OTL Timecard Upload

OTL Timecard Upload creates, updates, submits for approval and deletes Oracle Time and Labor (OTL) timecards from Excel – Projects lines (project / task / expenditure type) and Payroll lines (element) – deposited through the standard OTL TimeStore API, as an alternative to self-service time entry.

When to use it

• Bulk-enter timecards for many employees at once instead of one-by-one self-service entry.
• Load both Projects time and Payroll time in a single sheet.
• Save large batches of timecards in Working status for later review, then submit them in a controlled wave.
• Correct or re-submit existing timecards by downloading, editing and re-uploading.
• Delete erroneous timecard lines, or whole timecards, in bulk.
• Load time that originates outside EBS (an external time system or a spreadsheet).

Before you start

• Blitz Report is installed and you are signed in to a responsibility with access to the relevant employees.
• Each employee is eligible for OTL time entry and has an OTL recurring-period preference.
• For Projects lines, run the upload under a responsibility whose operating-unit context matches the projects being charged (the same context self-service time entry uses).

Step 1 – Choose a mode, set the parameters and download

In Blitz Report, open OTL Timecard Upload, choose an Upload Mode (Create, Update – the default – downloads existing timecards to edit; Create gives an empty template), and set the parameters:

Run the upload to download and open the Excel file. Rows for the same employee and period are deposited together as one timecard, automatically created or updated.

Step 2 – Enter the time

On each line enter the Employee, the Date and the Hours. For a Projects line, fill the Project, Task and Expenditure Type; for a Payroll line, fill the Hours Type (the element). Add a Line Comment if needed. Enter either the three Projects columns or the Hours Type on a line, not both.

Step 3 – Submit or delete (optional)

Set Submit to Yes on any row of a timecard to submit it for approval; leave it blank to save in Working status. To remove a downloaded line, set Delete Line to Yes; deleting all lines removes the whole timecard.

Step 4 – Validate and Save

Click Validate and Save. This checks for missing required values and runs the upload’s validation, then saves the file. Correct anything it flags before continuing.

Step 5 – Upload and view the result

Back in Blitz Report, click Upload and select your saved file. This submits the Blitz Upload request, which deposits each timecard (saved or submitted for approval). When it finishes, a result report opens showing each row as success or error.

What’s produced

• Created, updated, submitted or deleted OTL timecards.
• A result report listing every row with a status (success or error) and a message.

Common questions

Does the upload create the same data as self-service time entry?
Yes – it uses the same TimeStore deposit engine, so it derives the same application set, approval style and security context from the employee’s OTL preferences.

How do I save without submitting for approval?
Leave the Submit column blank – the timecard is saved in Working status. Set Submit = Yes on any one of its rows to submit the whole timecard.

Why did my update re-trigger approval?
Updating a timecard that is already Submitted or Approved automatically re-submits it through the approval workflow.

Why can’t I edit a particular timecard?
If it has already been transferred to Projects, Payroll or Purchasing, the upload will not modify it.

How do I delete a whole timecard?
Set Delete Line = Yes on every downloaded line of that timecard; when all lines are deleted, the timecard itself is removed.

Two employees have the same name – how does it pick the right one?
Fill the Employee Number column to identify the person uniquely.

Troubleshooting