Start with the source record
Ask to see how an employee enters time, what fields are required, and whether project, task, or charge-code discipline is enforced at entry.
Inspect correction history
Request a walkthrough of a corrected timesheet so your team can see what changed, who changed it, and what remains in the audit trail.
Verify control points
Review the approval path, reviewer roles, and access limits so it is clear how records move from submission to accepted time.
Test downstream reconciliation
Check how approved time moves into Sage Intacct, payroll, or billing workflows and whether the supporting detail stays accessible for reconciliation.
Compare evidence, not labels
Compare how each platform handles restricted charge codes, exceptions, and reviewer visibility instead of relying on broad compliance language.
Close with a practical demo
Use a DATABASICS demo to see how finance teams can evaluate the full workflow in one review, from entry to reconciliation.
See the source record
Ask the vendor to show the exact record an employee creates, including project or contract coding and any rules that limit what can be entered.
- Employee-level time entry
- Required fields and timestamps
- Restricted charge codes
- Mobile and web consistency
1 · Entry record
Start where time is entered.
Inspect correction history
A compliance label means little if the correction trail disappears. Finance teams should be able to review the history behind a changed timesheet entry.
- Original value remains visible
- Editor identity is retained
- Approval path is preserved
- Reason for change can be reviewed
2 · Edit trail
Then test what happens when time changes.
Verify control ownership
Buyers should understand how approvals, reopen actions, and exports are governed so accountability stays clear across finance and operations.
- Reviewer roles are defined
- Segregation is clear
- Reopen rights are controlled
- Export access is limited
3 · Approval and access
Confirm who can act on the record.
Test the final handoff
The strongest evaluation ends where finance works every day: the reconciled record. Approved time should remain traceable after it reaches payroll, ERP, or billing.
- Payroll or ERP export is mapped
- Sage Intacct handoff is reviewable
- Finance can tie back to source time
- Audit support remains intact
4 · Reconciliation handoff
Finish with the downstream record.
Is the compliance label enough to evaluate a system?
No. The label is only a starting point. Finance leaders should inspect the workflow behind the claim, including how time is entered, corrected, approved, restricted, and carried into reconciliation.
What evidence matters most during evaluation?
Start with employee entry, correction history, approvals, charge-code restrictions, access rights, and the downstream handoff into payroll or ERP. Those areas reveal whether the record will stay reviewable in day-to-day operations.
Why should finance test reconciliation, not just entry screens?
Because approved time still has to support payroll, project accounting, and financial review. If the export cannot be tied back to the supporting time record, the evaluation is incomplete.
How can we compare vendors more fairly?
Request the same walkthrough from every vendor: one employee entry, one edit, one approval path, one restricted charge-code scenario, and one export into the downstream finance record. That keeps the comparison disciplined.
What should we look for in a DATABASICS demo?
DATABASICS Time gives finance, accounting, and operations one connected workflow for time entry, approvals, history, and downstream integration. A demo lets your team review how those controls work together in practice.
