📚 OT Tracker Pro User Guide

Everything you need to know to manage payroll, overtime tracking, and uniform orders.

school
New here? Take an interactive 5-minute tour of the system.
rocket_launch

Quick Start for New Managers

New to this system? Here's what you need to know:

  1. Check the Dashboard daily - See OT metrics and pending items
  2. Upload OT data bi-weekly - After each pay period closes
  3. Process uniform orders - When items arrive, mark them received
  4. Run payroll deductions - Generate reports for each pay period
  5. Check System Health weekly - Catch issues before they cause problems
schedule

Overtime Tracking

Getting the Data from CFA Home

  1. Go to CFA Home
  2. Navigate to Analytics Hub → DataFeeds
  3. Select Time Punches Included Open Punches
  4. Set the correct pay period date range
  5. Download as CSV

Uploading the Data

  1. Go to Overtime → Upload Data in this app
  2. Drag the CSV file into the upload area
  3. Review the preview, then click Import Data

Understanding OT Flags

Green - Under 5 hours OT (normal)
Yellow - 5-10 hours OT (review recommended)
Red - Over 10 hours OT (needs attention)

Thresholds can be adjusted in Settings.

checkroom

Uniform Orders

Processing Pending Orders

  1. Go to the Uniform Request Form (separate page)
  2. Click Access Manager Section and enter the passcode
  3. Find the order and check off items as they arrive
  4. Click Save & Activate Order
  5. Deductions will start on the next payroll

Payment Plans

  • 1 Paycheck - Full amount deducted at once
  • 2 Paychecks - Split evenly across 2 pay periods
  • 3 Paychecks - Split evenly across 3 pay periods

What if items never arrive?

Leave items unchecked. Only checked items are charged. After 90 days, the System Health check will flag the order for review.

payments

Payroll Processing

Running Payroll Deductions

  1. Go to Payroll Processing
  2. Select the pay period date
  3. Click Generate Report
  4. Review all deductions
  5. Export to CSV for your payroll system
  6. Mark payments as made after processing

⚠ī¸ Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Everyone makes mistakes! Here's how to identify and fix the most common issues.

warning

"I activated an order before the items arrived"

What happened: You clicked "Save and Activate" but the uniform items haven't actually been delivered yet.

How to Fix:

  1. If within 12 hours: Look for the Undo button in the notification that appeared after activation
  2. If more than 12 hours: Go to Uniform Orders → Active Orders
  3. Find the order and click Deactivate
  4. The order will return to Pending status
  5. When items arrive, activate again
Prevention: Only activate orders when you physically have the items in hand
warning

"An employee says they were charged incorrectly"

What happened: An employee claims their paycheck deduction is wrong.

How to Investigate:

  1. Go to Uniform Orders
  2. Search for the employee's name
  3. Review their order history and deduction schedule
  4. Check the Amount Paid vs Amount Remaining
  5. Look at the Activity Log for any changes made to their orders
If there was an error: Contact Jeff (Operator) to adjust the payroll deduction manually if needed
warning

"I created a duplicate order by accident"

What happened: The same employee has two orders for the same items.

How to Fix:

  1. Go to Uniform Orders
  2. Find the duplicate order (look for same employee, same items, same date)
  3. If it's still Pending: Click the order and select Cancel Order
  4. If it's already Active: Deactivate it first, then cancel
Prevention: The Pre-Payroll Validation will flag duplicate deductions before payroll runs
warning

"I uploaded OT data for the wrong pay period"

What happened: You uploaded a CSV file with incorrect dates.

How to Fix:

  1. Go to OT Tracker → History
  2. Find the incorrect upload by date
  3. Click Delete Period (this only affects this period's data)
  4. Return to Upload Data
  5. Upload the correct CSV file
Prevention: Always double-check the date range before uploading
warning

"I marked an active employee as inactive"

What happened: An employee was marked inactive but they still work here.

How to Fix:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Click Employee Roster
  3. Find the employee in the list
  4. Change their Status from "Inactive" back to "Active"
  5. They will now appear in all dropdowns again

💡 General Tip

When in doubt, don't delete data! It's almost always better to deactivate, cancel, or mark as inactive rather than permanently deleting records. This preserves the audit trail and makes it easier to undo mistakes.

📋 Maintenance Checklists

Regular maintenance keeps the system running smoothly.

event

🗓ī¸ Annual Maintenance (Every January)

Do this every January to start the year fresh:

date_range

Weekly Tasks

  • Check Dashboard for any alerts
  • Review System Health status
  • Process any pending uniform orders
repeat

Bi-Weekly Tasks (Each Pay Period)

  • Upload OT data from CFA Home
  • Generate payroll deduction report
  • Process deductions in payroll system
  • Mark payments as made in the app

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common problems and how to fix them.

upload_file

OT Upload Issues

❌ "File format not recognized"

Cause: Wrong file type or wrong report exported.

Fix: Make sure you're downloading from CFA Home → Analytics Hub → DataFeeds → Time Punches Included Open Punches and saving as CSV.

❌ Employee names not matching

Cause: Name format in CFA Home differs from the roster.

Fix: Check the Employees sheet - the Match_Key column is used for matching. Names should be consistent with how they appear in CFA Home.

❌ OT hours look wrong

Cause: Wrong date range selected in CFA Home.

Fix: Verify the date range matches the pay period. Re-download and re-upload to overwrite.

checkroom

Uniform Order Issues

❌ Can't activate order - "No items marked received"

Cause: You need to check off at least one item before activating.

Fix: Check the boxes next to items that have arrived, then click Save & Activate.

❌ Wrong amount being deducted

Cause: Order was activated with incorrect items or prices.

Fix: Contact Jeff - manual adjustment in the spreadsheet may be needed.

❌ Order stuck in Pending forever

Cause: Items never arrived or order was forgotten.

Fix: Either activate with the items you have, or cancel the order if it's no longer needed.

error

System Errors

❌ "Something went wrong" error

Cause: Usually a temporary connection issue.

Fix: Refresh the page and try again. If it persists, check your internet connection.

❌ Page won't load / infinite spinner

Cause: Browser cache issue or deployment problem.

Fix: Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R). If still broken, the app may need redeployment.

❌ Missing data or blank screens

Cause: Required sheet might be missing or renamed.

Fix: Check System Health - it will tell you if sheets are missing.

support_agent

Who to Contact

For day-to-day questions:

Jeff (Operator)

For technical issues:

Check this troubleshooting guide first. If unresolved, the issue may require someone with Google Apps Script knowledge.

For payroll discrepancies:

Check the spreadsheet directly (Uniform_Orders, OT_History sheets) to verify data.

AS A LAST DITCH EFFORT ONLY!!!!

CONTACT BRENT BALDWIN. PLEASE ENSURE ALL OTHER FIXES HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED BEFORE CONTACTING.

ℹī¸ About This System

Technical information and system overview.

info

System Information

System Name OT Tracker Pro
Version 2.0
Created By Brent (Chief of Staff)
Created 2024
Last Updated December 2025
Platform Google Apps Script + Google Sheets
architecture

System Architecture

This system is built on Google Workspace:

  • Frontend: HTML/CSS/JavaScript served via Google Apps Script Web App
  • Backend: Google Apps Script (Code.gs, DashboardModule.gs, etc.)
  • Database: Google Sheets (multiple sheets for different data types)
  • Authentication: Google account sign-in

Key Sheets

  • OT_History - Overtime data by pay period
  • Employees - Employee roster and status
  • Uniform_Orders - Order headers and payment tracking
  • Uniform_Order_Items - Individual items in orders
  • Uniform_Catalog - Available uniform items and prices
  • Settings - Application configuration
  • System_Counters - ID generation (prevents duplicates)

For Future Maintainers

To make changes to this system:

  1. Open the Google Sheet that powers this app
  2. Go to Extensions → Apps Script
  3. Code files are organized by function (Code.gs = main, DashboardModule.gs = dashboard, etc.)
  4. After changes, Deploy → Manage Deployments → Create new version
description

Documentation

Additional resources:

  • This in-app help system covers daily operations
  • System Health page monitors for issues
  • Activity Log (in Settings) tracks all changes
lightbulb

Fun Fact

This system was built with attention to detail. Classic gaming references may or may not be hidden within. Those who remember the classics might find something special... 🎮

See who built this system and why