Costing Options
Displays a window where you can set up features and functions for using the Costing Module.
You can change the terminology used as field prompts within the Costing Module in Description/Language.
Records Tab
The names used in Costing default to “Project” and “Cost Centre”.
These defaults may be changed to whatever suits your business, and every reference within the System will refer to the new name.
Project Code:
Automatic Codes - will automatically allocate consecutive numbers to new Projects. Ticking the box displays a field into which a ‘start’ number can be entered, thereafter it will display the next number to be used.
Revised Budget:
Include Original Budget for first Revision only - If this option is selected, the original budget will only be included when the first revision is made. That is, the first revision will be added to the original budget; later revisions will be added to the current revised budget figure. This is important if, at any time, you reduce the budget to zero. With this option selected, the next revision will be added to zero thus enabling you to create a completely new Budget. If this option is not selected and the budget is reduced to zero, the next revision will be added to the original budget thus always using the original budget as a starting point for revisions.
Transactions Tab
Default Entry:
When entering new Project Records and when first displaying Transaction entry windows, the system needs to know whether to default to Estimate Status or Live Status.
These two pull-down menus enable you to control the default status of the Costing Transactions entered for Projects, and the default status of new Project Records.
You may toggle these options back and forth as often as you choose and still change either status manually when actually entering Project Records or Costing Transactions.
Transactions - The first menu toggles the system between suggesting that Costing Transactions have Active or Estimate status.
Project - The second menu toggles the system between suggesting that new Project Records have Active or Estimate status.
When entering Costing Transactions it is essential that you select the correct status:
Estimate Transactions entered for Estimate Projects are used to calculate original Project Budgets,
Active Transactions enter real costs on to Active Projects.
The System displays messages if you try to enter Active Transactions on to Estimate status Project records, and prevents you from continuing.
If you enter Estimate Transactions into Active Projects, a message advises you that you will update the revised Project Budgets.
Default Uplift:
You may choose whether to use a Percentage or Value default uplift on Costing Projects.
Week Number:
Hide Week on Transaction Entry - If this option is selected, the Week Number will no longer be shown on Transaction Header windows.
Turnover:
Project - Include Uplift in Turnover - If this option is selected, then any Uplifts set in Cost Centres will be included in the Project Turnover.
Resource - Include Uplift in Turnover - If this option is selected, then any Uplifts set in Cost Centres will be included in the Resource Turnover.
Costing:
Dimensions Only - This feature is not available in Dimensions Lite
Compulsory Costing - Compulsory Costing forces all transaction detail lines to have Project and Cost Centre information.
Post Sales type Journals as Costing Income - This allows you to post a Journal to Costing and update Income rather than Costs. When enabled, then when a journal detail line is posted to a Nominal Account that has a Major Heading of 1 or 3, the update to Costing posts as a Sales type transaction rather than a Cost type transaction.
Do not allow selection of Contract type Projects in Transactions - This field is only visible if FocalPoint is installed against the database. When it is visible, the checkbox is ticked by default. When ticked, any Project records where Contract is ticked may not be selected on a transaction. When this checkbox is unticked, normal rules apply.
Payroll Link Tab
This Tab used to control the links between the Costing module in Accounts and your Access Payroll.
If you do not use Resource Timesheets you will not need to establish the Payroll Link.
The interface between the Access Payroll and the Costing module in Access Accounts is driven from the Payroll and you should refer to the Payroll Help to ensure that your Employee records and Pay types are setup correctly for updating Costing.
Once Employee records and Pay type records in the Payroll have been linked to the Resource records in the Accounts, you will be able to:
Update Resource records with Pay type information taken from the Employee records in the Payroll.
Use timesheets entered in the accounts for Employee Resources to update payment details within the Payroll. The Employees will then be paid for the time that they entered on the timesheets without the need to re-enter that data to the Payroll.
The Costing records in the Accounts can be updated with the value of Employer's NI, calculated by the Payroll on the timesheets that were passed to it.
Analyse Payroll N.I. Costs to Resources - This enables the analysis of Employers NI to Resources in the Accounts. If this option is not ticked, then the import of NI is disabled.
Use Paytype Value as Price on Timesheets - This will automatically insert the default Paytype Rate which has been exported from Payroll when Timesheets are being entered and an Employee Resource is selected. If this option is not ticked, then the system will use Resource Price or Cost Centre Rates on Timesheets.
Note: If Resource Uplift (% or value) is required for timesheet entry, it will only be added to Resource Price if 'Use Paytype Value as Price on Timesheets' is NOT ticked.
Create Resources from Payroll - This will enable the automatic update of Employee Resource records from the Payroll. If an Employee Code is entered directly into the Payroll tab card on an existing Resource record, the default Pay types and Rates will be updated via the Costing/Payroll interface. If this option is not ticked, then the Payroll cannot update or amend Resource data held in the Costing module.