Budget Validation for Timesheets

When you set up a project, you can use the options under Budget Validation on the Accounting tab of the Projects form to implement validation of time records based on either the budget or the plan for the project. That validation occurs as employees enter time on their timesheets.

You specify validation at the lowest level of each branch of the work breakdown structure (WBS), and you specify validation individually for each lowest-level WBS element.

To implement validation for a WBS element, navigate to that element on the Projects form and select either Warning or Error in the Type of Validation field on the Accounting tab. If you select Warning, the employee receives a warning message if they enter a time record that fails validation but can save the time record without resolving the validation issue. If you select Error, the employee receives an error message and cannot save the time record until the validation issue is corrected. (If Type of Validation contains None, Vantagepoint does no validation of time records for that WBS element based on budget or plan.)

After you select Warning or Error, Vantagepoint makes other options available so you can specify how you want time records to be validated. The table below lists the possible combinations of validation options and describes the validation that occurs for each combination. (Note that if the table column for an option is blank, that option is not available in that case.)

Budgeted Source	Budgeted Level	Check...Start and End Dates	Check...Planned Hours	Labor Code Levels	Validation Description
Budget Worksheet				One or more selected	Budget exists for the time record WBS + labor code. When matching time record labor code to budget labor code, only the codes for the selected labor code levels must match.
Budget Worksheet				None selected	If no labor code levels are selected, no validation occurs.
Project Planning	Employee Only	Selected	Not selected		Planned hours exist for the WBS + employee for dates in the timesheet period.
Project Planning	Employee Only	Not Selected	Selected		Time record hours do not exceed the total remaining planned hours for the WBS + employee.
Project Planning	Employee Only	Selected	Selected		Planned hours exist for the WBS + employee for dates in the timesheet period. Time record hours do not exceed the total remaining planned hours for the WBS + employee for the timesheet period.
Project Planning	Employee Only	Not selected	Not selected		Planned hours exist for the WBS + employee. Vantagepoint does not check dates or verify that there are remaining planned hours for the WBS + employee.
Project Planning	Labor Code Only	Selected		One or more selected	Planned hours exist for the WBS + labor code for dates in the timesheet period. When matching time record labor code to plan labor code, only the codes for the selected labor code levels must match.
Project Planning	Labor Code Only	Not selected		One or more selected	Planned hours exist for the WBS + labor code. No date checking occurs.
Project Planning	Labor Code Only	Selected		None selected	If no labor code levels are selected, no validation occurs.
Project Planning	Labor Code Only	Not selected		None selected	If no labor code levels are selected, no validation occurs.
Project Planning	Both	Selected	Not selected	One or more selected	Planned hours exist for the WBS + labor code + employee for dates in the timesheet period. When matching time record labor code to plan labor code, only the codes for the selected labor code levels must match.
Project Planning	Both	Not selected	Selected	One or more selected	Time record hours do not exceed the total remaining planned hours for the WBS + labor code + employee. When matching time record labor code to plan labor code, only the codes for the selected labor code levels must match.
Project Planning	Both	Selected	Selected	One or more selected	Planned hours exist for the WBS + labor code + employee for dates in the timesheet period. Time record hours do not exceed the total remaining planned hours for the WBS + labor code + employee for the timesheet period. When matching time record labor code to plan labor code, only the codes for the selected labor code levels must match.
Project Planning	Both	Selected	Not selected	None selected	If no labor code levels are selected, validation is the same as when the Employee Only option is selected: Planned hours exist for the WBS + employee for dates in the timesheet period.
Project Planning	Both	Not selected	Selected	None selected	If no labor code levels are selected, validation is the same as when the Employee Only option is selected: Time record hours do not exceed the total remaining planned hours for the WBS + employee.
Project Planning	Both	Selected	Selected	None selected	If no labor code levels are selected, validation is the same as when the Employee Only option is selected: Planned hours exist for the WBS + employee for dates in the timesheet period. Time record hours do not exceed the total remaining planned hours for the WBS + employee for the timesheet period.
Project Planning	Both	Not selected	Not selected	One or more selected	Planned hours exist for the WBS + labor code + employee. Vantagepoint does not check dates or verify there are remaining planned hours for the WBS + labor code + employee. When matching time record labor code to plan labor code, only the codes for the selected labor code levels must match.
Project Planning	Both	Not selected	Not selected	None selected	If no labor code levels are selected and neither Check Project Plan... check box is selected, no validation occurs.