It is created with every invoice
- Automatically with every invoice that bills time.
- No second list, no Excel, no retyping.
- Before sending, the record can still be edited.
Create activity records: automatically with every invoice.
The activity record lists the logged project hours per engagement: date, activity, hours, totals. teamspace generates it with every invoice that bills time, as a PDF in your own layout. Part of time tracking online, with no module surcharge.
What it takes off your plate
The record takes three things off your plate.
The activity record is the proof of work that many clients require with the invoice. In teamspace it is created from the hours that are logged anyway, with no second spreadsheet.
The activity comes from logging
- Staff describe the activity when they log the hour.
- The description can be set as a mandatory field.
- Default text and templates speed up the routine.
The PDF carries your layout
- Letterhead and house typeface as on your invoices.
- Date, activity, hours and totals per period.
- Reviewable online, ready to send for signature.
Straight from the invoice
The record is created with every invoice.
Anyone who bills hours knows the second step: the proof that the billed time was actually delivered. In teamspace this activity record is created automatically as soon as an invoice bills time.
- The record carries the logged project hours following the rules defined in the work order.
- You choose which hours should appear before the invoice goes out.
- The finished record can be reviewed online and sent to the client for signature.
Invoice and record come from the same data source, the released hours. They stay consistent, even when something is corrected before sending. The Excel export and the manual gathering by hand fall away.
“Time tracking is far simpler and more convenient than in Excel.”
Record or timesheet
The timesheet reviews, the record goes straight out.
teamspace knows two time records drawn from the same logged hours. The activity record accompanies the invoice without a detour. The timesheet puts a review and approval process in front of it.
from the same booked hours
Σ 11.5 h · Berger engagement
Activity record
no approval-
Hours booked
activity described when booking
-
Automatically added to the invoice
as a PDF attachment, editable before sending
goes out with the invoice
Timesheet
with approval workflow-
Hours submitted
compiled per project for review
-
Approval by reviewer approval
project manager or client, weekly or at project end
-
Locked and sent
once approved, the hours can no longer be changed
only after approval
Both show the same booked hours. The difference is approval: whoever needs it takes the timesheet.
Captured when logging
The activity is there as soon as you log.
The level of detail in an activity description depends on the engagement. For an internal project a keyword is enough. A consulting engagement demands more: "Strategy workshop, steering the discussion, 4 hours". In teamspace this description is created right where the hour is logged.
- Mandatory field: whether a description is required is set per logging configuration.
- Default text and an internal comment can be kept separately; the comment does not appear on the record.
- Templates for recurring activities save typing in the daily routine.
That way, at period close a readable record is ready, without anyone having to add the descriptions after the fact. Describe cleanly when logging, and the proof of work is already done.
From click to dispatch
From logging to dispatch with the invoice.
- 1
Describe the activity when logging
Staff log hours on an engagement or project and describe the activity. Templates make recurring tasks easier.
- 2
Assign hours to the invoice
When billing, teamspace assigns the logged project hours to the invoice lines following the rules defined in the work order.
- 3
Review and adjust the record
The activity record is created automatically with the invoice. Before sending it can be reviewed and edited online.
- 4
Send with the invoice
Record and invoice go to the client together, for signature on request. One dispatch, one consistent document.
In your own layout
The PDF carries your letterhead.
The activity record follows your company's layout templates. It appears in the same look as your invoices and other documents, in the house typeface, with your letterhead.
- Letterhead with company logo, address and staff details.
- Daily list with date, activity and hours, plus the totals per period.
- Signature field for client sign-off, optional.
Before sending, the record can be reviewed online. For the signature, teamspace sends the PDF directly for a legally valid signature via the connected services. The client sees the same document that the accounts team released.
Intro call
Does this fit your engagements and records?
In 30 minutes we go through your engagement structure, the activity templates and the layout of the record. Afterwards you will know whether the record can be created automatically with the invoice in your setup.
Retention
Stored in an audit-proof way for ten years.
Activity records are documents of relevance under tax law. In activated GoBD mode teamspace retains them in an audit-proof way for ten years. 5 POINT activates the mode; after that, released documents can no longer be deleted.
- The sent record is preserved in the version that went out with the invoice.
- Corrections note the editor and a timestamp; the old value is not lost.
- Which record belongs to which invoice remains traceable years later in a tax audit.
Blanket compliance always depends on the processes within the company as well. What the software contributes is concrete: an end-to-end trail and locked periods after the entries are finalised.
What it is about
What an activity record is and when it is needed.
An activity record is a structured listing of the services rendered per client or customer, usually with date, activity, duration and totals per period. It accompanies the fee invoice as an attachment and proves that the billed hours were actually delivered. In consulting, project and engineering engagements it is standard; with public-sector clients it is often required.
It differs clearly from a work record or a certificate of employment: those concern the employment relationship between employer and staff. The activity record, by contrast, is addressed to the client and creates transparency about the scope and duration of the work delivered. The client sees what they are paying for and does not have to settle the invoice on good faith.
For the service provider the record is also a source of analysis. Plan-versus-actual comparisons and project metrics emerge from the documented hours. What begins as a mandatory document thus becomes the basis for more precise quotes on the next engagement.
Who it is for
Who benefits from the digital activity record.
Wherever billing is by time and materials and the client expects a document, the automatic record saves the tedious manual work at period close.
IT service providers
Time and materials per client and service case, the record as an attachment to the invoice rather than as an Excel list.
Industry pageManagement consultancies
Consulting days per engagement with a short description, the activity record as back-up to the fee invoice.
Industry pageIT systems house
Maintenance and project hours against the contract, the proof of work documents every billed effort.
Industry pageArchitecture and engineering practices
Hours per work phase, the record as an attachment to the fee or final invoice.
Industry pageAgencies
Project hours per client, the proof of work documents what the budget was spent on.
Industry pageIT consulting
Billable consulting days per project, the record evidences the effort to the day.
Industry page
Part of time tracking online
The activity record is the document side of time tracking.
This is where the captured time reaches the client, as a record with the invoice. The hours for it are created in time tracking, alongside the timesheet, travel expenses and overtime. One capture, one document, with no second tool. The overview page shows how the whole module fits together.
To time tracking onlineScope of features
Features around the activity record.
Capture
- Logging on engagement, client or project
- Activity description per entry
- Description as a mandatory field per logging configuration
- Default text and internal comment kept separate
- Templates for recurring activities
Output
- Activity record automatically with every invoice
- PDF in your own layout with letterhead
- Daily list with hours, activity and totals
- Optional signature field
- Review online and send for signature
Retention
- GoBD mode activatable, ten-year retention
- Corrections with editor and timestamp
- Sent version is preserved
- Mapping of record to invoice traceable
- Dispatch by email from the system
In context
Hours, record and fee in one trail.
The activity record is not a separate tool but the link between captured time and the invoice issued. Anyone who logs project hours cleanly has the record ready at period close with no extra effort.
If a project needs an approval before billing, the timesheet takes care of the review: the project manager or the client signs off the hours, after which they are locked. The activity record shows the same data but skips this step and accompanies the invoice instead.
From the released hours, the fee line emerges in the invoicing software, alongside the record as a PDF attachment. That keeps the chain from the click when logging to the document at the client in one system, with no export and no double entry.
Related use cases
Captured hours produce more than the record.
Six use cases of time tracking, from project logging to absence, all on the same logged hour.
Log project hours
Hours on project, phase and task, distinguished as billable or internal.
Learn moreDigital timesheet
Submit hours for approval, with activatable GoBD mode.
Learn moreTravel expense reporting
Meal allowances automatically by duration and country, receipts included.
Learn moreTrack overtime
Plan vs actual live, premiums by collective agreement, payout or time off in lieu.
Learn moreManage leave and sickness
Request and approve absences and offset them against the hour balance.
Learn moreCapture time by check-in
Clock in and out at the terminal, in the app or in the browser.
Learn moreRelated modules
Three modules access the hour directly.
The record is the link to the invoice. Alongside it, the same hours carry the project and the payroll preparation. Here are the shortest paths to them.
Project management
Logged hours land on project and phase and carry plan vs actual, margin and utilisation.
- Logging on project, phase and task
- Plan vs actual and margin up to date daily
- Utilisation per person and team
Invoicing software
Released hours become the invoicing basis with no export, with hourly rates, flat rates and travel expenses.
- Partial, on-account and final invoices
- ZUGFeRD and XRechnung
- Handover to DATEV Unternehmen online
HR software
Hours, overtime and absences flow prepared into payroll, with no double entry.
- Export prepared payroll data
- Leave and sickness in the same system
- Overtime accounts per staff member
Frequently asked questions on the activity record
What is an activity record and when is it needed?
An activity record is a structured listing of the services rendered per client or customer, with date, activity, duration and totals. It accompanies the fee invoice as an attachment and proves that the billed hours were delivered. In consulting, project and engineering engagements it is standard; with public-sector clients it is often required.
How is the activity record created in teamspace?
Automatically. As soon as an invoice bills time, teamspace generates the matching activity record with the logged project hours following the rules defined in the work order. Before sending, it can be reviewed and edited online and sent to the client for signature.
What is the difference between an activity record and a timesheet?
Both show the same logged hours in the same presentation. The activity record accompanies the invoice directly. The timesheet additionally has a review and approval process: hours are first released by the project manager or client and are then locked.
How specific does an activity description have to be?
It depends on the engagement. For internal tasks a keyword is enough; a consulting or public-sector engagement demands more. In teamspace the description can be set as a mandatory field per logging configuration, and templates and default text ease the routine.
How long are activity records retained?
In activated GoBD mode teamspace retains the booking data and the generated records in an audit-proof way for ten years. The version sent with the invoice is preserved, and corrections carry the editor and a timestamp. Which record belongs to which invoice remains traceable.
Where are the activity records stored?
In two geo-redundant, ISO 27001 certified data centres in Frankfurt am Main, exclusively in the EU. teamspace is Made in Germany and GDPR-compliant. The contracting party is 5 POINT AG, a German public company headquartered in Darmstadt.
Activity record, reviewed in 30 minutes.
We discuss your engagement structure, the activity templates and the layout of the record. A short call shows whether teamspace fits your billing.