We successfully implemented automated timesheet integration between our external HR/time tracking system and Oracle Fusion Cloud Project Costing, eliminating manual timesheet entry for 250+ project consultants. The integration processes approximately 5,000 timesheet entries weekly, updating project costs and billing in near real-time.
Previously, consultants entered time in our HR system, then project coordinators manually re-entered the same data into Fusion for project billing. This caused billing delays of 5-7 days and frequent data entry errors affecting billing accuracy. The manual process consumed 40+ hours weekly of administrative time.
Our automated solution uses REST API integration to sync timesheet data hourly from the HR system to Fusion Project Costing. The integration handles employee ID mapping between systems, validates project and task assignments, and posts time entries directly to project cost collectors. This reduced billing cycle time from 7 days to same-day processing and improved billing accuracy significantly.
We implemented a bidirectional mapping table in our integration middleware that synchronizes weekly from both systems. The table stores HR system employee ID, Fusion person number, and email address as a common key. During timesheet sync, we look up the Fusion person number using the HR employee ID. For new employees, the integration flags unmapped IDs for manual review before processing their first timesheet. This catches 99% of mappings automatically while handling edge cases through exception processing.
What about project and task validation? How do you ensure the projects and tasks that employees charge time to in the HR system actually exist in Fusion with correct billing rules? We’ve had issues where consultants charge to project codes that don’t match Fusion’s project structure.
We implemented a comprehensive correction workflow. The integration tracks each timesheet entry’s sync status and Fusion transaction ID in our middleware database. When consultants modify approved timesheets in the HR system, the integration detects changes and posts adjustment transactions to Fusion. For entries not yet processed in Fusion (within the hourly sync window), we update the pending transaction. For already-processed entries, we post reversing entries and create new corrected entries. This maintains full audit trails in both systems. Project managers can see correction history through a custom report showing original and adjusted entries with timestamps and reasons.
Great question. We maintain project and task master data synchronization from Fusion back to the HR system nightly. This ensures the HR system’s project picker only shows active Fusion projects with valid tasks. The integration includes validation logic that checks project status, task billability, and expenditure types before posting time entries. Invalid entries go to an exception queue with detailed error messages that project coordinators review daily. This validation catches issues before they impact billing rather than discovering problems during month-end processing.
How do you handle corrections and adjustments? Consultants often need to modify timesheets after initial submission, especially when project codes change or time needs reallocation. Does your integration support updates to previously posted entries, or do you process adjustments separately?