FSM Time Bill Record

A time bill records an employee's time, including the date, duration, and work context. Field Service Management (FSM) uses standard NetSuite time bills for time entered through the Time tab in FSM Mobile. It also uses time bills for time created from tracked customer relationship management (CRM) task activities.

A time bill doesn't itself post revenue or labor costs to the general ledger. It records time and the inputs used by downstream billing and costing processes. Customer billing creates an invoice or cash sale, and labor-cost posting creates journal entries. Recording time alone doesn't establish work completion, approval, invoicing, or cost posting.

FSM labor posting uses the saved Field Service Time Cost. Native NetSuite Job Costing has its own employee, project, and project task labor-cost rules. For information about native NetSuite behavior, see Billing Time to Customers and Posting Time Transactions. For information about the separate FSM journal process, see FSM Project Labor Cost Posting.

Record Information

Use the record and field IDs to distinguish saved data from labels on account forms.

Property	Value
Record type	Standard NetSuite
Record name	Time (also called Time Bill or Track Time)
Record ID used by FSM	`timebill`
Record identity	Internal ID (`internalid`)
FSM record model	`models/time`
Supplied NetSuite form	Field Service Time (`custform_nx_time`)
Standard FSM Mobile resource	`times`

Property

Value

Record type

Standard NetSuite

Record name

Time (also called Time Bill or Track Time)

Record ID used by FSM

timebill

Record identity

Internal ID (internalid)

FSM record model

models/time

Supplied NetSuite form

Field Service Time (custform_nx_time)

Standard FSM Mobile resource

times

The Weekly Timesheet record in NetSuite is a separate record, timesheet. In the newer Weekly Timesheets interface, each day's time entry is a timebill. It is not the older timeentry subrecord. See Weekly Timesheet.

Forms

FSM supplies the Field Service Time custom entry form. The supplied definition sets Store Form with Record and doesn't make the form preferred. Storing a form with a record is separate from setting a role's preferred form. NetSuite can use the stored reference when reopening a record. See Storing Custom Forms with Transactions.

An account-created Time form can have different labels, visible fields, and requirements. The supplied form requires Employee, Date, Duration, and Type. It also requires Location when that field is available. Service Item is not required on this supplied NetSuite form, although it is required by the standard Time tab in FSM Mobile.

The standard Time tab in FSM Mobile defines its Service Item, Date, and Hours elements directly. It doesn't load the Field Service Time form to generate them. Changing that NetSuite form therefore doesn't automatically change the standard Time tab in FSM Mobile. For a configured resource that loads a form, the fields generated in FSM Mobile are separate from the form reference stored with the record. For information about form loading and overrides, see Form Properties.

Record Relationships

The time bill stores its employee, entity, service item, and service-work references. Each reference identifies one related record, and multiple time bills can reference the same record.

Related Record	Field Reference	Purpose
Employee	Time bill Employee (`employee`) is a native reference.	Identifies whose time is recorded. It is separate from the employee who captured an FSM Mobile activity.
Customer or project	Time bill Customer (`customer`) is the native entity reference used by FSM.	Supplies the customer or project context for time billing and project labor costing. The FSM model calls this attribute `project`, but its value can identify a customer.
Service Item	Time bill Service Item (`item`) is a native item reference.	Identifies the service represented by the time. Automatic tracking obtains it from the CRM task's Task Type.
Case, task, or event	Time bill Case/Task/Event (`casetaskevent`) is the native work reference. FSM reads CRM task and case relationships through the `task` and `case` search joins.	Associates the time with the selected work. This native reference is distinct from the supplied FSM reference fields.
CRM task	Time bill Field Service Task (`custcol_nx_task`) is a supplied FSM reference to `task`.	Retains the CRM task association used by default case invoicing and labor-journal attribution. Standard Time model validation aligns it with a supported CRM task selected in Case/Task/Event.
Project task	Time bill Field Service Project Task (`custcol_nx_projecttask`) is a supplied FSM reference to `projecttask`.	Retains project task context for manual FSM Mobile time. This link doesn't enable automatic Track Service Time or CRM task billing rules for project tasks.
Case	Time bill Field Service Case (`custcol_nx_case`) is a supplied FSM reference to `supportcase`. Its field definition sources the case from Field Service Task.	Stores service case context separately from a direct native Case/Task/Event selection. Default case invoicing still requires a qualifying CRM task link.
Asset	Time bill Field Service Asset (`custcol_nx_asset`) references `customrecord_nx_asset`. Its field definition sources the asset from Field Service Task. FSM Mobile and automatic creation can supply the asset explicitly.	Associates recorded time with equipment or the service site.
Invoice	The invoice's Billable Time line references its source time bill through `time.doc`.	Identifies the time applied to the invoice. Default FSM selection checks the time bill's Field Service Task and that task's case.
Journal entry	FSM labor posting creates journal lines from eligible project time bills and carries available task and asset references to the debit line.	Records labor costs. The time bill's costed flag stores no journal ID.

Related Record

Field Reference

Purpose

Employee

Time bill Employee (employee) is a native reference.

Identifies whose time is recorded. It is separate from the employee who captured an FSM Mobile activity.

Customer or project

Time bill Customer (customer) is the native entity reference used by FSM.

Supplies the customer or project context for time billing and project labor costing. The FSM model calls this attribute project, but its value can identify a customer.

Service Item

Time bill Service Item (item) is a native item reference.

Identifies the service represented by the time. Automatic tracking obtains it from the CRM task's Task Type.

Case, task, or event

Time bill Case/Task/Event (casetaskevent) is the native work reference. FSM reads CRM task and case relationships through the task and case search joins.

Associates the time with the selected work. This native reference is distinct from the supplied FSM reference fields.

CRM task

Time bill Field Service Task (custcol_nx_task) is a supplied FSM reference to task.

Retains the CRM task association used by default case invoicing and labor-journal attribution. Standard Time model validation aligns it with a supported CRM task selected in Case/Task/Event.

Project task

Time bill Field Service Project Task (custcol_nx_projecttask) is a supplied FSM reference to projecttask.

Retains project task context for manual FSM Mobile time. This link doesn't enable automatic Track Service Time or CRM task billing rules for project tasks.

Case

Time bill Field Service Case (custcol_nx_case) is a supplied FSM reference to supportcase. Its field definition sources the case from Field Service Task.

Stores service case context separately from a direct native Case/Task/Event selection. Default case invoicing still requires a qualifying CRM task link.

Asset

Time bill Field Service Asset (custcol_nx_asset) references customrecord_nx_asset. Its field definition sources the asset from Field Service Task. FSM Mobile and automatic creation can supply the asset explicitly.

Associates recorded time with equipment or the service site.

Invoice

The invoice's Billable Time line references its source time bill through time.doc.

Identifies the time applied to the invoice. Default FSM selection checks the time bill's Field Service Task and that task's case.

Journal entry

FSM labor posting creates journal lines from eligible project time bills and carries available task and asset references to the debit line.

Records labor costs. The time bill's costed flag stores no journal ID.

A direct case relationship can contribute to Case Unbilled Time without qualifying for default case invoice selection. These capabilities use different relationship and eligibility rules. See FSM Case Unbilled Amount Calculation and FSM Case Invoicing.

Adding custom record links in an account doesn't automatically change how FSM handles recorded time. Availability in FSM Mobile, service history, and reports, along with inheritance and synchronization, depends on the applicable mappings and feature behavior.

FSM Fields

The tables cover supplied FSM fields and native fields significant to FSM. Labels can vary by account or form. The supplied relationship fields are described in Record Relationships.

Recorded Time and Billing Data

Recorded duration, a billing rate, and an hourly labor cost are different values.

Field	Field ID	Details
Employee (native)	`employee`	Employee whose hours are recorded.
Date (native)	`trandate` (record) and `date` (FSM searches)	Time-entry date. Automatic entries use the CRM task's Field Service End Date (`custevent_nx_end_date`), separately from the Complete activity date. Manual FSM Mobile entries initially use the current event's date.
Duration / Hours (native)	`hours` (record) and `durationdecimal` (FSM searches)	Recorded duration. FSM reads decimal hours. For example, 1.5 hours means 1 hour 30 minutes. Automatic tracking calculates duration from activity dates and times and rounds it to two decimal places.
Service Item (native)	`item`	Service recorded by the entry. Automatic tracking uses Task Type Service Time Item (`custrecord_nx_task_type_time_service`). Manual FSM Mobile entry uses its configured service-item choices.
Billable (native)	`isbillable` (record) and `billable` (applicable searches)	Indicates time intended for customer billing. It doesn't establish approval, invoice availability, or invoicing. Applicable FSM billing validation can replace a manually entered value.
Price Level (native)	`price`	Pricing selection available with the relevant account preference. FSM can set it through billing rules when Multiple Prices and Override Rates on Time Records are enabled.
Rate (native)	`rate`	Billing rate for the time. It is separate from Field Service Time Cost. Applicable billing validation can recalculate it with Price Level.
Lock this Rate (native)	`overriderate`	Native control for retaining a billing rate against later rate changes. This control doesn't prevent FSM billing-rule validation.
Memo (native)	`memo`	Time-entry description. Automatic creation supplies the selected Complete activity's details. Native field sourcing can also affect the memo during entry.
Type (native)	`type`	Distinguishes native Actual, Planned, and Allocated time. With Project Management enabled, the standard Time search in FSM Mobile selects Actual time (`A`).
Department, Class, Location (native)	`department`, `class`, `location`	Accounting classifications. FSM Time model mappings depend on the corresponding enabled NetSuite features. Labor posting carries available values into its journal lines.
Field Service Start Time	`custcol_nx_time_start`	Optional stored time-of-day value, shown as Start Time on the supplied form. It is separate from the CRM task's actual Start time stamp and linked Start activity.
Field Service End Time	`custcol_nx_time_end`	Optional stored time-of-day value, shown as End Time on the supplied form. It is separate from the CRM task's actual End time stamp and linked Complete activity.
Field Service Time Cost	`custcol_nx_time_cost`	Stored hourly labor cost. Standard field sourcing uses Employee Field Service Labour Cost (`custentity_nx_labor_cost`). FSM labor posting uses the saved cost multiplied by duration. It doesn't look up the employee's current cost again.

Field

Field ID

Details

Employee (native)

employee

Employee whose hours are recorded.

Date (native)

trandate (record) and date (FSM searches)

Time-entry date. Automatic entries use the CRM task's Field Service End Date (custevent_nx_end_date), separately from the Complete activity date. Manual FSM Mobile entries initially use the current event's date.

Duration / Hours (native)

hours (record) and durationdecimal (FSM searches)

Recorded duration. FSM reads decimal hours. For example, 1.5 hours means 1 hour 30 minutes. Automatic tracking calculates duration from activity dates and times and rounds it to two decimal places.

Service Item (native)

item

Service recorded by the entry. Automatic tracking uses Task Type Service Time Item (custrecord_nx_task_type_time_service). Manual FSM Mobile entry uses its configured service-item choices.

Billable (native)

isbillable (record) and billable (applicable searches)

Indicates time intended for customer billing. It doesn't establish approval, invoice availability, or invoicing. Applicable FSM billing validation can replace a manually entered value.

Price Level (native)

price

Pricing selection available with the relevant account preference. FSM can set it through billing rules when Multiple Prices and Override Rates on Time Records are enabled.

Rate (native)

rate

Billing rate for the time. It is separate from Field Service Time Cost. Applicable billing validation can recalculate it with Price Level.

Lock this Rate (native)

overriderate

Native control for retaining a billing rate against later rate changes. This control doesn't prevent FSM billing-rule validation.

Memo (native)

memo

Time-entry description. Automatic creation supplies the selected Complete activity's details. Native field sourcing can also affect the memo during entry.

Type (native)

type

Distinguishes native Actual, Planned, and Allocated time. With Project Management enabled, the standard Time search in FSM Mobile selects Actual time (A).

Department, Class, Location (native)

department, class, location

Accounting classifications. FSM Time model mappings depend on the corresponding enabled NetSuite features. Labor posting carries available values into its journal lines.

Field Service Start Time

custcol_nx_time_start

Optional stored time-of-day value, shown as Start Time on the supplied form. It is separate from the CRM task's actual Start time stamp and linked Start activity.

Field Service End Time

custcol_nx_time_end

Optional stored time-of-day value, shown as End Time on the supplied form. It is separate from the CRM task's actual End time stamp and linked Complete activity.

Field Service Time Cost

custcol_nx_time_cost

Stored hourly labor cost. Standard field sourcing uses Employee Field Service Labour Cost (custentity_nx_labor_cost). FSM labor posting uses the saved cost multiplied by duration. It doesn't look up the employee's current cost again.

Automatic activity-based creation supplies duration directly without populating the custom time-of-day fields. Editing Field Service Start Time or Field Service End Time alone doesn't recalculate Hours through the standard Time model.

For native entry, pricing, approval, and memo behavior, see Entering a Time Transaction. For FSM billable and pricing changes, see FSM Billing Rules.

Processing Fields and Indicators

Approval, invoicing, and labor costing describe separate outcomes. These fields don't show that an FSM script is running.

Field or Indicator	Field ID	Meaning
Approval Status and Supervisor Approval (native)	`approvalstatus` and `supervisorapproval`	Native time approval data. FSM labor posting tests native approval through the `approved` search filter. Account approval settings determine the applicable workflow. The FSM costed flag is separate.
Time status (native search value)	`status`	Native time status used by FSM searches and the Time model. Case unbilled calculation filters this status separately from Billable and positive duration. It is not CRM Task Status or scheduled-script execution status.
Field Service Time Costed	`custcol_nx_time_costed`	Hidden box with a stored value, cleared by default in the supplied field definition. FSM sets it after saving a labor journal for selected time. When the box is checked, FSM excludes the time from later labor-journal selection. A checked box doesn't confirm journal approval or general ledger posting.
Field Service Time Billed	`custcol_nx_time_billed`	Hidden box with a stored value, cleared by default in the supplied field definition, and exposed through the Time model. Its value alone doesn't establish native invoicing or guarantee protection against duplicate billing.
Field Service Idempotency Key	`custcol_nx_idempotency_key`	Automatic activity-based creation stores a key derived from the CRM task, employee, and captured interval from start to completion. The processor uses it to recognize existing matching automatic entries. It is not a billing or posting status.
External ID (native)	`externalid`	Standard record creation in FSM Mobile stores the entry identity in External ID with the `fsm_` prefix. This identity is separate from the automatic activity key and doesn't identify an invoice or journal. See FSM Mobile Duplicate Creation Protection.

Field or Indicator

Field ID

Meaning

Approval Status and Supervisor Approval (native)

approvalstatus and supervisorapproval

Native time approval data. FSM labor posting tests native approval through the approved search filter. Account approval settings determine the applicable workflow. The FSM costed flag is separate.

Time status (native search value)

status

Native time status used by FSM searches and the Time model. Case unbilled calculation filters this status separately from Billable and positive duration. It is not CRM Task Status or scheduled-script execution status.

Field Service Time Costed

custcol_nx_time_costed

Hidden box with a stored value, cleared by default in the supplied field definition. FSM sets it after saving a labor journal for selected time. When the box is checked, FSM excludes the time from later labor-journal selection. A checked box doesn't confirm journal approval or general ledger posting.

Field Service Time Billed

custcol_nx_time_billed

Hidden box with a stored value, cleared by default in the supplied field definition, and exposed through the Time model. Its value alone doesn't establish native invoicing or guarantee protection against duplicate billing.

Field Service Idempotency Key

custcol_nx_idempotency_key

Automatic activity-based creation stores a key derived from the CRM task, employee, and captured interval from start to completion. The processor uses it to recognize existing matching automatic entries. It is not a billing or posting status.

External ID (native)

externalid

Standard record creation in FSM Mobile stores the entry identity in External ID with the fsm_ prefix. This identity is separate from the automatic activity key and doesn't identify an invoice or journal. See FSM Mobile Duplicate Creation Protection.

The automatic time-processing request is stored on the CRM task, in Field Service Log Activity Time (custevent_nx_time_log_activities), rather than on the time bill. A cleared request doesn't confirm that a time bill was created. See FSM Service Time Tracking.

FSM's costed flag is also separate from native NetSuite Posted status. The FSM journal action doesn't check native Posted when selecting time or explicitly set it after journal creation. For the native workflow, see Posting Time Transactions.

Warning: Saving a journal and updating Field Service Time Costed are separate operations. If the journal saves but the flag update fails, the time can qualify for another FSM labor journal. See FSM Project Labor Cost Posting for consequences and supported boundaries.

Creation and Update Sources

These sources write different parts of the record. Saving time locally in FSM Mobile doesn't confirm successful synchronization with NetSuite.

Source	Record Effect
Native NetSuite time entry or Weekly Timesheet	Creates or changes time through the applicable native form and approval workflow. See Entering a Time Transaction.
Time tab in FSM Mobile	Synchronizes manually entered Service Item, Date, and Hours, with current employee, work, customer or project, and asset context. It supplies the appropriate CRM task or project task custom reference.
Automatic Track Service Time	Creates missing time entries from CRM task activities for the assigned employee and team. Entries include the calculated duration, Field Service End Date, service item, entity, task, asset, memo, and automatic identity key. Existing matching entries remain unchanged.
FSM Time record validation	Aligns supported CRM task references and applies applicable billing-rule results to Billable and pricing.
NetSuite custom-field sourcing	Can supply stored asset and case context from Field Service Task and hourly cost from Employee. These are field-definition sources, not universal fixed defaults.
Case invoicing	Applies eligible time offered by NetSuite to an invoice under the configured selection rules. Creating time doesn't itself request an invoice.
Project Create Time Journal	Sets Field Service Time Costed after saving a journal for selected eligible time. It doesn't store the journal ID on the time bill.

Source

Record Effect

Native NetSuite time entry or Weekly Timesheet

Creates or changes time through the applicable native form and approval workflow. See Entering a Time Transaction.

Time tab in FSM Mobile

Synchronizes manually entered Service Item, Date, and Hours, with current employee, work, customer or project, and asset context. It supplies the appropriate CRM task or project task custom reference.

Automatic Track Service Time

Creates missing time entries from CRM task activities for the assigned employee and team. Entries include the calculated duration, Field Service End Date, service item, entity, task, asset, memo, and automatic identity key. Existing matching entries remain unchanged.

FSM Time record validation

Aligns supported CRM task references and applies applicable billing-rule results to Billable and pricing.

NetSuite custom-field sourcing

Can supply stored asset and case context from Field Service Task and hourly cost from Employee. These are field-definition sources, not universal fixed defaults.

Case invoicing

Applies eligible time offered by NetSuite to an invoice under the configured selection rules. Creating time doesn't itself request an invoice.

Project Create Time Journal

Sets Field Service Time Costed after saving a journal for selected eligible time. It doesn't store the journal ID on the time bill.

Standard FSM record handling can request an unbilled update when a time bill is created, changed, or deleted. The request applies to the case linked through the time bill's current CRM task. The request and later case totals are separate from saving the time bill. See FSM Case Unbilled Amount Calculation.

Used by FSM Features

The following table links to feature topics that explain triggers, selection rules, processing stages, and consequences beyond the record's data definitions.

Feature	Record Use
FSM Service Time Tracking	Stores manual FSM Mobile time and automatic time derived from eligible CRM task activities.
FSM Billing Rules	Sets Billable and applicable pricing using the related CRM task's Billing Rule and Service Item.
FSM Case Invoicing	Selects eligible available time bills for an invoice.
FSM Case Unbilled Amount Calculation	Reads qualifying time and saved rates for case summaries.
FSM Project Labor Cost Posting	Reads approved project time with a positive cost and a cleared Field Service Time Costed box, then records the costing result.
FSM Mobile Duplicate Creation Protection	Uses standard FSM Mobile request identity to recognize repeated creation requests.

Feature

Record Use

FSM Service Time Tracking

Stores manual FSM Mobile time and automatic time derived from eligible CRM task activities.

FSM Billing Rules

Sets Billable and applicable pricing using the related CRM task's Billing Rule and Service Item.

FSM Case Invoicing

Selects eligible available time bills for an invoice.

FSM Case Unbilled Amount Calculation

Reads qualifying time and saved rates for case summaries.

FSM Project Labor Cost Posting

Reads approved project time with a positive cost and a cleared Field Service Time Costed box, then records the costing result.

FSM Mobile Duplicate Creation Protection

Uses standard FSM Mobile request identity to recognize repeated creation requests.

Record Constraints and Data Requirements

The ten supplied custom fields that apply to time are not required by their field definitions. A form, FSM Mobile resource, native feature, permission, or account validation can impose additional requirements.

The standard Time tab in FSM Mobile requires Service Item and Hours. Its default Hours limits are 0.1 through 24 decimal hours, in increments of 0.1 hour (six minutes). These are manual-input rules, not universal NetSuite record limits or limits on automatic activity-derived duration. See Configuring FSM Service Time Tracking for controls and default sources.

A project association doesn't make a CRM task a project task. Automatic Track Service Time and FSM Billing Rules support CRM tasks only. Manual FSM Mobile time has a separate project task relationship. Native requirements for project and time records still apply to manual entries.

Changing the related task, cost, rate, duration, or form doesn't establish that earlier invoices or labor journals have been revised. Billable alone doesn't establish invoice eligibility, and Costed alone doesn't establish native posting.