PJC Categories Screen
Use this field to enter a unique code for a new cost category you are setting up.
You can also use the Finder or the navigation buttons to select an existing category record for display.
To begin entering a new category record, click the New button beside the field.
You can use up to 16 characters to enter a description for the category.
Category tab
Project and Job Costing lets you refine the reporting of your cost data beyond the level of cost classes, which you cannot change. You use cost types to specify additional classifications that you want to use for reporting your cost transactions.
Note: Each cost type is associated with a cost class. The Finder displays the codes that you set up using the Cost Types screen. For each cost type, the Finder shows the cost class associated with the cost type code. Be sure to select a cost type that uses the correct cost class for the category you are setting up.
Select the type of labor burden you incur for this type of cost. You can choose:
- None. Select this labor burden type if no labor burden is associated with this cost category.
- Flat Rate Per Labor Hour/Unit. If you select this labor burden type, in the Labor Rate field that appears, enter the dollar amount for the labor burden associated with each unit.
- Percentage Of Labor Cost. If you select this labor burden type, in the Labor Percentage field that appears enter the percentage of your costs that represents labor burden.
If you selected Flat Rate Per Labor Hour/Unit as the default labor type, this field is named Labor Rate. You enter a dollar amount for the labor burden associated with each labor hour per unit produced.
If you selected Percentage Of Cost as the default labor type, this field is named Labor Percentage. You enter the percentage of your costs that represents the labor burden.
If you selected Flat Rate Per Unit as the default overhead type, this field is named Overhead Rate. You enter a dollar amount for the overhead costs associated with each unit produced. The program multiplies the number of units in a transaction by the overhead rate to calculate overhead expense to allocate.
If you selected Percentage Of Cost as the default overhead type, this field is named Overhead Percentage. You enter the percentage of your direct costs that you want to allocate as overhead to projects. The program multiplies the cost of transactions by the overhead percentage to calculate the overhead expense to allocate.
Select the type of overhead cost you incur for this type of cost. You can select one of the following types:
- Flat Rate Per Unit. If you select this overhead type, in the Overhead Rate field that appears, enter the dollar amount of overhead associated with each unit produced.
- None. Select this overhead type if the cost category does not attract overhead costs.
- Percentage Of Cost. If you select this overhead type, in the Overhead Percentage field that appears, enter the percentage of your costs that represents overhead.
Default Settings for Basic Projects tab
Use this field to enter or select the A/R item number to use for this category on item invoices for time and materials projects and fixed price projects that use an item invoice type.
The A/R item record also supplies tax information for item invoices.
Project and Job Costing requires a billing rate when you process transactions for time and materials projects and for fixed price projects that use item invoices.
Enter the amount per unit (for the selected unit of measure) at which to bill for this category for basic projects.
If your Project and Job Costing is multicurrency, you can use the detail table to set up default billing rates in a variety of currencies. Using a separate line for each currency for which you want to specify a billing rate, use the Currency Code Finder to select the currency, then use the Billing Rate column to enter the billing rate to use for each currency.
In a multicurrency system, a currency table appears on the Default Settings For Basic Projects tab. Use it to set up billing rates for each of your customers' currencies.
Using a separate line for each currency in which you bill, use the Currency Code Finder to select the currency, then use the Billing Rate column to enter the billing rate for each currency.
Enter the cost per unit for the unit of measure you selected.
Project and Job Costing uses the unit of measure you specify to estimate contracts and as the default in cost transactions.
Integration tab
If you selected the option Override G/L Segments, this field appears.
Select the G/L segments that you want to override. Then, in the Segment Code field for each segment, select a valid segment code from the Finder.
If you selected the option Override G/L Segments, this field appears.
Select from the Finder the valid segment code that you want to use to override the G/L segment.
This option lets you override account segments when you assign the category to a contract project. (If you do not override segments, the program uses the accounts from the account set you assign to the contract as the default accounts for the category.)
When you select the option to override segments, you can specify the segment code you want to use for each General Ledger segment. This allows you to assign costs to a particular department or region while still using the project account set.
Optional Fields tab
Optional fields that are set up for automatic insertion on this screen appear as defaults for new records. You can accept the default entries, or edit or delete them. You can also add different optional fields, if required.
Use the Finder on the Optional Field column to select optional fields that you have set up for use with the screen.
The description from the optional field setup record appears when you specify an optional field code.
You can change any default entries that appear.
If an optional field requires validation, you can select only a value that is defined for the optional field in Common Services. (If the optional field allows blanks, you can leave the default value field blank.)
If the optional field does not use validation, you can select a value from Common Services, leave the field blank, or enter any value that is consistent with the type of field (yes/no, text, number, date, amount, and so on) and does not exceed the number of characters specified for the optional field.
Overview
The Categories screen in the PJC Setup folder lets you:
- Define cost categories for classifying cost information on Project and Job Costing reports.
- Specify settings for cost transactions and contract estimates that use a specific category. (You must assign a category whenever you enter a cost transaction. You also add categories to projects when estimating or setting up new contracts.)
- Create typical categories that you can use for a number of projects, or you create categories for particular projects. When you use a category code in the Contracts screen, the settings for that cost category appear, but you can change them for individual projects, if necessary
Category Tab
The Category tab lets you specify the following settings for a selected category:
- The cost type. Select the cost type using the Finder, or enter it manually if you know the code.
- A default overhead type and rate. Select the type of overhead cost you normally incur for this type of cost.
- A default labor type and rate. Select the type of labor burden you normally incur for this type of cost.
Default Settings for Basic Projects Tab
This tab on the Categories screen lets you specify the following default settings for basic projects:
- The A/R item number, unit of measure, and cost per unit of measure to use for this category when estimating projects and processing cost transactions. (Costs are tracked by project category, not by resource, for basic projects.)
- Enter the default billing rate to be used in transactions and estimates for basic projects that use an item invoice type (that is, time and materials projects and fixed price projects for which you specify the item invoice type). The program calculates the billing amount using the billing rate times the quantity in the transaction detail.
- In a multicurrency ledger, enter a billing rate for each of the currencies used by your customers.
Integration Tab
Use this tab to override contract number segments.
Optional Fields Tab
This tab appears only if you use Sage 300 Transaction Analysis and Optional Field Creator.
You use the Optional Fields setup screen to define the optional fields you need to store additional information with category setup records.
Once you have set up optional fields for categories, you use this tab to enter the optional information you want to keep with a particular category record. If you set up category optional fields for automatic insertion, they appear on this tab for new category records.
The entries from the category setup record will appear as defaults when you assign the category to a contract project.