TimePilot Tips

Q. I have TimePilot Vetro running in standalone mode—I use the USB drive. I’d like to stop using the USB drive and connect the clock to my network. How is this done?

A. It's a very easy to switch Vetro to a network. After you plug your network cable into the clock, open Vetro Data Manager. You should see a green square next to the picture of your timeclock if the Vetro Data Manager found the clock on the network. If there's a red square, that indicates that the network hasn't found the clock, and you should have your network administrator make sure the settings in the clock's Administration menu match your network's IP and DHCP settings.

Vetro Data Manager must be running if you want to retrieve transactions from the clock in real time. If Data Manager is not running, employees will still be able to clock in and out, but the data remains in the clock's memory until you run Data Manager again. The program  also allows you to make numerous changes to the clock over the network. You can access these options by right-clicking the icon of your clock and choosing "Network Functions" from the menu that appears.

Q. We would like to transfer the TimePilot program and all the data to another PC. How do we do this?

A. Essentially, the TimePilot system consists of two parts, the TimePilot software application (TimePilot Central, etc.) and the TimePilot data (clock-ins and clock-outs). In a typical installation, the TimePilot software will reside on an individual PC and the data will reside on the server.

Here are two possibilities:

Example 1: Let's say you just want to use another computer to work with the data, while leaving the data where it is. Simply install TimePilot Central on the new computer.

The first time you run TimePilot Central, it will ask you whether you want to use an existing TimePilot database or create a new one. Select “Open an existing database” and point to the data folder on the server.

Example 2 (and to answer your original question): Let's say you want to move the TimePilot program AND the data folder to a new computer. First, install TimePilot Central on the new computer. Then copy the folder that contains the TimePilot data and paste it to the new PC’s hard drive. The first time you run TimePilot Central it will ask if you want to use an existing TimePilot database or create a new one. Select “Open an existing database” and point to the data folder you pasted onto your hard drive.

Q. I’m taking over responsibility for our TimePilot system from an employee who has left the company, but I don’t know the password to access the system. Can you help me?

A. If you have forgotten or misplaced your password for TimePilot Central, we can help. Call a tech support specialist (1-630-879-6400) and have your license key available, and he or she can issue you a temporary password. The temporary password will expire at midnight, but it will enable you to reset your permanent password.

Q. When I view my employees' work times in TimePilot Central, the times are in decimals instead of minutes—for instance, 7.75 hours instead of 7 hours 45 minutes. Why?

A. This is a common question at TimePilot. At some point, if you pay your employees in dollars, the work hours have to be converted to decimals. TimePilot just does the job for you automatically.

We've put together a conversion chart if you want to see the decimal equivalents to minutes. Click here to download the PDF.
Welcome!
TimePilot newsletter No. 11

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 Tips: Switching from USB to a network with Vetro; transferring files to a new machine; lost passwords; and time in decimals.
  • TimePilot Best Practices: When to use multiple companies; long memories in Vetro and Extreme.
  • Cool Stuff: iGo Green Power Smart Wall.
  • The Deal: Buy a 3-pack of Extreme clocks, get a year's support for free.

TimePilot Best Practices

Interesting issues

This is a collection of short items about TimePilot systems and software.

One business, multiple companies

The TimePilot software allows a user to create more than one company. If you’ve got just one business, why on earth would you need more than one company?

You don’t need more than one if everyone at your organization gets paid on the same schedule. But what if you have two groups of employees, one that gets paid on a bi-weekly basis and one paid monthly? Or if your company uses temp employees? That’s when you need another company.

In the TimePilot software, you can have as many companies as you want. When you set up each company, it can have its own:

  • Pay Cycle. Choose from weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly or monthly.
  • First day of the workweek.
  • Day and time the pay cycle starts.
  • Rounding. Your rounding depends upon the version of the TimePilot IV software you have.
    • If you purchased your TimePilot product at a retail store and have not purchased a software upgrade from TimePilot, only simple rounding is available.
    • If you purchased your timeclock directly from TimePilot, or have purchased a software upgrade, you can choose from four different kinds of rounding.

How are Extreme and Vetro like elephants?

TimePilot Extreme and TimePilot Vetro have long memories, and that’s a good thing for our customers.

Let’s say you have a Vetro and you download your transactions to your USB drive every two weeks. But after downloading them this time, you drop the USB drive and accidentally kick it into a sewer. Oh, no! Do you have to climb down into the sewer to retrieve the USB drive so the transactions aren’t lost forever?

Nope. Both Vetro and Extreme remember the last 12,000 clock-ins and clock-outs. All you have to do is call our Tech Support Specialists and they’ll help you retrieve your transactions.

Unless you’re more adventurous than we are, though, you’ll need a new USB drive. We sell them at our web site, or if you want to use your own drive, there are instructions on how prepare it for use with TimePilot in our September newsletter.

This month’s special offer
to TimePilot newsletter readers:

Buy a TimePilot Extreme with Starter Kit and two additional Extreme clocks and get one year of support for free!

Everything you need for 10 employees and three work sites.

You get:

  • 3 Extreme clocks, with padlocks and mounting plates.
  • 10 iButtons (You can add iButtons for up to 2,000 employees!).
  • Windows software.
  • Management key.
  • iButton Receptor.
  • USB drive.
  • 1 year e-mail or phone technical support. 

Special price for newsletter readers:

Just $1,298!

(save $129 over list price)

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.

iGo Green Power Smart Wall

The iGo Green Power Smart Wall is a surge protector with four outlets: two "smart" outlets and two regular "always-on" outlets.

This device's smart outlets cut power when it's not needed, saving you money, helping the environment and possibly extending the life of your rechargeable batteries. The outlets are ideal for items like cell phone or laptop chargers, which usually draw power even when your phone or laptop isn't attached.

When you attach your cell phone or laptop to be charged, the outlet wakes up and begins feeding power to the charger.

We've seen the iGo Green Power Smart Wall for as little as $9.99 (at Amazon.com.)

Note: If you use this product with TimePilot Vetro, use the "always-on" outlets—the clock requires a consistent power source.