Timesheet Collector
On-time timesheets, without the Friday chase.
Timesheet Collector
Finance & Accounting
- RuleDone:
Before the deadline, the automation loads everyone's entries for the period.
- RuleDone:
Rules check for overlaps, missing projects, very long days and other problems.
- RuleDone:
People with missing timesheets get a private Slack or Teams reminder.
- PersonWaiting for approval:Waiting for you
Each manager gets a short summary of problems and an approve link.
- RuleNot started:
After the deadline, a second reminder goes out with the manager copied.
- PersonNot started:
Finance approves the export batch, and approved hours are saved to Drive.
For example: A 40-person marketing agency closes timesheets at 17:00 on Friday.
Waiting for you. Nothing has changed yet.
Review for important actions. Customer-facing and record-changing actions are reviewed first.
What is Timesheet Collector?
In shortTimesheet Collector is an AI automation for Finance & Accounting teams that works with Clockify, Google Drive, Harvest, Microsoft Teams and Slack. Reminds people with missing timesheets, checks every entry by rule, sends managers a short exceptions summary, and exports only approved hours. It is built for operations managers, finance managers, team managers and employees and contractors who log time.
Last reviewed
Key facts
- Department
- Finance & Accounting
- Starts when
- A timesheet deadline approaches, or timesheets are still missing after it
- Works with
- Clockify, Google Drive, Harvest, Microsoft Teams, Slack
- Run modes offered
- Shadow, Draft, Assisted and Auto
- Human control
- Review for important actions
- Status
- Available now
The problem today
An ops person chases 20–50 people every Friday and Monday in Slack. They check totals by eye and fix overlaps after payroll has run. Client invoices go out late.
What it does
At each period checkpoint, the automation reads Clockify or Harvest and checks every timesheet against clear rules. People with missing or incomplete timesheets get a private reminder in their own working hours. Each manager gets a short summary of problems with an approve link. Once a person has approved the timesheets in the time tool and finance has approved the batch, it exports the approved hours as a CSV.
How does Timesheet Collector work?
How it works- Rule you set
- AI step
- A person decides
- Step 1Rule
Before the deadline, the automation loads everyone's entries for the period.
- Step 2Rule
Rules check for overlaps, missing projects, very long days and other problems.
- Step 3Rule
People with missing timesheets get a private Slack or Teams reminder.
- Step 4Person
Each manager gets a short summary of problems and an approve link.
- Step 5Rule
After the deadline, a second reminder goes out with the manager copied.
- Step 6Person
Finance approves the export batch, and approved hours are saved to Drive.
What you get
Key features- Ten built-in checks (overlaps, entries outside the period, missing project, timers running over 16 h, and more)
- Reminders only by private message, in each person's working hours, max 3 per period
- Skips people on approved leave
- A reply pauses that person's reminders for 24 h and is forwarded to the manager
- Flags self-approval and zero-hour weeks
- CSV export with exact durations (no rounding)
How much does it do on its own?
Run modesPick a mode to see what Timesheet Collector would do at each step.
Every automation starts in Shadow. Move it up when you are ready, and back down at any time. How run modes work
Timesheet Collector in Shadow
Runs on real data and shows what it would have done. No app is changed and no message is sent.
- Rule
Before the deadline, the automation loads everyone's entries for the period.
Watches for it
- Rule
Rules check for overlaps, missing projects, very long days and other problems.
Runs on real data, read only
- Rule
People with missing timesheets get a private Slack or Teams reminder.
Runs on real data, read only
- Person
Each manager gets a short summary of problems and an approve link.
Shown to you as a suggestion
- Rule
After the deadline, a second reminder goes out with the manager copied.
Shown to you as a suggestion
- Person
Finance approves the export batch, and approved hours are saved to Drive.
Shown to you as a suggestion
Shadow vs Auto for Timesheet Collector
Auto is the most it can do on its own. Here is each step side by side.
| Step | Shadow | Auto |
|---|---|---|
| In short | Runs on real data and shows what it would have done. No app is changed and no message is sent. | Runs without approval, with limits, alerts and a kill switch. Unlocks after a trial period in Assisted. |
| Step 1Before the deadline, the automation loads everyone's entries for the period. | Watches for it | Runs on its own within your limits |
| Step 2Rules check for overlaps, missing projects, very long days and other problems. | Runs on real data, read only | Runs on its own within your limits |
| Step 3People with missing timesheets get a private Slack or Teams reminder. | Runs on real data, read only | Runs on its own within your limits |
| Step 4Each manager gets a short summary of problems and an approve link. | Shown to you as a suggestion | Within your limits; anything outside them goes to a person |
| Step 5After the deadline, a second reminder goes out with the manager copied. | Shown to you as a suggestion | Runs on its own within your limits |
| Step 6Finance approves the export batch, and approved hours are saved to Drive. | Shown to you as a suggestion | Within your limits; anything outside them goes to a person |
| True in every mode | Never creates, edits, rounds or approves an hour. The time-tool connection is read-only. | |
What it will never do on its own
Safety & human control- Never creates, edits, rounds or approves an hour. The time-tool connection is read-only.
- The payroll export needs a person's approval in every mode, Auto included.
- No public leaderboards or naming in channels. Messages are private only.
- The AI never sees names, emails or hours. A guard checks every number in the summary.
- An approver whose own hours are in the batch cannot approve it.
- You approve before it acts
- Your data stays yours
- It knows its limits
- Stop anytime
What will you see on your dashboard?
Results you can trackTargets are quality goals the automation is built to reach. Estimates are calculated from your own volumes.
- Target
On-time submission rate (target: ≥ 95% by deadline + 1 business day, from a typical 70–80%)
A goal it is built to reach
- Target
Payroll exceptions caused by timesheets (target: down 50%)
A goal it is built to reach
- Tracked
Average days late, findings per 100 timesheets, reminders sent
Measured on your own data
- Estimate
Ops hours saved
Worked out from your own volumes
- Target
No hours written by the system (target: 100%)
A goal it is built to reach
A 40-person marketing agency closes timesheets at 17:00 on Friday. At 15:00, eight people get a private Slack nudge, and one designer is told that two Tuesday entries overlap. On Monday the finance lead approves a batch of 38 approved timesheets, and the CSV lands in the payroll folder.
Who is Timesheet Collector for?
- Operations managers
- Finance managers
- Team managers
- Employees and contractors who log time
Industries: Agencies, Professional services, SaaS & tech, Accounting & bookkeeping firms, Recruiting & staffing
Also useful for: Productivity & Projects, HR & Recruiting
Connects to the apps you already use
Works withApp names are trademarks of their owners. Charviam connects to them; it is not a partner or reseller.
- Clockify
- Google Drive
- Harvest
- Microsoft Teams
- Slack
What do you need to set it up?
Setup- Connect Clockify or Harvest, and Slack or Teams
- Fill the roster: expected hours, employment type, manager and time zone
- Set the period, deadline, reminder limits and which findings block the export
- Pick the Google Drive export folder and the finance approvers
- Run Shadow for 2 periods, then Draft for 2 periods
Typical setup
- 01Connect your apps
- 02Configure the rules
- 03Run a watch-only trial
- 04Go live
Not included
- Creating, estimating or correcting hours
- Automatic timesheets from calendars or activity, and employee monitoring
- Payroll, overtime or leave decisions
Questions about Timesheet Collector
FAQSee Timesheet Collector on your own data
WalkthroughIt starts in Shadow, where it only watches and suggests, so nothing changes in your apps until you say so.