Cobra Help System

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Automatic Creation of Control Accounts and Work Packages

If you need to load actual costs into a Cobra control account or work package that currently does not exist, the Actual Cost Integration process allows you to automatically create non-existing control accounts and work packages.

Utilizing the following options on the File Selection page of the Actual Cost Integration Wizard enables this feature:
  • Auto-create missing Control Account or Work Package: Select this option to automatically create non-existing control accounts and work packages.

    If this option is selected, you must define the applicable Control Account Field 1-3 and Work Package Field on the Field Mapper page, depending on whether you are collecting actual costs at the control account or work package level. Otherwise, Cobra will display an error message, and you will not be able to proceed to the next page.

  • Use Cost date to define Control Account or Work Package dates: Select this option to utilize the cost date specified in the actual cost file to define the start dates of automatically created control accounts and work packages.

    If this option is selected, you must define Cost date on the Field Mapper page. Otherwise, Cobra will display an error message, and you will not be able to proceed to the next page.

Attention: For more information on these options, see Actual Cost Preferences and File Selection Page of the Integration Wizard-Actuals.
When creating non-existing control accounts and work packages, Cobra adheres to a set of guidelines.
  • When the control account is created, the Start date is set to the current period (previous period +1 day) and the Finish date is set to the project's Finish date.
  • When the work package is created, the Start and Finish dates are set to the parent control account's Start and Finish dates.
  • When the Use Cost date to define Control Account or Work Package dates option is selected and the Cost date field is defined on the Field Mapper page, the control account and work package will use this date as their Start date.
  • When the parent control account is Planned or In-Progress, the work package's Actual Finish date remains blank.
  • All new work packages will use Level of Effort (LoE) as the default progress technique.
  • When the parent control account status is Planned, the work package is created only if the Allow posting actual costs to a planned Control Account or Work Package option on the Options page is selected. The work package status is set to Planned.
  • When the parent control account status is Complete, the work package is created only if the Allow posting actual costs to a completed Control Account or Work Package option on the Options page is selected. The work package status is set to Complete.
  • When the Check Control Account key field [x] structure for parent/child uniqueness or the Check Work Package structure for parent/child uniqueness project preferences option is selected for a specific key being loaded, Cobra ensures that any new control accounts or work packages do not have a parent or child code being used in an existing control account or package key.
  • The control account or work package will only be created if the code for the control account and work package keys exists in the associated structure files where they are defined.
Note: If the control accounts or work packages use codes defined in Project Properties, they will still be loaded, but the codes and other attributes will not be included in the automatic creation process. This applies even to required codes. The process log will list any missing codes upon completion of the Actual Cost Integration process.