The Problem We Are Solving
This release is enhancing the firm’s ability to achieve timekeeping accuracy and full compliance in the following ways:
1. Attorneys do not work in a bubble, therefore it’s common for timekeepers to enter different times for the same group, creating inconsistencies or unrecorded gaps of time. This requires billing attorneys to manually review time records which causes additional administrative work for the firm (and more client rejections). Another industry first, Intelligent Teams brings collaboration and compliance to the time entry process by allowing related timecards to be linked together to ensure consistency.
2. Timekeepers are limited by a lack of flexibility to create and maintain their own time shortcuts. This one-size-fits-all approach of shortcuts being managed by the firm’s administrator are not relevant and provide little value. As we continue to deliver on our commitment to empowering attorneys to “work the way they want to work,” My Shortcuts provides timekeepers with yet another layer of independence to manage their own shortcuts.
3. Too often, timekeepers are burdened by inefficient processes. They work best when presented with exactly what they need, when they need it in the simplest way possible. This release includes new features to engage them on their terms. Whether engaging with push notifications or emails, Personalized Engagement provides the timekeeper with the appropriate app (mobile, desktop, calendar, etc.) to accomplish their desired task quickly and easily.
The Solution We Are Presenting
This release combines consistency with collaboration and engagement to generate more revenue and produce the highest quality timecard inventory for the firm.
C-Level & Leadership
For the firm’s leadership, this release brings more revenue to the firm through collaboration and engagement that improve timekeeping accuracy and compliance.
Timekeepers
For attorneys, this release removes the burdens from the time entry process by enabling collaboration with peers, providing increased flexibility in entering time, enhanced reporting capabilities and better engagement.
IT Department
For IT professionals, this release provides more autonomy to internal stakeholders since timekeepers can create and maintain their own shortcuts without resources from the IT team and take advantage of the engagement so that they don’t have to manage adoption in house.
New Features of iTimekeep (Desktop + Mobile)
Collaborate, #Tag Peers and Recover More Revenue with Intelligent Teams
What is it?
Upon recording time, the timekeeper has the opportunity to “tag” other timekeepers that are working on a matter. Intelligent teams will automatically create an intelligent timecard in draft mode for associated timekeepers with the same information as the original timecard, bringing all relevant timekeepers into the timekeeping process to maximize accuracy and efficiency.
Benefits
- Amplify the power of contemporaneous time entry within the firm. With Intelligent Teams, every other timekeeper working on that task will benefit from positive timekeeping behaviors of the first-to-record.
- Capture more billable hours, by capturing time that would have been inaccurate or unrecorded.
- Allow more timekeepers to benefit from the healthy timekeeping habits of individual attorneys.
- Create a consistent and compliant record of timekeeper work.
- Prevent rejections, appeals and payment delays due to inconsistencies in time entries.
My Shortcuts Lets You Do More with Your Time
What is it?
Enter time faster than ever before with My Shortcuts. Simply type a few letters to trigger your time entry to populate with custom pre-written paragraphs, tailored to your needs. With My Shortcuts, you (or your assistant) have the freedom to create an unlimited number of customized shortcuts so that you can achieve the fastest path to entering time.
Benefits
- Timekeepers own their shortcuts and can create unlimited shortcuts making entering time easier and more consistent.
- No need to wait for administration to create or maintain your shortcuts.
- You can turn off the codes from your billing system if they are not relevant to you and your practice.
Personalized Engagement Gives You Exactly What You Need
What is it?
Personalized engagement enables timekeepers to stay on top of their time, quickly and easily. Whether a timekeeper is engaging via an email or a push notification, iTimekeep will recognize which device is being using and open the appropriate app needed. Whether a timekeeper is working in mobile or desktop, or accessing their calendar, etc., they will have everything they need at their fingertips.
Benefits
- Enable the timekeeper to enter time as quickly and simply as possible, with the most relevant application to support the desired objectives.
Print Time Codes Provides More Thorough Reporting (Desktop Only)
What is it?
In this version, we added the ability to print time codes from the print function, providing a more comprehensive print view
Benefits
- Get more data and better visibility into your timekeeping performance with every detail of your time entry included in your printed records, including codes, tasks, locations, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Curious about how the Fall 2019 Release could affect for your workflow? We’re here to answer your questions. Browse the topics below and click for answers.
General
When will these new features be available
This release is scheduled to go live at midnight on Saturday, December 7, 2019.
Is there anything I need to do?
If you are an administrator, notify your timekeepers of the change. If you are a timekeeper, enable automatic updates on your mobile device, or update your app after the release takes place. That’s it! No other action is required.
How can I ensure my timekeepers are using the latest version?
Encourage them to enable automatic updates or have them visit the App Store or Play Store from their device to download the latest version after it goes live. Desktop changes go live automatically.
Do I need to communicate anything to my timekeepers?
It’s a great idea to spread the word about the great new capabilities for timekeepers to take advantage of! Everything they’ll need to know about the new features is here for you to share in this communication template.
Intelligent Teams
Why Intelligent Teams
It’s not unusual for timekeepers collaborating in a group to enter different times, creating inconsistencies or unrecorded gaps of time. This requires billing attorneys to manually review time records for inaccuracies and can lead to more client rejections. Intelligent Teams introduces automation to time entry for these collaborations, presenting a unified account of what was accomplished on a given matter within a given timeframe.
What are Intelligent Teams?
When recording time, a timekeeper can “tag” other timekeepers that are working on the matter. Intelligent Teams will automatically create an Intelligent Timecard in draft mode for each associated timekeeper. These draft timecards contain the same information as the original timecard, bringing all relevant timekeepers into the timekeeping process to maximize accuracy and efficiency.
Why don’t I see the person I want to tag in the list?
The only people eligible to be tagged with Intelligent Teams are timekeepers who have already entered time for that matter. Also, you cannot tag the person who tagged you, or someone who has already been tagged.
Why can’t I deselect a person from the Participant list?
Newly added participants can only be deselected before the timecard has been saved. Once saved, all tagged participants remain as associated with that timecard.
Will editing an Intelligent Timecard affect the timecards of the other timekeepers?
No. Once the drafts are created for the tagged timekeepers, the timecards are no longer linked. You can edit and even delete your Intelligent Timecard without affecting the timecards of others. However, it is recommended that you communicate necessary changes to the associated timekeepers when relevant.
How do I enable/disable this feature for my firm?
In the portal, go to the hamburger menu and select ‘Configure iTimekeep’. Under the ‘Firm Defaults’ tab, find ‘Intelligent Teams Settings’. Simply select the box for ‘Allow Intelligent Team Timecard Creation’. That’s it! Now your timekeepers can take advantage of this useful new feature.
My Shortcuts
What are My Shortcuts?
We use My Shortcuts to save time when repeatedly entering the same lengthy text. However, if the shortcuts are not pertinent to the work we do, they are not beneficial to us. The flexibility of creating individualized, relevant My Shortcuts in iTimekeep provides timekeepers with another layer of independence, removing them from the limitations that exist with using shortcuts from their time & billing system.
How do I create a shortcut?
Open My Shortcuts from the hamburger menu. There, you can create shortcut and phrase combinations for your use. You can view, filter, edit and delete your My Shortcuts.
If you do not see the My Shortcuts option, please have your System Administrator enable it in the iTimekeep Portal, Configure iTimekeep section.
Can I still use shortcuts from my device or my time and billing system?
Of course! When entering a shortcut in the Work Description, iTimekeep first looks at your device shortcuts for a match. If none is found, it then looks at your iTimekeep My Shortcuts. Lastly, it will check the inherited shortcuts from your time and billing system.
Can I edit or replace a shortcut from my time and billing system?
iTimekeep does not alter any shortcuts on your time and billing system. However, if you create a My Shortcut using the same shortcut characters as one in your time and billing system, the iTimekeep My Shortcut will be found first, taking precedence over the one from the time and billing system. You also can disable your inherited shortcuts from your time and billing system by going to the hamburger menu and selecting My Shortcuts.
Are My Shortcuts case sensitive?
The shortcut itself is not case sensitive. For instance, if your shortcut is ABC, it will work whether you type in ABC, abc, or ABc. The Phrase, however, is case sensitive. That way, it will always appear in your work description exactly as you entered it when creating the My Shortcut.
Our firm is using shortcuts from our Time and Billing system. How do these shortcuts work together?
We designed My Shortcuts to work with shortcuts personalized by you on your device and those from your T&B system, as well as to work independently. iTimekeep will first look for matching personalized shortcuts on a mobile device being used and select that shortcut if one exists. If there is not a match, it will then look in My Shortcuts. If there is still no match, iTimekeep will check the T&B system for a matching shortcut. Understanding this hierarchy will allow you to make the most of your shortcuts regardless of where they originate.
How do I enable/disable this feature for my firm?
In the portal, go to the hamburger menu and select ‘Configure iTimekeep’. Under the ‘Firm Defaults’ tab, find ‘My Shortcut Settings’. Simply select the box for ‘Allow Shortcut Creation’. That’s it! Now your timekeepers can take advantage of this timesaving feature.
Personalized Engagement
Why Personalized Engagement?
Timekeepers work best when presented with exactly what they need, when they need it, in the most simple and efficient way possible. Whether engaging with push notifications, popups or emails, personalized engagement provides the timekeeper access to the appropriate place in the app to accomplish their desired task quickly and easily.
What is Personalized Engagement
You have likely interacted with iTimekeep engagements before. These are the emails, push notifications and popup messages you receive from iTimekeep. We are taking this a step further by including personalized links in some engagements. Powered by our new Quick Links, they will take you to specific areas or information. For instance, if you have missing time for a day, a Quick Link can take you to your My Time screen to view your time for that day, enabling you to review and enter time as quickly and simply as possible.
Is there anything I need to do?
When you receive an email or push notification engagement, simply click the available link(s) to go right where you need to go. It’s as simple as that.
Print Time Codes
Why Print Time Codes?
We’re including time codes when printing from the print function, providing a more comprehensive print view. Now you will get more data and better visibility into your timekeeping performance with these additional details of your time entry included in your printed records, including codes, tasks, locations, etc.