Create or view a project record

NOTE: If you prefer, you can create your project using the Project Record Wizard, Projects > Wizard > follow the on-screen instructions. You can also create a new project from the Customer Record window, Record > New Project > enter the project details into the record.

1. Projects > New.
2. Complete the Details window as follows:
   
   

   Project Details	Enter the details that identify and define the project. You must enter a unique project reference before you can save the record. You should also enter the name and description for your project, then from the Status drop-down list, choose the required project status. You can also set the expected start date and end date for your project.
   Customer Details	Enter the account reference, name and order number of the customer to whom the project relates. If the project is internal or not connected with a customer, leave this section blank. If you link the project to a customer, a summary of the project information appears on the Projects tab of the Customer Record.
   Site Details	If required, you can enter the address and contact details of the site where the project is taking place.

   
   Analysis > complete the Analysis window as follows:

   Billing Totals	You can view, but not amend the information included in the Billing Totals area. As you create and post service invoices to bill your customer for the project, the Billing Totals section of the Project Record updates to show the date and amounts billed.
   Budget Totals	Budget figures can not be amended in this section. The Total budget value comes from the information keyed into the Budgets tab. The Actual Variance is calculated from the Total budget minus the Actual cost. The Total Variance is calculated from the Actual budget minus the Actual cost minus the Committed cost.
   Revenue Totals	In the Price quoted box, enter the net price quoted for the project. Sage Accounts uses the price you quote and the invoices you raise for the project to update the Profit to date and the Outstanding to bill values.
   Analysis Types	If required, in the Analysis Types area, enter up to three extra pieces of information relating to the project. Sage Accounts uses this information for reporting purposes.
   Cost Totals	This area displays the date of the last cost and the net total of all Actual costs and Committed costs relating to the project.

3. Activity > the Activity window may display the following transaction types, one line per transaction:
   
   

   CC	Costing Credit	These transactions relate to project only cost postings.
   CD	Costing Debit
   AI	Adjustment In	Your project activity displays these types of transaction when you post stock transactions to the project.
   AO	Adjustment Out
   PI	Purchase Invoice	When you make a Cost Posting to the project, they appear on the activity as PI, PC, BP or BR transaction types.
   PC	Purchase Credit
   BP	Bank Payment
   BR	Bank Receipt
   SI	Sales Invoice	These transaction types represent Billing transactions created when you enter and update a service invoice or service credit.
   SC	Sales Credit

4. Budgets > enter the required budget values. The Budgets tab lists all cost codes allowing you to enter a budget for each.
   
   The information entered here updates the Total budget value on the Analysis tab of the Project Record.
   
   
5. To set up or view sub-projects > Structure.  The Structure tab lists the project and any sub-projects.
   
   The following options can be used to set up your project structure:
   
   

   Add Existing	Adds an existing project record to the project structure.
   Add New	Creates a new project record and adds it to the structure.
   Expand All	Displays all sub-project records associated with the structure.
   Collapse All	Rolls up the project records so sub-projects don't appear.
   Remove	Removes a project record, including its sub-projects within the structure.
   Arrows	Use these buttons to move the position of a sub-project within the structure.
   View Type	This determines the order of the Name and Reference columns within the Structure window.
   Analysis for	Displays a summary of the project costs. To include the costs of sub-projects, select the Rolled up totals check box.

6. To add memo information to a Project Record > Memo.
   
   The Memo tab enables you to enter text on the record and attach document shortcuts and filing system references using the Document Manager facility. Complete this window as follows:
   
   • In the upper Attachments pane, use the Document Manager functionality to add, view or delete shortcuts to electronic documents, or enter filing system references.
   • In the memo pad, enter or edit the text as required. The text automatically wraps around onto the next line as you type.
7. Save > Close.
   
   

Change the status of a project

To help you to track the project's progress, you can amend the status in the record as it changes.

1. Projects > Edit.
2. From the Status drop-down list, choose the required status.
3. Save > Close.
   
   

Enter project only costs or credits

When the project incurs costs that don't relate to your accounts or stock, or you need to make an adjustment, you should post a Project Only Cost. You can also use Project Only Costs to record adjustments or corrections to other costs for the project.

To post a Project Only Cost or Credit, the project must be set up with a status that allows postings.

1. Projects > Project charges.
   
   To post a Project Only Credit, select the project then click Credits.
   
   
2. Enter the details of the cost into the boxes provided, one line per cost, for example:
   
   You must enter a Cost Code for the cost or credit. If you don't enter a Cost Code, Sage Accounts displays an error message when you try to save.
   
   The project costing process starts when your customer accepts the quotation or estimate you gave them and places an order for the project or confirms that they want to go ahead with it, or when you start a new internal project. Here we explain how to set up and process using Projects.
   
   

   Project Ref	Either enter or from the drop-down list choose the project reference.
   Date	Enter the date for the cost or credit.
   Reference	Enter a reference for the cost or credit.
   Details	Enter the cost or credit details.
   Resource	Either enter or from the drop-down list choose a resource.
   Cost Code	Either enter or from the drop-down list choose a cost code.
   Quantity	Enter the quantity for the cost or credit.
   Rate	Based on the Resource for the cost or credit, Sage enters the default Rate taken from the Resources List.
   Total Cost	When you enter a Quantity the cost or credit is calculated and appears in the Total Cost column.

   
   If required, you can change the default rate for the resource.
   
   
3. Save > Close.

When you save a Project Only Cost or Credit, it appears only on the activity of the specified project as a CC or CD transaction type and doesn't update your audit trail or stock history.

Generate a purchase order for a project

You can assign purchase orders, or an item on a purchase order, to a project. This allocates stock to the project and creates a committed cost to the project.

For further information about Purchase orders. Read more >

1. Purchase orders > New.
2. Enter the date and supplier account reference as required. If the whole order relates to one project, enter the Project Ref and Cost Code. If different items on the order relate to different projects or different cost codes, leave these boxes blank.
3. Enter the Product Code of the product to be purchased then press the F3 function key on your keyboard.
4. Ensure the Quantity, Unit Price, Discount, Nominal Code, Department, and Tax Code appear correctly. If a Project Ref and Cost Code weren't entered in step 2, enter the relevant Project Ref and Cost Code in the Project Information area > OK.
5. To enter further products onto the purchase order, repeat from Step 3.
6. Save > Close.
7. To flag the order as On-Order > Purchase Order List > select the required order > Place orders. 
8. When prompted, to print the purchase order > Yes, or if a print isn't required > No. When prompted to place the selected items on order > Yes.
9. To deliver the order > select the order > Receive deliveries.
10. When prompted to update stock and record delivery > Yes. When prompted, to print a GRN > Print Now, or to delay printing a GRN > Print Later.
11. To update the order > select the order > Update Ledgers > Update.
    
    Stock Items don't display the project reference or cost code as these allocate stock to the project as a Committed Cost on the Project Record rather than an Actual Cost. This is because it isn't until the stock is used against the Project that they become an Actual Cost. Non Stock and Service Items display a project reference and cost code and when updated, post transactions and Actual Cost to the Project Record.
    
    
12. To update the order and create a supplier invoice > Save.
    
    You may receive a warning message: 'If you've already entered a project reference for these items on the purchase order, they'll automatically become a realised cost when the stock is issued. You may be double-accounting for these items. Are you sure you want to continue?' To continue, click Yes. To return to the Batch Supplier Invoices window without updating, click No and make the required changes before continuing. To avoid seeing this message in future, before choosing one of these options, select the Don't show again check box.

For information about how to issue stock allocated to a project on a purchase order. Please refer to the section To issue allocated stock later in this article.

Allocate stock to a project

Stock can be allocated and issued to a project to help with your stock control. If you generate a purchase order for stock items and allocate a Project Reference and Cost Code to the items, when the purchase order is flagged as delivered, Sage Accounts allocates the stock to the project automatically for you. The project record shows a committed cost, however you can allocate existing stock to a project without having to generate a purchase order.

1. Products and services > Allocations > Allocate stock.
2. Enter the Stock Code for the product to be allocated to the project.
3. Enter the Date, Reference, Project Reference, Cost Code and Quantity to Allocate into the relevant columns.
4. Save > Close.

View or amend stock allocations

You can view the stock allocations to a project. You can also amend the allocations if required.

1. Products and services> Allocations > Amend allocations.
2. Enter the Product Code and the Project Reference for the product or project to be viewed.
3. If required, amend the value in the Quantity Allocated column.
4. Save > Close.
   
   

Issue allocated stock

Once you've used the stock allocated to a project, you must issue the stock to adjust out the stock and to turn the committed cost into an actual cost on the project.

1. Products and services > Allocations > Issue allocations.
2. Enter the Product Code and/or the Project Reference for the product or project to be issued.
3. To issue the stock, in the Quantity to Issue column, enter the relevant quantity. This adjusts the quantity in stock on the Product Record and converts the committed cost to an actual cost on the Project Record.
4. Save > Close.
   
   

Post a stock issue or return to a project

Stock postings enable you to record stock issued to your projects, or to return unused products from a project back into stock. To issue stock to a project that hasn't previously been allocated to the project, or to record the return of stock that was issued to a project, you need to post an Adjustment Out or an Adjustment In. These postings appear on the project’s activity as an AI or AO transaction type.

1. Products and services > select the product you want to adjust > to post a stock issue > Adjustment out, or to post a stock return > Adjustment in.
   
   You can only post stock issues or returns for products that are set up as stock items. For non-stock and service items, you should post a Project Only Cost. For further information about this, please refer to the section To enter Project Only Costs.
   
   
2. Enter the adjustment details, one line per adjustment.
   
   To ensure that the adjustment shows as a stock issue or return on the project activity, you must enter the Project Record reference into the Project Ref column. Your project must also be set up with a status that allows postings.
   
   
3. To print the product adjustments > Print List > complete the Print window as required > OK.
4. Save > Close.

Make a cost posting

When the project incurs costs that affect your supplier or bank accounts, you should make a cost posting. Cost postings allow you to post transactions that affect both your project activity and your accounts. If you purchase stock for a project and your supplier invoices you for the goods, you need to post a purchase invoice that shows both on the supplier activity and on the Project Record.

You can't post a Cost Posting for a specific quantity, as there's no Quantity column available on the Supplier Invoice, Supplier Credit or Bank Payment windows. This means that if you post a purchase invoice or credit, or a bank payment, using a project reference to link the transaction to a particular project, the transaction doesn't display a quantity on the project's activity. If you need a transaction involving a quantity to affect both your project and your accounts, you should post your purchase invoice or credit, or your bank payment, without a project reference, then create a Project Only Cost to show the quantity.

Post a purchase invoice or credit to a project

1. Suppliers > select the supplier account that you want to post against > Batch invoice or Batch credit.
2. Complete the Batch Supplier Invoices or Batch Supplier Credits window as required, ensuring the following:
   • For each invoice or credit, enter the details, one line at a time.
   • To allocate the invoice or credit to a project as a Cost Posting, in the Project Ref column, enter the project reference.
   • In the Cost Code column, enter a valid cost code for the invoice or credit.
3. Save > Close.
   
   

Post a bank payment to a project

1. Bank accounts > Bank payment.
2. Complete the Bank Payments window as required, ensuring the following:
   • Enter the details for each payment, one line at a time.
   • To allocate the bank payment against a project as a Cost Posting, in the Project Ref column, enter the project reference.
   • In the Cost Code column, enter a valid cost code for the payment.
3. Save > Close.
   
   

Project reporting and history

As the project progresses you may want to analyse the cost and revenue information, or you may require a progress update, view the project's activity or print a report. As well as the analysis features available within Project Costing, there's a tab on the Customer Record that displays details of every project associated with the customer. This tab allows you to see each project's summary information at a glance and links directly back to the Project Record.

Project reports

The Project Costing feature includes a Reports option that provides a number of useful analysis reports. For example, you can run a report to analyse costs by project or by cost code. Other reports enable you to view revenue information, look at a list of projects by status or check profitability.

View a customer's project history

1. Customers > select the required customer > Edit > Projects tab. You can't change any of this information here.
2. To create a new project for this customer > New Project > enter the details of the project in the Project Record window > Save.
3. Close.

Complete your project

When the project is complete, and you no longer need to make cost or revenue postings to it, you can mark it as complete. This ensures that you don't make any further postings to the project and the project appears as complete on your reports and on the customer's record.

If you no longer require analysis information from a completed project, you may want to delete the record. Changing the project status to Completed allows you to delete the record.

1. Projects > select the project you want to mark as complete > Edit.
2. From the Status drop-down list > Completed > Save > Close.
   
   

Delete a project record

When you no longer need to retain the Project Record, you can delete it from your system.

You can't delete a project if its status doesn't allow deletion.

1. Projects > select the project you want to delete > Project Record.
2. Structure > select each sub-project > Remove.
3. Details > ensure the Status allows deletion > Delete > Yes.