Tested on:
Dynamics 365 CE version 9.1, PSA solution version 3.6, Unified Interface
The October ’18 release introduced new features to Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation. With PSA’s Update Release 6, the last batch of these new features is now released. Recalling approved Time and Expense Entries, canceling Project Approvals and correcting existing Actuals are three features that are now available in the product. The features are easy to use, however there are some fine details that need some clarification. This blog post will cover the process of recalling Time Entries, canceling approved Time Entries and correcting Actuals. The process is the same for Expenses, however those are not covered on this blog post. An FAQ section at the end will answer common questions about the new features.
Recalling approved Time Entries
The recall process for Time Entries starts from a Time Entry record. When a record is selected and Recall is clicked, a dialogue appears and a reason for the recall can be typed in.
A Project Approver can see the Recall Request on the Recall Request for Approval view. If you don’t see this view in PSA, then you most likely have not included it in the PSA Model-driven application. On updated instances, the view may be missing from the app at the time of writing this post. To see the Reason for Recall comment, the Time Entry record must be opened. The comment is then seen as a Note on the Time Entry’s Timeline.
A common scenarios is that a Project Approver has decreased or increased the Billable (hrs) on a Project Approval record. When a recall is then requested, the Time Entry is returned to the original submitter as it was originally submitted. Actuals are also reversed.
Canceling approvals
Canceling an approval is initiated from the My Past Approvals view on the Project Approval entity. When a past approval is selected and Cancel Approval is clicked on the ribbon, a dialogue appears. The canceled Time Entry can then be found on the Time Entries for Approval view. The record can be edited and the original submitter can also recall the entry.
If a Time Entry is already on a draft invoice, its approval can’t be canceled and a Business Process Error is displayed.
Correcting Actuals
Correcting an Actual allows us to make changes to the record before it is on a draft invoice or a confirmed invoice. The correction process starts by selecting a Cost Actual and clicking on Correct entries on the Actual entity’s ribbon. The sitemap of the PSA app has a subarea named Approved Time, which can be used to easily select the correct record. If an Actual with a Transaction Type other than Cost is selected and Correct entries is clicked, nothing will happen. A Cost Actual is the parent of all Actuals related to Time or Expense Entries. This is why the correction process can only be started from the cost side.
When a Cost Actual is corrected from the ribbon, a new Journal record opens up. As image 7 below illustrates, the correction is done as a Time Entry Correction, however the original Time Entry remains unchanged. The correction reverses Journal Lines and Actuals and creates new ones. The new values that can be given are:
- Project
- Project Task
- Time Entry Date
- Bookable Resource
- Resource Role
After the new values are typed in, they can be previewed by clicking on Preview on the ribbon. The values can then be canceled or confirmed. Canceling the new values allows you to edit the Journal further. Confirming the new values sets the Journal record to Read Only. Journal Lines and Actuals are then reveresed and new Journal Lines and Actuals are created. In images 8 and 9 below, Actuals are transferred to a different Project and a different Resource Role is also selected. As the Resource Role changes, the prices and amounts of the new Actuals are different from the original ones.
FAQ
This FAQ section answers questions that may arise when using the functionalities covered on this blog post.
Q&A: Recalling Time Entries
Q: Can an approved Time Entry be recalled by the submitter?
A: Yes. The submitter can recall approved Time Entries, however the recall must be approved by a Project Approver.
Q: If a Project Approver has increased or decreased Billable (hrs) on approval, what happens when Time Entries are recalled?
A: Time Entries are returned as submitted. Even if a Project Approver doesn’t edit Billable (hrs) when processing recall requests on the Recall Request for Approval view, all Unbilled Sales Actuals are reversed (see image 3).
Q: Where can a Project Approver see the submitter’s comments for a Recall Request?
A: Comments are created as Notes and seen on a Time Entry record’s Timeline (see image 2).
Q: Can a Time Entry be recalled if the related Actual has a Billing status of Ready to Invoice?
A: Yes it can.
Q: Can a Time Entry be recalled if the related Actual has a Billing status of Customer Invoice Created (Time Entry is on an unconfirmed draft Invoice)?
A: No it can’t.
Q: Can a Time Entry be recalled if it has been invoiced and the invoice has been corrected?
A: No it can’t.
Q: Can a Time Entry be recalled if Quantity on an Invoice Line Detail is set to less than what the original entry was, and the invoice is then corrected so that the Transaction Type on the related Actual is Unbilled Sales?
A: No it can’t.
Q: Can an approval be canceled if an Actual has been corrected to a different Project with the Correct entries functionality?
A: Yes it can. The recalled Time Entry will be for the original Project, not the one the Actual was corrected to.
Q&A: Canceling approvals
Q: Can an approval be canceled if the related Actual has a Billing status of Ready to Invoice?
A: Yes it can.
Q: Can an approval be canceled if the related Actual has a Billing status of Customer Invoice Created (an unconfirmed draft Invoice has been created)?
A: No it can’t.
Q: If an approved Time Entry has been invoiced and the invoice has been corrected, can the approval be canceled?
A: No it can’t.
Q: Can an approval be canceled if Quantity on an Invoice Line Detail is set to less than what the original approval was, and the invoice is then corrected so that the Transaction Type on the related Actual is Unbilled Sales?
A: No it can’t.
Q: Can an approval be canceled if an Actual has been corrected to a different Project with the Correct entries functionality?
A: Yes it can. The canceled Project Approval will be for the original Project, not the one its Actual was corrected to
Q&A: Correcting Actuals
Q: Can Unbilled Sales or Billed Sales Actuals be corrected?
A: No they can’t. Only Cost Actuals can be corrected. A Cost Actual is the parent for all Actuals related to a Time or Expense Entry.
Q: Can a Cost Actual be corrected if the related Unbilled Sales Actual has a Billing status of Ready to Invoice?
A: Yes it can.
Q: Can an Actual be corrected if its Billing status is Customer Invoice Created (a draft invoice has been created)?
A: No it can’t.
Q: Can an Actual be corrected if Quantity on an Invoice Line Detail is set to less than what the original quantity was, and the invoice is then corrected so that the Transaction Type on the Actual is Unbilled Sales?
A: No it can’t.
Q: Can an Actual be transferred to a Project that is associated to a different Order than the original Actual?
A: Yes it can.
Q: Is the original Time Entry affected when an Actual is corrected?
A: No it isn’t.
Q: Can the Quantity for cost or sales side be changed when correcting Actuals?
A: No it can’t. The cost side can only be changed when an original submitter recalls a Time Entry, makes changes to their hours and resubmits the Time Entry. Changes to the sales side can be made by canceling the Project Approval related to the Actual. A Project Approver can then change the value on the Billable (hrs) field of the Project Approval.
Q: What records are created when an Actual is corrected?
A: The business transactions are a Journal, reversed and new Journal Lines, and revered and new Actuals.