Global Timer

By allowing users to see, start, and stop timers from any screen in Centerbase, users will be able to concentrate on their work without having to change pages or tabs to confirm if a timer is running or if the right timer is running.

It will also give users a way to easily start a timer when a sudden interruption in work occurs like a phone call.

How it works

Basic Functionality: 

There is now a timer in the upper right of the header bar on every screen in Centerbase.

Collapsed:                                                                           Expanded:

This works just like the existing timers used on the timesheet and mobile app but has some different interactions with time entries as noted below. This means that it reads the system timer so the user can change tabs or even computers and still see the active timer.

Starting from the Global Timer: 

A user can open the time and start a new timer from here. While the timer is running, the user can pause it and restart it, or they can stop the timer and be prompted to create a time entry based on it. This will also clear the timer to allow a new timer to be started.

When creating a time entry in this way it will auto fill the worked/billable hours based on the timer and the rounding settings. The user can also set a matter using the carrot and if the timer was started while on a matter it will auto-fill with that matter. In either case, the matter will be pulled into the time entry when the timer is stopped.

Restarting an existing timer:

This timer uses the same system timer as the timesheet and mobile app so a timer started from either of those places will show live in the global timer. In this use case if the user pauses the timer, it will remember the last active timer and stopping the timer will simply update the existing time entry instead of asking the user to enter it all over again.

Technical Information:

1. There are no new settings for Global Timer, but it does work with existing time entry settings. Thus, Global timer will be useable by all users on the site.
2. There is no way to change the matter on the timer after it is selected, the user can of course change it on the time entry dialog when you stop the timer.
3. Starting a timer from the global timer will not show as an active timer on the timesheet nor the mobile app.
4. The Selected Matter is stored in the front end and thus limited to the tab you set it on. So, if a user selects a matter on one tab and then looks for the matter on another tab it will be blank. This does not affect timers for existing entries.