Here’s tip number 8 for a new #SalesforceConsultant – TIMESHEETS!
(It’s what #RealProjectManagers from #ConsultingPartners really care about! 😁)
Lisa Bailey‘s post about starting a new consulting role reminded me I have this awesome ebook that you MUST get if you’re a new consultant (#ShamelessPlug#SorryNotSorry 🤭)
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As a consultant, you’ll have to do timesheets.
In fact, one of the best way to make your #ProjectManager happy (apart from keeping your promises, delivering quality work, oh and bringing 🍩 in on Donut day… which is every day)
… is doing your timesheets correctly!
On Time!!
A key part of our job as a Project Manager for a #SalesforcePartner is invoicing the client… a task that has many steps.
Every week either on the weekend or on Monday, we have to:
🧅 check that timesheets for previous week are done correctly, with correct description
🧅 chase those who haven’t done it
🧅 ask consultants to re-do timesheets if they’ve booked it against the wrong task/project code
🧅 find out where the discrepancy is. Oh – Abdul had to leave early for an emergency, that’s why my actuals don’t match my forecast.
🧅 correct forecast, plan and budget
🧅 approve all timesheets when current forecast = actual actuals to date.
Before the end of every month
🥕 make sure that previously approved week’s figures are correct, and no one has sneakily snuck in additional hours/days for overtime or work they ‘forgot’ they did
🥕 if someone’s done that, then I get this crumply eyebrows and I have a few strong words with them 😣 (and then I go back and unapprove it and re-approve fixed timesheets)
At the end of every month
🥦 get everyone to complete timesheets for the rest of the month, right up to and including last day
🥦 make sure all numbers look correct and cast grumpy look at the consultants who are chronically late with timesheets or who messes up my forecast/actual numbers 😠
🥦 make sure invoice amount match forecast cost in the previous project status update to client
🥦 double check draft invoice to make sure the narrative and descriptions are appropriate and correct
🥦 do the sign of the cross before submitting for invoicing
For some partners sometimes invoicing is integrated with the finance system. Eep!
This means it becomes an absolute pain in the butt to correct if we find an issue after submitting invoice, such as someone booked time on my project that I’ve approved, but that they’ve actually worked on someone else’s project that needs correction! *
OMG – sometimes it makes me so mad that I want to say bad words like poopy poopy poop! 💩
Anyway, now that you know what we PMs have to go through, I hope you will have some empathy and that you’ll do your timesheets promptly.
#MakeAProjectManagerHappyToday
* to be fair, approving timesheets on medium to larger projects is a lot easier.
Get my free ebook “15 tips for the new Salesforce Consultant” or something like that 👇🏻.
#ProjectManagement
#OnThePeiroll
