The collected time function in your shop floor solution tracks the time spent on production operations and holds it until you decide to post it. You can let an operator work on an operation, stop it, and have the system gather the accumulated time without posting it right away.
You control when the time gets posted. You either run the Process Collected Time function manually from the menu, or you set up the auto post function to handle it automatically.
When you process the collected time, the system creates the posting and the capacity ledger entry. If you use journal lines instead, it creates a journal line based on your setup.
How collected time tracks operation time
In the operation overview you see a column called Collected Time. This shows the time accumulated on each operation. For example, an operator might have been working on an operation for 22 minutes and 50 seconds, and you can see the collected time building up across multiple operations at the same time.
If the auto post function is not set up, the time simply collects in this column. When you stop the operation, for example by stopping the assembly, the system records the full duration, say 25 minutes, and holds it as collected time until you take the next step.
Posting collected time manually or automatically
The collected time waits in the column until you either export the time or select Process Collected Time from the menu. Processing the collected time posts it if you have a posting setup, or creates a journal line if you use journal lines.
This gives you flexibility on when to post. You can let the time accumulate over the day, over the week, or over whatever period suits your workflow, and then post it all at once.
When you run Process Collected Time, the system creates the posting and the capacity ledger entry. You can also configure the setup so this happens automatically through the auto post function, removing the need for the manual step.
Q&A
What is collected time?
Collected time is the time accumulated on a production operation that the system holds until you decide to post it. You can see it in a dedicated Collected Time column, where it builds up as operators work on operations.
How do I post collected time?
You select Process Collected Time from the menu, which posts the time if you have a posting setup or creates a journal line if you use journal lines. You can also set up the auto post function to do this automatically.
What happens when I process collected time?
Processing collected time creates the posting and the capacity ledger entry. If you use journal lines, it creates a journal line based on your setup instead.
Can I wait before posting collected time?
Yes. The collected time stays in the column until you process it, so you can let it accumulate over the day, the week, or any period you prefer, and then post it all at once.