Historical Data

Historical Data are any records that happened before you started using Ochre. 

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Historical Records

Historical Data has slightly different considerations for time and transactions (money). Historical Time Records is described first, then Historical  Bookkeeping Records.
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This diagram shows the algorithm that I recommend to determine which records to transcribe into a new system. The image is downloadable as a PDF.

Historical Time Records​

​For our purposes when speaking of historical data, the project may still be under way, but you may want to consider time records for closed projects for reference. Each record must contain a Date, Project-Phase, Number of Hours, and a User. Optionally you can also enter a Description.

For Ochre there is just one way to add historical data from past work. Manually.

There are three strategies you can follow. 

1. Start using Ochre at the start of a month and maintain old records in your old system. 
2. Re-enter each time record accurately into Ochre for all ongoing work. Depending on what kind of records you have, each person does their own or one person or a team tackles the job. This method takes the most time. You get the best results from this method, but a year from now it may not matter. 
3. Enter summarized records of your past work. Enter the number of hours as large numbers. It is not necessary to keep below 24 hours per day. Enter the hours in the correct month or not, the total is what matters. However, keeping the hours in the correct year prevents your data from being outrageously wrong. 

You can also use a hybrid approach. Enter some projects accurately and some projects by summarizing. Perhaps the newest projects are entered accurately and older projects are summarized. Or perhaps other criteria determines which approach is used on which projects. 

KEY CONSIDERATION
For financial accuracy, you need to change the Rates in the Staff table for each timeframe during which those Rates were in effect. Ignore this for less accurate, but still valuable records.

The benefit of transcribing your historical data is being able to look up these records easily when estimating new work. 

Who can enter historical time records
A Level 1 User can add their own historical records. A Level 5 User or Admin can add records for anyone.

How you enter historical time records
Add your own historical time records like regular time. If you are entering time for others, go to the Expenses page and click the ‘Historical Time’ button. 

When to add historical time data 
Adding historical time records can be done anytime. The addition of some records will be more urgent than others. The frequency with which you access this historical information should inform your decisions about how much to recreate and when.
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Suggested minimal historical TIME entries:

• Add the Project
• Add the Project-Phases
• Add the Contact Org for client, consultants, etc.
• Set rates to ‘era-appropriate’ (or ignore and use today’s for less accuracy)
• Make one time entry per person per Project-Phase on a relevant date per year (or month)
• ​Ignore reimbursable expenses and mileage

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Historical Bookkeeping Records

The Bookkeeping feature of Ochre also has a need for historical data. The strategy is very similar, but refer to the graphic above for some additional considerations.

Keep in mind:

• This is bookkeeping, not brain surgery.
• The relevance of 7 year old financial data is very low.
• The relevance of 5 year old financial data is questionable.
• The relevance of 3 year old financial data is only (barely) useful.

​Bookkeeping creates a need for historical data, at least in the short term. Most of that need can be satisfied with a fairly minimal number of entries per project or category.
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Suggested minimal historical BOOKKEEPING entries:

• Add the Project
• Add the Client for clients, Contact for consultants, vendors, etc.
• ​Ignore reimbursable expenses and mileage
• Make one expense entry for each expense category (e.g. consultants, rent) per year
• Make one income entry for the project per year