Octaved Flow Blog

New features and more resources

Prepare billing (new)

In the new menu item Prepare in the Billing section are projects and work packages that have been completed in terms of content, but are not yet ready for billing. Here, the transition from the project manager to the billing department can be made by setting a work package from the project manager to the status "Completed". This way, those responsible for billing can be sure that the work package can actually be billed.

Don't leave projects - With the preset filter, work packages that have been completed by the performer and exhausted quotas are displayed.
Task overview - In the project table, you can see at a glance whether all tasks have actually been completed for a work package that is supposed to be completed.
Time booking bar - This shows how much time has been booked on a work package. Especially for contingents, this is important information, as these can usually be accounted for at the latest when the 100% time booking is reached.
Display only own projects - With the quick filter only projects are displayed in which you are project manager yourself.

Billing (improved)

The menu item Invoice is now even easier to use. It is also possible to set how contingents and fixed price work packages should be handled.

Invoice projects in Octaved Flow](project_billing.png)

Configurable handling of fixed prices and contingents - It is now possible to set how Octaved Flow should consider work packages with billing type contingent or fixed price. For example, depending on the company, it may differ whether fixed prices and contingents are billed at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the work. Or the billing is completely controlled by the ERP.
Easily identify billable work packages - Work packages that cannot be billed in a project are displayed in gray. This allows you to focus on the billable work packages.
Free selection of work packages - Checkboxes can be used to select work packages that will be combined into one billing. This allows completed work packages to be billed sooner.
Export of the time sheet directly when creating the settlement - When creating the settlement, time sheets and settlement files can be downloaded in one step.
Free text field per settlement - A footer text can be defined centrally for the time sheet. With this release, a second footer text can be specified individually per payroll.

Partial billing (improved)

The menu item Partial billing (formerly Billing by period) is now even easier to use, just like Billing. In addition, work packages can now be frozen until a certain date. For example, time entries can be locked until the end of the last month. Executors can then no longer create, edit or delete these time bookings. This secures your accounting because time entries can no longer be changed while you are working on the accounting.

Partial accounting of projects in Octaved Flow

Freeze Work Packages - Work packages can be frozen until a date so that time entries can no longer be created, edited, or deleted.
Easily identify billable work packages - Work packages that cannot be billed in a project are displayed in gray. This allows you to focus on the billable work packages.
Free selection of work packages - Checkboxes can be used to select work packages that will be combined into one billing. This allows completed work packages to be billed sooner.
Export of the time sheet directly when creating the settlement - When creating the settlement, time sheets and settlement files can be downloaded in one step.
Free text field per settlement - A footer text can be defined centrally for the time sheet. With this release, a second footer text can be specified individually per payroll.

List of billings (new)

In the list of settlements all settlements created with Octaved Flow are displayed. Thus, it is possible to check which settlements have been created last, or to export a time sheet again. In case of a connected ERP system, the transfer status is displayed here.

Overview of all settlements - All settlements created with Octaved Flow in one list.
Filter and Search - The statements can be searched by project name or the person who created the statement. There is also a customer filter and it can be filtered by ERP transfer status.
Settlement comment - A comment can be saved per settlement.
Settlement export - Time sheets can be re-downloaded or an export to the ERP system can be re-triggered here.

Other features

Export of timesheets from the timesheet list - Timesheets and overviews can be downloaded directly from the timesheet list. This export also includes non-billable work packages or time sheets from fixed price work packages. The export is not intended for customers, but for internal purposes.

Project controlling (improved)

In Project controlling you get real-time information for example about:

General status, what has been started, what has been completed, what has not yet been started.
Degree of completion based on several criteria
Compliance with milestones
Booked times, overruns of time targets with risk assessment
Profitability of projects on the basis of the imputed hourly rate

Overview of time targets and possible time overruns in the project

All projects at a glance - Especially with several projects running at the same time, the helicopter perspective provides an overview and the possibility to zoom in directly on details.
Speaking menu items - The menu items in the project controlling correspond to the typical requirements of the project manager or the stakeholders for analyses and evaluations.
Quick Filters - All menu items have quick filters directly above the project area for quick filtering depending on the context.
In Progress/Finished - The In Progress/Finished menu item provides an overview of the projects and provides answers to elementary questions such as: How many work packages have been started, not yet started, or are complete?
Performance rate - The question about the performance rate is certainly one of the most interesting questions in the field of project management. Calculating a reliable POC is quite often a challenge. Octaved Flow offers an alternative, lean and efficient approach: four different values of the POC are calculated, which have different degrees of accuracy. Depending on how neatly tasks with time estimation have been created, for example, a very accurate or less accurate value can be determined.
Posted times - In this menu item, time postings are analyzed. For example, you can see how much of the originally planned time budget has been used up in a project or work package, how the booked time is divided among different project roles, or how large the share of a project is in all projects of a customer. Labels can also be used to map any categories for evaluation.
Time target/exceedance - In this menu item of Octaved Flow, bars show the ratio of booked project working times to planned efforts. A traffic light system lets you identify problems at a glance.
Critical Time Forecast - The time forecast is critical if the sum of the estimated effort of the tasks still to be completed is greater than the remaining time that can be booked. This provides an early indication of whether the planned effort for a work package is sufficient.
Planning exceeded - You can specify a milestone in Octaved Flow for projects and groups of work packages. Work packages are scheduled with a (start and) end date. If a work package is not marked as completed by the scheduled end date, it will be displayed in red here. In addition, you can also view all upcoming or met milestones, or identify work packages without a milestone.
Fixed price analysis - If fixed prices are agreed with the customer for one or more work packages, a specific hourly rate is usually used for the calculation. In Octaved Flow, the imputed hourly rate is used to look at the profitability of time-capped work packages. If all work packages including customer acquisition are booked, customers can be realistically compared using the imputed hourly rate.
Activity - Wherever there are projects, there are zombie projects. Find stalled projects where no activity has taken place over a period of time.

For more information on project controlling, see the tutorial.

Team planning (improved)

The team planning is the supplement to the project planning. Here, the planned work packages are displayed for each team member. So you can see at a glance who has too much or too little work on the desk.

Add Team Members to View - Any number of team members can be added to the view.
Show workload - Per team member the workload per day is shown in hours. The bar display makes it easy to see if too many or too few hours are scheduled for a day. If the workload on a day is over the limit, the workload bar is displayed in orange.
Calculation modes of workload - It is possible to set how the workload should be calculated. If task hours are used, the workload can only be calculated from the task hours. If the time specification in the work package is the benchmark, only this can be used for the utilization. In practice, the most common case is probably a mixture of both and exactly this calculation type is also preset.
Assign work packages without a responsible person - Work packages that have not yet been assigned a person are displayed in a separate row. These can then be assigned to a team member who has the necessary free capacity and, of course, the qualifications for the work package.
Filter - Work packages can be filtered, for example work packages that have already been completed can be hidden.

Further features

Planning work packages via mouse - In project planning, unplanned work packages can now be planned even faster. Simply click on a date with the mouse and then drag the bar as long as the work package should take.
Display planning - If there is a planning for a project, it can be displayed from anywhere in Octaved Flow. Ideal if you want to look something up or get a quick overview.
Show successors - If other work packages depend on a work package, they are displayed in the planning area. This way you can see which work packages will be affected by a change in the planning.

Price surcharges for time bookings (new)

Price surcharges can be added to the regular hourly rates, for example for Sunday work or as a night surcharge. The list of possible surcharges is defined centrally and can be customized.

Price surcharges are listed in time sheets and are included in the calculation.

Create time booking with price surcharge

Centrally configurable - Price surcharges are created and managed centrally in the system settings. The percentage of the surcharge and a descriptive name are specified.
Customer-specific price surcharges - Different settings can be made per customer. Initially, all standard surcharges are available for a customer. These can be turned off or given different percentages.
Configurable time windows - For each price surcharge, the days of the week and the time of day when the price surcharge is to apply can be specified.
Automatic surcharge selection - If a time booking is made for a time when a surcharge applies, then the Time booking with surcharge option is automatically activated and the appropriate surcharge is preselected.
Overview of the price surcharge** - The percentage of the price surcharge, on which days of the week and for which time periods it applies are also displayed.
Note if price surcharge is missing - The default setting for time booking is only a suggestion. The decision for the price surcharge is up to the booking party. There can be good reasons for not applying a surcharge, for example if something went wrong before. In the case that a surcharge is not applied, a notice will be displayed.

For more information on surcharges, see the tutorial.

Hide inactive users (new)

Octaved Flow users who are no longer active, for example because they are no longer with the company, can be hidden. Then the users will no longer be offered for selection in selection dialogs, among other things. However, they are still included in overviews and statistics.

It is still possible to delete users. However, their data will then no longer be displayed in overviews and statistics.

If LDAP synchronization (Microsoft Active Directory) is used, users removed via LDAP will be automatically hidden in Octaved Flow.

Time sheets as PDF download (new)

If you use Octaved Flow for project time tracking, you know the function to export time sheets in Excel format. Time sheets are sent to the customer as a proof of work, usually together with the invoice.

Now, time sheets can be exported as ready-to-send, cleanly designed PDFs directly from Octaved Flow. Customization to your corporate design is done in less than a minute by uploading your logo and choosing the contrast color.

Design customizable - Customize to your corporate design by uploading your logo and choosing the main color.
Customized language - Per customer it can be specified whether the timesheet should be generated in German or English. If not specified, the default language will be used.
Free text and signature field - Via switch an individual text and a signature field can be inserted at the end of the time sheet.
Transfer via API - If Octaved Flow is connected to your enterprise resource planning, ERP or invoicing system, the timesheets can also be transferred automatically via the API in PDF format and attached to the invoice for fully automated invoice dispatch.

Download sample PDF

Project planning with Gantt (new)

Project planning with Gantt is a classic and an indispensable part of project management. The new project planning in Octaved Flow is now based on the proven Gantt charts to make it even easier to get started. At the same time, project planning is still suitable for any kind of projects, plans and orders.

The special feature in Octaved Flow is that task planning is integrated into project planning. The project management plans work packages, team members can move with their tasks within this framework and the project management has the complete overview in one central place.

Work packages as bars - The time course of the project is shown compactly in an overview. The work packages are bars on the time axis.
Planning with fixed start and end date - A fixed start date is specified. Either the end date or the duration can be specified for this, the other is calculated.
Planning with dependencies - The planning of one work package depends on the planning of another. Dependencies are start after end predecessor, i.e. one work package after the other, common end, i.e. both should end at the same time and common start. One work package can depend on several and vice versa. The dependency is represented by the familiar arrows.
Milestones - Milestones for projects and groups of work packages are represented as diamonds in the timeline.
Colors - Bars and diamonds are colored according to their status. For example, green is what is done and red is what is late.
Intuitive operation - Using the mouse, a bar can be moved as a whole, as well as extended or shortened on the left and right.
Search and filter - With the configurable filter, for example, all completed work packages are hidden or only work packages of a certain person are displayed. Especially with larger projects this simplifies the overview.
Configurable table view - With the individually configurable table columns, the most important information can always be seen at a glance, depending on the screen size.
Zoom - The scaling timeline allows you to see longer running projects in the overview or in sections.

Task planning (improved)

Task planning is now integrated into project planning. This allows the following workflow to be mapped to relieve the project managers and team leaders:

The project manager plans work packages and thus provides the framework for the executors.
The team members, i.e. those responsible for implementing the work packages, create tasks and plan them independently, but within the specified framework.
The project manager sees everything together in a central overview. One mouse click is enough to unfold the tasks.

The following options are available for scheduling tasks:

Fixed date - Fixed start date and fixed end date/duration. If the parent work package is moved so that the task is out of scope, the task will turn red.
Relative to work package - For example, the task is scheduled for day 2 of the work package or the second to last day of the work package. If the work package is moved, the task scheduling will be moved to match.
Depending on another task - A task is to be started when another is completed or both are to end at the same time.

Tasks are displayed below the work package they belong to as white bars with a blue frame:

Agile projects (new)

Agile methods are becoming increasingly popular even in companies that do not focus on software development, and rightly so. Octaved Flow now also natively supports agile approaches.

Hybrids - Agile approaches, classic and hybrid in parallel and even mixed within one project.
User Stories - Work packages form the basis for user stories. When switching to agile methodology, work packages are not created, but user stories are. The functions of work packages, such as task management, wiki or project time recording, can still be used without restriction if they are user stories.
Backlogs - Backlogs are a special group type. If the type is switched to Backlog, the contained work packages become user stories in the backlog.
Sprints - Groups can be switched to Sprints. Contained work packages become user stories here as well.

Sprints have a start and end date. User stories do not have their own planning, they are included in the sprint. Sprints are marked by a runner, the included User Stories are thin gray bars:

The existing Labels and Kanban boards in Octaved Flow can be seamlessly combined with the new agile features.

Additional features

At the project level, a financial limit or a time limit can be set for the effort of the entire project. For example, a use case is when a 500-day time budget is set for an internal project, with no more detailed planning available at that time.
When creating work packages, a mouse click is saved if a default time limit or a default billing type is configured.

Labels (new)

Labels are the Swiss Army Knife of work organization because of their flexibility. They are suitable for setting priorities, mapping workflows or any other kind of categorization. With the Kos release, labels are now available in Octaved.

The features are:

Colors - standard color palette and custom colors.
Label Sets - By default, labels can be combined in any way and are not mutually exclusive. Label sets combine labels into a group, of which only one is active at a time. Label sets are ideal for priorities such as Prio-1, Prio-2, and Prio-3.
Applicable everywhere - Labels can be assigned to projects, for example for project portfolio management, groups, work packages, tasks and individual time bookings. After switching to agile working additionally in sprints, backlogs and for user stories.
Label for meetings - When creating a group time booking, a label can automatically be added to the time booking, for example a label Meeting. According to this label, later evaluations are possible: How many meetings have taken place, how much time was spent on meetings.
Context - Where labels are not needed, they can be switched off. If a label is only useful in the context of work packages or tasks, it can be switched off for all others. As the number of labels grows, the selection remains quick and clear.
Team-specific labels - In larger companies and organizations, separate label worlds per team, department or business unit can be kept completely independent of each other (client system).

In addition, labels are the basis for Kanban boards, which are also available with Kos.

Kanban boards (new)

The special features of the Kanban boards are:

Kanban Board Editor - Intuitive and easy to use editor for Kanban boards. Easy to add labels to create more swimlanes, arrangement by drag & drop. Centrally created Kanban boards can be used in all appropriate places and by all appropriate team members.
Completed Swimlane - Additional swimlane that does not set labels, but sets a work package or task to Completed. Instead of checking off the task it can simply be dragged to the Completed swimlane.
Applicable Anywhere - Like labels, Kanban boards can be assigned to projects, groups, work packages, tasks, etc.
Context - Also like labels, Kanban boards can be turned off in the context where they are not needed or have no purpose. This unifies the team's work methodology.
Team-specific Kanban-Baords - In larger enterprises and organizations own Kanban board worlds can be held completely independently.

Group time bookings (new)

If several people work together on a work package, one person can create a time booking for the whole group. Additional persons are added for this purpose in the time booking dialog under Advanced. The selected persons will immediately see the proposal in their inbox and can accept the time booking.

If you have to prove working time to customers and clients, this function ensures homogeneous and better traceable time sheets. It also saves time for those involved, of course.

Show last time bookings (new)

In the time booking dialog, the setting Display last time bookings displays the last time bookings for the currently selected work package.

This makes it easier to copy descriptions for repetitive activities. If several people are involved in the implementation of the work package, it also gives a better picture of the last activities.

Time sheets for external employees (new)

Time sheets for external employees can be exported as an Excel file by time period, for example by month.

This means that external employees no longer have to keep their own time sheets in parallel with the project time recording, but all data comes from one source. This also facilitates reconciliation by the HR department, for example.

More features

The description of the activity in the time booking dialog can be configured as a mandatory field in the system settings (new).
The accounting type respectively the time specification must be selected when creating a work package (improved)
New export formats for time sheets are available (new)

Bug fixes

In the workspace only work packages with the status Open are displayed, i.e. those on which time can also be booked
Time bookings in the calendar can only be dragged in the area of the handles, so that an accidental change of the time bookings is prevented

Billing of projects (improved)

When invoicing projects to customers and clients, icons now also indicate whether a work package is ready for invoicing or not. Action could be required, for example, because of still open time bookings. The filter has been improved so that it is easier to see work packages marked for billing at a glance.

Partial billing by period (new)

Work packages that are not yet completed can be partially billed by a period of time, such as monthly. To prevent time bookings from being accidentally billed twice, a flag (blue hash) can be set for exported time bookings.

More features

Display of the history of the last payroll exports and partial payrolls (new)
Subtotals for work packages selected for billing, grouped by billing type such as fixed price, effort, etc. (new)

Workflows within work packages (new)

Gantt charts can be used to define dependencies between work packages. This new feature of Octaved Flow enables workflows within a single work package. Previously, it was possible for multiple people to be involved in a work package with different project roles, such as Development or Quality Assurance.

With workflows in work packages, these can additionally be put into an order for sequential processing. The workflow steps are checked off one after the other, so that a direct picture of the status results.

New text editor (improved)

The existing text editor has been replaced by a completely new one. Now emojies can be used and mentioning is also possible. With @Peter Schneider other users can be mentioned and they will get a hint in their inbox.

If links are inserted in the text, a preview of the content is automatically displayed below the text.

More features

Projects, groups and work packages can be duplicated. This feature is useful, for example, when a new project is to be created for which a similar project already exists. Everything is duplicated except project specific data, such as time bookings. (new)
Enhanced filter for projects, especially for large sets of projects and work packages (improved).
Managing and editing projects is now more clearly structured to help new Octaved Flow users find their way around even faster (improved)

Bugfixes

Newly created projects, groups and work packages are automatically selected after creation

Workspace (enhanced)

The Workspace is the central workspace in Octaved Flow where executors edit their work packages, manage tasks and share information via the Wiki. With the improved Workspace, executors have a single, central point of contact for their daily work with Octaved Flow without having to switch to other menu items.

The search function for work packages has been improved so that even work packages that are not scheduled for the day can be found quickly. This way you can support a colleague and have everything you need to know right in front of you. The search works as a general text search or specific, for example to search only in customer names.

In addition, filter settings can be saved and individually named.