Full edit and delete accessBest Practice: Lock time entries after a certain period (e.g., end of work week) to prevent retroactive changes.
Option 1 - Estimate and Create Manually:
  1. Dispatcher creates manual time entry
  2. Estimates start/end times based on work order schedule
  3. Adds note: “Entry created manually - timer not used”
  4. Saves entry
Option 2 - Technician Self-Reports:
  1. Technician provides start/end times
  2. Dispatcher creates entry with reported times
  3. Notes indicate self-reported vs timer data
Prevention: Train technicians to start timer as first step when arriving at job site.
For Timer Entries:Working Time (minutes) = End Time - Start Time - Pause TimeSystem calculates automatically when timer stops.For Manual Entries: You enter Working Time directly in minutes, or the system can calculate from Start/End times you provide.Travel Time is tracked separately and not included in Working Time calculation.
The Type field classifies the kind of maintenance work:
TypeWhen to Use
Corrective ClusterEmergency repairs, multiple related breakdowns
Preventive ClusterScheduled preventive maintenance tasks
Combined ClusterMix of preventive and corrective in one visit
FaultSingle equipment failure repair
InstallationNew equipment or system installation
Preventive OHAPreventive maintenance with overhaul
Online ServiceRemote support or monitoring
Support ContractWork under service agreement
Incidental MaintenanceMinor unscheduled repairs
Why it matters: Reporting on Type helps you understand your maintenance mix - are you mostly reactive (faults) or proactive (preventive)?
Yes, if you have appropriate permissions:
  • Select time entry from list
  • Use delete action
  • Confirm deletion
Warning: Deletion is permanent and creates an audit trail. Better to edit incorrect entries than delete them.Use deletion for:
  • Duplicate entries (technician started timer twice)
  • Test entries created during training
  • Entries created in error on wrong work order

​
Related Documentation

Work Orders

Time entries link to work orders for complete job costing and labor tracking.

Tasks

Tasks break down work orders into assignable units. Time is tracked at the task level.

Technicians

View all time entries by technician for productivity and performance analysis.

Service Requests

Service requests generate work orders, which generate tasks, which technicians log time against.