Accounting Tab of Project Info Center

Use the Accounting tab to enter accounting information for the project, including billing information, compensation and fee amounts, revenue and charge types, units and multipliers, percent completes, and revenue upset limits. The Accounting tab is available if you use Vision Accounting.

By default, project records are available to all companies. You can restrict, by company, the ability to charge labor and expenses to a project. To do so, select the Restrict Charge Companies option and use the Company Access grid to specify which companies in the enterprise are able to charge labor and expenses to the project.

Contents

Field Description
Billing Client Enter the client to be billed for the project, or use the Client lookup or Quick Find to select a client.

If the client record does not exist in your database, click New to create a new client record.

When you enter a client name in the Billing Client field:

  • Vision creates a hyperlink between the client name and the corresponding Client Info Center record. You can click the client name in this field to open the Client Info Center record.

  • Vision adds the client's name and related information to the Clients grid on the Clients/Contacts tab of the Project Info Center record.

  • Vision adds the project's name and related information to the Projects grid in the specified Client Info Center record.

To edit the client name, right-click the name and click Edit. This temporarily disables the hyperlink feature and allows you to edit the information in this field.

Billing Address When you enter a client name in the Billing Client field on the Accounting tab, Vision enters the billing address associated with that client record in the Billing Address field. This address displays on invoices, and you can enter a different billing address if desired.

The actual address does not display in this field. When you enter a client address in the Client Info Center, you must also enter a description for the address and you must designate one address as the billing address. It is the description for the billing address that displays in the Billing Address field on the Accounting tab.

To select a different address, click Search and use the Address Lookup to select another address. The Address Lookup only lists addresses for the client entered in the Billing Client field.

Billing Contact Enter the billing contact for the project. You can enter a contact name directly in this field, use the Contact lookup, or use Quick Find. The Contact lookup displays contacts for the client entered in the Billing Client field.

If the contact record does not exist in your database, click New to create a new contact record.

When you enter a contact name in the Billing Contact field:

  • Vision creates a hyperlink between the contact name and the corresponding Contact Info Center record. You can then click the client name in this field to open the Contact Info Center record.
  • Vision adds the contact's name and related information to the Contacts grid on the Clients/Contacts tab of the Project Info Center record.
  • Vision adds the project's name and related information to the Projects grid in the specified Contact Info Center record.

To edit the contact name, right-click the name and click Edit. This temporarily disables the hyperlink feature, allowing you to edit the information in this field.

Charge Type Use this drop-down list to select the project's charge type. The options are:
  • Regular — Regular projects are revenue-producing projects. Costs charged to regular projects include direct labor, direct expense, and reimbursable expense.
  • Overhead — Overhead projects are not revenue-producing. Cost charged to overhead projects include indirect labor and indirect expense. The total cost of these projects is distributed to regular projects during overhead allocation. Typical overhead projects include General Overhead, Vacation, Sick Leave, Holiday, and Civic Duty. Overhead projects zero out when you initialize for a new fiscal year.
  • Promotional — Promotional projects are identical to overhead projects. However, Vision does not zero out job-to-date costs when you initialize for a new fiscal year for a promotional project. Use the promotional charge type to track the costs associated with acquiring a new job. If you are awarded the job, you can create a new, regular project and transfer the detail so it can be tracked or billed as part of the project cost.
Unit Table Use this drop-down list to select a unit table to associate with the project. Vision uses the unit table as the default when billing unit charges for the project. You can override the unit table in transaction entry. If a project contains phases or tasks, you specify the unit table at the phase or task level, not at the project level. This drop-down list does not include any dormant unit tables.

If you use Multicurrency, the drop-down list includes the unit tables in which the cost and billing currencies match the currencies selected in the Project Cost Currency and Project Billing Currency fields.

Cost Rate Method Use this drop-down list to select the cost rate method you want to use for a project, phase, or task. You can specify a different cost rate method at each level of the WBS.

This field displays if you use Vision Accounting and select the Enable cost rate tables option on the General tab of Accounting Configuration (Configuration > Accounting > System Settings). Use the cost rate tables to override the cost rate information entered in your Employee Info Center records. Before you select a cost rate method, you must set up labor rate, category rate, or labor code tables using the forms in Accounting Configuration.

The settings for this option are as follows:

  • None — This is the default value. If you select None at the phase or task level, Vision uses the method selected at the next higher level of the WBS. If you select None at the project, phase, and task level, Vision uses the cost rate specified in the Employee Info Center for all WBS levels.
  • From Employee Cost Rate — Select this option to use the employee's cost rate for the project, phase, or task.
  • From Labor Rate Table — Select this option to specify a Labor Rate Table to use for the project, phase, or task.
  • From Category Rate Table — Select this option to specify a Category Rate Table to use for the project, phase, or task.
  • From Labor Code Table — Select this option to specify a Labor Code Table to use for the project, phase, or task.

Cost Rate Method Hierarchy

You can also specify cost rate methods and tables on the Time tab of the Employee Info Center. When you post employee labor charges to a project, Vision looks first at the project record and then at the employee record to determine how to apply cost rates. Vision uses the first setting it finds, based on the following hierarchy:

  1. Project Info Center record WBS3 — Cost Rate Method field on the Time and Expense tab.
  2. Project Info Center record WBS2 — Cost Rate Method field on the Time and Expense tab.
  3. Project Info Center record WBS1 — Cost Rate Method field on the Time and Expense tab.
  4. Employee Info Center — Cost Rate Method field on the Time and Expense tab.
  5. Employee Info Center — Job Cost Rate field on the Accounting tab.

If you use Multicompany, and cost rates are not enabled for the active company, the Cost Rate Method and Cost Rate Table fields do not display on the Time and Expense tab of Project Info Center.

Cost Rate Table This field displays if you use Vision Accounting and you have selected the Enable cost rate tables option on the General tab of Accounting Configuration (Configuration > Accounting > System Settings)

Cost rate tables allow you to override the cost rate information you enter in Employee Info Center records. Before you select a cost rate table, you must first use the forms in Accounting Configuration to set up labor rate, category rate, or labor code tables.

The drop-down list in this field displays the names of your Labor Rate Tables, Category Rate Tables, or Labor Code Tables — depending on the option you select in the Cost Rate Method field. Use the drop-down list to select the cost rate table you want to use for the project, phase, or task.

Vision disables this field if you select the None or From Employee Cost Rate options in the Cost Rate Method field.

If you use Multicompany and cost rates are not enabled for the active company, the Cost Rate Method and Cost Rate Table fields do not display on the Time and Expense tab of Project Info Center.

Pay Rate Method This field displays if you use Vision Payroll and you select the Enable payrate tables for overriding payrate from Employee Info Center option on the Payroll Setup form in Payroll Configuration. Pay rate tables allow you to override the pay rate information entered in your Employee Info Center records. Before you select a pay rate method, you must first use the forms in Accounting > Cost/Pay Rate Tables to set up labor rate, category rate, or labor code tables.

Use this drop-down list to select the pay rate method you want to use for a project, phase, or task. You can specify a different pay rate method at each level of the WBS.

The settings for this option are as follows:

  • None — This is the default value. If you select None at the phase or task level, Vision uses the method selected at the next higher level of the WBS. If you select None at the project, phase, and task level, Vision uses the pay rate specified in the Employee Info Center for all WBS levels.
  • From Employee Pay Rate — Select this option to use the employee's pay rate for the project, phase, or task.
  • From Labor Rate Table — Select this option to specify a Labor Rate Table to use for the project, phase, or task.
  • From Category Rate Table — Select this option to specify a Category Rate Table to use for the project, phase, or task.
  • From Labor Code Table — Select this option to specify a Labor Code Table to use for the project, phase, or task.

Pay Rate Method Hierarchy

You can also specify pay rate methods and tables on the Time tab of Employee Info Center. When you post employee labor charges to a project, Vision looks first at the project record and then at the employee record (if necessary) to determine how to apply pay rates. Vision uses the first setting it finds, based on the following hierarchy:

  • Project Info Center record WBS3 — Pay Rate Method field on the Time and Expense tab.
  • Project Info Center record WBS2 — Pay Rate Method field on the Time and Expense tab.
  • Project Info Center record WBS1 — Pay Rate Method field on the Time and Expense tab.
  • Employee Info Center — Pay Rate Method field on the Time and Expense tab.
  • Employee Info Center — Pay Rate field on the Payroll tab.

If you use Multicompany, and pay rates are not enabled for the active company, the Pay Rate Method and Pay Rate Table fields do not display on the Time and Expense tab of Project Info Center.

Pay Rate Table This field displays if you use Vision Payroll and you have selected the Enable payrate tables for overriding payrate from Employee Info Center option on the Payroll Setup form in Payroll Configuration. Pay rate tables allow you to override the pay rate information entered in your Employee Info Center records. Before selecting a pay rate table, you must first set up labor rate, category rate, or labor code tables using the forms in Accounting > Cost/Pay Rate Tables.

The drop-down list in this field displays the names of your Labor Rate Tables, Category Rate Tables, or Labor Code Tables — depending on the option you select in the Pay Rate Method field. Use the drop-down list to select the pay rate table you want to use for the project, phase, or task.

This field is disabled if the None or From Employee Pay Rate options are selected in the Pay Rate Method field.

If you use Multicompany and pay rates are not enabled for the active company, the Pay Rate Method and Pay Rate Table fields do not display on the Time and Expense tab of Project Info Center.

Payroll Tax Locale Use this drop-down list to select the state for the payroll tax. Vision uses this tax locale during payroll processing to calculate withholding taxes for an employee if you selected the Follow Project Locale method for an employee.

When you select the Follow Project Locale method for an employee (in the Locale Method field on the Payroll tab in the Employee Info Center), Vision uses the following hierarchy to determine the tax locale to use to calculate withholdings for an employee when payroll is processed:

  1. Use the tax locale that is entered in the Payroll Tax Locale field at the WBS3 (task) level if the tax locale is specified as Active for an employee in the State/Local/Tax Jurisdictions grid on the Payroll tab in the Employee Info Center.
  2. If no tax locale is found per step 1, use the tax locale that is entered in the Payroll Tax Locale field at the WBS2 (phase) level if the tax locale is specified as Active for an employee in the State/Local/Tax Jurisdictions grid on the Payroll tab in the Employee Info Center.
  3. If no tax locale is found per step 2, use the tax locale that is entered in the Payroll Tax Locale field at the WBS1 (project) level if the tax locale is specified as Active for an employee in the State/Local/Tax Jurisdictions grid on the Payroll tab in the Employee Info Center.
  4. If no tax locale is found per step 3, use the employee's default tax locale that is entered in the Default Tax Locale field on the Payroll tab in the Employee Info Center.
Cross Charge Apply Rate Method at this Level This field indicates which Labor Cross Charge configuration settings currently apply to this project/phase/task:
  • Global — Select this option to specify the settings at the Organization or system level.
  • Project — Select this option to specify the rate method or multiplier used to calculate the transfer price on this tab, in Cross Charge Rate.
  • None — Select this option to disable Vision's Labor Cross Charge feature.

This field displays only if you select the Enable cross charge feature on the Cross Charge tab of Configuration > Accounting > System Settings.

Rate Method Using the Cross Charge Method specified above, this field indicates the Labor Cross Charge transfer price calculation method for this project, phase, or task:
  • Billing Terms — Select this option to specify the project, phase, or task's billing terms. If none are specified, Vision first uses the billing terms marked Use as Project Reporting Default Terms Only in Billing, Billing Terms. If none are specified, Vision then uses the billing terms on the Labor tab ofConfiguration > Billing > Default Terms.
  • Multiplier — Select this option to specify the applicable multiplier. If the Cross Charge Method is Project, enter the new multiplier in the unlabeled field at the right.

This field displays only if you selected the Enable cross charge feature on the Cross Charge tab of Configuration > Accounting > Company Settings.

Multiplier Select this option to specify the applicable multiplier. If the Cross Charge Method is Project, enter the new multiplier in the unlabeled field at the right.
AP Bill by Default This group box displays when you select the Enable expense codes option on the Accounts Payable tab of Configuration > Accounting > System AP.

When the expense codes feature is enabled, Vision enters an expense code on both AP Voucher and AP Disbursement transactions. Each expense code is assigned to an individual expense code type, consultants or other, which can then be specified as billable or not billable at the project level. If billable, Vision defaults the expense code's reimbursable account during AP Voucher and AP Disbursement transaction entry. If not billable, Vision defaults the expense code's direct General Ledger expense account during AP Voucher and AP Disbursement transaction entry.

You can also set the expense code type to follow the Bill by Default setting on the Expense Codes tab in Configuration > Accounting > System AP. The Bill by Default feature can be used when you first select the Enable expense codes option on the Accounts Payable tab of Configuration > Accounting > System AP. It allows you to start using the feature before you enter the bill by default settings for each project on the Accounting tab of the Project Info Center.

Bill by Default Hierarchy

For projects that have a Regular charge type, Vision determines whether the project's expenses are billable or not by looking at the bill by default setting at the following locations in the order listed. It uses the first one found.

  • Expense code override table — If a project has an expense code override table entered in the Bill by Default section on the Accounting tab of the Project Info Center, Vision uses the bill by default setting for the expense code from the project's expense code override table. Override tables are set up in Accounting Configuration.
  • Project — If no expense code override table is found for the project or the expense code is not listed on the override table for a project, Vision looks at the bill by default settings for the project in the Consultants and Other Expenses fields in the Bill by Default section on the Accounting tab in the Project Info Center. If the expense code on the AP voucher or AP disbursement is a consultant expense code type, Vision looks at the Consultants field for the bill by default setting. If the expense code is an Other expense code type, Vision looks at the Other Expenses field for the bill by default setting.
  • Expense code — If the project's bill by default setting in the Consultants or Other Expenses field in the Project Info Center is Expense Code, Vision looks at the bill by default setting for the AP transaction's expense code on the Expense Codes tab of Configuration > Accounting > System AP.

Because there are two types of expense codes — consultants and other — there are Consultants and Other Expenses fields in the Bill by Default section on this tab. The default setting for both of these is Expense Code. This means Vision uses the bill by default setting for the expense code. Thus, you can use expense codes quickly after setting up expense codes, without setting up the bill by default setting for each project.

Consultants Use this drop-down list to select the bill by default setting for the consultant expense code type. The options are:
  • Expense Code — Select this option for the Bill by Default setting of the expense code to determine if the consultant expense is billable. During AP transaction entry, when the project and expense code are entered, the reimbursable or direct expense account for the expense code defaults based on the expense code’s bill by default setting on the Expense Codes tab in Configuration > Accounting > System AP
  • Yes — Select this option to define all consultant type expense codes as reimbursable for this project. Vision uses the expense code’s reimbursable expense account as defined on the Expense Codes tab inConfiguration > Accounting > System AP.
  • No — Select this option to define all consultant type expense codes as not reimbursable for this project. Vision uses the expense code’s direct expense account as defined on the Expense Codes tab in Configuration > Accounting > System AP.
Other Expenses Use this drop-down list to select the bill by default setting for the other expenses expense code type. The options are:
  • Expense Code — Select this option for the Bill by Default setting to determine if the other expense is billable. During AP transaction entry, when the project and expense code are entered, the reimbursable or direct expense account for the expense code defaults based on the expense code’s bill by default setting on the Expense Codes tab in Configuration > Accounting > System AP.
  • Yes — Select this option to define all other type expense codes as reimbursable for this project. Vision uses the expense code’s reimbursable expense account as defined on the Expense Codes tab in Configuration > Accounting > System AP
  • No — Select this option to define all other type expense codes as not reimbursable for this project. Vision uses the expense code’s direct expense account as defined on the Expense Codes tab in Configuration > Accounting > System AP.
Override Table Select an override table. Override tables are exception tables that allow you to assign bill by default settings to specific expense codes. Those settings then override any other expense code or expense code type bill by default settings for the project.

For example, all expense codes with an Other expense code type are reimbursable to the client except copies and faxes. In this scenario, you could define Other Expenses as billable on the Accounting tab in the Project Info Center by selecting Yes from the Other Expenses drop-down list. You could then enter the expense code for copies and faxes in an expense override table, but not select the associated Bill by Default option on the Expense Code Override Table form in Accounting Configuration.

The Override Table field drop-down lists the override tables established in Configuration > Accounting > Expense Code Override. If the drop-down list is blank, no override tables have been created.

If you use Multicompany, this drop-down list includes the expense codes that are defined for the project, phase, or task's company.

Purchasing Commitments Enter the multipliers for billable and reimbursable committed expenses.
Consultant Multiplier (Purchasing) Enter a multiplier for calculating an estimate of billable committed expenses for the project.

After you process a final purchase order, your committed expenses can be shown on Project Summary reports in the Committed Cost column. When you run project reports at billing rates, the billable committed expense are displayed using the multiplier specified here.

Committed expenses do not display on financial statements. When a purchase order becomes a voucher, the committed expenses become actual expenses and can then be displayed on financial statements.

This field displays if you use Vision Purchasing.

Reimbursable Multiplier (Purchasing) Enter a multiplier for calculating an estimate of reimbursable committed expenses for the project.

After you process a final purchase order, your committed expenses can be shown on Project Summary reports in the Committed Cost column. When you run project reports at billing rates, the reimbursable committed expense are displayed using the multiplier specified here.

Committed expenses do not display on financial statements. When a purchase order becomes a voucher, the committed expenses become actual expenses and can then be displayed on financial statements.

This field displays if you use Vision Purchasing.

Restrict Charge Companies If you use Multicompany, you can specify which companies in your enterprise have the ability to charge labor and expenses to a project. Select this option to enable the fields in the Company Access grid and specify which companies will have access to the project.

Company Access Grid

Use this grid to associate companies to the current project.

Field Description
Company Access Drop-down Click the drop-down arrow on a grid header to complete any of the following actions:
  • To print grid data, click Print. When the Print Preview form displays, click File > Print to send the grid data to your default printer.
  • To export grid data to an Excel spreadsheet, click Export to Excel. When Microsoft Excel opens, use its features to modify, print, or email the data, or to save the spreadsheet file locally.
  • To turn on grouping for a grid, click Enable Grouping. When a field displays with the instruction: "Drag a column header here to group by that column," drag and drop column headers into this field, in the sequence that you want them to display.

Not all options are available on all grids.

Insert If you use Multicompany, you can specify which companies in your enterprise have the ability to charge labor and expenses to a project. Click Insert to insert a blank row on the Company Access grid and use the drop-down list in the Company field to specify which company will have access to the project.
Delete Select a company in the Company Access grid and click Delete to remove the company from the Company Access grid. The deleted company will no longer have charge access to the project.
Company If you use Multicompany, you can specify which companies in your enterprise can charge labor and expenses to a project. Only employees in the specified companies can charge time and expenses to the project. Use the drop-list in this field to select the company to which you are granting access to the project. When you select a company, the company code displays in the Company field and the company name displays in the Name field.

When a company is changed on a project (which can only happen if there are no postings), and there are billing terms, Vision validates any tax codes that are defined in the billing terms. This validation ensures that the tax amount is properly expensed to the correct company.

Name When you select a company from the drop-down list in the Company field, the company name displays in this field.