General Tab of Planning Configuration without Resource Planning

Use the General tab to specify the tabs and options that are available and to establish default settings for your plans.

Contents

Before you Begin

The Budget Type field includes the following options: Cost, Billing, or Cost and Billing. When you select a budget type, you are determining how you want to view your plan -- using cost amounts, billing amounts, or a combination of the two. The budget type you select in Vision is used in iAccess for Vision as the default for new plans and for projects that do not have a plan. See the General Plan Settings topic in the iAccess for Vision online help for more information.

If you are using Vision Multicompany, you set the options on this form for each company in your enterprise.

Field	Description
Hours Decimal	Use the hours decimal field to specify the number of decimal digits for hours, quantities, and amounts in plans.
Overhead Percent	Enter the overhead percent that will default when the new iAccess for Vision plan is created.
Use Rate Tables with Effective Dates	Select this option to view rate tables with effective dates. If this option is not selected, Vision only displays rate tables that do not contain effective dates. Effective dates allow you to specify when a change will occur in the cost/pay rate associated with a specified labor rate, labor category, labor code, or labor override table. The date that a change will occur is the "effective date" of the change. This option is only available if the Enable effective dates for labor billing rates option on the General tab of Vision > Configuration > Billing.
Enable Expenses Planning Tab	Select this option to plan expenses.
Enable Consultants Planning Tab	Select this option to plan consultants.

Default Settings for Creating a New Plan

Field	Description
Calendar Scale	Select the calendar scale for the iAccess for Vision plans. The default is Weekly. If you use the Multicompany feature, you set this option for each company in your enterprise.
Budget Type	Select the budget type for the iAccess for Vision plans. The default is Cost and Billing. If you are using a project that does not have a plan in iAccess for Vision, the project defaults to using the budget type that is selected in this field. If your firm uses Vision Multicompany, it uses the budget type that is specified for the project's company.

Labor Rates

Field	Description
Generic Method	Use this drop-down list to select the default generic resource method that will be used to plan generic resources for the project: Labor Category Labor Code

Labor Cost Rates

Field	Description
Rate Method	If you select Cost or Cost and Billing as the Budget Type option, select one of the following options as the labor cost rate method from the drop-down list: From Employee Provisional Rate Table (Employee Info Center) From Labor Rate Table (Billing Rate Tables). From Labor Category Table (Billing Rate Tables). From Labor Code Table (Billing Rate Tables). None If you select a rate method other than Employee Provisional Rate Table, you must also specify a Rate Table. Your security role for Labor Cost Rates/Amounts must be Full Access for you to select From Employee Provisional Rate Table.
Rate Table	If the Rate Method field is set to: From Employee Provisional Rate, then no selection is available in this field. From Employee Labor Table, From Labor Category Table, or From Labor Code Table, then use the Rate table lookup to select the appropriate rate table for your plan's cost rates from pre-defined tables. Only rate tables marked as available for planning are included in the lookup list. This rate table will provide the default cost rate for employees assigned to the iAccess for Vision plan.
Generic Table	Use this lookup to select a generic resource cost rate table for the selected generic method and rate method. Only rate tables marked as available for planning are included in the lookup list. The rate table will provide the default billing rate for generic resources assigned to the iAccess for Vision plan.

Labor Billing Rates

Field	Description
Rate Method	If you select Billing or Cost and Billing as the Budget Type option, select one of the following as the labor billing rate method from the drop-down list: From Employee Provisional Rate Table (Employee Info Center) From Labor Rate Table (Billing Rate Tables) From Labor Category Table (Billing Rate Tables) From Labor Code Table (Billing Rate Tables) None When you select a rate method other than Employee Provisional Rate, you also need to specify a Rate Table.
Rate Table	If the Rate Method field is set to: From Employee Provisional Rate, then no selection is available in this field. From Employee Provisional Rate Table, From Labor Category Table, or From Labor Code Table, then use the Rate Table lookup for this field to select the appropriate rate table for your plan's billing rates from pre-defined tables. Only rate tables marked as available for planning are included in this lookup list. This rate table will provide the default billing rate for employees assigned to the iAccess for Vision plan.
Generic Table	Use this lookup to select a generic resource billing rate table for the selected generic method and rate method. Only rate tables marked as available for planning are included in the lookup list. The rate table will provide the default billing rate for employees assigned to the iAccess for Vision plan.
Billing Multiplier	Enter the multiplier for the labor billing calculation. Labor Billing Amount = Planned Hrs * Billing Rate * Billing Multiplier
Expenses Planning Level	This option displays when the Enable Expenses Planning Tab option is selected. Use this drop-down list to specify the default WBS level that will be used to plan expenses for the project: Project — Select this option to plan expenses at the Project level. Phase — Select this option to plan expenses at the Phase level, if the project has phases. Otherwise, expenses are planned at the Project level. Lowest Level — Select this option to plan expenses at the lowest level of the WBS. The options in this list are based on the WBS settings that are defined in Vision Utilities Key Formats. For example, if the Phase is set to zero, then Project is the only option that displays in the Expenses Planning Level list.

Expense Rates

This set of options displays when the Enable Expenses Planning Tab option is selected.

Use this group box to enter the default cost and/or billing rate options for reimbursable expenses.

Field	Description
Rate Method	Select one of the following options: Multiplier Only — The billing amount will be calculated as Cost x Multiplier. From Account Rate Table — The billing amount will be calculated using the rate for the expense account from the specified table. If no rate is found, Cost x Multiplier will be used. From Category Rate Table — The billing amount will be calculated using the rate for the expense category from the specified table. If no rate is found, Cost x Multiplier will be used. None — The billing amount will be set equal to cost. If you select a rate method other than Multiplier Only or None, you must also specify a Rate Table.
Rate Table	If the Rate Method field is set to: Multiplier only or None, then no selection is available in this field. From Account Rate Table or From Category Rate Table, then use the Rate Table lookup to select the appropriate rate table for your plan's expense billing rates from pre-defined tables. Only rate tables marked as available for planning are included in this lookup list.
Multiplier	Enter the multiplier used to calculate the billing amount from cost. For example,1.0000 would make billing equal cost; 2.0000 would make billing twice the cost.
Consultants Planning Level	This option displays when the Enable Consultants Planning Tab option is selected. Use this drop-down list to specify the default WBS level that will be used to plan consultants for the project: Project — Select this option to plan consultants at the Project level. Phase — Select this option to plan consultants at the Phase level, if the project has phases. Otherwise, consultants are planned at the Project level. Lowest Level — Select this option to plan consultants at the lowest level of the WBS. The options in this list are based on the WBS settings that are defined in Vision Utilities Key Formats. For example, if the Phase is set to zero, then Project is the only option that displays in the Consultants Planning Level list.

Consultant Rates

This set of options displays when the Enable Consultants Planning Tab option is selected.

Use this group box to enter the default cost and/or billing rate options for reimbursable consultants.

Field	Description
Rate Method	Use this drop-down list to select a Rate Method. Select one of the following options: Multiplier Only — The billing amount will be calculated as Cost x Multiplier. From Account Rate Table — The billing amount will be calculated using the rate for the expense account from the specified table. If no rate is found, Cost x Multiplier will be used. From Category Rate Table — The billing amount will be calculated using the rate for the expense category from the specified table. If no rate is found, Cost x Multiplier will be used. None — The billing amount will be set equal to cost. If you select a rate method other than Multiplier Only or None, you must also specify a Rate Table.
Rate Table	If the Rate Method field is set to: Multiplier Only or None, then no selection is available in this field. From Account Rate Table or From Category Rate Table, then use the Rate Table lookup to select the appropriate rate table for your plan's consultant billing rates from pre-defined tables. Only rate tables marked as available for planning are included in this lookup list.
Multiplier	Enter the multiplier used to calculate the billing amount from cost. For example,1.0000 would make billing equal cost; 2.0000 would make billing twice the cost.