Work item automation in 7pace Timetracker
How to get started
- Check out our 7pace Timetracker Installation and Configuration section for everything you'd want to know about how to install and configure the Timetracker web server and client components.
- Navigate to our Get Help and Support section for details on how to log an issue report or feature request, where to read about the latest release history information, and where to find our customers' frequently asked questions (FAQs).
- Visit https://www.7pace.com/timetracker for more specific information and pricing.
A quick overview
7pace Timetracker is a professional full-feature time recording and management solution that seamlessly integrates with Azure DevOps Server and DevOps Services . Our extension allows software teams to manage their time directly within Azure DevOps without ever having to leave their environment, extending the capabilities of DevOps Server and DevOps Services beyond the management of work items (WORK), source control (CODE), continuous integration (BUILD), and quality assurance (TEST), to include TIME.
It consists of two versions: 7pace Timetracker (cloud) and the locally-installed 7pace Timetracker (on-premise). It allows software teams in small to enterprise-sized companies plan, estimate, and record time directly in DevOps.7pace Timetracker (cloud) is seamlessly integrates with DevOps Services, while 7pace Timetracker (on-prem) is fully integrated with DevOps Server. Both versions consist of a web server interface that provides robust options to add, edit, import, export, approve, and manage the time of both individual team members and the whole team. An optional downloadable Windows Client can be installed on your local system, allowing you to select a work item and then track time spent on that particular work item via a start/stop watch-style interface.
In 7pace Timetracker, time tracking moved to the server and a Web Client became available from within the web access of DevOps, allowing you to start tracking right from any work item, without any additional action required. You can use multiple desktops, run the Windows Client everywhere or just open your browser; you'll see a synced time interface that you can control from wherever you are.
7pace Timetracker has its own permission management, is fully customizable, and will work with even the most complex work item template (WIT).
Below, we'll highlight the various benefits of using 7pace Timetracker for both developers and managers.
Development Team
Designed with you, the developer, in mind, 7pace Timetracker exists within the same environment in which you work, allowing you to quickly and easily enter and track time directly on work items. No more complex or time-consuming external time-logging! This integration between work done and time tracked lets you know exactly how much time you are spending on your work items, leading to better estimation, and more efficient time management. The entire development team can see team members' individual pace, remaining time, and decreasing burndown.
You can add and edit time from various locations within DevOps and/or 7pace Timetracker, including tracking time directly on a work item within the "Work" tab of the web app; utilizing the keyboard-optimized "Timesheet" tab for capturing the work week at a glance; manually entering, editing or submitting weekly time on the simple, visually-appealing "Monthly" tab, or log and track time on-the-fly with the fully-integrated Web Client and/or the optional, downloadable Windows Client. Both clients list all work items assigned to the team; you simply select the work item, click start, and the client captures the time you spend working on that item without you having to give it a second thought. Both the Windows Client and Web Client work together or on their own to accurately track your time. You can also track time on work items without an ID and can even import time logged in Excel into 7pace Timetracker on the "Times Explorer" page.
Project Managers
The ease with which development team members can enter and track time on work items right within their own work environment with the integrated 7pace Timetracker tool results in exceptionally accurate, real-time data quality that is invaluable to you, the project manager. The high quality of instantaneous data closes the gap on uncertainty and error and results in 7pace Timetracker-driven burndown and built-in reporting functionality that is powerful and insightful. 7pace Timetracker's integrated reports provide you with important details on the health of each software iteration or sprint, such as how much time the team has spent on each work item, which team members completed which task(s), the current burndown rate, and if things are progressing on-time and on-budget. In addition to approving time for your team members on the "Approval" tab, you can also close or lock weeks for future time entry or editing.
There are many options for you, as a manager, to transport data-driven knowledge to your team, fellow managers or customers. A custom budgets component can be connected to iterations, releases, features, work items, and to single-time recordings. The "Budgets" tab of Timetracker acts as a powerful analytic and reporting tool, provides you with a completely transparent, real-time view of where work efforts flow, and assists you in billing your clients. On the "Times Explorer" tab, you can preview records before assigning them to budgets; select, filter, and group columns to suit your needs, and add, edit, import and export (from Excel) individual or batch time records. The REST accessible Reporting API, based on OAuth and OData, supports analytics tools like PowerBI and permits integration with systems like Project Server. WYSIWYG and rich data export provides managers with Excel-based data for additional processing.
Email Notifications
Left your desk and forgot to switch off tracking? If enabled, 7pace Timetracker sends an email notification when tracking was stopped by the system due to no response from you during activity prompts. All users can set up their own personal preferences for email notifications within the "Settings" tab.
For more information, please see the "Time Tracking" article within our user documentation.
Client API
Our Client API is now fully documented and available to the public. You can develop your own client or connect 7pace Timetracker to existing automations in your IT landscape.
For more information, please see 7pace Timetracker API Reference in our user documentation.
The work item "Time" tab
Anytime you click on a work item, within DevOps or 7pace Timetracker itself, the work item details popup window displays. On this window, an additional tab is added when you have Timetracker - the "Time" tab. This tab shows the total time spent by you and your team members on that work item and all child items.
The "Time" tab also features an Add Time button that lets you add time directly to that work item. This "Add Time" button can also be found on the "Monthly" and "Times Explorer" pages and as "New Time" on the "Timesheet" page. When you click on "Add Time" within a work item and on the "Monthly" page or "New Time" on the "Timesheet" page, the resulting "Add/Edit Time Record" dialog box renders certain fields, like the "Person" (name) and "Workitem ID" fields as read-only. These fields automatically populate with the signed-in user's name in the "Person" field and with the current work item ID. These fields are only editable on the "Times Explorer" page, so a manager (or a user role that has been configured in "Settings" -> Rules) can edit time for his/her team members. For more information, see "Monthly" Page: Adding, Editing or Deleting a Time Record.
Here is a breakdown of the "Time" tab within a work item and its main features:
|
#
|
Description
|
|---|---|
| 1 |
Total Total time (in hours) tracked for the work item, including time logged for all child items. |
| 2 |
Add Time When clicked, displays the "Add/Edit Time Record" dialog box so you can add time directly to the work item. |
| 3 |
Work Item In the lower left quadrant of the window, you'll see the work item, total time tracked for the parent and all child items. Clicking on the |
| 4 |
Hours The total time tracked for the specific work item. |
| 5 |
Pace The pace of the person working on the item is shown only for the PBI type work item. |
| 6 |
Team In the lower right quadrant of the work item window, the users who tracked time for the work item display. The activity type of each user also displays if an admin has enabled the activity type feature in Settings. Hovering over each configured color in the bar shows a tool tip with the time tracked to that specific activity type. |
icon opens the work item details on the Times Explorer page.
Work item automation in 7pace Timetracker
When you click on "Work Item Automation" within the "Settings" tab, you can control the integration of 7pace Timetracker with the time management capabilities of Azure DevOps.
For more information, please see "Work Item Automation: 7pace Timetracker".
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