Mobile Time Tracking via Surrogate Event Records
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Manual time tracking by employees and subsequent re-entry by administrators in organizations is prone to human error, making it inefficient and error-prone for payroll, billing, and project management.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using a mobile computing device with an event manager to synchronize time tracking records via an exchange server to a client machine, generating and transmitting time tracking records that include user-input time entry information, and automatically estimating billable time based on event records, reducing manual errors and enhancing data synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual time tracking and re-entry is used, then ease of operation is maintained, but reliability deteriorates due to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables employees to automatically track their own time by capturing event records from their mobile devices without requiring manual re-entry by administrators. The automated synchronization and extraction processes eliminate the need for manual data transfer, thereby improving reliability while reducing overall system complexity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes (typing timesheets, copying data) with automated electronic systems. The mobile device captures event records automatically, the exchange server synchronizes data automatically, and the client application extracts and processes time information automatically, eliminating human error in data entry while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Reliability
If automated time tracking is implemented, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile computing device serves multiple functions: it acts as the time tracking interface, captures event records, stores time entry information, and communicates with the server. The exchange server provides both synchronization and data extraction capabilities. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems, thereby managing complexity while achieving automated reliable time tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The exchange server acts as an intermediary between the mobile device and the client application, handling data synchronization and extraction automatically. This intermediary layer simplifies the architecture by centralizing the complex synchronization logic, making the overall system more manageable while enabling reliable automated time tracking.
3Productivity
If manual timesheet submission is used, then ease of operation is maintained, but loss of time increases due to administrative re-entry
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing and storing event record information on the mobile device before synchronization. Time entry information is prepared and validated on the mobile device in advance, so that when data is transferred to the server, the extraction and processing can be performed automatically without requiring manual re-entry, thereby eliminating time loss and improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated synchronization process ensures continuous availability of time tracking data between the mobile device and the client application. Once event records are captured on the mobile device, they are automatically synchronized and extracted without interruption or manual intervention, maintaining continuous useful action and eliminating the time loss associated with manual submission and re-entry cycles.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for tracking time using a mobile computing device. The method steps include providing a first event manager on the mobile computing device for managing event records, wherein each event record is synchronized via an exchange server to a corresponding event record managed by a second event manager on a client machine, generating a time tracking record based on input from a user of the mobile computing device, wherein the time tracking record is added to the event records as a surrogate event record, transmitting the surrogate event record via the exchange server to the second event manager operatively coupled to a client application on the client machine, extracting time entry information from the surrogate event record using the client application for tracking time, and generating estimated time entry information automatically based on the event record.