How Costpoint Timesheet Posting Works
Timesheet posting generally begins after employees enter their hours against the appropriate projects, tasks, labor categories, pay types, and charge codes. Supervisors or designated approvers review the entries before the records become eligible for posting.
Once approved, Costpoint processes the timesheet information according to configured labor and accounting rules. The system uses the transaction attributes to determine how labor should be represented in project costing and financial records.
A typical workflow includes time entry, validation, approval, posting, and subsequent reconciliation. Each stage contributes to an audit trail that connects the employee's original time record with the labor cost ultimately reflected in financial reporting.
What Happens When Timesheets Are Posted
Posting makes approved labor transactions available for downstream accounting and project-management activities. Direct labor can be associated with the appropriate project or contract, while indirect labor can flow into the applicable organizational or overhead structure according to configuration.
Accurate posting also depends on the organization's chart of accounts, because labor transactions must ultimately align with the accounting structure used to classify financial activity. Consistent coding improves visibility into labor spending and helps finance teams reconcile project costs with the general ledger.
Posting should preserve key transaction attributes such as employee, date, hours, project, task, labor category, organization, and pay type. These details allow finance teams to trace costs back to the underlying timekeeping activity.
Costpoint Posting and ERP Workflows
Costpoint timesheet posting operates within a broader ERP environment. Organizations using deltek Costpoint can connect labor information with project accounting, contract management, payroll-related processes, and financial reporting while maintaining a structured accounting record.
ERP integration is particularly useful when finance teams need consistent information across operational and accounting workflows. Posted labor can support project-cost reporting, budgeting, forecasting, billing analysis, and period-end close activities without requiring the same information to be recreated across separate processes.
The same principle applies to other transaction streams. For example, invoice processing can use capture, validation, matching, coding, approval, and posting controls so supplier invoices are accurately represented in the financial system.
Validation and Reconciliation After Posting
Finance teams should compare posted timesheets with approved employee records, project assignments, labor categories, and expected accounting treatment. Reconciliation helps confirm that the posted labor matches the source timekeeping information and that project costs are complete for the relevant accounting period.
When discrepancies are identified after a posting cycle, they may require correction through the organization's established accounting procedures. A Post Closing Approval workflow can provide a structured review point when financial information requires authorization after a close-related process.
Similarly, Post Closing Adjustments can address approved accounting changes identified after the original period-close process, while a Post Close Review can provide a broader examination of completed financial records and supporting transactions.
Costpoint Timesheets and Related Finance Processes
Posted labor data can be used alongside other financial transactions to create a more complete view of business activity. Project managers can compare labor costs with budgets, while finance teams can analyze actual spending against forecasts and contract expectations.
For accounts receivable, cash application matches customer payments, remittances, deductions, or unapplied cash with the appropriate receivable records. This complements timesheet posting by applying the same principle of accurate transaction classification to incoming cash.
On the accounts payable side, invoice transactions should follow appropriate validation and approval controls before posting. Together, reliable timesheet posting and disciplined transaction processing help maintain consistent financial data across the ERP.
Best Practices for Posting Timesheets
- Require appropriate approval before timesheets enter the posting process.
- Validate employee, project, task, labor category, pay type, and charge-code information.
- Review exceptions before posting so incorrect labor classifications can be corrected promptly.
- Reconcile posted labor with approved timesheets and project-cost records.
- Maintain clear posting calendars and period controls so labor is recorded in the correct accounting period.
- Retain supporting records that connect posted transactions with the original employee time entries.
These practices help finance teams maintain reliable labor records and improve the quality of project costing, contract reporting, budgeting, and financial analysis.
Summary
Costpoint Post Timesheets is the process of moving approved and validated employee time records into the project and accounting records maintained in Deltek Costpoint. Proper posting supports labor costing, project accounting, financial reporting, and auditability. Strong validation, approval, period controls, and reconciliation help ensure that recorded labor accurately represents the work performed and the costs incurred.