Q. We have a Vetro clock running on our network. Last week we had an employee working for an hour or so when he realized he may not have clocked in. Is there any quick way of checking?

A. The quickest way would be to check his last transaction. Since your Vetro is connected to the network, all transactions will be recorded in TimePilot Central shortly after they occur. Single-click on his name in TimePilot Central to see his transactions only. The latest transaction shown will tell you if that employee is currently clocked in or not.

Q. Is it possible to set up a "station" in TimePilot Central for a job site that does not yet have the timeclock installed? We won't be able to install our new clock at the site for another month, but we have staff working there and would like to be able to manually enter their times so that it shows up on the job site report for the new site.

A. Yes, you can enter new locations into TimePilot Central at any time by clicking Setup > Location Setup. You can then assign these locations to those employees and insert transactions for them until the clock is installed.

Q. How does our TimePilot PC system calculate the hours that are displayed when employees input their 4-digit ID number?

A. The clock will calculate the amount of hours for the current workweek. We made that choice because most overtime is calculated on the basis of workweek, not pay period.

Q. TimePilot Central's transactions list sometimes just has a red X or black X instead of calculated time. What do the Xs mean?

A. An X in place of time means there's missing data that's preventing TimePilot from calculating an employee's hours. They generally appear when an employee has forgotten to clock in or out, resulting in two successive clock-ins or clock-outs. The Xs can be in black or red; the red X is TimePilot's best guess as to where the problem started. A past newsletter had a guide to symbols that appear in the TimePilot Central software.

Q. I set up new employees in the system, but it doesn't give me the option to transfer changes to our Vetro clock. Can you please help me with this?

A. Sure can. It appears you aren't running the program that is used by the TimePilot Central software to communicate with your Vetro clock. Depending upon the version of TimePilot software you're using, it's called either "Vetro Data Manager" or "Clock Manager."

You can start the program by clicking the "Setup" menu in TimePilot Central and choosing "Vetro Data Manager" or "Clock Manager" (whichever one appears in your version of the software; if you see both, use "Clock Manager"). Once the manager software is running, try transferring your changes again. For more, see this page in the TimePilot Help files.

Q. How do I modify an employee's clock-in or clock-out time? I can't seem to be able to do it in a report.

A. That's correct—reports are intended to be a final step in the payroll process and their contents can't be modified. Instead, you'd make the modification in TimePilot Central (in either Current Transactions or a past pay period), then re-run the report. To modify a transaction, simply click it in TimePilot Central to highlight it, then double-click it to open it. From there you can change the day, time, "In" to "Out" or "Out" to "In."


Giraffes are insomniacs: How much sleep do animals get in an average day?

Animal Hours
Brown bat 19.9
Human infant 16
Squirrel 14.9
Lion 13.5
Cat 12.1
Dog 10.6
Human adult 8
Guppy 7
African elephant 3.3
Giraffe 1.9

Source

Welcome!
TimePilot newsletter
No. 49

Whether you're a current or future TimePilot customer, we're glad to see you.

Every month we'll offer news about TimePilot products, tips on how to use them more efficiently, some of the "cool stuff" our employees have come across and a special deal available only to those who receive this newsletter!

In this issue:

  • TimePilot Q&A: Checking that an employee clocked in.
  • TimePilot Lead Story: Moving TimePilot to a new computer.
  • Cool Stuff: Querkles Masterpieces.
  • The Deal: 10 extra iButtons with purchase of Extreme Blue, Extreme Blue Enhanced, Vetro or Tap system.

We've noticed that quite a few of our customers are buying new computers, and a frequent question for our tech support specialists is how to move a TimePilot system to a new PC. We covered this topic in an article just over a year ago, and we're re-running it to (we hope) save you a support call or email.

Moving TimePilot
to a New Computer

You bought a new computer? Congratulations!

After it’s all unpacked and set up and Windows 10 is updated (you did do that, didn’t you?), you probably want to get TimePilot installed and running.

Basically, the TimePilot software comes in two major pieces: the database and TimePilot Central, which works with the database. If you have a network server, the database is probably on the server and TimePilot Central is on a PC. If you don't have a network, both pieces are probably on a single PC.

(Note: These instructions assume you want to continue using your current database, which contains all your employees' information. If you want to start again from scratch, see the Quick Start Guide that came with your system or download one here.)

Here's how to make the move:

  1. If your TimePilot database is on a server, skip this step and go straight to Step 2.

    Where's My Database?

    If you're not sure where your TimePilot database is, start TimePilot Central on the old computer. Click the "Help" menu, then "About." The "Data Path" indicates its location. (This is why we suggested you temporarily keep TimePilot Central on the old PC.) Now you can uninstall TimePilot Central from the old computer or leave it on there; it's up to you.

    If your database is on your old computer and you want to move it to the new one, before you start the installation, copy the folder on the old computer that contains the TimePilot data to a USB drive and paste it onto the new PC’s hard drive. See the box at right to learn where to find the database folder.
  2. Using your TimePilot CD, run the TimePilot Installation Wizard to install TimePilot Central and its associated programs (TimePilot Vetro Manager or Clock Manager, Crystal Reports viewer, etc.) on the new computer. Don’t uninstall TimePilot Central from the old computer just yet—you may need it later in the setup process. Can't find your CD? Our download page is here, or you can contact TimePilot tech support for advice.
  3. Start TimePilot Central on the new computer.
  4. The first thing the new installation will do is ask you if it should create a new TimePilot database or if you want to use an already established one. Click the “Open an Existing TimePilot Database” and navigate to the database you pasted onto the hard drive in Step 1 or the database on your server. See the sidebar, "Where's My Database?" if you aren't sure where it is.
  5. Click “Open” to connect your current database with the new software installation.
  6. The TimePilot software will probably tell you that it needs updating. It’s important that you follow the instructions to bring your software up to the latest version.
  7. You'll also be asked for your software serial number. It's on a sticker attached to the printed warranty information that came with your clock, or, if you have an older TimePilot product, on the inside cover of the user manual. Can't find your number? Contact TimePilot tech support for advice.
  8. If you wish, you can uninstall the TimePilot Central software from the old computer or leave it on there as a backup. It's up to you.

That’s it. Now you can log in to TimePilot Central and start working. Enjoy your new computer!

This month’s special offer to TimePilot newsletter readers:

10 Extra iButtons!

10 extra iButtons (for a total of 20) with the purchase of a TimePilot Extreme Blue, Extreme Blue Enhanced, Vetro, or Tap timeclock system.

This bonus is available for a limited time. To learn more about the deal, click here, visit www.TimePilot.com/newsletter/newsletter4.htm or call us at 1-630-879-6400.

Every once in a while, our employees come across “cool stuff.”
This is where they share their finds.

Querkles Masterpieces

Querkles Masterpieces

Adult coloring books have become very popular in the last few years, and here's one of the most creative and fun ones.

Yes, Querkles is a coloring book, but New Zealand artist Thomas Pavitte has taken 20 of the world's great masterpieces and turned them into color-by-numbers artworks. Pavitte's genius idea is that he has disguised each piece of artwork with a mass of circles, so that you won't know what picture you're working on until you're well into it.

Pictures have numbers between 1 and 5, along with blank circles. You are not given the colors to use, but choose your own five colors, with 1 being the darkest and 5 the lightest.

Not big on coloring? How about dot-to-dot? Pavitte has a series of beautiful, creative dot-to-dot books, too.

Querkles Masterpieces is available on Amazon for $10.24.