Product Review: DTE Enterprise Time Entry Software

Throughout 2002, we conducted office-by-office rollout to all of our U.S.-based timekeepers. We're currently implementing DTE in the rest of our international offices. Installation goes quite smoothly. We have a log-on script that copies the software, as well as initial offline files, to the client machine. Once installed, users can immediately begin entering time into DTE, without having to wait for the initial synchronization.

We did have to get some minor configurations to meet our firm's needs. For instance, we use phase task coding, so we needed the ability to attach a set of valid phase task code to relevant matters. Also, our time entries are tagged with a skill set code (eg, tax skills), so we needed a customized field for that. The configurations and customizations all worked and turn-around was prompt.

For training we used a 'train the trainer' approach. APS trained a handful of our help desk and trainer staff who in turn ran 45-minute training sessions the day prior to implementing DTE in each office. The majority of users were able to pick it up immediately. Training is not really required; DTE is very intuitive.

We have had a few challenges on our end. Out of habit, some of our attorneys still tend to track their time on paper or in Word and give it to their secretaries to enter into DTE at the end of the month. The ones that do use DTE sometimes don't release their time until the end of the month. Both of these scenarios contribute to an end-of-the-month bottleneck. We're trying to get all timekeepers to enter their time directly into DTE, and to release their hours in a more timely fashion. Fortunately, our managing partners are completely behind this effort.

Our users are very happy with the actual software. They especially like the start/stop timers, and many keep several open at a time. They also like the speed of the system and the fact that it's so intuitive. We have heard occasional user complaints regarding delays in the synchronization with our billing system, but we handle those complaints by offering on-demand synchronization into our CMS database. As we approach time entry deadlines, where we need to post from DTE to CMS, it can take a long time because the majority of users still wait until the last day to release their time. Users don't always know if they're working offline or online, even though DTE does indicate this at the bottom of the screen. Of course, once they do come online, the time entries are automatically synchronized into CMS. We want to get people to use DTE on a daily basis to eliminate that last minute crunch. In order to circumvent this issue, we conduct more frequent synchs (every few hours) at the end of the month or near important dates, in order to avoid heavy volume at deadline time.

The key benefit of DTE is that, when users track time as they go, they end up capturing more billable hours. If they wait until the end of the month, it's human nature to forget or minimize the significance of a 10-minute call. With DTE, our timekeepers pick up more time, and their time is reflected more accurately. Plus, when attorneys enter their own time, there is nothing lost in translation. When it's attorneys, to the secretary to DTE, things may be changed for better or worse. When attorneys enter time themselves, it is more accurately coded.

Another benefit has been increased utilization. Now we get timekeepers flying back from meetings who use the travel time to put their hours in DTE and synch when they get back to their office. They can enter time when it's still fresh in their minds, without having to wait. They also have the ability to synch via a dialup connection. With DTE, time is captured more precisely, which translates into more accurate client billing.

Users don't typically like things new, but our managing partners recognize how easy DTE is to use and the resulting benefits. They have been encouraging their co-workers to use it and we've seen much success from those efforts. We're striving for 100% user participation in DTE.

Swen Nielsen is Financial Systems Manager for Squire Sanders. He is responsible for the maintenance and customization of the financial accounting and billing systems utilized firmwide. For more information about DTE Enterprise Time Entry Software, please contact Advanced Productivity Software online at www.aps-soft.com.

Founded in 1890, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. is one of the largest U.S.-based international law firms with more than 750 attorneys and 26 offices strategically located around the world.

Our timekeepers' time had always been tracked in CMS, our time and billing system. As the firm looked for ways to improve the time entry process, it became clear that an easier and more flexible time entry solution was needed. We felt that if we had a tool where our timekeepers could enter time when they were disconnected (eg, flying or from a hotel), that it would increase utilization. At the time, some of our attorneys were tracking hours in Excel or Word when on the road, and then e-mailing their time to their secretaries to enter into CMS. Others would wait until they returned to the office to enter their time. We thought it would be more effective, and that billable hours would be more accurately captured, if our attorneys could track their time while it was still fresh in their minds.

We started looking for a time entry vendor late in 2000. We have some administrators in our firm who had used Advanced Productivity Software's DTE at other firms and liked it. We also got good feedback from existing DTE users at the CMS user conference. We saw a demo of the SQL-based DTE Enterprise and we thought it would meet our needs. Coming from a technical background, I was especially concerned about network traffic on the WAN. The way that APS structured DTE's synchronization impressed me. They clearly designed it with speed in mind and gave consideration to minimizing network traffic. We made the decision to implement DTE in the third quarter of 2001.

Throughout 2002, we conducted office-by-office rollout to all of our U.S.-based timekeepers. We're currently implementing DTE in the rest of our international offices. Installation goes quite smoothly. We have a log-on script that copies the software, as well as initial offline files, to the client machine. Once installed, users can immediately begin entering time into DTE, without having to wait for the initial synchronization.

We did have to get some minor configurations to meet our firm's needs. For instance, we use phase task coding, so we needed the ability to attach a set of valid phase task code to relevant matters. Also, our time entries are tagged with a skill set code (eg, tax skills), so we needed a customized field for that. The configurations and customizations all worked and turn-around was prompt.

For training we used a 'train the trainer' approach. APS trained a handful of our help desk and trainer staff who in turn ran 45-minute training sessions the day prior to implementing DTE in each office. The majority of users were able to pick it up immediately. Training is not really required; DTE is very intuitive.

We have had a few challenges on our end. Out of habit, some of our attorneys still tend to track their time on paper or in Word and give it to their secretaries to enter into DTE at the end of the month. The ones that do use DTE sometimes don't release their time until the end of the month. Both of these scenarios contribute to an end-of-the-month bottleneck. We're trying to get all timekeepers to enter their time directly into DTE, and to release their hours in a more timely fashion. Fortunately, our managing partners are completely behind this effort.

Our users are very happy with the actual software. They especially like the start/stop timers, and many keep several open at a time. They also like the speed of the system and the fact that it's so intuitive. We have heard occasional user complaints regarding delays in the synchronization with our billing system, but we handle those complaints by offering on-demand synchronization into our CMS database. As we approach time entry deadlines, where we need to post from DTE to CMS, it can take a long time because the majority of users still wait until the last day to release their time. Users don't always know if they're working offline or online, even though DTE does indicate this at the bottom of the screen. Of course, once they do come online, the time entries are automatically synchronized into CMS. We want to get people to use DTE on a daily basis to eliminate that last minute crunch. In order to circumvent this issue, we conduct more frequent synchs (every few hours) at the end of the month or near important dates, in order to avoid heavy volume at deadline time.

The key benefit of DTE is that, when users track time as they go, they end up capturing more billable hours. If they wait until the end of the month, it's human nature to forget or minimize the significance of a 10-minute call. With DTE, our timekeepers pick up more time, and their time is reflected more accurately. Plus, when attorneys enter their own time, there is nothing lost in translation. When it's attorneys, to the secretary to DTE, things may be changed for better or worse. When attorneys enter time themselves, it is more accurately coded.

Another benefit has been increased utilization. Now we get timekeepers flying back from meetings who use the travel time to put their hours in DTE and synch when they get back to their office. They can enter time when it's still fresh in their minds, without having to wait. They also have the ability to synch via a dialup connection. With DTE, time is captured more precisely, which translates into more accurate client billing.

Users don't typically like things new, but our managing partners recognize how easy DTE is to use and the resulting benefits. They have been encouraging their co-workers to use it and we've seen much success from those efforts. We're striving for 100% user participation in DTE.

Swen Nielsen is Financial Systems Manager for Squire Sanders. He is responsible for the maintenance and customization of the financial accounting and billing systems utilized firmwide. For more information about DTE Enterprise Time Entry Software, please contact Advanced Productivity Software online at www.aps-soft.com.