ADDTIMER and ENDTIMER — Running Multiple Concurrent Timers

What ADDTIMER and ENDTIMER Do

The standard scan sequence in Standard Time® starts one timer per employee at a time. Scanning STOP ends it. That covers most shop floor scenarios — one person, one job, one timer.

But some operations require one person to track time across several projects at once: a supervisor monitoring multiple workstations, a machine operator running several production jobs in parallel, or a technician handling concurrent maintenance tasks. ADDTIMER and ENDTIMER handle exactly this case.

One employee with three timers running simultaneously for different projects — ADDTIMER lets a single employee accumulate as many running timers as needed — each with its own project and task.

These two scans work as a matched pair:

ADDTIMER — after you already have one timer running, scan ADDTIMER to tell the system you want to add another. It clears the current project and task fields (but keeps your employee identity) and waits for you to scan the next project and task. A new timer starts immediately when the task is scanned, layering on top of any already-running timers.
ENDTIMER — when you want to stop one specific timer without touching the others, scan ENDTIMER. The system prompts you to scan the project name. It finds the running timer for that project and stops it. All other timers keep running.

Each timer is its own independent time log. Every ADDTIMER scan that results in a started timer creates a separate record in Standard Time® with its own start timestamp, its own stop timestamp, and its own elapsed work time. Timers do not share time — if three timers run concurrently for two hours, each of those three time logs records two hours of work independently. The fact that they overlapped in clock time does not reduce or split any of them.

Tip: You can find ADDTIMER and ENDTIMER in the full list of scannable items at Things to Scan on the Shop Floor.

Starting Multiple Timers with ADDTIMER

The ADDTIMER scan is the bridge between timers. After your first timer is running, scan ADDTIMER to start the sequence for a second timer. The scanning engine responds by:

Keeping your employee identity (no need to re-scan your badge)
Clearing the project and task fields so you can enter new values
Displaying the message: "Scan another project to add a new timer" (or "Scan another project, then a task" if task scans are required by your configuration)

From that point, scan the next project and task exactly as you would for a first timer. A new time log is created and starts immediately. The original timer keeps running in the background — it is not paused, not stopped, and not affected in any way.

ADDTIMER scan sequence: username once, then project and task, then ADDTIMER, then project and task again — ADDTIMER resets only the project and task fields — your employee identity stays, so the next timer links to the same person.

Scan Barcodes page showing active timer for a work order

Tip: There is no hard limit on the number of concurrent timers one employee can have. In the 9-timer example below, all nine timers run simultaneously from the moment each task is scanned.

Note: If you attempt to scan ADDTIMER before scanning a username, the system will display "Please scan username first" and stop the sequence. Always identify the employee first.

The 9-Timer Walkthrough

This is the full scan sequence to get one employee tracking nine projects at the same time. Steps 5–8 repeat as many times as needed.

1. Scan username

→ Employee identified

2. Scan Project 1 name

3. Scan Task 1

→ Timer starts for Project 1

4. Scan ADDTIMER

→ Project/task fields cleared; employee stays

5. Scan Project 2 name

6. Scan Task 2

→ Timer starts for Project 2 (Project 1 still running)

Repeat steps 4 – 6 for Projects 3 through 9

→ Result: 9 timers running for one person, each with a different project and task

At this point, nine separate time logs exist in Standard Time®, all with an open end time, all linked to the same employee. Each time log has its own start timestamp recorded at the exact moment that timer was started, its own project, and its own task. When each timer is eventually stopped — by ENDTIMER or STOP — the stop timestamp and elapsed work time are written to that specific record only. No two time logs share time. A timer that started at 8:00 AM and stopped at 10:00 AM records exactly two hours of work regardless of how many other timers were running alongside it.

Time Logs showing multiple open timers for one employee

Ending a Specific Timer with ENDTIMER

When you are ready to stop one of your running timers — but not the others — scan ENDTIMER. The system immediately prompts: "Please scan a project to end a timer." Scan the project name (or project barcode label) and the matching timer stops. All other timers for that employee continue running untouched.

ENDTIMER scan sequence: scan ENDTIMER, prompt appears, scan project name, that timer stops — ENDTIMER stops exactly one timer — the one matching the project you scan. Everything else keeps running.

The system matches the project scan to the open timer by looking up the employee's running timers and finding the one whose project name matches what was scanned. If there is no running timer for that project, nothing happens and the other timers are not affected.

Continuing the 9-timer example — stopping them one at a time:

Scan ENDTIMER

Scan Project 1

→ Project 1 timer ends; Projects 2–9 still running

Scan ENDTIMER

Scan Project 2

→ Project 2 timer ends; Projects 3–9 still running

Repeat as needed for each project

Scan Barcodes page showing a timer being stopped for a specific work order

Tip: You can use ENDTIMER as many times as needed in sequence. After stopping Project 1, immediately scan ENDTIMER again and scan Project 2 — no need to re-scan your username between each ENDTIMER operation.

Stopping All Remaining Timers

If you want to end everything at once — all running timers for the current employee in a single scan — use the standard STOP scan. STOP does not ask which timer to end. It finds every open time log for the employee and closes them all simultaneously.

(9 timers still running…)

Scan STOP

→ All outstanding timers stop immediately

Use STOP at the end of a shift or whenever you want a clean slate. For a supervisor or operator wrapping up a day with several concurrent tasks still open, a single STOP scan handles everything at once.

Tip: You can also mix ENDTIMER and STOP. Use ENDTIMER to close specific projects as they finish throughout the day, and scan STOP at end-of-shift to catch any that remain open.

ADDTIMER and ENDTIMER can be scanned at any point in the work cycle. There is no requirement to start all timers at the beginning of a shift or stop them all at the end. Scan ADDTIMER the moment a new job begins — even hours into the day — and scan ENDTIMER the moment that job finishes, independent of everything else. Each timer records its own actual start and stop time, so timers naturally stagger across the day to reflect exactly when each piece of work happened.

Screen Timeout and CLEAR

The scanning station screen automatically clears after 60 seconds of inactivity. When the timeout fires, all pending scan state — the current username, project, and task fields — is wiped from the display. This is intentional: it ensures that the next operator who approaches the station starts with a clean screen and cannot accidentally inherit the previous person's context or trigger an unintended scan against the wrong employee.

You do not need to wait for the timeout. Scan CLEAR at any time to reset the screen immediately — either before walking away from a shared station, or when you arrive at one that may still show a previous session. It is good practice to scan CLEAR whenever handing off a station between operators.

Scanning CLEAR does not stop any running timers. It only clears the display. Any timers that were started via ADDTIMER continue running in the background after a CLEAR or a screen timeout — they are not affected. Use ENDTIMER or STOP to actually end a timer.

If the screen has already timed out or been cleared and you need to resume scanning, simply scan your username. The system re-identifies you and restores your context — any in-progress session state associated with your username becomes active again and you can continue scanning immediately without starting over.

Scanning your username is usually the first thing to do when approaching a scanning station. It pulls your previous status for review — showing which projects and tasks are already active — and puts the station in your context so any additional scans, including ADDTIMER and ENDTIMER, are applied to your session. Make it a habit: walk up, scan your badge, confirm what is running, then proceed.

Expect to scan your username multiple times throughout the day. The screen times out after 60 seconds of inactivity, so any time you step away and return the screen will have cleared. This is normal — simply scan your badge again to reactivate your session. Your running timers are never affected by the timeout; scanning your username just pulls up your current status so you can see what is active and continue scanning where you left off.

Viewing Running Timers in Time Logs

While any timer is still running you can see it in the Time Logs page. Open Standard Time® and navigate to Time Logs to get a live view of every open time record for your employees.

Running timers are highlighted with a yellow background so they stand out immediately from completed records. A yellow row means that timer has a start time but no stop time yet — the clock is still ticking. Once ENDTIMER or STOP closes the record, the yellow highlight disappears and a stop time appears in the row.

Time Logs page showing rows with yellow backgrounds for timers that are still running — no Stop value recorded yet

When an employee has several concurrent timers running via ADDTIMER, each open record appears as its own yellow row — one per project. You can count the yellow rows to confirm how many timers are active at any moment, and use the project name column to verify which jobs are being tracked.

Tip: If you see a yellow row that should have been stopped, scan the employee's username followed by STOP at any scanning station to close all open timers for that person immediately.

Putting It All Together

Here is the complete scan sequence from first scan to last — starting as many timers as needed, ending specific ones by project, and finishing with a clean stop.

1. Scan username

2. Scan Project 1 name

3. Scan Task 1

→ A timer starts for Project 1

4. Scan ADDTIMER

5. Scan Project 2 name

6. Scan Task 2

→ Another timer starts for Project 2

7–9. Repeat steps 4 – 6 again, and again, and again

→ Result: 9 timers running for one person, each with a different project and task

10. Scan ENDTIMER

11. Scan Project 1…9

→ Project 1…9 timer ends

12. Repeat steps 10 – 11 as needed

13. Scan STOP

→ Result: all outstanding timers stop

9 is not a magic number. There is no hard limit on concurrent timers. An operator could technically run a dozen or more. The practical ceiling is self-imposed — timers that are hard to remember are timers that get forgotten and left running. Most operators find a comfortable limit somewhere between three and ten, depending on how many jobs they can realistically keep track of at once.

Timers do not need to start or stop together. Each time log created by ADDTIMER and ENDTIMER can begin and end at completely different times. One timer might run from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM, another from 8:45 AM to 2:00 PM, and a third from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM — all for the same employee, all overlapping in whatever pattern the work requires. There is no requirement that timers start at the same time, run for the same duration, or end together.

Advanced: Embedded Field Values

Both ADDTIMER and ENDTIMER support an embedded field-value format that combines the command and the project/task identification into a single barcode. This is useful when you want to print a single label that starts or stops a timer for a very specific job without requiring a follow-up project scan.

ADDTIMER with an embedded value

Format: ADDTIMER-fieldname-value

Example: ADDTIMER-Project-Alpha — adds a timer for the project named Alpha in one scan, without a separate project barcode scan. The field name (e.g., Project) tells the scanning engine which database column to use; the value (Alpha) is what gets written to that field.

ENDTIMER with an embedded value

Format: ENDTIMER-fieldname-value

Example: ENDTIMER-Project-Alpha — finds the running timer for project Alpha and stops it immediately, with no on-screen prompt. This is useful for a fixed workstation where you know in advance exactly which job is being tracked.

Tip: For most shop floor deployments the two-scan form (ADDTIMER, then a separate project scan) is simpler to manage because your project barcodes are already printed on your work orders. Use embedded values when you want a single all-in-one label for a recurring, predictable job.

Quick Reference

Scan	What Happens
`ADDTIMER`	Clears project and task fields (employee stays); prompts for next project and task to start an additional concurrent timer.
`ADDTIMER-field-value`	Starts an additional timer with the project/task embedded directly in the barcode — no follow-up scan required.
`ENDTIMER`	Prompts "Scan a project to end a timer"; stops the matching open timer only; all other timers keep running.
`ENDTIMER-field-value`	Stops the timer matching the embedded field value immediately — no on-screen prompt.
`STOP`	Stops all open timers for the current employee simultaneously, including any started via ADDTIMER.

Related pages:

Things to Scan on the Shop Floor — full reference of every scannable item
Shop Floor Barcode Scanning — How It Works — the standard single-timer workflow
How Barcode Rules Work — auto-create and routing rules for scan inputs

For Admins: Finding All Running Timers

Administrators can see every running timer across all employees at a glance using the Filter panel on the left side of the Time Logs page. Open Time Logs, expand the Filter panel, and set the status filter to show only running timers. The grid updates immediately to display every open time record in the system — one row per active timer, regardless of which employee started it or when.

Time Logs page with the Filter panel open on the left, showing results filtered to only running timers

This view is useful at the end of a shift to catch any timers that were not properly stopped, or during the day to verify that concurrent ADDTIMER sessions are progressing as expected. Each yellow row represents a timer that is still accumulating time — identify the employee and project from the columns, then coordinate with the operator or use STOP on their behalf if the timer should have ended.

Tip: Make the filtered Time Logs view part of your end-of-shift supervisor checklist. Any yellow rows still present after the last operator leaves represent unbounded timers that will continue adding hours until manually stopped.