Welcome to our new series on Dynamics 365 Project Operations! In this comprehensive primer, we’ll explore how to use Time Entries effectively, from the perspective of a project-based user.

Let’s start with what you see when you land on the page:

The mobile experience is the same!:

Dynamics 365 Project Operations provides six pre-built views for Time Entries, with ‘My Weekly Time Entries‘ being the default view:

The three ways to include Time Entries in Dynamics 365 Project Operations are:

1. Manually Create Time Entries: This is the most common method of adding Time Entries. Users manually enter the time worked on a project or task by selecting the project and task, specifying the date, and adding any additional details such as comments.
2. Import Time Entries: This method allows users to import time entries from an external source, such as a spreadsheet or another system. Users can import from Assignments, Bookings or Exchange (Outlook).
3. Copy Week Time Entries: This method allows users to copy time entries from one week to another. Users can select the week they want to copy from and the week they want to copy to, and the time entries will be automatically copied over. This can be a useful option for users who work on similar tasks or projects from week to week.

Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the best method will depend on the user’s specific needs and preferences. Manually creating time entries offers the most control and flexibility, while importing and copying time entries can save time and reduce errors.

Let’s look at option 1. Manually Create Time Entries:

To manually create a Time Entry in Dynamics 365 Project Operations, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Time Entries page by selecting the Time Entries option from the main menu.
2. Click on the +New button to create a new Time Entry.
3. In the New Time Entry form, select the Project and Task that you worked on. If you don’t see the Project or Task listed, you may need to ask the PM to assign you to those.
4. Select the Date and Time spent on the task.
5. If you want to add more details, you can enter any Comments in the Internal/external comments fields.
6. Click Save to save the Time Entry.

You may be asking, why is Project Task purple? That’s because we have a hack:

Note: In the case above, I logged all 8 hours, that still does not stop me to enter more, since a planned task can actually require more time to be completed. The PM later can approve as Chargeable or not against the project, depending on the situation.

Once you Save one task in, you can simply include the hours for that task across the week. The only detail here is that the comments from the first task will not automatically replicate accros, unless you automate that process:

Note: In the case above, only the first task entry (time entry) contains comments. If you need a comment for each record the user needs to reopen each and include the comments!

In the next blog I will share Best Practices and hacks that can help users make the most out of this functionality.

Microsoft official documentation: here

Thank you for readin and see you next time!