Endress+Hauser up to date with the time tracking module TimeTrack

The Swiss and precision, a combination that is as well-known as it is famous. Endress+Hauser fits in this tradition.

From its Dutch location in Naarden, this Swiss company delivers process instruments, e.g. level meters and pressure transmitters to industry and government Recently the company implemented TimeTrack, a time tracking module specially developed by Metaware on the basis of Lotus Notes. TimeTrack simplifies the process, prevents work duplication and ensures a completely digital processing of working hours.

Endress+Hauser operates a sales and service organisation in the Netherlands totalling 110 employees.Clients vary from Shell to local water boards and from the dairy industry to the Hoogovens. The service department of the organisation consists of approximately 30 people, of which the majority spends most of its time at the client locations for service, maintenance and repair tasks. “In order to achieve a good insight into their working hours a proper administration is important, both for management and for wage administration”, as Service Planner and Quality Manager Kees Riemer explains the use of TimeTrack. “We had been using a time tracking module for a considerable time, but it was only accessible at our office location and moreover it wasn’t millennium proof. After 2000 it took considerable effort to keep it working. And besides, the old application brought about a lot of paperwork and duplicate inputs.”

TimeTrack is based on Lotus Notes and offers the service technicians the possibility to declare their working hours de-centrally and digitally. “Withinour organisation we make use of more Lotus Notes applications, so we know what the advantages are of working with a central database which is also accessible de-centrally.” Kees Riemer has been following the developments closely. He has been working for Endress+Hauser since 1975. When the company attained its ISO-9001 certification, he has been combining his job as Service Planner with the function of Quality Manager.

Since TimeTrack went live this summer, the daily records of the technicians are exchanged via the network of Endress+Hauser. “So the technicians don’t need to come to the office and no more paperwork is required. Until recently, the daily records had to be sent to the office using couriers”, says Kees Riemer. That seems slightly over the top for something which could be done equally well via regular post or fax, but the courier also delivers materials and assignments to the technicians.

The new time tracking module contains a workflow for approving the working hour records. This way the records aren’t submitted to the administration without being checked first. After the records are sent via the network, they arrive at the Service Planner for approval, and once approved they are sent on to the Administration. Kees Riemer’s comment on this workflow: “It is a great improvement, which has been implemented without a hitch. The people of Metaware havereally done a very good job.”

The implementation of TimeTrack has also improved the information available to management. Data from the administration of the working hours are more quickly, completer and digitally accessible. “Our insight into productive and non-productive hours has increased, as well as insight into overtime and waiting times of our colleagues in the field. Keeping correct track of time is off course subject to the discipline of the users. And also concerning the discipline Riemer doesn’t have anything to complain about: “It has improved compared to when we used paperwork. Moreover, TimeTrack gives an automatic reminder when someone has forgotten to input their hours.” Riemer hasn’t received any complaints from the users. “And that usually means that the application has been received well.”