Tenrox ' Tenrox Release 8.2

Tenrox ‘ Tenrox Release 8.2

Tenrox Release 8.2 is a completely web-based time and expense tracking program designed for large professional services firms. It includes modules for project accounting and costing, invoicing, workforce management and strong reporting functions. Additional modules are available for Portfolio And Project Management (PPM) and Professional Services Automation (PSA). The system is based on XML architecture, enhancing regulatory compliance while enabling it to efficiently share data with other programs. As such, it is suited to larger corporate users in need of a very strong and technologically advanced tracking and reporting system for dozens to thousands of employee timekeepers. Pricing for this high-end web-based program starts at $100 per user per module, up to $500 on average for the entire solution, based on Standard or Enterprise Editions. Hosted pricing, as well as role-based and concurrent licensing is available. Tenrox also offers volume discounts and enterprise licensing options.

EASE OF USE – 4 Stars
Users log into the program through their web browser, which then opens to a homepage that can be customized for each user, providing currently required tasking. It’s like a to-do list that provides text links to access such activities as approving timesheets and expense reports or verifying project budgets. The system provides access to its features via a series of text-based pull-down menus, including Track, Manage, Tools, Report and Setup, as well as additional links to Help functions. Lists of clients and projects to which a user is assigned can be accessed via the Manage function’s Client Central and Project Central links, which provide an Explorer-like tree view that lets users easily navigate through and manage tasks. Client Central provides a searchable list of clients that includes summary information and frequently used actions related to particular clients such as invoice, management, contacts, projects and related summary, status, documents and notes.

The timesheet entry screen provides users with a list of projects to which they are assigned, with boxes for each day of the week. Time can be added by simply filling in a time quantity for a project and day; additional drill-down entries for specific work codes and tasking allows more detailed entry. The screen also provides tabs for adding or attaching notes and documents. After a predefined closing period, the system’s work-flow management capabilities automatically forward completed timesheets to appropriate managers for approval. The program also includes an e-mail-based time entry capability that can be used with wireless devices. Stopwatch and offline entry are also available.

Executive Dashboard screens for senior staff provide more of an overview, offering drill-down summaries of the company’s current projects and processes, operational and compliance information such as budgets, and actual and projected business health indicators. Through these dashboards, which can be customized per staff member needs, authorized users can view, analyze and update project information.

MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS – 5 Stars
Tenrox provides a workflow management system in addition to managing time and expenses. As such, the system automatically routes timesheet, expense and invoicing approvals to appropriate staff, and includes additional analysis features such as a complete audit trail and profitability reporting. The system supports any number of clients and staff, any number of work codes and rates, and multiple interest rates for aging. It also supports multiple currencies and multiple taxes for expenses, rate rules, invoices and payables. The system includes customizable industry-specific templates and reports for workflow, terminology, menus, pages and e-mail notifications.

Tenrox supports time-phased hourly rate rules that can be assigned to groups, users, clients, projects and tasks, as well as pro-rated and flat charging fixed rates and support for negative expense entries. Customizable cost-plus billing rules enable companies to apply expense markups by percentage or flat rate, and the system supports split billing to multiple clients. Such splits can add up to less than, equal to, or greater than 100 percent.

Tenrox also includes workforce management tools, such as tracking time worked for internal purposes (payroll and productivity measurement), as well as leave and holiday tracking and accrual, work policy enforcement, and support for employment and overtime laws such as FMLA and FLSA. This function can integrate with many payroll systems.

The latest version of the application includes improved timesheet views that offer collapsible non-working time and notes sections and tabs to access other frequently used features. The Timesheet Manager now incorporates exception highlighting, summary and detailed time views, and the ability to quickly filter timesheets using various search parameters. Tenrox allows mobile users to access data using wireless devices such as PDAs, as well as laptops, e-mail-enabled phones and even pagers.

BILLING & REPORTING FEATURES – 5 Stars
The system’s Report Central page offers access to the reporting features and provides a hierarchical view of all system reports. Tenrox comes with a flexible, built-in XML reporting engine that can be used to design XML-based reports or customize existing templates included with the program. The report designer allows positioning of fields, labels and images and uses a database query tool to automatically retrieve the latest report data from the system. Tenrox can generate summarized or detailed reports related to projects, activities, staff members, groups, offices, portfolios and clients. It can also present data graphically in the form of pie and bar charts for time and expense reports.

INTEGRATION – 5 Stars
Because it ‘thinks’ in XML, Tenrox can integrate with many other applications using a secure XML data exchange protocol. The system can be set up to automatically integrate with financial and payroll programs, including QuickBooks, ACCPAC, ADP, Ceridian, PeopleSoft, Navision, Great Plains and SAP Business One, as well as Microsoft Project and Office applications. The expense management system features the ability to import detailed transaction reports from credit cards including American Express, Visa and MasterCard.

SUPPORT/HELP – 4 Stars
Tenrox offers a good web-based Help utility although it is not able to provide right-click functionality because of its web-based nature. The company offers free web-based support with an online knowledgebase and a selection of FAQs, as well as optional technical support packages. A variety of training options is also available.

RELATIVE VALUE – 4 Stars
Tenrox Release 8.2 is an exceptionally robust time and expense system, providing a strong array of workflow management tools, workforce management functions and analysis reporting in a web-delivered application that, because of its XML base, offers near universal integration capabilities and heightened ability to maintain compliance. The system is designed for medium to large services firms that will benefit greatly from streamlined workflow.

2004 OVERALL RATING: 4 Stars

The programs reviewed here all provide
basic time management functions,
allow for tracking of expenses,
and offer invoicing and a variety
of managerial reporting. They differ
in their approaches to these functions
and some offer additional tools
such as contact management, scheduling
applications and communications
tools. After consulting with professional
accountants and vendors, we scored
the software in this review in each
of the following areas:

Ease of Use ‘ The most challenging part of implementing a time and billing

regimen is ensuring that staff members use the system
properly, whether by operating in-progress
timers or entering time after-the-fact.
If the system isn’t easy to
use, with intuitive navigation,
staff won’t be as reliable
in their use of the program, and
time or expenses may get lost.

Management Features ‘ This section identifies how the program handles time

and flat-rate billing, the number of clients and timekeepers supported, multi-currency

capabilities, calendaring tools, contact management functions and whether the program allows

remote entry of time, client, and expense data by PDA or web-based interface.

Billing & Reporting Features ‘ The billing capabilities of these programs

obviously affect their overall value to a
firm. This section looks at AR functions,
as well as aging, rates and code
structures, split/partial/interim
billing, markups on expenses and
invoice options. As well, the reporting
functions of the programs are examined,
specifically with regard to standard
reports, productivity analysis reports,
customization options and final
output.

Integration ‘ This section looks at the ability of a program to share data

with GL, payroll or other accounting programs, as well as with office productivity

applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel.

Support/Help ‘ Here we assess a program’s built-in help utilities, online
support options, availability of
training and whether support options
are included or available for an
added cost.

Relative Value ‘ This section provides the reviewer’s subjective opinion of

what the user gets for the price. There is some variance in the pricing of the programs in

this review, but it is not very wide. Value, of course, is not exclusively related to cost.

However, sometimes the best deal is not the cheapest, and sometimes the most expensive

option does not provide the best function.