MULTI-JOB ALLOCATION SETUP

Use this screen to set up projects that you want to allocate to other projects. Use the Multi-Job Allocation feature to allocate a project, or even an entire project tree, to one or more projects. You can use various options to customize the costs allocated. You can allocate costs on a current or year-to-date basis with an option to include indirect burden costs, at either actual or target rates, with the allocation. You can also include hourly data such as account, labor category, and employee information. The basis for allocation can be one of three options: "Cost Incurred," "Hours Incurred," or "Percentage." The "Cost Incurred" and "Hours Incurred" methods allow for ranges of projects, accounts, and organizations in the base. The "Percentage" method allows for the allocation of costs to non-project accounts and project accounts.

The Multi-Job Allocation serves as a service center for projects. You set up the project to be allocated like other projects so that full cost accumulation and reporting capabilities are possible. However, because one of the project's main purposes is to allocate to other projects, you should not set it up as a billable job.

The project is allocated when you generate a journal entry from the Compute Multi-Job Allocations screen. Once you review and post the allocation, it becomes a component cost to the projects receiving it and a credit to the project allocating it. The allocation history for the cost and hours is stored in the Multi-Job Allocation Cost History (Projects » Cost and Revenue Processing » Cost Pool History) and Multi-Job Allocation Labor History (Projects » Cost and Revenue Processing » Cost Pool History) screens, respectively.

This screen has three subtasks: Cost Accounts, Cost/Hours Base, and Percentage Base. These subtasks control the costs to allocate and the basis for the allocations.

Set up this screen before creating any Multi-Job Allocation journal entries. No further maintenance of this screen is required unless one of the variables changes.

Project Allocation Code

Enter up to a six-digit code for this allocation. This code becomes the identifier for this allocation setup. You may want to set up separate codes for labor and non-labor allocations on the same project to separately allocate the labor hours information for the labor accounts.

Project To Allocate

Enter, or use to select, the project for which you want to allocate costs to other projects. This project can be at any level of the project tree. All project classifications (for example, Direct Project, Bid & Proposal) are eligible to allocate. The name of the selected project will display in the adjacent non-editable field.

Allocation Method

Use the drop-down list to select one of the allocation methods. Valid options are:

Include Lower Level Costs

Select this check box to allocate the lower levels of the project specified in the Project To Allocate field.

Include Indirect Burden

Select this check box to include the applicable indirect burden costs from your project to allocate with your direct cost amounts. Note that burden is included only for accounts that have a Labor or Non-Labor Function Code in the Project Account Groups screen (Projects » Project Setup » Controls). Although you can allocate indirect costs, they are not included in the basis for allocation. Selecting this option enables the Select Rate Type group box. If you selected the Current Period option in the Allocation Basis group box and you select the Allocate Employee/Vendor Labor Hours check box, this check box is disabled.

Allocate Employee/Vendor Labor Hours

Select this check box to allocate employee and vendor hours along with the cost amounts. This option is available only if you selected Current Period in the Allocation Basis group box.

Functional Currency

This non-editable field displays the functional currency of the database in which you are working.

Allocation Basis

Year To Date

Select this option to make the allocation on a year-to-date basis. You cannot allocate employee or vendor labor hours if you choose this option.

Current Period

Select this option to make the allocation on a current period basis. If you select this option, the Allocate Employee/Vendor Labor Hours check box is enabled.

Include Burden in Base

If you selected Cost Incurred as your Allocation Method, you can select this check box to include burden on the projects specified in the cost/hours base.

Select Rate Type

These options are available only if you selected the Include Indirect Burden check box. Select the appropriate rate option, either Actual Rates or Target Rates. This selection should be the same rate that you will use for burdening on the Project Status Reports and Compute Revenue screen (Projects » Cost and Revenue Processing » Revenue Processing).

Selecting the Actual Rates option can cause a circular process to occur in your compute burden process. For example, if you are allocating direct costs plus indirect burden at actual rates, you will first compute burden to determine the indirect costs to allocate, and then create and post the Multi-Job Allocation entry. Then you will compute burden again to include the amounts from the multi-job allocation in your burden process. If any allocations go to a non-project account and that account is part of a cost pool, the pool may possibly allocate back to the multi-job project that previously allocated to the pool. By allocating at target rates, you can avoid this situation. You may also find it helpful to reserve a series of project numbers for the Multi-Job Allocation projects to minimize the risk of circular burdening.

Credit Information

Use this group box to designate the account and organization that will be credited for the multi-job allocation. The project to which this will be credited is the Project To Allocate selection.

Account

Enter, or use to select, a valid account to use as the credit. Note that the Detail and Project Required check boxes must be selected for this account in the Maintain Accounts screen (Accounting » General Ledger » Accounts). Also, the account must be included in the allocating project's Account Group and any transaction validation screens that have been specified for this project.  You should use this account only for the multi-job allocation. Post no other transactions to this account.

Organization

Enter, or use to select, a valid organization to use as the credit with the Project To Allocate.

Ref 1

If your company is using the Reference Numbers feature, enter, or use to select, a valid reference number 1.

Ref 2

If your company is using the Reference Numbers feature, enter, or use to select, a valid reference number 2.

Cost Accounts

Click this button to open the Cost Accounts subtask. Use this subtask to enter the account that will be allocated.

Cost/Hours Base

Click this button to open the Cost/Hours Base subtask. The information that you enter in this subtask will serve as the basis for the allocation when the Allocation Method selected is either Cost Incurred or Hours Incurred.

Percentage Base

Click this button to activate the Percentage Base subtask when using Percentage as the Allocation Method.

Table Information

Changes to this screen update the PROJ_ALLOC table.