Instant time tracking for incoming and outgoing calls

Xpert-Timer software offers CTI module for caller identification

The "Telephony" module is available as an add-on module to the Xpert-Timer Pro. With the telephony module (CTI) incoming and outgoing calls in the Xpert-Timer system can be identified and assigned to a specific project. You edit the contact data of the client in the client management and store there the different contact persons and telephone numbers of your client. If you call this client or if the client calls you, you can have the time of the call automatically booked on a project. This fee-based additional module is particularly attractive for call centers or service providers who talk a lot on the phone. Xpert-Timer uses the TAPI interface of your telephone system for telephony.

Direct time recording on call: "The fact that the software works reliably and recognizes the telephony was the most important criteria for us when selecting a suitable software for project time recording. As soon as a call comes in, the time recording should start, without prior search and selection of the client in the system. However, most software products ignore the telephony”, explains Alexander Bechtold, Managing Director of NEWLITE GmbH and user of the Xpert-Timer software. "Incoming calls are identified by the Xpert-Timer system and assigned to the corresponding client. Using the comment function, which we also print on the monthly report for our clients, we can log the content of the phone calls in a comprehensible way." 

Automatic rounding function: "The automatic rounding function was also a very important advantage for us. For the post-processing usually a certain grace period is necessary. That’s why we have set the automatic rounding at a 6-minute interval in the time recording“, says Alexander Bechtold. Recently, the automatic rounding function also applies to times that are subsequently recorded. In your Xpert-Timer, you can round the timestamps in the same moment as you record the time. Rounded timestamps are marked with an (R). Using the rounding function, the timestamps are usually no longer related at the end of the day. If you do not want to round the timestamps directly at the time of recording, you can also have them later rounded up "only as a view" in your project manager, without changing the original entry in the database. This will allow you to give your client a report with rounded data, but you will not lose your actual time tracking yourself. 

Activate and set up the telephony: After purchasing the "Telephony" module, activate the license file and the telephony in your Xpert-Timer. To do this, open the configuration and select the "Additional" area. Tick on the "Telephony" add-on module. In addition, you need to activate the telephony for each user. Depending on how many licenses you have purchased, you can activate them in the user settings. Point to “Additional modules” and activate the telephony for the user.

In the configuration you will find the telephony settings for your workstation.

1. Select your used line from the drop down menu. In order to see a lead in the selection here, TAPI drivers must be installed on your computer.
2. Enter your appropriate phone number to which the Xpert-Timer system should respond.
3. Enter your phone number without area code, so that local calls are recognized. Please note that each user should enter their own number, otherwise several Xpert-Timers will respond to the phone number at the same time. You can use a drop-down menu to decide what to do in the event of an incoming or outgoing call. In order to have Xpert-Timer recognize your phone calls and handle the correct projects or clients, you need to let Xpert-Timer know how to react on each call coming in.
4. Open the client manager by pointing to "Windows" -> Clients.
5. Assign a contact person and a telephone number to your client.
6. In the next step, you open the client data by double-clicking on the client name in the client management. Switch to the "Telephony" tab and select a telephony project, which should be started automatically when the client calls. You can also create a new telephony project for the client at this point and also start it directly if necessary. If you have several contacts for one client, you have to activate them individually for the telephony. This way multiple phone numbers could start the same project.

This completes all settings for the successful use of the telephone module.

The call log: The call log contains all incoming and outgoing phone calls. There are multiple grouping and filter options available, as well as a search bar for entries in your call log.Set filters (for example date, incoming calls, outgoing calls) and groupings (for example by type, customer, contact, project, user) can be saved as a setting via the "View" window.