Load Labor Rates

Use this process to select labor rates from the labor rate screens and to calculate the labor rates based on effective dates and rate types. These labor rates are used to calculate revenue and billing.

This process selects labor rates for a PLC from the labor rate screens based on the information in the Define Rate Seq screen in the Project User Flow (Projects\Maintain\Project) for a project. Once the correct labor rate screen has been identified, this process uses effective dates and rate types to calculate the labor rates and insert them into the Maintain Labor Summary (Projects\Configure\Project History) and Open Billing Detail (Projects\Maintain\Billing) screens. The Maintain Labor Summary screen is used in the computation of revenue and the Maintain Open Billing Detail screen used in the calculation of bills for hours-based revenue and billing formulas.

The screens that are classified as labor rates screens include Project Labor Categories (PLC) (Projects\Maintain\Labor Categories), Project PLC Rates (in the Project User Flow), and Empl/Vend PLC Rates (in the Project User Flow). You can have PLCs and related billing rates set up in any or all of these screens. Use the Define Rate Seq screen in the Project User Flow (Projects\Maintain\Project) to identify a sequence in which you want the Load Labor Rates process to select labor rates from the labor rate screens. Once the correct labor rate screen is identified for a PLC, this process compares the effective date in the Maintain Labor Summary (Projects\Configure\Project History) and Open Billing Detail (Projects\Maintain\Billing) screens to the effective date range in the labor rate screen. This process selects the labor rate for the PLC where the effective date in the Maintain Labor Summary and/or the Maintain Open Billing Detail screen falls within the date range in the labor rate screen.

The Load Labor Rates process uses the rate type to do the final calculation of the labor rate for the PLC. See the labor rate screens for more information on how rate types are used in the calculation of labor rates. The process inserts the labor rate into the Maintain Labor Summary (Projects\Configure\Project History) and Open Billing Detail (Projects\Maintain\Billing) screens once the correct labor rate is selected and calculated.

If you selected the Use Goal Multipliers for Billable Value Calculations checkbox in the Project Settings screen (Administration\Configure\Projects), this process will insert labor rates for all projects including projects that are not hours-based. For hours-based projects, the process will calculate labor rates as noted above. For all other types of projects, the process will set the Rate Type field in the labor rates screens to “A,” and calculate the labor rate by dividing total labor cost by actual hours incurred.

When should I use this screen?

You must run this program before computing revenue, billings, or billable value of cost incurred, and you must initialize PLC labor rates by project before running this program. The Compute Revenue (Projects\Process\Revenue) and Calculate Bills screen (Projects\Process\Billing) use the labor rate stored in Labor History and Open Billing Detail, respectively, as the basis for revenue and billing amounts on projects with T&M or "Loaded Labor" formulas.

Note that this program updates labor rates by effective date; therefore, if you have posted labor adjustments, you should run this program again after posting the adjustments. The Billing Value report also uses the billing rate stored in Labor History, in addition to revenue and billing programs, as the basis for deriving the billing value of costs incurred.

Field Descriptions

Identification Block

Use the fields in this block to create a new parameter ID or to retrieve a previously saved parameter ID. A parameter ID represents a set of screen selection parameters. Once you have saved a parameter ID and its related parameters, you can retrieve them using Query.

You can use the retrieved parameters to produce reports and run processes more efficiently and with greater consistency. Many users save a unique set of parameters for each different way they run a report or process. If you select a previously saved parameter ID or parameter description, the associated saved screen selection parameters will automatically display as selection defaults. You can change any of the associated selection defaults as necessary.

Enter, or use Query to select, a parameter ID of up to 15 alphanumeric characters. You should choose characters for your parameter ID that help identify the type of selections you made in the screen, such as “PERIOD” or “QUARTERLY.”

When you save your record, all the selections made in the screen are stored with the parameter ID. Later, you can retrieve the parameter using Query.

You can use the parameter to produce reports and run processes more efficiently because you can select the parameter ID with its previously defined screen selections. Once the default selections display in the screen, you can override the defaults as necessary.

Enter, or use Query to select, a parameter description of up to 30 alphanumeric characters.

Selection Ranges

Use this group box to select the subperiods for which you want to update labor rates. If you need to update more than one period, run the program individually for each period being updated. The fiscal year, period, and subperiod must be open to update labor rates. Only the transactions that fall on or before this subperiod ending date will be evaluated during the Load Labor Rates process.

Use this drop-down box to select the range option for your report. The following options are available:

All - Select this option to include all available records. The Start and End fields are disabled for this option.
One - Select this option to include only one record. You must enter that value in the Start field. The End field is disabled for this option.
Range - Select this option to include a contiguous range of records. You must enter the beginning value for the range in the Start field and the ending value of the range in the End field.
From Beginning - Select this option to include all the records from the beginning of the available records to a specific record in the range. You must enter the last value for the range in the End field. The Start field is disabled for this option.
To End - Select this option to include all the records from a specific record to the end of all the available records. You must enter the value from which the range should begin in the Start field. The End field is disabled for this option.

Enter, or use Lookup to select, the beginning fiscal year. If you select "All" or "From Beginning" in the Option field, this field will be inactive.

Enter, or use Lookup to select, the beginning period. If you select "All" or "From Beginning" in the Option field, this field will be inactive.

Enter, or use Lookup to select, the beginning subperiod. If you select "All" or "From Beginning" in the Option field, this field will be inactive.

This field displays the ending date of the selected subperiod.

Enter the ending subperiod.

This field displays the ending date of the ending subperiod.

Use these options to select the projects you want to update in the Labor History and/or Open Billing Detail screens. The project range selected should include all projects for which you want to compute billable value, revenue and/or billing. This process will only affect projects with hours-based billing and/or revenue formulas. If you have selected the Use Goal Multipliers for Billable Value Calculations checkbox in the Project Settings screen (Administration\Configure\Projects), all projects included in this range will be affected.

Use this drop-down box to select the range option for your report. The following options are available:

All - Select this option to include all available records. The Start and End fields are disabled for this option.
One - Select this option to include only one record. You must enter that value in the Start field. The End field is disabled for this option.
Range - Select this option to include a contiguous range of records. You must enter the beginning value for the range in the Start field and the ending value of the range in the End field.
From Beginning - Select this option to include all the records from the beginning of the available records to a specific record in the range. You must enter the last value for the range in the End field. The Start field is disabled for this option.
To End - Select this option to include all the records from a specific record to the end of all the available records. You must enter the value from which the range should begin in the Start field. The End field is disabled for this option.

Enter, or use Lookup to select, the starting value for the range you want to include. If you select "All" or "From Beginning" in the Option field, this field will be inactive.

Enter, or use Lookup to select, the ending value for the range you want to include. If you select "All," "One," or "To End" in the Option field, this field will be inactive.

Enter the date that you would like to use for exchanges rates. This date is only used for PLCs that have a rate type of “T.” The Load Labor Rates process uses the date entered in this field to select the appropriate rate from the Exchange Rates by Date screen (Administration\Maintain\Multicurrency). You must have selected the Use Transactional Currency Billing checkbox in the Other Info tab of the Project Billing Information screen (Projects\Maintain\Billing) in order for “T” rates to be calculated correctly. The date entered in this field will be ignored for purposes of currency conversion on projects that are not using “T” rate types.

Select Process

Use the radio buttons in this group box to select the tables that will be updated with the labor rate and rate type.

Select this radio button to update the labor rate and rate type in the Billing Rate and Rate Type fields in the Maintain Labor Summary screen (Projects\Configure\Project History). The Maintain Labor Summary screen is used for computation of revenue and billable value.

Select this radio button to update the Billing Rate and Rate Type fields in the Labor subtask of the Open Billing Detail (Projects\Maintain\Billing) screen. The Open Billing Detail screen is used for the calculation of bills.

Select this radio button to update the Billing Rate and Rate Type fields in both the Maintain Labor Summary screen (Projects\Configure\Project History) and the Labor subtask of the Open Billing Detail (Projects\Maintain\Billing) screen. Select this radio button to update the labor rates for revenue, billing, and billable value computations.