SyteLine Labor Tracking and Reporting Configuration
Labor tracking in SyteLine captures the time employees spend on production operations, providing data for job costing, payroll integration, and manufacturing efficiency analysis. Accurate labor data is the foundation of meaningful variance analysis and continuous improvement initiatives. This guide covers the complete labor tracking configuration from employee setup through efficiency reporting.
Employee Setup and Labor Rate Configuration
Labor tracking requires proper employee setup in the Employees form (Menu Path: Administration > Employees) linked to the SyteLine user account. Each employee record specifies the default work center (where the employee typically works), the labor grade (which determines the hourly labor rate), and the department assignment. Labor rates are configured at two levels: the employee-specific rate in the Employee Rates form, and the work center default rate in the Work Center Rates form. SyteLine uses the employee rate when the labor posting identifies a specific employee, and falls back to the work center rate for transactions without employee identification. Configure labor rate effective dates to handle rate changes without retroactive recalculation—new rates apply to transactions posted after the effective date. The Labor Configuration Parameters form (Menu Path: Production > Shop Floor > Labor Configuration) controls global labor tracking behavior including whether indirect labor tracking is enabled (time spent on non-job activities like maintenance, meetings, and training), whether overtime calculation is handled within SyteLine or deferred to the payroll system, and the rounding rules for time entry (nearest minute, 6-minute increment, or 15-minute increment).
- Link employees to default work centers, labor grades, and departments in Administration > Employees
- Configure labor rates at employee level (specific) and work center level (fallback) with effective dates
- Enable indirect labor tracking for non-job activities: maintenance, meetings, training, and cleanup
- Set time rounding rules in Labor Configuration Parameters: nearest minute, 6-minute, or 15-minute
Time Reporting Methods and Data Collection
SyteLine supports multiple labor time reporting methods that can coexist in the same facility. Direct entry through the Job Labor Entry form allows supervisors to enter hours per employee per operation. Barcode-based time collection uses the SyteLine Data Collection module where employees scan their badge and job traveler to clock on and off operations—the system calculates elapsed time automatically. Touch-screen kiosk entry through the SyteLine Shop Floor Portal provides a simplified interface for operators to report time against operations displayed on their work queue. For automated environments, integrate external time clocks through the Labor Import utility that processes CSV or XML files from third-party time and attendance systems. Regardless of collection method, all labor transactions write to the jobtrans table with transaction type 'L' (labor), linking the employee, operation, hours, quantity, and timestamp. Configure the Labor Validation Rules in SFC Parameters to prevent common data quality issues: maximum hours per shift (flag entries exceeding shift length), minimum hours per operation (flag suspiciously short entries), and concurrent operation checks (flag employees clocked onto multiple operations simultaneously).
- Four collection methods: direct entry, barcode scanning, touch-screen kiosk, and automated import
- All methods write to jobtrans table with type 'L' linking employee, operation, hours, and quantity
- Configure Labor Validation Rules for maximum shift hours, minimum operation hours, and concurrency
- Use the Labor Import utility (CSV/XML) to integrate external time and attendance systems
Efficiency Analysis and Payroll Integration
SyteLine calculates labor efficiency by comparing actual hours posted (from jobtrans) against standard hours (from routing operation times multiplied by the reported quantity). The Labor Efficiency report (Production > Shop Floor > Labor Efficiency) displays efficiency percentages by employee, work center, department, and time period. Efficiency below 85% typically indicates training needs, equipment issues, or inaccurate routing standards. Configure efficiency alert thresholds in the Labor Analysis Parameters to automatically flag employees or work centers falling below target efficiency for supervisor review. For payroll integration, SyteLine provides the Payroll Export utility that generates files containing employee hours by labor type (regular, overtime, indirect), categorized by pay period. Configure the payroll export mapping in the Payroll Integration form to match your payroll system's import format. The export includes job-level detail for cost accounting and summary-level data for payroll processing. Reconcile labor hours between SyteLine and the payroll system monthly using the Labor Reconciliation report, which highlights discrepancies from rounding differences, rejected transactions, and timing cutoff variations.
- Labor Efficiency report compares actual jobtrans hours against routing standard hours by entity
- Configure efficiency alert thresholds to auto-flag employees or work centers below target performance
- Payroll Export utility generates files with hours by labor type, categorized by pay period
- Run Labor Reconciliation report monthly to identify discrepancies between SyteLine and payroll system
Implementing labor tracking in SyteLine? Our manufacturing consultants configure labor systems that drive efficiency insights—schedule a review.
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