When firms incur client-related costs, they are often obligated to include documentation to prove those costs were paid. At the very least, a copy of a receipt would be attached to a paper invoice and mailed to the client. More often nowadays, an invoice is sent via email to a client. This means the billing administrator must remember to attach a scanned image of the supporting documentation.
Timeslips, the award-winning time & billing program by Sage Software, streamlined the issuance of bills in 2005 by automating the process whereby bills and statements could be sent to clients via email. However, the growing need to provide supporting receipts for client-related costs threw a wrench into the process. That obstacle has now been overcome in the latest version.
To assign supporting documents to their client-related expenses, do the following:
1. (Optional) Scan the supporting documentation to one of the following file formats
a. .BMP
b. .DIB
c. .JPG
d. .TIF
e. .PNG
f. .EMF
g. .WMF
2. Create and fill in an Expense Slip
Note that in Version 2013 there is a new, expandable panel titled “Attachments”
3. Use the Browse button to locate the supporting document(s) and click on the Open button to save the path in the Attachment field
4. Check the box Include Attachment with Bill
5. Save the slip
That’s it! Your supporting document(s) will print with the bill or become a part of the bill when saved to .PDF. If the bill is to be automatically sent via email, the documentation will be a part of the bill.
If you didn’t scan the document before making the slip, it’s not a problem. Just click on the hyperlink called Scan in the lower right corner of that panel. Timeslips will launch any scanner connected to your network to scan the document and save it, then and there.
Did you know… ? In Version 2013, a sub-folder is created within the database folder called Slip Attachments. Therefore, when you make a backup of the database, be sure to include the option to Include subfolders found in your database folder so that your supporting receipts and other documents are saved as well.
The Timeslips Certified Consultants on our staff know of many such tips to streamline your billing process and help you get the most from this powerful program. Be sure to call us at 1-877-ELS-0555 – we’d be glad to help!
Dana Riel is President and Founder of Business Solutions, Inc., serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area since 1985. Her firm is the authorized training center for the region for Time Matters and PCLaw by PCLaw|Time Matters, PLLC; Timeslips and Sage 50 Accounting by Sage Software; and QuickBooks by Intuit Corporation. She also serves as a consultant for Caret Legal (formerly known as Zola Suite), CosmoLex, Soluno & TimeSolv. As a trainer, Dana has provided training services to organizations such as the DOD Defense Logistics Agency, Judge Advocate General’s Office (JAG)/Department of the Navy, University of the District of Columbia School of Law, U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as with small‐ to mid‐size law firms in the Baltimore‐Washington D.C. area. In 2009, she participated in the series of day‐long seminars sponsored by the District of Columbia Bar Association Practice Management Section, titled “Basic Training: Learn About Running a Law Office”. Ms. Riel also served as an Adjunct Professor in Georgetown University’s Paralegal Studies Program, having taught the course, “Legal Ethics/Legal Technology” in 2009; and “Legal Technology” for the Spring and Summer Semesters of 2010. She presently serves on the Advisory Board for PCLaw|Time Matters, PLLC.