Setting up a project or template

Carefully plan the way you want security for your projects to work with a project template. When setting up project security, you can prevent employees from changing specific fields on their projects. However, you may also want to set up a template with much of the information already entered.

Set up security for a field so employees that need to change it can do so. For example, you allow project managers to change the Status field. You set up the template with a project status of Preliminary. In this way, project managers can update the status for a project and its phases as the project progresses.

To set up a project or template

  1. Perform one of the following:
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A project template

  1. From the > Setup menu, click General > Project Templates.
  2. Click the New button.
  3. To set up the template:
  • Without copying any information from other templates, click New template.
  • By copying information from an existing template, click Copy existing template. Click and make a selection.
  1. Click the Create button.

The Project Templates window appears. It works like the Project Command Center, except that it contains only templates, not projects.

  1. On the Project Info tab > General subtab, type the name for the template in the Description field.
  2. Follow the remainder of these instructions as if you were setting up a project.

A project

  1. From the > Manage menu, click Project Command Center.
  1. Click the New button.
  2. Leave the New Project option selected, and click the Create button.
Note: To set up a project by copying information from an existing project or by using a template, click in the appropriate field and make a selection.

The top area of the window contains your list of projects. The bottom area of the window consists of two areas:

  • Project tree on the left side of the window, where you build the work breakdown structure for your project
  • Detail tabs on the right side of the window, where you enter information about each of the components you build on the left side of the window
  1. On the General subtab, under the Project Info tab, enter the following information for the project:
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Description

Required. Type a name for the project. This name appears on invoices. Be sure not to use any slashes / \ in the name.

Company

Multi-company only.

Select the company that is responsible for the project.

If more than one company is associated with the project, you can do one of the following:

  • Create a project setup for each company, if each company works on a separate and distinct part of the project (for example, on different phases).
  • Set up the other companies as vendors.

Contact your Ajera consultant to determine the best approach for your organization.

ID

Does not apply when setting up project templates.

If you want to identify projects using an ID, type an identifier for the project. The ID must be 30 characters or less. You can view a project ID in reports and selection lists.

Note: You can choose to print the project ID on invoices when setting up invoice formats.

Department

unavailable in ajeraCore unless you have the Departments add-on

If your company is defining departments in Ajera, enter the department that owns the project.

Project type

Indicate a project type, which is used to sort and group information on reports. For example, your company may want to group governmental and private sector projects separately for company-wide reporting.

Project manager

Enter the manager of the project.

Principal in charge

Enter the principal responsible for this project.

Marketing contact

Enter your company's marketing representative for the project.

Location

Type the location of the project. You may include any detailed information about the location, such as directions.

Payroll wage rate table

Appears only if you selected to use wage rate tables when setting up payroll preferences.

Enter the wage rate table to use for employees whose rate of pay is based on the work they are performing (their employee type). Ajera uses the wage rate table to retrieve pay rates when you enter time or add resources to budgets. 

Status

For the status, select a status for the project. Select the billing type that is most often used for this type of project. It can be changed once the contract is won.

For example, to begin setting up a budget to produce an estimate for a proposal, you select a status of Preliminary (and then on the Billing subtab, you select a billing type of Marketing). When you win the contract, you then change the status to Active (and on the Billing subtab, you change Marketing to a billable billing type).

Status options are:

Marketing (unavailable in ajeraCore)

You want to track BD efforts and win rates, and project your pipeline. Time and expenses can be entered to the project. The client cannot be invoiced.

Preliminary

The project is not ready for billing. Time and expenses can be entered to the project but the client cannot be invoiced.

Active

The project is active. Time and expenses can be entered to the project. The client can be invoiced. Ajera keeps the status as Active until you change it. 

Work hold

Time and expenses cannot be entered to the project. The client can be invoiced.

Hold

Time and expenses cannot be entered to the project. The client cannot be invoiced.

Billing hold

Time and expenses can be entered to the project. The client cannot be invoiced.

Closed

The project is complete, but you still want to include it in reports.

Note:

When you select a status of Closed for a project, all project phases, except those with the status of Marketing, are closed and any draft invoices are removed from the Manage Client Invoices list.

CRM only: When you select a status of Closed for a project, the project will sync to CRM one final time regardless of the Sync to CRM option setting. The Sync to CRM option will then be deselected after the final sync if it is selected. The Sync to CRM option can be reselected in the PCC if further changes on the closed project are needed. It will only be included when Sync to Closed Projects is selected during a manual sync.

Sync to CRM

Select to sync the project to CRM.

This field is automatically set when a project is added to the mapping table during the CRM sync. It is automatically unchecked when a project is closed. When a project is closed, that project is included in the next sync to CRM one final time. It is recommended that is field is not checked on closed projects unless you need the closed project information to update during a manual sync ot CRM.

Create in CRM

Select this option to create the project in CRM during the sync.

Note:

The following are required fields in CRM and need to be on the Ajera Project: Project ID and Description.

Available for labor entry Select this option to make this project available for labor entries.
Available for expense/consultant entry Select this option to make this project available for expense and consultant entries.

Payroll Taxes

The next two fields appear only if you selected the > Setup > Company > Preferences > Payroll tab> Allow state taxes from multiple states on one paycheck check box.

To learn about the entire process of setting up state and local withholding when processing for multiple states, see About state withholding for multiple states.

State

Enter a state if you want Ajera to withhold state tax when employees enter time to this project (or phase).

If you do not enter a state for a phase, Ajera uses the state you entered for the project if you entered one.

If you do not enter a state for the project, when you process payroll, Ajera uses the state you entered for the employee in the Setup > Employees > Payroll Taxes tab > Default Work State field.

Local tax

Enter a local payroll tax applicable for work on the project.

A tax is available only if you set it up as location-based ( > Setup > Company > Payroll Setup Taxes >Type field with the Local option selected > Calculation Method field with the Percent of Taxable option selected, and the Taxable Type field with Location Based selected).  

Restrict time and expense entry to Resource only

If selected, employee will see this Project and all of its phases if they are a labor resource anywhere on the project.

If My Department filters are turned on and the employee's department matches a phase department, but they are not a labor resource on the project, they will not see the project on their list.

Note: If selected, it overrides My Department filters, but not My Company filters.
  1.  Click the Billing subtab, under the Project Info tab, and enter the following information for the project:
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Billing type

Required when setting up a project.

Make a selection to indicate the way the client is billed according to the contract. You can change it at any time during the project lifecycle.

If you are setting up a template (unavailable in ajeraCore) or a preliminary project for estimating purposes, select the billing type that is most often used for this type of project. You can change it once the contract is won.

If you do not want to designate a rate table when estimating your projects, select a billing type of Marketing. When the contract is won, change it to a billable type, and select the appropriate rate table.

Billing types are:

Time & expense

You bill the client for actual hours worked and expenses incurred on the project. You can use this type if you bill the client with a billing rate or a markup of cost.

Note:

For projects set up with a Time & Expense billing type, and for fee-based projects where you have selected to bill labor, expense, or consultant as time & expense and entered a contract amount, then if billing exceeds the contract amount, Ajera alerts you by highlighting the invoice amount in red.

Fixed fee

You charge the client a fixed amount for the project and bill a fixed amount on each invoice.

Percent complete

You charge the client a fixed amount for the project. You bill a percent of the total amount based on the amount of the project that is complete.

Unit price

You charge the client a price per each unit completed, such as square feet.

Percent of construction cost

You charge the client for the actual or estimated cost of construction for the project.

Nonbillable

You do not charge the client for the project. Use this billing type to track project-related time and expenses that you cannot invoice to the client. You can set up a nonbillable phase so that you can enter charges against the project which contribute to the total cost but cannot be billed. Learn about work-in-progress write-off vs. nonbillable

Marketing

You track the marketing cost for the project. Use this billing type to track time and expenses related to winning the project. You can enter and track time and expenses, but the client cannot be invoiced. You can change this billing type to one of the billable types after the project is won, if the contract allows you to recover any of these costs.

Overhead

You can optionally set up an overhead project to track your internal expenses. You can enter and track time and expenses, but no client is associated with the project and no invoice is produced.

Note: You cannot change an Overhead billing type to a billable type.

Rate table

Required when setting up a project with a billable billing type.

Indicate the pricing structure for the project.

You may choose to use your standard rates for estimating and budgeting, or you can create a rate specifically for that purpose.

Note: If you later change the rate table for the project and want the existing WIP entries to use the new rates, you must recalculate the billing rates on the client invoices.
Require notes on timesheets

Select if notes are required on timesheets for this project.

If selected, this check box is also automatically selected for all phases in the project. You can clear the check box for individual phases, if needed.

Sales tax:

Apply sales tax

Select it if any of the labor or expenses for this project are subject to sales tax.

Note: The Apply Sales Tax option must be selected on the Billing tab of your company preferences.

Tax code

If sales tax applies to the project, type the tax code that applies to the project.

Tax rate

If sales tax applies to the project, enter the sales tax rate as a percent. For example, enter 6 for 6%.

Bill as Time & Expense:

Labor, expense, consultant

These fields only appear for fee-basedClosed The project or phase is contracted to bill for the value of the work performed, not for the actual time and expenses expended. These projects or phases are identified with a billing type of Fixed Fee, Percent Complete, Unit Price, or Percent of Construction Cost. billing types.

If the fee on a contract does not include labor, expense, or consultant fees, but you want to bill them as time and expense, select these check boxes.

For example, a fixed fee on a contract includes labor and consultant fees. However, in addition to the fixed fee, you are also billing expenses as time and expense, so you select the Expense check box.

Bill as Units:
Expense, consultant If you would like the ability to use consultants and bill them as unit based, select these check boxes.
 

Summarize phases

Select this check box to summarize (subtotal) the phases of a project on an invoice.

  1. Click the Invoice subtab, under the Project Info tab, and enter the following information:
Note: You define invoice information for the project or each invoice groupClosed A grouping of phases for a project so as to create multiple invoices for the project. You use invoice groups to invoice additional services separately or to invoice multiple clients for a project.. If you decide to use invoice groups, complete the Invoice tab when setting up each invoice group.

Invoice examples:

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Client

Required when setting up a project with a billable billing type.

Identify the client who is invoiced for services.

unavailable in ajeraCore - If you are setting up a template for a specific client, select the client. Otherwise, you may want to leave the client blank on the template and the project manager can select the appropriate client when creating the project.

Invoice format

Required when setting up a project with a billable billing type.

Establish the look and content of the client invoice. The options that appear depend on the invoice formats you set up. If not already entered, click .

If you are setting up a template (unavailable in ajeraCore) or a project for estimating purposes, select the invoice format that is most often used for this type of project. You can change it when the contract is won.

Email Invoice Template Select the email invoice template to use for this project.
Email Client Statement Template Select the email client statement template to use for this project.

Billing manager

Identify the person responsible at your company for billing on this project. When setting up invoice formats, you can choose to print this name in the signature area of the invoice. 

Billing contact

Identify the contact for the client that handles billing issues on this project.

If the billing contact has an address on record, that address prints on the invoice. Otherwise, the client's address prints on the invoice.

Note: On the Invoice Format window, you choose if or where you want to print the billing contact's name on the invoice.

Header text

Enter text that you want to print on the invoice below the client mailing address. You can reenter header text from the > Setup > Company > Preferences window by right-clicking and selecting Refresh header text. (If you use multi-company, the header text is from the Setup > Company > Companies window.)

If you entered header text on the Billing tab of the Company Preferences window, that text appears in this field and prints on client invoices for all projects, unless you change it here for this project. (If you use multi-company, the header text is on the Billing/Payroll tab of the > Setup > Company > Companies window.)

You can also change header text for a specific invoice on the Text & Amounts tab of the Client Invoice window.

If you do not want the text to wrap to the second line on the invoice, press the Enter key where you want the first line to end.

Note:
  • If the header is longer than two full lines on the invoice, the fold line on the invoice becomes misaligned with the address window on the envelope.
  • Header text only prints on invoices if the Print project text check box is selected on the Invoice Format window.

Footer text

Enter text that prints on only the last page of the invoice. There is no length limit.

For example, you may choose to use it to print a holiday greeting or contract information. You can reenter footer text from the > Setup > Company > Preferences window by right-clicking and selecting Refresh footer text. (If you use multi-company, the footer text is from the Setup > Company > Companies window.)

If you entered footer text on the Billing tab of the Company Preferences window, that text appears in this field and prints on client invoices for all projects, unless you change it here for this project. (If you use multi-company, the footer text is on the Billing/Payroll tab of the > Setup > Company > Companies window.)

You can also change footer text for a specific invoice on the Text & Amounts tab of the Client Invoice window.

Scope

Enter the description of work to be performed for the project.

Note: On the General tab of the Invoice Format window, you determine where to print the scope text.

Last invoice number

This field appears when you select to automatically assign invoice numbers by project ( > Setup > Company > Preferences > Billing tab > Auto Assign Invoice Numbers By field).

Enter the number to use as the starting point for numbering invoices for the project. For example, enter 999 to start printing invoices with a number of 1000. If you leave the field as zero, the next invoice has a number of 1. 

  1. Click the Contacts subtab, under the Project Info tab, and enter up to twenty contacts for the client. For each contact you want to add, click . Type any notes about the contact in the Notes field to the right of the Contact name.
  2. The Beginning Balances subtab, under the Project Info tab, displays any beginning balances entered for the phases of this project. You enter beginning balances for each phase of a project, not for the project itself, and Ajera produces project totals by calculating the phase totals.
  3. unavailable in ajeraCore - Click the Permissions subtab, under the Project Info tab, and enter the following information.

Your project security settings determine if you can access projects and phases, and which columns you can view and change on the Manage tab.

Use the Permissions subtab to allow changes to this project's work breakdown structure, resources, tasks, and to allow when a budget is final.

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Change work breakdown structure

Indicate if users of the project can change the work breakdown structure as represented in the project tree on the left of the window.

If you plan to select the Never option, first enter all your phases, invoice groups, and billing groups, as explained in the remainder of these instructions. Otherwise, you will also be unable to make changes unless you first change this option, which you can do at any time.

Change resources

Indicate if users of the project can change the project's resources.

If you plan to select the Never option, first enter all your phases, invoice groups, and billing groups, as explained in the remainder of these instructions. You then enter resources on the Manage tab when budgeting the project.

Change tasks

Indicate if users of the project can change the project's tasks.

If you plan to select the Never option, first enter all your phases, invoice groups, and billing groups, as explained in the remainder of these instructions. You then enter tasks on the Manage tab when budgeting the project.

Budget is final

Does not apply when setting up a template.

When the Final budget check box is selected on the Manage tab, you can no longer change amounts in the budget. You can only undo the finalizing of a budget by clearing this field.

  1. Click the Attachments subtab and add attachments, by linking to related files. A linked file must be in a shared location for other people to open it (for example, on a shared network or a website).
  2. Click the Notes subtab, and type any general notes about the project.
  3. Set up phases.