Release Notes: September 2017

September 5, 2017 By Bill4Time Staff 5 Comments

The Bill4Time product team releases new and enhanced features, system improvements, and bug fixes several times per week. Organized by month, the Release Notes blog series will highlight all the changes we’ve implemented, so you can easily stay up-to-date on what’s new. If you have a question, feedback, or an idea – please leave a comment below!

Take a look at what we’ve released this September:

Updated 09/28/2017

Desktop Widget Syncing – Our developers have updated some backend processes to increase speed and accuracy when syncing the Bill4Time Desktop app (PC version) with your online account. The issues involving a slow-to-sync app and client names displaying with the incorrect formatting have been resolved for all users.

Updated 09/26/2017

Contingency Billing Method – A recent update to the backend of the system calls for the Contingency Rate field to be required when utilizing this billing method. Going forward, any newly created projects using the contingency billing methods will require the rate field to hold a value.

Bill at Closing and Creating Invoices – Previously, a project with the ‘Bill at Project Closing’ setting enabled had to have its status set to Closed, then also had to be specifically filtered into view when creating an invoice. We’ve updated this process so that whenever the ‘Create Invoice’ button is clicked from within this project – the project is automatically filtered into view as available to bill.

In-System Password Update – We’ve updated the back-end of the system to being the process for changing a password into alignment with all other methods. Passwords must be 8 characters in length – previously one was able to create a shorter password by editing their user details manually.

Updated 09/22/2017

ACH Payments Alpha – We have officially closed the BETA testing phase of our ACH features. Thanks to everyone who provided feedback and helped us iron out any issues. The ACH Payments feature is now a full Alpha feature and full details are available here.

Updated 09/21/2017

Time Entry Report Update – We have implemented a new filter within the Time Entry Report that allows you to filter for the Paid or Unpaid status of the entry.

Batch Trust Payments – Our developers have updated the cascade of default accounts listed when entering a trust payment by batch. Previously, the system would allow for any matter’s account to be selected, but going forward only accounts associated with the specific matters on the invoice will be available to select from.

Update Payment Method – We have streamlined the process for updating the Credit Card you keep on file with Bill4Time. As we more closely integrate with Stripe, we’ve implemented their form-entry for entering in your CC info.

Updated 09/20/2017

ECheck Payment Method – A new payment type called ‘ECheck’ is now available system. This new type functions similarly to our other types, in that it can be selected for analysis when running reports and when reading the API, etc.

Updated 09/19/2017

Professional Template Logos – We’ve updated the system to allow for larger logos (up to 6.5in) on the Professional Template design layout. This also includes an update to the header text formatting so that when using a larger logo, the company name and address are still formatted clearly.

LEDES Timekeeper Classifications – We have updated our list of Timekeeper Classifications to bring them into alignment with the LOC Revised Timekeeper Classification Codes.

Updated 09/14/2017

Receipt Attachment Orientation – We’ve resolved an issue affecting certain kinds of file types where the image was rotated 90 degrees upon its upload. This bug has now been resolved for previously affected images, and going forward.

Monthly Productivity Report Activity – We have implemented a new default filter option within the Monthly Productivity report. When running this report, by default users without any activity will not appear in the report. If you would like these users to appear, simply check the box for “Include Users with No Activity” and rerun the report to generate a version with these users added.

Unbilled Summary Report – Our developers have created an entirely new report that pulls only the unbilled time for review. This report generates in a format similar to the other summary reports, with similar filter options a table layout.

Updated 09/12/2017

Case Closing Settlement Entry – We have resolved a bug where the system would allow for more than one Case Closing Settlement entry to be created. We have updated the system to allow for only one entry within a project to use that particular entry type label. While this bug did not impact billing, we expect this added clarity will improve the user experience as it relates to engagement tracking and report analytics.

Client User Rate Report Update – We’ve fixed a bug where additional rows were added to this report in some instances, and were showing duplicative information for disabled users. The report will now show only one instance of a user’s rate at each rate level.

Updated 09/07/2017

Default Header Formatting – We have resolved an issue where the company header text was formatting the State on its own separate line. This has now been updated and resolved for all affected invoices.

Updated 09/05/2017

Non-Alphanumeric Characters in Conflict Checker – We have updated the Conflict Checker feature to allow search terms to include non alphanumeric characters.

Subscription Quick Link – We’ve improved access to details about your Bill4Time Subscription. Users with access to Account Settings will now have a ‘Subscription’ option when they click on their name in the upper right corner of the page.

This post will be periodically updated throughout the month to reflect new releases.

Click here to view August’s Release Notes

Question or comment about a change we’ve made?
Please contact Bill4Time Support by Email or phone: 877-245-5484

Effective Month-End Reporting

August 30, 2017 By Bill4Time Staff Leave a Comment

Are you burning the midnight oil to complete your month-end reports? Has this task become a 3-day battle against a monster-sized data set that requires too many manual corrections? Ready to put an end to the madness?

In the typical organization, “mission-critical” data is frequently used information that supports strategic business processes. Areas can include revenue tracking, bookkeeping, regulation, customer service, and compliance. If your month-end reporting takes too long to complete and includes tasks that you’re unsure the value of – it is time to question whether this time-consuming task still observes the best practices for your business.

Unless you are a founding partner of your firm, you’ve probably inherited some tasks that you didn’t originally assign or include in your month-end reporting protocol. When is the last time you asked why this data needs to be generated? Who originally assigned this task and are they still using data – do they even still work here? By tracking down the originator requesting this data you can confirm that the reporting metric still serves a purpose. Maybe the original use-case for the report was to hold a former vendor accountable, or to hold employees accountable, and over time the need for this accountability has naturally faded. However, until you know if the request’s originator still needs the report data – you might as well save the time and cut the report from your month-end protocol. Alternatively, you may discover that the originator isn’t reviewing the data monthly and uses it only for an annual review.

You might find that the data being generated during your month-end reporting process isn’t being reviewed, rather it gets stuck in some file until it’s needed. If that is the case, prompt the request’s originator to revise the frequency for how often they need updated report data. You might find that they require this data only quarterly, or annually, or only as-needed, and you should no longer include this report in your regular protocols. In the inverse, the originator may prefer more timely reporting and could better analyze the data if presented in smaller chunks – maybe weekly or daily? Perhaps the data would be more useful if presented in an alternate format that highlights different data within the set, or outlines trends your firm wasn’t previously tracking. Assessing the value each report provides is a key indicator as to whether you should continue to produce, reformat, or altogether drop this report from your monthly protocols.

To determine what reports are mission-critical for your firm, you start by asking key stakeholders to identify exactly which data they need to keep producing. One could ask, “If this data was weeks/months late, would this undermine or altogether disrupt the stakeholders process?” Engaging stakeholders in this way enables you to weigh and classify the priority of all data generated through the monthly reporting process. The ultimate goal in this is to classify each reporting task as follows:

Vital: Its absence would be felt after a few weeks, up to a month.
Sensitive: It would be one to several months before its loss had any effect on the business.
Non-critical: If the data was generated less than quarterly, the impact would be minimal.

A tiered approach allows you to clearly delineate between the data that is critical, and those you can potentially drop from your month-end reporting. Once satisfied that the stakeholder’s need is critical, you are assured that the reporting task has value and is therefore time well spent.

Not every data-point or report is going to be a business-critical game-changer for your organization – and that’s okay. This continuous updating and decluttering of your month-end reporting protocols will ensure that your business always has optimal access to the data it needs, when your firm needs it. Hopefully, with these changes implemented, you’ll find your month-end reporting protocol a satisfying exercise in practice improvement rather than being tied down to busy work and outdated requests.

Universal Timekeeping: A Critical Profitability Tool for Lawyers

August 9, 2017 By Bill4Time Staff Leave a Comment

Universal Timekeeping: A Critical Profitability Tool for Lawyers

We can no longer afford to guess at profitability.

Author: Norman K. Clark

There was a time, not very long ago, when the basic profitability strategy in most law firms was “If we charge a high enough fee, we will make a profit.”

Alas, the era of endlessly rising legal fees is over. Law firms today face increased price sensitivity in practice areas, which has imposed a general downward pressure on revenue. Any attempt to increase a fee can be expected to be met with client resistance and threats to go elsewhere for legal services.

Universal timekeeping is the one and only key that can unlock the power of the six financial indicators outlined in this article. No lawyer or law firm can afford not to make this investment in sustainable profitability and competitive survival.

If you are not practicing universal timekeeping, your management of the profitability of your law practice is little more than guesswork.

Six Key Financial Measurements

Regardless of whether a law firm has one lawyer or thousands, there are six basic measurements of financial performance that can provide accurate information about the current financial health of the practice. They also have been proven, in law firms of all sizes, to be insightful diagnostic indicators of impending problems. By paying attention to just six metrics, a law firm – especially a smaller firm – can greatly strengthen its ability to spot and address potential financial problems before they deteriorate into a crisis.

With complete, accurate timekeeping, any law firm of any size can produce these measurements. Without it, they cannot. These six time-based measurements are:

realization rates (g., percentage of recorded billable hours that are billed to the client)
fully-loaded operating cost per lawyer hour (e., total operating costs, including non-owner compensation, divided by the number of recorded hours of lawyer work)
fee yield per lawyer hour (e., total fee revenue received for the entire firm, a practice group, or a matter, divided by the number of recorded hours of lawyer work for the entire firm, a practice group, or on a matter)
profits per lawyer hour (e., fee yield per hour minus fully-loaded operating cost per hour)
utilization rate (e., percentage of all work performed by fee earners that is billable to clients, either as an hourly rate or as part of a non-hourly fee)
workflow leverage (e., ratio of billable work on a matter that is recorded by partners to that recorded by associates and paralegals).

“Do or Not Do. There is No ‘Try’”

There is a critically important common factor in all of these measurements: time. Without time records it is impossible to make any of these measurements. Partial time records might be considered a step forward toward accurate financial measurements, but sometimes they can be worse than no records at all. Incomplete records can produce highly unreliable results, which sometimes cause lawyers to add an even more unreliable “X factor” to their estimates of the financial health of the practice.

As Master Yoda famously implied, you don’t get credit for doing half the job.

The most common weaknesses are:

recording only hours billed on an hourly rate
exempting some lawyers or practice groups from timekeeping requirements
substituting “standard hours” or “modeled hours” for the actual amount of time that was required
vague or incomplete descriptions of the work (g., “research” or “internal consultations”), which are almost useless as management information and have a high probability of prompting fee disputes

The simplest and most cost-effective way to avoid these problems is to enforce the best practice of all in timekeeping in professional services firms:
Everyone records everything.

As the name suggests, universal timekeeping means that every fee-earner in your firm – from paralegal through the most senior partner – records every hour worked, regardless of whether it is billable time or not, and regardless of whether the client is paying an hourly rate, a flat fee, a commission, or under any other fee structure. This is the only reliable way that the members of a law practice can know what it costs to produce an hour of professional services and whether that hour is generating enough profit.

Best practices in universal timekeeping aim at ensuring the highest level of completeness and accuracy. They include:

Enter your time yourself. Don’t rely on an assistant to do it for you. You are the one person in your entire office who is best able to describe the work that you performed, clearly, completely, and in a way that will reduce the chances of a fee dispute.
Enter your time as soon as possible after you do the work. The memories of busy lawyers, no matter how diligent, become less accurate in a remarkably little amount of time. In our work with law firms on profitability issues, we have observed that delayed time recording – even after only a few days – can result in significant lost fee revenue for the firm, either through forgotten billable hours, underestimated time (which is much more frequent than overestimates), or fee disputes over incomplete or inaccurate time entries.
Whenever possible, enter time directly into the timekeeping system. Notes and temporary time sheets are better than relying entirely on one’s memory many days later; but every transfer of information from one record to another carries a risk of mistakes. Every fee earner should be able to record time directly into the system from wherever he or she happens to be. This makes systems that offer direct remote time recording, especially using a mobile application, an especially good investment for busy lawyers, because it is never “after business hours” in the “cloud.” These systems also take away any excuses for not following the first two best practices: do it yourself, and do it now.

About the Author

Norman K. Clark is a lawyer and co-founding principal of the international management consulting firm of Walker Clark LLC, which works exclusively with the legal profession. He is a past Chair of the Law Firm Management Committee of the International Bar Association, and is a current Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Transnational Practice Management Committee. He is a Professor on the law faculty of the International Institute of Business and Law, in Panama City, Panama, where he teaches a course on Law Practice Management in that school’s LL.M. program.

Norman Clark may be contacted through the Walker Clark website, www.walkerclark.com.

Release Notes: August 2017

August 1, 2017 By Bill4Time Staff 2 Comments

Take a look at what we’ve released this August:

Updated 08/31/2017

Multi-Timer Update – We have updated the Multi-Timer feature so that when opened there will always be at least one timer populated within the dropdown list.

Updated 08/24/2017

Invoice Template Preview – We have resolved an issue where some invoice template previews were not able to load properly. This issue only affected the preview tab, and not any actual invoices, and has also been fully resolved.

Assigned/Subscribed Matters Dashboard Widget – We have updated this widget to remove the extra blank lines so that this widget takes up less space and allows the dashboard to display more data within the pageview.

Updated 08/22/2017

Batch Description Update – We have resolved a bug where the description of an invoice would reflect ‘Multiple Invoice Batch’ even when only one client was listed. We have resolved this bug and restored the usual naming conventions for single invoices and invoice batches.

Updated 08/17/2017

Schedule Report Update – Based on user feedback, we have updated the Schedule Report to reflect ‘All Day’ in the appointment time column for events categorized as such. We’ve also updated the All Day entries to allow them to be marked ‘Completed’.

Custom Template Logo – We have updated the file field so that the name of the current image file being used is displayed after uploading the logo.

LEDES 98bi Client Tax ID – We have created a field within the LEDES File Settings of a client for the “Client_Tax_ID”, which is mapped to the appropriate field within the exported file.

Show Full Names on Invoices – We have updated all of the billing templates to allow for the Full Names of users to be displayed in the Services By column. This setting can be toggled on/off by editing your invoice template.

Updated 08/15/2017

API Includes LEDES Settings – We have added the LEDES Timekeeper Classification and ID to the Users API.

API includes Contacts – We have exposed Contacts in the API so that users may now pull data on their Bill4Time Contacts.

View Documentation

Updated 08/10/2017

Client Portal Permissions – We have consolidated the Client Portal permissions into the Firm Settings permission. Any user with the Firm Settings (or Users) permission can access the Client Portal. We’ve also remove this permission from appearing on the the User Permissions report.

Clients Tab Pagination – We’ve resolved an issue where if you navigated away from the Clients tab and then came back, the pagination would reset to page 1. Users will now return to the last page of clients they were viewing when they navigate back to the Clients tab.

Disabling Users – Previously, within a user’s profile there was a button to ‘Delete’ a user. However, because a user does not actually get deleted, they just become inactive – we’ve updated the label for this button to read ‘Disable’ for clarity (no functionality change here, just an update to the label).

Payment Popup – We’ve enlarged the payment popup slightly, no functionality change. However, we are in the midst of redesigning the entire payment process (including both receiving and applying payments) so if you have any input or feedback, please directly submit your ideas by clicking HERE.

Updated 08/08/2017

External Accounting Batch Invoicing – We’ve resolved a bug affecting a small number of users with the ‘External Accounting’ setting enabled, where Custom ID numbers in a batch were not displaying correctly. This is now resolved for these select users.

Duplicate Client ID Alert – When adding/creating a new client, and choosing an ID number that is already in use, the system will now more clearly alert you to the duplicitous use a specific Client ID number.

Updated 08/01/2017

Mobile Login Tracking – We’ve enabled login-tracking for mobile app users. Whenever a user makes a login attempt via mobile app, this attempt is recorded under the Login History tab within your account settings.

Internal Time Entry Layout – We have implemented a change to the description box found on Internal Time entries for Internet Explorer users only. This box is now able to be more easily expanded to accommodate larger blocks of text.

Case Closing Settlement Entry – We’ve resolved a minor bug where the system was prompting users for an amount of Labor Time when creating a Case Closing Settlement Entry on a Contingency-billing method project. The field for Labor Time is no longer required when creating this type of entry.

Schedule Page Formatting – We have implemented a fix for a display-only issue affecting Chrome and Firefox users. Previously, when the user had their browser zoom set to less than 100%, the Edit Event popup would open to a 6-day week format. This issue is now resolved for all users on all browsers.

Late Fee Auto-Calculate – We have updated this feature so that the Late Fees are now recalculated every time a payment is applied to an invoice or deleted.

Expense Image Uploads – We’ve resolved an issue affecting a small number of users, when unusually large images (over 700px wide) were uploaded to the system, the file path was not linking back to the entry from the server properly. This issue is now resolved for all users, and we’ve greatly increased the image size threshold for uploading expense attachments.

API Documentation Link – We have added a quick-reference link to the API documentation page to the API tab within your account settings.

View Documentation

This post will be periodically updated throughout the month to reflect new releases.

Click here to view July’s Release Notes

Question or comment about a change we’ve made?
Please contact Bill4Time Support by Email or phone: 877-245-5484

What’s New With Mobile?

July 19, 2017 By Bill4Time Staff 3 Comments

Your smartphone can do more than just receive calls, answer emails or keep you up-to-date with friends on Facebook. It can help you better manage time, respond to clients, share work related documents, manage projects and more. The Bill4Time Mobile App was built with your business in mind! The latest version of the app has taken mobile time-tracking to a new level by introducing some great new features as well as improving on the actions you take most when you do your everyday tracking.

New Features:

Mobile Login Tracking^beta – We’ve enabled login-tracking for mobile app users. Whenever a user makes a login attempt via mobile app, this attempt is recorded under the Login History tab within your account settings.
Expense Unit Quantity – We have implemented a new functionality that allows the user to define the number of units used to calculate the price of an Expense. This feature would allow you to easily track, for example, the number of miles traveled or the number of photocopies made against the Unit Rate (see below).
Expense Unit Rate – This feature observes the default Unit Price configured for each Expense Type, or allows the user to define a one-off per-unit price. This feature allows you to quickly enter just the number of miles traveled or photocopies made and then calculates the default Unit Price against the Unit Quantity. This is really handy for standardized expenses like a court filing fee, daily parking rate, mileage rates, photocopies, and more!

Improved Features:

ABA Codes – We’ve enabled the ABA code-set to appear for Clients with this setting configuration. This will allow you to track your time and expense entries and include an ABA code directly via mobile.
Enhanced Image Upload – We have implemented a new protocol for uploading images to the Bill4Time Mobile App. All images now upload in their original size and resolution, resolving a previous issue where in some instances image quality and size may have been scaled down.
Third-party PDF Viewer – Based on user feedback, we’ve implemented changes to improve the process for opening an invoice PDF using a third-party app.

Bill4Time has you and your business covered on-and-offline. Bill4Time mobile works even when you’re offline and automatically syncs once an internet connection is available. Leverage your iPad, iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry device anytime. Whether you’re in the office or on the go, Bill4Time keeps you connected!

Try Bill4Time mobile and see how you can increase productivity while cutting the tether to the office. Download the app from your App Store today!

Device Availability:

Requires: iPhone iOS 5.0 +

Requires: Android 3.0 +

Release Notes: July 2017

July 6, 2017 By Bill4Time Staff 2 Comments

Take a look at what we’ve released this July:

Updated 7/27/2017

Invoice Batch Description – We’ve resolved a bug where the Batch Description field was not automatically populating when the select-all clients box was checked off.

Receive Payment Defaults – We have resolved a bug where the Project was not automatically populating in the New Payment window when creating the payment from within the project. This form is now properly populating with the client and project when creating the payment entry from within those pages.

Conflict Checker – We have implemented an additional field search for the Conflict Checker feature. This search will now scan through project-level addresses for possible matches.

Payment Pop-up (FireFox only) – We have implemented changes to the format and size of the payment pop-up window for FireFox users (other browsers were not affected). This pop-up should now open fully, with the section for applied in full view towards the bottom.

Balance Adjustment Pop-up (Chrome only) – We have implemented changes to how the Balance Adjustment pop-up window opens for Chrome users (other browsers were not affected). This window has been restored and should now open as an actual pop-up, instead of a new full page tab.

Updated 7/25/2017

Batch Invoice Numbers – When creating or editing an invoice batch, the batch will no longer overwrite the current invoice number of each invoice within the batch – unless a Starting Number is set or updated.

Conflict Checker – We have implemented an additional field search for the Conflict Checker feature. This search will now scan through client-level addresses for possible matches.

Updated 7/20/2017

Trust Balance Summary – We have updated the formatting for negative trust balances. Although in a practical sense these trust balances do not normally become negative, we’ve updated the formatting to better reflect a debit v. credit trust balance to clarify the running totals and bring this formatting into alignment with the operating accounting summary pages.

Updated Mobile Apps – The Bill4Time team is thrilled to announce a major enhancements to our iOS and Android apps. The latest version of the app has taken mobile time-tracking to a new level by introducing some great new features as well as improving on the actions you take most when you do your everyday tracking. Full Post Here

Download:

Updated 7/18/2017

Project ID when using Invoice Summary – We have resolved an issue that prevented the Project ID line from appearing when using the Invoice Summary feature. Following this change, the Project ID will appear regardless of the template design or if the Invoice Summary feature is enabled.

Invoice Template Preview – Our developers have improved the functionality of the Invoice Template Preview tab. This tab will now more accurately reflect the options selected under the Content tab of the Invoice Template Editor, allowing for a better preview of your formatted billing template prior to saving.

Styling Fixes – We’ve implemented a few updates to the system that improve the organization and streamline the use of features for users with smaller monitors (the vast majority of users will not be affected). No major functionality changes, however you may see slightly different placement of buttons and other clickable items throughout the system.

Updated 7/13/2017 (posted 7/14)

Invoice Status Report Update – We’ve implemented a new checkbox option within the box for Filters that, when enabled, will cause the report to include a column for Project IDs.

Contacts New/Edit Screen – No functionality change, but we have adjusted the formatting of the Add New and Edit Contact pages to make these fields a bit easier to read and work through.

Project Invoice Presets – We have resolved a bug that was displaying the client’s email address on invoices when the Project-level Invoice Presets were to override this email address using the one entered at the Project-level. Invoices will now reflect the Project’s ‘Bill To’ email address whenever this override is enabled.

Updated 7/11/2017

Trust Report Update – We have updated the report to remove a redundant column listing the client’s name. The client’s name will still appear in the usual headings and totals, there’s no change to the main functionality of the report. We’ve also added the Account Number next to the Bank Name.

WIP Summary Report Update – Based on user feedback, we’ve updated this report to include a column for Billable Hours.

Activity Type Report Update – We have removed the distinction between Unassigned and Not Specified activity types in this report. Previously, these were grouped separately, and now will display together.

Updated 7/6/2017

^New! WIP Summary Report – We’ve just release a totally new report that allows you to quickly pull all of your Work-In-Progress (WIP). This report will now include all of your time entries that do not already appear on a finalized bill.

Support Site Overhaul – We have completely overhauled the Bill4Time Support website. The support page is now much easier to navigate and more accurately displays suggested answers to the most frequently asked questions. Along with this redesign, we’ve implemented more robust community features that allow our Support team to better track and respond to feature requests, questions, and comments.

Activity Type Report Update – We have updated this report to better categorize entries that do not have an assigned Activity Type. Previously, entries made via mobile app that did not have an Activity Type were categorized under ‘Null’ in this report. They will now appear under ‘Unassigned’ which is the grouping used for entries created via web that do not have an assigned Activity Type.

Inactivity Report – No functionality change with this report, but we have relocated it to under the gray Entry & User tab.

Invoice Email Report – No functionality change with this report, but we have relocated it to under the gray Accounting tab.

This post will be periodically updated throughout the month to reflect new releases.

Click here to view June’s Release Notes

Question or comment about a change we’ve made?
Please contact Bill4Time Support by Email or phone: 877-245-5484