Creating labor shortcuts

To make it easier to apply and control labor-related changes, you can create labor shortcuts. A labor shortcut defines the labor metric fields that are updated when the shortcut is used. For example, a shortcut can be used to change the job, project, department, and docket values of a work detail simultaneously. When used with the Apply Pay Rates Rule, a shortcut can also alter the pay rate for the period covered by the shortcut.

By creating shortcuts, organizations minimize incompatible combinations of various labor metric values. Individual labor metric values can be configured as uneditable, so that the provided shortcut is the sole means for altering timesheet labor details.

  1. Select Maintenance > Labor Metrics > Labor Shortcut.
  2. Click Create New Entry.
  3. Specify this information:
    Name
    Specify a name for the labor shortcut.
    Description
    Optionally, specify a description for the labor shortcut.
    Start Date
    Select the earliest work date that this labor shortcut can be used.
    End Date
    Select the latest work date that this labor shortcut can be used. If there is no end date, specify 01/01/3000.
  4. Click Save.
  5. In the Labor Shortcut Details section, click the new row icon, and specify the instructions for the labor shortcut:
    Effective Date
    Select the effective date of the shortcut.

    The details of the instructions are date-effective. For example, the labor metric fields that get updated when the shortcut is used in 2016 and 2017 could be different. In this example, the effective date of the 2016 details would be January 1, 2016 and the effective date of the 2017 details would be January 1, 2017.

    Rate
    Specify the rate that this shortcut applies to the Rate column of the work details. If left blank, the rate is not modified by this shortcut.

    See Manipulating rates and labor shortcuts.

    Time Code
    Select the time code that this shortcut applies to the Time Code column of the work details. If left blank, the time code is not modified by this shortcut.
    Note: When the labor shortcut is applied, the Hour Type column is also updated with the default hour type that is defined for the selected time code. You can override the default using the Hour Type field.
    Hour Type
    Select the hour type that this shortcut applies to the Hour Type column of the work details. If left blank, the hour type is not modified by this shortcut.
    Job
    Select the job that this shortcut applies to the Job column of the work details. If left blank, the job is not modified by this shortcut.
    Note: When the labor shortcut is applied, an error occurs if the employee is not assigned to this job.
    Department
    Select the department that this shortcut applies to the Department column of the work details. If left blank, the department is not modified by this shortcut.
    Project
    Select the project that this shortcut applies to the Project column of the work details. If left blank, the project is not modified by this shortcut.
    Docket
    Select the docket that this shortcut applies to the Docket column of the work details. If left blank, the docket is not modified by this shortcut.
    Team
    Select the team that this shortcut applies to the Team column of the work details. If left blank, the team is not modified by this shortcut.
    Quantity
    Specify the quantity that this shortcut applies to the Quantity column of the work details. If left blank, the quantity is not modified by this shortcut.
    Note: This field is hidden by default. To enable the field, configure the Field UI localization setting of the LSCD_QUANTITY field in config mode.
    Flag 1..Flag 10
    Specify the flag values that this shortcut applies to the Flag columns of the work details. If a value is left blank, the corresponding Flag column is not modified by this shortcut.
    Note: The flag fields are hidden by default. To enable a flag field, configure the Field UI localization setting of the LSCD_FLAG[1..10] field in config mode.
    Udf 1..Udf 10
    Specify the UDF values that this shortcut applies to the UDF columns of the work details. If a value is left blank, the corresponding UDF column is not modified by this shortcut.
    Note: The UDF fields are hidden by default. To enable a UDF field, configure the Field UI localization setting of the LSCD_UDF[1..10] field in config mode.
    Comments
    Specify the comments that this shortcut applies to the Comments column of the work details. If left blank, the Comments column is not modified by this shortcut.
    Note: This field is hidden by default. To enable the field, configure the Field UI localization setting of the LSCD_COMMENTS field in config mode.

    You can set up a different set of instructions for another effective date by clicking the new row icon. Only one set of instructions can be effective at any given time.

  6. Click Save to save the instructions for the labor shortcut.
  7. Optionally, in the Labor Shortcut Security section, click the new row icon, and specify this information:
    Labor Metric Security
    Select the labor metric security group to associate to the labor shortcut.

    You can use labor metric security to control the group of employees for which the shortcut is valid. For example, you can associate a collection of shortcuts for California employees and a different collection of shortcuts for New York employees.

    You can associate the labor shortcut to additional labor metric security groups by clicking the new row icon.

  8. Click Save to save the labor metric security information for the shortcut.
After creating a labor shortcut, you can apply it to an employee's timesheet.

See Applying labor shortcuts to record labor allocation changes.