download (6)Have you been entering your hours into BigTime on a daily basis? Are you aware of our internal operations updates?

If not, it’s a New Year and the perfect time to start a great habit.  Last month, as an organization, we collectively fell well below the 80% benchmark of entering time within 2 days coming in at only 61%.

Please remember how crucial it is to enter your hours into BigTime in a timely manner as BHM’s clients request weekly (if not daily) updates (throughout the month) of hours billed to their project(s).  We will continue to reach out to those consultants who are struggling to meet the 80% time entered within 2 days benchmark.  Don’t forget that entering time on a daily basis is far less daunting than keying in several days at once.

3 Reasons Why Daily Time Entry is a Great Habit For You

1. It Keeps our Customers Happy!

No one likes to get surprised by an invoice at the end of the month. Allow Project Leaders and Division Heads to facilitate communication with clients about the status of deliverables and cost on-demand by keeping your time sheet current.  This is an easy way for us to increase our client satisfaction, and encourage growth and referrals from our existing customers.

2. Receive Accurate Reimbursement for the Work that You Do

It can be difficult to remember what you worked on a week ago, keep your reimbursement as accurate as possible with daily time entry which will not only provide a prompt reflection for you of hours of work completed, but will improve the notes detail which substantiate the work which has been conducted, reducing confusion in the approval process.

3. It Eliminates Delay in the Payment Process and Improves Work Flow

Delayed time entry, especially when time is not entered and submitted on the 15th and last of the month can slow down not only the invoicing process, but also the reimbursement process.  Delayed entry increases the amount of internal time required for invoicing and follow up, and can also extend the approval process.  To ensure that our payment process is as swift and efficient as possible, enter your time daily, and promptly submit it on the 15th and last day of the month.

Strategies to Get Started

  • Make it a habit to conclude each day by logging into BigTime and entering your time for the day; or
  • Incrementally enter your time throughout the day pre-lunch and at the end of the day
  • Put a recurring task in your outlook so that you get a daily reminder to enter your time, or block off 5 minutes daily on your calendar to commit yourself to the task
  • Mark your calendar with reminders to submit your time on the 15th and last day of the month, and set this up as a recurring task
  • Plan ahead for vacations or travel by entering your time and submitting before you leave if you will miss a submission day

First 911 phoneInteresting Historical February Fact

Did you know that the Nation’s first 911 System went into effect in February of 1968?  The first ever 9-1-1 call was placed by Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite, from Haleyville City Hall, to U.S. Rep. Tom Bevill, at the city’s police station.  The phone used to answer the first 9-1-1 call, a bright red model, is now in a museum in Haleyville, while a duplicate phone is still in use at the police station.