Your Abtrac trial includes a quick set up module on the homepage, near the footer menu.
Here, you can choose the naming convention for your jobs/projects and their components and also choose how you want your timesheets to appear.
To add a Job/Project to your Abtrac trial, you need to add a client or contact first.
Adding a Client or Contact
From Clients, Contacts & Jobs >> select Add Client or Contact.
You can choose to add just the contact name & save, and add the other details later.
The ‘System Code’ and ‘Creation Date’ are auto generated.
Fill in any other required fields and click on the ‘Save Contact Details’ button to save the contact.
Adding a Job to a Client
Jobs and Projects must belong to a Client(Contact) in Abtrac. From the ‘Contact Details’ page >> click on the Jobs tab >> then click on the ‘Add Job for this Contact’ button.
This takes you to the ‘Job Details’ page.
The Job Code is auto-generated based on rules determined from system settings.
Enter a Job Description and Click on the ‘Save Job Details’ button to save.
The ‘Job Details’ page will be updated with the Job description as above.
You can fill in the other details as and when required.
Abtrac KB# 2172
When evaluating a trial, it is good to include other members of the team.
You can add people to your trial from Administration >> Employees >> Employee Details.
Click on the ‘+’ (add) button to add a new employee.
The below screen will open.
Enter data into the mandatory fields (with asterisks beside them) and any other fields as required.
Save the record by clicking on the ‘Update’ button as indicated.
Once the employee is added, they will need their own unique credentials to log into Abtrac.
From Administration >> Employees >> Login Management, click on the ‘+’ (add) sign to open a screen to add the new record.
Every field is mandatory. Choose the employee name from the drop down selector.
Enter their email address and assign them to a ‘User Group’, ‘Admin’ in this case.
See more on User Groups here.
Choose their default timesheet view and create a password for them.
Save the record by clicking on the ‘Save’ button at the top right of the above screenshot as indicated. Now you have successfully added a new employee into Abtrac.
You can also add/edit the individual employee login by clicking on the pencil edit button near the employee name.
We recommend that you log out and test if the new user can successfully log into Abtrac trial as expected.
See the article Adding a New Employee and Creating a Login
You can also watch Abtrac Quick Tutorial:- Adding Employees and a Login
Abtrac KB# 2171
This page briefly explains all the fields available on the Job / Project Details Page.
N.B. The name Job / Project is a variable that you can set yourself in the Administration >> Settings >> System Settings area. From this point forward, we will refer to them as Projects
There are a few different classifications for Projects, so here are the different definitions you will see below.
Continue readingProject Numbers in Abtrac can be as complex or as simple as your company requires.
Project Numbers are managed in two locations from the Administration Settings screens.
From Administration >> Settings >> Invoice Settings you can determine the next Project Number.
You’ll need to scroll down past the Invoice Setttings and Templates in order to maximise the ‘Client, Project, Proposal, Purchase Order Numbering’ Tab.
Project Numbers can also have a prefix, suffix, and separator.
These options and the name you use for a Project (Job, etc) are managed from Administration >> Settings >> System Settings.
Continue readingThis article helps you to add employees into Abtrac and set up Logins and passwords for them. You can also watch an ‘Abtrac Quick Tutorial:- Adding Employees and a Login’ in the Abtrac YouTube channel here.
Continue readingWhether you are evaluating a trial version or getting ready to go live with Abtrac, you’ll need to adjust/enter some default settings before you start.
Typically your Abtrac account will have no data, nor any customised settings when you first login. This article contains a step by step quick guide for administrators – taking you through page by page to verify that the settings in Abtrac suit your company’s needs.
Continue readingIt is possible to limit access for Abtrac users by office, enabling them to only view and edit offices to which they have been assigned.
This is useful to help employees find information related to their particular office, or even if you have multiple companies within the one Abtrac data file, it helps keep your companies separated.
We recommend that if you are interested in using this feature, you satisfy yourself that all relevant data in Abtrac has an office assigned.
If you have been using multiple offices for some time this shouldn’t be an issue, but if you are new to multiple offices or otherwise wary of data inaccuracies, then the Abtrac support team are available for consulting to ensure accuracy and a smooth transition.
If you find that you work on the same clients and projects from one week to the next you can use a previous timesheet as a template and save some data entry time.
The clone feature will copy across the client, job, task, and activity but it will not copy the units or the comment.
Here’s how to clone all the clients, projects, and tasks from one week to the next.
When you set up Abtrac, we recommend you create a non-billable client for your own company.
For this client, enter all the administrative and leave jobs(projects) that your staff may use, and any jobs that you would like to track time against.
A Job/Project Task is the bit of the job you are working on – and can budget against. (Sometimes they are called Stages or Phases)
Tasks are the most efficient and effective way to measure and manage your jobs.
Generally, your job tasks will match those items detailed on your original fee proposal letter.
If you’re not sure whether you should be using tasks or activities, then this article is a good place to start.
There are quite a few key details to get your tasks set up and working the way you need them.
If you are new to tasks and budgeting in Abtrac, then it’s a good idea to read through this article from start to finish, but we have also summarised the key components below for quick reference:
Where to enter job/project budgets, as fee estimates, percentages or building the scope with detailed estimates by employee
How to set up templates and clone frequently used tasks when creating new jobs/projects
Configuring the layout of the Tasks screen
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Making Tasks Mandatory in Timesheets
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Renaming Tasks to Stages – Phases – or something else
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Scope Creep Notifications. How to enable a warning on timesheets when task budgets are exceeded
For job/project management and billing estimates
And reporting on variations by using the Actual vs Budget by Job/Project, Task and Additional Values report
Click on the links above, or read on for details
Continue readingHave you tailored your screen layout specifically for your staff and jobs? Or are you still using the ‘off-the-shelf’ layout?
Take time to adjust your User Control Settings in Abtrac and make your daily data entry just that little bit simpler by adjusting the columns your office can see.
Continue readingWhen you Go Live with AbtracOnLine, you will be sent an email confirming your site is live, and letting you know your login details.
Once you have logged into Abtrac, you will need to go to the subscriptions page and enter your payment details to activate your site.
Part of this activation includes a digital confirmation that you have read and accepted our terms and conditions of use.
Once we receive your credit card details, your monthly subscription will then be activated and will continue for as long as appropriate and timely payments are being made. Read on for instructions on how to activate your site.
From September 1st 2017 we are changing the way we manage adjustments to your Abtrac subscription.
We are moving to a more automated licensing system, leaving you in control of your licensed employees and your monthly licence fees.
When you make a change to your employees (or add-on modules) you will now be asked to confirm this change – and acknowledge any resultant change to your subscription fees. Read on for more details on what is involved in the new system, and how it may affect your current AbtracOnLine subscription.
In the Abtrac Home page, we have a small number of dashboard items called ‘widgets’, which you can control for each user group in your office.
Abtrac | Knowledge Base 