Time Card Import

Owned by Thomas Sherman (Deactivated)
Last updated: May 23, 2022 by Peter Cote
6 min read



Projector allows you to bulk import time cards on a resource-by-resource basis. Time cards can be imported from csv files, JIRA, and Zendesk.


Permissions and Settings

To upload time cards you must have one of the following:


There is a 500 card limit for imports. If you have more then five hundred cards you'll need to import in batches. 

Data Sources

Time card data can be imported from three different sources

  • csv file upload (filename must have the .csv extension)

  • JIRA w/ Tempo plugin installed
  • Zendesk


Time Card Fields

The below table contains all the fields you can map to a time card on import.

FieldDescriptionExpected Format
DescriptionSpecify text up to 1000 characters long. Anything longer will be truncated.String
Location

The location for this time card. If your company does not use locations, this field will not be shown.

The text needs to match exactly what is in the Location Editor.

String
Handy InfoThis data doesn't get imported, it is simply for reference during. For example, you might have work notes in here. Or you might have a note to yourself that the time should not be entered until next month.String
Project

This can contain either a project code or a project name. It is preferable to use a project code in this field as Projector will automatically map to the appropriate project.

If you choose to use a name instead, it will not be mapped to a project with the same name. Instead, we'll provide a picklist of projects with this name. Why not choose projects based on name? Two projects can have the same name.

String
Rate TypeIf your organization allows multiple rate types, for example Regular, Overtime, or Travel - then specify the appropriate rate type here. If your organization does not use rate types, leave this blank.String
TaskThe name of the task you worked on.String
RoleMost people only have one role on a project and you can leave this blank. If you have multiple roles, specify the one this time is for.String
Work DateThe date you worked.

We support multiple date formats:

  • mm/dd/yyyy
  • mm-dd-yyyy
  • dd/mm/yyyy
  • dd-mm-yyyy
  • yyyy/mm/dd
  • yyyy-mm-dd
  • mm/dd/yyyy ddd (ddd is the day of week in english. Like Sun, Mon, Tue)
Work HoursThe number of hours and minutes you worked.

We support multiple time formats. Below are three different ways to write "three and a half hours."

  • HH:MM (3:30)
  • H HHH,00 (3 50)
  • H,HHH.00 (3.50)
Other (User Defined Fields)

Your installation may have fields listed that are not in this table. They are special fields defined by your administrator. For instance, you might see "Ticket #" as a field and you are expected to enter a number. Please contact your administrator if you are unclear what to enter in these fields.

The expected format depends on the type of UDF.

  • Date - Projector will provide you some date format options like mm/dd/yyyy. Choose one and ensure your csv file matches the format you chose.
  • Integer - A number between -2,147,483,647 and 2,147,483,649
  • Resource - should match the resource's display name
  • Text - any text up to 255 characters. Longer text will be truncated.
  • Text List - your options must match the text list options exactly
  • Yes/No - 'Yes', blank and 'null' are treated as Yes. Anything else is No.

JIRA / Zendesk

If you have a JIRA / Zendesk integration, you can specify the linked ticket id here.String


JIRA Fields

If you have a JIRA integration, then the following fields can be imported from JIRA:

Field
Description
Issue ID
Issue Key
Issue Summary
Issue Description
Work Date
Issue Type Id
Issue Type Description
Issue Type Name
Project ID

Product Key


Project Name
Issue Resolution Id
Issue Resolution Name
Issue Resolution Description
Issue Resolution Date
Work Hours
Work Comment
Custom FieldsAny custom fields added in the External Connector configuration.

Zendesk Fields

If you have a Zendesk integration, then the following fields can be imported from Zendesk.

(not complete)



In Practice

Here is a simple walkthrough of a time card import.


Start an Import

To start an import, go to Time Entry and click Import at the bottom center of the screen. CSV is always available. You must have an external connector configured if you want to import from JIRA or Zendesk.


Choose Import File

You can choose from:

  • Browse to csv file on your computer
  • Drag and drop a csv file into the window
  • Choose JIRA from the dropdown menu (specify date range)
  • Choose Zendesk from the dropdown menu (specify date range)


Map Fields

This is where you specify how the information from your CSV file, JIRA, or Zendesk should be mapped to your time cards.

On the left is a list of fields that you can import data into. All fields are optional.

On the right is a series of dropdown boxes that map to csv columns or metadata from JIRA/Zendesk.

Your job is to match the columns on the left with the appropriate choice from the dropdown boxes. If there is no clear choice, don't choose anything. You'll have the opportunity to manually specify the correct values later on.



Saved Mappings

If you frequently upload a file in the same format, then you can optionally save your import settings for reuse later on.

  • Save new mapping - scroll to bottom of step 2 and enter a nme
  • Apply saved mapping - choose mapping from dropdown list at top of step 2



Review Time Cards

Once you have completed your mapping, move onto step 3 - Review. Here you make corrections, determine which of the time cards you wish to import, and time cards expenses that you are not interested in. 

To begin, click a time card in the left hand column. You can multi-select by holding the ctrl key and clicking individual expenses or by holding the shift key to select a range of expenses. 

IconDefinition
Not all fields were mapped to a time card. Please review and make corrections.
Ready to be imported, but not marked for import yet
Ready to be imported and will be saved when you complete the wizard


Information about the card or cards is shown in the right hand pane.

Make changes as you deem necessary. Anything with a red asterix requires attention before it can be imported. For example, if the imported project could not be found in Projector, you will need to pick a valid project from the dropdown list. If you have selected multiple cards at once, then all of them will change. Once you are satisfied with your changes click the black import checkmark .

Once you are satisfied with all the cards click the Import and Close button and they will be added to your time sheet.

Any time cards that were not processed are saved for later. If you are done with them, then use the Delete link to remove them from the sheet.