Using Time Collection Devices (TCDs)

This chapter provides an overview of third-party time collection devices and describes how to:

• Understand TCD setup and data integration.

• Define TCD setup data in Time and Labor.

• Send setup data to a TCD.

• Receive time from a TCD.

• View and resolve TCD errors.

Understanding Time Collection Devices

Time and Labor’s time collection process enables you to control how the system collects and sends time-related information to and from third-party, time-collection devices.

You can collect both punched and elapsed time data from any TCD for processing through Time and Labor. You can send setup data to these devices for improved performance and flexibility. Setup data, such as time reporter and supervisor information, task detail, and restriction rules, are synchronized with the clock system. After time is reported using a TCD, Time and Labor can apply rules to the clock data and process it for the purposes of scheduling, reporting, and time management.

Many TCD time reporters perform the same tasks, and their cost allocation data remains static. Using the TCD interface, time reporters can swipe their badges when they start and stop working without setting up task data. The time reporter’s default task profiles, defined in Time and Labor, can then be used to allocate these costs.

Time and Labor uses schedules and restriction profiles to determine when a time reporter is scheduled to punch in and out for work, meals, and breaks, and to determine when to allow or disallow punches.

You can group TCD information by TCD taskgroup to use when enrolling time reporters into Time and Labor. Doing so allows time reporters assigned to a TCD taskgroup to enter time using any TCD configured to accommodate their taskgroup. For example, a time reporter can punch clock A when performing shipping tasks, and later, punch clock B found in another section of the warehouse when performing inventory tasks if both clocks were set up for that TCD taskgroup.

Time and Labor uses the information defined on the TCD pages to control the data going to the TCDs. It does not send data the TCD cannot handle, thus reducing traffic on the network.

Understanding TCD Setup and Data Integration

When setting up a TCD, you identify a generic set of input data that is sent to your TCD systems. You also determine a generic set of output data that will be produced by your various TCD systems. Your TCD vendor will need to populate all required fields.

You determine the frequency in which you pass data between the TCD and Time and Labor; you should schedule the process to run on a regular basis.

Note. You do not need to set up TCDs to use PeopleSoft Enterprise Mobile Time and Expense. Mobile Time and Expense sends messages to Time and Labor by time reporter ID; these messages contain elapsed time that Time and Labor sends to a pay system and to PeopleSoft Projects. Mobile Time and Expense does not accept setup data from Time and Labor. For information about setting up integration with Mobile Time and Expense, see “Integrating with PeopleSoft Financials.”

To set up a TCD, you need to:

• Establish flat file or Extensible Markup Language (XML) data integration information.

• Make sure your messages are active.

• Set up the vendor interface for your organization. Determine communication setup links between your TCDs and Time and Labor.

• Create a TCD configuration in Time and Labor, as described later in this section.

• Make sure all values are mapped and configured correctly. If your TCD accepts schedule, TRC, or task information, your interface needs to map to the PeopleSoft codes that will be displayed on the TCD.

See Also

TCD Interface

TCD Setup Process Flow

The following diagram is provided as a guide for integrating third-party TCDs with Time and Labor.

Integrating Time and Labor with third-party TCDs

Integration Points Used to Publish Data to Time and Labor

The following table lists the integration point messages used to publish data from a third-party TCD to Time and Labor.

Understanding XML Integration

If you use XML, time sent from the TCD is transferred through an active message that is automatically sent to the reported time tables. For setup data being sent to the TCD, messages are transferred as often as you determine them to be published.

To set up XML integration:

1. Ensure that the messages are active. This is found in Application Designer message properties.

2. Make sure message nodes have been created on the Node Definitions pages accessed by navigating People Tools, Integration Broker, Node Definitions.

   Each comm server is associated with a message node.

3. Ensure ELAPSED_TIME_ADD and PUNCH_TIME_ADD messages are defined for all required message nodes on the Transactions page (accessed from the Transactions tab of the Node Definitions pages).

Understanding Flat File Integration

If you use flat file integration, the TCD writes a flat file of reported time to a common directory. The file is picked up and converted to a message by Time and Labor. These system messages are integration points that send time data back and forth from Time and Labor to your TCD.

Flat files should be based on the table structures listed in Appendix A of this book. The date/time format for flat files is CCYY-DD-MMTHH:MM:SS.ssssss[+/-hhmm]. For example, 1999-09-14T16:47:56.793000-0700.

Each message listed corresponds to a flat file format. All flat files generated are in the CSV (comma-separated value) format. Quotation marks surround each field of data. The first row of each PeopleSoft-generated file is the PSCAMA record (PSCAMA stands for PeopleSoft Common Application Message Attributes). This record includes the message sequence and process instance fields.

The first field of each row is the name of that row’s record; this allows for easy parsing of files with a parent and child record in the file format. Record names can be a maximum of 15 characters. The process instance combined with the message sequence allows split files to have data that ties them together. For example, if the TIME_DEVICE_EMPL_ATT_FULLSYNC flat file becomes too large, it is split into multiple files with the same process instance.

If a TIME REPORTERS record with fields EMPLID and EMPL_RCD, and a child record EMPL_PHONE with fields EMPLID, EMPL_RCD, and PHONE_NBR are transmitted, here is what the sample files would look like:

   File 1 (notice the message sequence of H for header)
 "PSCAMA","ENG","","","H","18",""
   File 2
"PSCAMA","ENG","","","","18",""
"TIME REPORTERS","1001","0"
"EMPL_PHONE", "1001","0","800 555-5555"
"TIME REPORTERS","1002","0"
"EMPL_PHONE", "1002","0","800 555-6666"
"TIME REPORTERS","1003","0"
"EMPL_PHONE", "1003","0","800 555-7777"
File 3 (notice the message sequence of T for trailer)
"PSCAMA","ENG","","","T","18",""

The first field of all rows is the record name. The process instance is the same for the header, detail, and trailing message.

Files generated by Time and Labor for the TCD are the form [message name]-[comm server ID]-[datetime of form ccyy_mm_dd_hh_mm_ss].csv . Each part of the filename is separated by a hyphen. These files are always new; Time and Labor will never append to an existing file. Once a file has been processed by the comm server, you should move it into an archive directory.

Files generated by the comm server for the Time and Labor should be of the form [message name]-[comm server].csv. The comm server should always append to the end of the file. Once PeopleSoft has processed the data, it is removed from the file and placed in an archive file of the form [message name]-[comm server ID]-[datetime of form ccyy_mm_dd_hh_mm_ss]. csv. This file is placed in an archive directory.

Flat file directories are part of Time and Labor setup. The TCD vendor should have a similar type of setup, so that none of the programs have hard-coded path names.

The most seamless flat file integration should be completely controlled by scheduled processes. Process schedulers exist on the PeopleSoft side and should also exist on the TCD vendor side. At a specified time, a scheduled process polls a directory to find files (punched and elapsed time) that follow the naming convention specified above. The TCD vendor’s process scheduler should regularly initiate a process that polls a directory for the TCD setup data. The TCD vendor process scheduler should also regularly initiate a process that appends time on to the punched and elapsed time flat files. Schedulers should be strategically timed so that there is very little risk of contention. For example, the TCD vendor’s population of the punched and elapsed time flat files could be at 2 a.m. every morning, while PeopleSoft’s extraction of data from these files could be at 4 a.m. every morning. Also, any system that is reading from or writing to a file should force that file to be inaccessible to all other systems.

To set up flat file integration:

1. Ensure that the messages are active. This is found in Application Designer message properties.

2. Verify that one of the nodes on the PUNCHED_TIME and/or ELAPSED_TIME message channels is the local node.

   Check the message node properties.

   The appropriate transaction method should be specified for all the nodes on Transaction page of Node Definition pages accessed by navigating People Tools, Integration Broker, Node Definitions.

3. Set up the inbound file rule on the File Inbound page (Enterprise Components, Integration Definitions, Inbound File Rule).

4. On the Time and Labor Installation page, set up the File Dest for TCD Integration section. (See Setting Up Basic Tables, “Setting Up System Defaults and Loading Dates”)

5. Make sure that the selected directory will contain the elapsed or punch time files.

6. Your inbound file publish rules should look similar to the following: Inbound File for Punched Time: c:\temp\PUNCHED_TIME_ADD*.csv. File Layout ID: Blank, LUW Size: Blank, Application: TL_TCD_FILE, Section: Archive, File Layout Name: 1 PUNCHED_TIME_ADD, Message Name: PUNCHED_TIME_ADD.

The following graphic shows an example of this setup.

Using File Inbound page to set up flat file integration

The comm server attached to your TCD creates and continually appends to a file of the form [message name]-[comm server]. csv. For example, comm server cs1 would create and append onto a file named PUNCHED_TIME_ADD-cs1.csv for its punch time message. The directory containing the comm-server-generated files should correspond to the directory in the Inbound File Rule.

To initiate the inbound file publish, select Enterprise Components, Integration Definitions, Initiate Processes, Inbound File Publish and create a run control.

After the punched time has been received by Time and Labor, the time is evaluated. If the time is error-free, the rows are located in Reported Time. If the time is invalid, the message is displayed on the TCD error queue.

Note. If the data from your TCD is in flat file format and the value is in character format for a numeric field, the default character is zero (0). If a value is sent in a numeric format for a character field, the system adds that value into the field. If the data from your TCD is in XML format, the message including invalid formats for the fields is stopped in the Application Message Monitor.

You need to make sure the information you send is in the correct format for proper processing. This is especially important if you are using multiple jobs and reporting by multiple time reporter record numbers. If you fill in the time reporter ID but not the time reporter record number, the system uses a default time reporter record number of zero. This is a valid value, so you will need to be sure the proper time reporter record number is entered before sending the information to Time and Labor.

See Also

Integrating with PeopleSoft Expenses and Mobile Time and Expense

Defining TCD Setup Data in Time and Labor

This section discusses how to:

• Establish data elements to send to a TCD.

• Establish information about a TCD.

• Specify physical and taskgroup information for a TCD.

• Establish TCD supervisors.

• Establish restriction profile data.

• Set up TCD groups.

• Generate a TCD Usage report.

Pages Used to Define TCD Setup Data in Time and Labor

Establishing Data Elements to Send to a TCD

Access the TCD Type Definition page.

Task Elements

Rule Elements

Reporting Elements

Integration Type

Note. If the country, state, or locality contained in the inbound interface are different from the TCD setup default, then the inbound interface automatically populates those fields with what is positively reported. It should also be noted that the inbound interface allows for positive reporting on these fields. Therefore, at table change time, there is no way for Time and Labor to determine if the time was positively reported, or if it was defaulted in from the TCD definition. As a result, the system will not perform any referential integrity actions on these fields if there are changes.

See Also

Establishing Time Reporting Codes

Defining Task Reporting Requirements

Defining Rule Elements

Understanding Time and Labor Implementation

Establishing Basic Information About a TCD

Access the TCD Setup page.

Installation Date	Select the date your TCD was installed. Used for your reference only.
TCD Type	Select the TCD type. This is required so the system knows which data elements to send to your TCD. This also reflects if your TCD type is an XML or flat file.
TRC Program ID	Select the TRC program ID associated with the TRCs you want to send to your TCD. This field is required if you selected to Send TRCs on the TCD Type page. Note. Only TRCs in the TRC Program that are defined as Send to TCD are sent to your TCD.
Message Node Name	Enter the message node or comm serv ID to which you want to send TCD information. The field changes based on the TCD type you selected. A comm serv ID is used for flat file integration. A message node is used for XML integration; it uses PeopleSoft Application Messaging technology.
Terminal ID	Enter the ID you use for your TCD. The value depends upon your system configuration. This field is required if your TCD is configured like Configuration 2 illustration following this table.
Network ID	Enter the network ID to which you want Time and Labor to send data. This field is required if your organization is configured like Configuration 3 illustration following this table.

Use the following diagrams to determine which communication settings you need.

Configuration 1: - A comm serv/message node ID is required

Configuration 2: Comm serv/message node and terminal IDs are required

Configuration 3: All communication settings are required

Establishing Physical and Taskgroup Information for a TCD

Access the TCD Taskgroup page.

TCD Physical Settings

Time Collection Device Taskgroups

See Also

Defining Taskgroups

Establishing TCD Supervisors

Access the TCD Supervisor page.

TCD Supervisor ID	Enter a unique supervisor ID. You assign supervisors to TCDs on the TCD Group page.
Supervisor Pin Number (supervisor personal identification number)	Enter a PIN associated with the supervisor ID. This ID could be the password used to access the TCD to override a punch or function.

Establishing Restriction Profile Data

Access the TCD Restriction Profile page.

Restrict Unsched Meal Punch (restrict unscheduled meal punch)	Select to restrict a time reporter from punching out for an unscheduled meal.
Restrict Early In Indicator	Select to restrict a time reporter from punching in early.
Early In Punch Margin (Mins) (early in punch margin [minutes])	Enter the number of minutes you will allow a time reporter to punch in early. Unavailable if Restrict Early In Indicator is cleared.
Restrict Late In Punch	Select to restrict a time reporter from punching in late.
Late In-Punch Margin (Mins) (late in punch margin [minutes])	Enter the number of minutes you will allow a time reporter to punch in late. Unavailable if Restrict Late In Indicator is cleared.
Restrict Early Out Indicator	Select to restrict a time reporter from punching out early.
Early Out-Punch Margin (Mins) (early out punch margin [minutes])	Enter the number of minutes you will allow a time reporter to punch out early. Unavailable if Restrict Early Out Indicator is cleared.
Restrict Late Out Indicator	Select to restrict a time reporter from punching out late.
Late Out-Punch Margin (Mins) (late out punch margin [minutes])	Enter the number of minutes you will allow a time reporter to punch out late. Unavailable if Restrict Late Out Indicator is cleared.
Restrict Early Meal Indicator	Select to restrict a time reporter from punching out early for a meal.
Early Meal Margin (Mins) (early meal margin [minutes])	Enter the number of minutes you will allow a time reporter to punch in early for a meal. Unavailable if Restrict Early Meal Indicator is cleared.
Restrict Late Meal Indicator	Select to restrict a time reporter from punching in late after a meal.
Late Meal Margin (Mins) (late meal margin [minutes])	Enter the number of minutes you will allow a time reporter to punch in late after a meal. Unavailable if Restrict Late Meal Indicator is cleared.
Restrict Early Break Indicator	Select to restrict a time reporter from punching in early after a break.
Early Break Margin (Mins) (early break margin [minutes])	Enter the number of minutes you will allow a time reporter to punch in early after a break. Unavailable if Restrict Early Break Indicator is cleared.
Restrict Late Break Indicator	Select to restrict a time reporter from punching in late after a break.
Late Break Margin (Mins) (late break margin [minutes])	Enter the number of minutes you will allow a time reporter to punch in late after a break. Unavailable if Restrict Late Break Indicator is cleared.

Note. To use restriction profiles, you must set up punch schedules and select the Send Schedules check box on the TCD Type Definition page.

Setting Up TCD Groups

Access the TCD Group page.

This page is used to group together a restriction profile id, TCDs and TCD supervisors. TCD groups are associated to time reporters.

Time Collection Devices

Time Collection Device Supervisors

Sending Setup Data to a TCD

This section provides an overview of data publishing to a TCD and describes how to publish Time and Labor setup data.

Understanding Data Publishing to a TCD

Time and Labor sends (publishes) setup data to your TCD in the form of messages. The publish process can be scheduled to run once or multiple times a day. All information contained in one set of published messages replaces the previously stored information at the TCD level. The date the system uses to retrieve TCD information is always the current date.

The next illustration depicts how Time and Labor publishes information to your TCD.

Time and Labor publishes information to a TCD

Incremental messages are sent when time reporter data changes in Time and Labor. Incremental messages are sent when you change:

• Time reporter status.

• The TCD group associated to the time reporter.

• The elements in a TCD group.

You can send the published messages to all or selected message nodes/comm servers.

Use the TCD Usage report to determine how many values of each kind of reporting element are sent to a TCD.

Integration Points Used to Send Setup Data to a Third-Party TCD

The following table lists the integration points that the Time and Labor TCD interface uses to send setup information from Time and Labor to a third-party TCD. All TCD integration points are batch published.

Note. To research the technical details of any integration points used by PeopleSoft applications, refer to the online integration point catalog database that can be found on Customer Connection.

TCD Message Types

Time and Labor uses the information you defined on the TCD setup pages to control the data going to your TCD. The following table summarizes the types of TCD messages.

See Also

Establishing Basic Information About a TCD

TCD Interface

Page Used to Send Setup Data to a TCD

Publishing Setup Data to a TCD

Access the Send Setup to TCD page.

All Msg Nodes/Comm Servers	Select to publish the information to all your TCDs (message nodes).
Specific Msg Nodes/Comm Servrs	Select to send to a specific message node, or TCD.
Generate TCD Usage Report	Select to generate a TCD Usage report for this TCD run. Select this check box if you want the system to generate a summary TCD Usage report for this TCD run.
Include Detail	Select to generate a detail report for all the values being sent for this TCD run. Only available if Generate TCD Usage Report is selected.
Language Code	Select the language the report will be printed in.
Message Node Name	Enter a TCD (message node) to send the data to. Only available if Specific Msg Nodes/Comm Servrs is selected.

What is actually sent to the time collection device is determined by the parameters defined on the TCD Type pages associated to each TCD.

The TCD Usage report summarizes the following:

• The number of time reporters sent to the TCD.

• The number of rows of total payable time hours sent for the time reporter’s current period.

• The number of punches from the time reporters punch schedules.

• The number of time collection device supervisors associated with that TCD.

• The number of restriction profiles associated with that TCD.

• The number of time reporting codes sent to the TCD.

• The number of task templates sent to the TCD.

• The number of task elements sent to the TCD.

• The number of task values sent to the TCD.

• The number of countries sent to the TCD.

• The number of states sent to the TCD.

• The number of localities sent to the TCD.

• The number of compensation rate codes sent to the TCD.

• The number of override reasons sent to the TCD.

• The number of currency codes sent to the TCD.

For the detail page of the Usage report, the following elements are detailed if they are sent to your TCD:

• Time reporter

  • Employee ID

  • Record #

  • Badge ID

  • First name

  • Last name

• TCD supervisors

  • Supervisor ID

  • Badge ID

• Restriction profiles

  • Restriction profiles

  • Description

• Time reporting codes

  • Time reporting code

  • Description

• Task profiles

  • Task Profile ID

  • Description

• Task templates

  • Task template

  • Description

• Task elements

  • Task Template ID

  • Task element code

  • Description

See Also

Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBook: Process Scheduler

Receiving Time from a TCD

To receive time data from a TCD into Time and Labor, you must initiate the Subscribe process. If errors are not found, the data proceeds directly to the Reported Time tables. The system validates the information by:

• Performing standard format edits.

• Translating badge IDs to employee IDs.

• Creating reported time entries.

Time is also populated in the Reported Time tables and then run through Time Administration to create payable time when you have the Automatic Rules Run selected on the TL Installations page.

A time reporter can report time at more than one TCD; therefore, the system accepts data for a time reporter from multiple sources at the same time.

Stopping the TCD Error Queue

If errors occur, the TCD error queue will stop time data from proceeding to the Reported Time tables if the any of following are invalid:

• EMPLID

• EMPL RCD

• BADGE ID

• TASK ELEMENT CODES

• DUR (Date Under Report)

• PUNCH DATE/TIME

• ADD/DELETE INDICATOR

• DELETE DATE

TCD Error Queue Does Not Stop the following elements if they are invalid, as these will be validated as Reported Time is created:

• Task Template ID − task profiles or Task Element Codes are populated. However, a blank value is sent for an invalid taskgroup.

• Task Element Values

• Time Zone

• Override Reason Code

• Task Profile ID

• Location

• Country

• State

• Locality

The following illustration depicts how Time and Labor collects data from a TCD.

Time and Labor collects data from a TCD

Viewing and Resolving TCD Errors

This section discusses how to:

• View TCD errors.

• View and fix elapsed time errors.

• View or amend elapsed time attributes.

• View and fix punched time errors.

• View or amend punched time attributes.

Note. Fixing TCD errors requires detailed knowledge of the interface data structure.

Pages Used to View and Resolve TCD Errors

Viewing TCD Errors

Access the Review TCD Errors page.

TCD Error Detailbutton	Click the TCD Error Detail button to view TCD punch or elapsed time, and to view punch or elapsed time error attributes.
Subscription Date Time	Displays when the punch or time was received by Time and Labor.
Message Type	The system displays if the message is for punched or elapsed time.
Publishing Node	Displays the message node/comm serv (TCD) that the information was sent from. This is either the node you established during TCD setup or the system node used with PeopleSoft Mobile Time and Expense.
Publication ID	Displays a unique ID for the error message. A message may contain more than one punch or time entry.

Viewing and Fixing Elapsed Time Errors

Access the TCD Elapsed Time Errors page.

Subscription Date Time	Displays when the message was received by Time and Labor.
Resubmit to Reported Time	Select to submit the corrected time to Time and Labor. When you click OK or Apply, the system submits all resolved transactions within the message to the Reported Time tables.

Elapsed Transaction

Transaction Errors

Transaction Task Elements

Viewing or Amending Elapsed Time Attributes

Access the Elapsed Time Attributes page.

You can enter a new value for any field on this page except the Override Date Time field.

Viewing and Fixing Punched Time Errors

Access the TCD Punched Time Errors page.

Subscription Date Time	The system displays the subscription date and time the message was received by Time and Labor.
Resubmit to Reported Time	Select to submit the corrected time to Time and Labor. When you click OK or Apply, the system submits all resolved transactions within the message to the Reported Time tables.
Empl ID (employee ID), Empl Rcd Nbr (employee record number), and Badge ID	Displays the time reporter ID for this punch. You can change these values if this is the field in error for the punch. Your TCD must send either an employee ID and an employee record number, or badge ID.
Punch Type	Displays the value for the punch type. Examples are 1 for IN type punch, 2 for OUT type punch, 3 for Meal punch, 4 for Break, and 5 for Transfer.
Add/Delete Indicator	Indicates if the recorded time should be added or deleted. If the time should be deleted, the system deletes all punches for the entire day. You can change or enter this value if it is the field in error.
Punch Date and Time	This field is always required.
Delete Date	Displays the delete date for this message. Required if the value for Add/Delete Indicator is Delete. You can change or enter this value if it is the field in error.

Transaction Errors

Transaction Task Elements

Viewing and Amending Punched Time Attributes

Access the Punched Time Error Attributes page.

You can enter a new value for any field on this page except the Action Date Time field.