Use the buttons next to the Contract field to select an existing contract, or to add a new contract.

When you add a new contract number, Project and Job Costing verifies that the number matches its assigned structure.

The contract number appears in forms and reports in its structured format.

You use this field to indicate the progress of the contract. A contract can have one of the following statuses:

• Estimate

  With this status, you can add projects, resources, and categories to the estimate, but you cannot change the status of individual projects.

  Estimate is the default contract status.

• Approved

  You use this status for a contract that has been approved, but for which work has not yet begun.

• Open

  A contract needs Open status to be able to open any of its projects for transactions.

• On Hold

  Use this status when you want to prevent transactions being posted for the contract (for example, if some aspect of the contract is in dispute).

• Completed

  Select this status once you have processed all cost transactions, produced billings, and received all the revenue for the contract.

• Inactive

  You cannot post cost transactions to a contract or a project, or alter the contract or project, while it has Inactive status. Normally, you use this status prior to deleting a contract or closing a project, to prevent any further activity.

• Closed

  You set this status once you have processed all the costs and recognized all revenue for the contract.

  You cannot post transactions to a contract with a closed status.

Normally, you select Estimate if you are entering a new contract. Later, you can change the status to Approved, Open, On Hold, Inactive, Closed, or Completed, depending on the progress of the work you have performed under the contract.

You can enter a description for the contract using up to 60 characters.

These fields let you search quickly for:

• A specific project within a contract.

• A specific category within a contract.

Select Project or Category from the Search list, type the project or category code in the field to the right, and then click the Go button.

If the program finds the particular code that you specify, it displays the project or category in the Project or Category Maintenance form.

If the program cannot locate the specified code, it displays the closest match. If the displayed project or category is not the one you want, you can click the Go button to display the next closest match, or you can begin a new search.

The account set includes the billings, work in progress, and expense accounts to use when you post cost transactions, and the revenue and cost of sales accounts to use when you recognize revenue in Project and Job Costing.

Use the Finder to select the account set you want to use as the default for projects that you add to the contract.

Note that this account set is different from the A/R account set that includes the receivables accounts to charge when you post invoices.

Use this field to specify a default A/R account set for this contract.

The A/R account set includes the general ledger receivable accounts to which invoices are posted in Accounts Receivable.

You can change the account set for individual projects you add to the contract. You can also change the account set on billing worksheet details, and on the invoices Project and Job Costing generates for Accounts Receivable.

Note: The A/R account set is different from the default PJC account set you specify elsewhere on the tab. The PJC account set includes the billings, work in progress, and expense accounts to use when you post cost transactions, and the revenue and cost of sales accounts to use when you recognize revenue in Project and Job Costing.

The accounting method determines when to recognize revenues for this type of project. Note that the program limits the range of accounting methods you can select to those that are consistent with the project type.

You can choose the following default accounting methods for new projects:

• Completed Project

• Total Cost Percentage Complete

• Labor Hours Percentage Complete

• Billings And Costs

• Project Percentage Complete

• Category Percentage Complete

• Accrual-Basis

Selecting the Allow Multiple Customers option lets you assign customers other than the contract customer to individual projects in a contract.

Project and Job Costing uses the contract customer as the default customer for new projects. However, you can change the customer for a particular project until you post an invoice for the project in Accounts Receivable.

In multicurrency systems, project customers can use different source currencies than the contract customer. However, if you change the project customer after saving a project, the new customer must use the same currency as the original customer.

You can select one of the following billing types as the default for projects you add to this contract:

• Billable.

• No-charge.

• Non-billable.

The project type and accounting method jointly determine whether you set the billing type for projects, for categories, or for both.

Note that the Billing Type field is not available for internal contracts (contracts for which there is no customer number).

For more general information about billing types, see the Billing Type definition.

You can use up to 250 characters to enter a comment or a longer description for the estimate.

Click the Zoom button beside the Contact Information field to open the Contact Information form, where you can enter customer contact information for this contract.

The form displays the contact information from the customer record as the default, but you can enter a different name, position, phone number, fax number, and e-mail address for a separate contact person for the contract, if necessary.

You can select the code for an employee you have set up using the Employees form.

Project and Job Costing lets you use one of two contract styles for each contract:

• Basic

• Standard

This field indicates the date on which you ran Contract Completion.

Use this field to specify a default percentage to use for cost plus projects and certain fixed price projects.

For cost plus projects, the program displays a project's cost plus percentage as the default for the project categories.

For fixed price projects that use a completed project or project percentage complete accounting method, the program displays the project's markup percentage as the default for the project categories. You can specify a different markup percentage for a category, if you want.

You can change the percentage for particular projects and categories that you add to the contract.

Note that this field is not available for internal contracts (contracts for which there is no customer number).

This field lets you enter or select a customer that already exists in Accounts Receivable, or you can add a new Accounts Receivable customer using the New button next to the field.

If you want to track an internal project for your own company, you do not enter a customer number.

Select this option if you want to use Invoice To Multiple Customers as the default setting for new projects you add to the contract.

Using the option for a project lets you post shipments in Order Entry and post invoices in Accounts Receivable for customers other than the project customer.

If you chose Flat Rate Per Labor Hour/Unit as the default method for allocating labor burden to projects, specify the burden rate as a dollar amount. If you chose Percentage Of Labor Cost, specify the burden rate as a percentage.

When you process cost transactions that use a labor cost class, the program calculates the associated burden either by multiplying the flat rate by the number of hours or by multiplying the percentage by the labor cost used in the transaction.

You can choose the following default labor burden allocation method for projects: None, Flat Rate Per Labor Hour/Unit, Percentage Of Labor Cost.

This display-only field indicates the last time that you updated this contract.

If you reopen a closed contract, the program uses this field to store a new end date. The original end date will remain intact.

You can select a default method for allocating overhead costs for projects you add to this contract.

You can select None, Flat Rate Per Unit, or Percentage Of Cost.

If you chose Flat Rate Per Unit as the default overhead allocation method, specify the rate at which you apply overhead as a dollar amount; if you chose Percentage Of Cost, specify the overhead rate as a percentage.

You can choose a default project type for projects added to this contract.

Note that the project type restricts the range of accounting methods from which you can select. It also affects how you set the billing type for projects and categories that you assign to the contract.

Project and Job Costing provides the following project types:

• Time And Materials

• Fixed Price

• Cost Plus

You can change the project type for particular projects that you add to the contract.

This is the date on which you anticipate the contract will be completed.

This is the start date of the contract.

You assign a contract structure (defined using the Contract Structures form) to every new contract. The structure determines the number and order of the segments in a contract number.

The code for the default contract structure that you specified on the PJC Options form appears in this field. You can specify another code if you want to apply a different format to the contract number.

Your entry in the Tax Group field is used as the default tax group for new projects you add to the contract.

The tax group specified for the customer in Accounts Receivable appears as the default for this field, but you can change it, if necessary, by typing the code for the tax group or by selecting it using the Finder.

If you need to change the customer tax classes for any of the authorities used by the tax group, click the Zoom button beside the Tax Group field, and then change the tax classes on the Customer Taxes form that appears.

The program uses the retainage percentage to calculate the retainage amount to be withheld from customer invoices.

The retainage percentage specified in the customer record is used as the default, but you can always change it. (If you do not use retainage accounting in Accounts Receivable, you cannot edit this field.)

The program uses the retention period to calculate the due date for the retainage document. You can accept the default or enter a new retention period. If you change the retention period, the program recalculates the retainage due date, and vice versa.

The retention period specified in the customer record is used as the default, but you can change it. (If you do not use retainage accounting in Accounts Receivable, you cannot edit this field.)

This is the sum of the quantities actually charged to the project.

This is the sum of the revenues earned for the project.

Note that in multicurrency systems, revenue amounts are given in both functional and source (customer) currencies.

This field lets you specify an accounting method for a project you have selected on the Project tab. You can change the accounting method only while the project has an Estimate status.

The accounting method determines when to recognize revenues for this type of project. Note that the program limits the range of accounting methods you can select to those that are consistent with the project type.

You can select from:

• Completed Project

• Total Cost Percentage Complete

• Labor Hours Percentage Complete

• Billings And Costs

• Project Percentage Complete

• Category Percentage Complete

• Accrual-Basis

Select the default billing type to use for new projects. You can select:

• Billable.

• Non-billable.

• No Charge.

The project type and accounting method determine whether you set the billing type for projects, for categories, or for both, and whether you can change the billing type for individual transactions.

Note that the billing type is set to Non-billable for internal contracts (contracts that have no customer).

The program credits the Billings account when you generate job-related invoices for the customer.

You specify the Billings accounts at the project level - either on the Project tab of the Contract Maintenance form or on the Project Maintenance form.

When you select the Billings account, Project and Job Costing displays its description in the adjacent field.

Note that these fields are not available for internal contracts (contracts with no customer number).

Select this option if you want to prevent invoices being generated for the project.

Select this option if you want to prevent cost transactions being charged to this project.

This field appears if you use Sage ERP Accpac Purchase Orders. It shows the total amount on order for the project.

You can also see this amount on the project Totals tab.

How you specify the cost of sales account depends on the project type and accounting method, as follows:

• For time and materials projects, you specify the cost of sales account for each category.

• For fixed price projects, you specify the cost of sales account only for the project.

• For cost plus projects that have a completed project, total cost percentage complete, or labor hours percentage complete accounting method, you specify the cost of sales account for the project, only.

• For cost plus projects with a billings and costs or category percentage complete method, you specify the cost of sales account for each category.

• For projects that use the accrual-basis accounting method, you specify the cost of sales account for each category.

You specify a cost plus percentage to be used to calculate the amount in excess of costs to be billed as profit for cost plus projects.

For fixed price projects, you specify a markup percentage, representing the amount in excess of costs to be billed as profit.

The program uses the cost plus percentage in revenue estimates for cost plus projects, and it uses the markup percentage in revenue estimates for fixed price projects that use a completed project or project percentage complete accounting method.

This is the sum of the quantities assigned to the project in current estimates.

This is the sum of the revenues currently estimated for the project.

Note that in multicurrency systems, revenue amounts are given in both functional and source (customer) currencies.

For projects that use a billing rate (such as time and materials projects), select one of the following sources for the default billing rate:

• Billing Rate. Select this option to use the billing rate specified for the project. (On a standard project, the billing rate is assigned to each material resource; on a basic project, the billing rate is assigned to the category.)

• Use Customer Price List. Select this option to use the price list for the specified customer to determine the billing rate.

• Use Specified Price List. Select this option to use a price list defined in Inventory Control. If you select this option, an additional new field appears that lets you enter the specific price list.

The default billing rate is used for documents you process in Order Entry and for material usage and material returns transactions you process in Project and Job Costing.

The program assigns a sequential line number to each project you assign to a contract. You cannot change it.

Select one of the following selections as the default cost for miscellaneous charges you process in Order Entry:

• Default Cost From Misc. Charges. If you select this option, the extended cost and extended amount specified in the miscellaneous charge setup record in Order Entry are used as defaults.

• Default Cost From Contract. If you select this option, the cost specified for the miscellaneous charge for the project category (on a basic project) or the resource category (on a standard project) is used as the default.

This field indicates whether optional fields are assigned to the project.

To view, assign, or edit optional fields on the project's Optional Fields tab, select the project on the Projects grid, then click the Zoom button on the column heading.

This is the sum of the quantities assigned to the project in original estimates.

This is the total original cost (in functional currency) estimated for the project.

You can also see this amount on the project's Totals tab.

This is the total original revenue (in functional currency) estimated for the project.

Note that in multicurrency systems, revenue amounts are given in both functional and source (customer) currencies.

You can also see this amount on the project's Totals tab.

Use this field to enter the customer's purchase order number, if you know it.

Enter or select the code for a project you set up using the Project setup form.

When you select the code, the program displays the description for the project in the Description field.

You use this field to indicate your progress on a project.

A project can have one of the following statuses:

• Estimate.

• Approved.

• Open.

• On Hold.

• Inactive.

• Completed.

• Closed.

Note that if the contract has an Estimate status, you cannot change the status of any of its projects.

Project and Job Costing displays the default style specified for this contract, but you can change the project style for a particular project until you assign a category.

For the project style, specify:

• Standard to track costs and maintain statistical information for each resource and category you assign to the project.

Or

• Basic to track costs only by category for the project.

This field lets you specify a project type for a selected project.

You can select completed project, total cost percentage complete, labor hours percentage complete, category percentage complete, billings and costs, or accrual-basis for the accounting method.

The program displays the end date for the contact as the default for this field when you create a project record.

You can change the projected end date for the project until you change the project status from Estimate to another status.

If a project has Open status, you use the Current End Date field (on the Project Maintenance form) to change the end date for the project.

Enter the date when you expect the project to start.

The Projected Start Date field is available only while the project has an Estimate status. If you need to revise the start date after you open the project for transactions, use the Current Start Date field on the Project Maintenance form to enter the new date. (The Projected Start Date field remains intact.)

If you use retainage accounting in Accounts Payable, the program displays the current retainage amount outstanding for the project in Accounts Payable. You cannot edit it.

The amount displayed is in your functional currency.

The program updates the field when you post an original Accounts Payable invoice, debit note, or credit note for the project that includes retainage. It also updates the field when post retainage documents to clear amounts from the Accounts Payable outstanding retainage control account.

This field displays the current retainage amount outstanding for the project in Accounts Receivable. You cannot edit it.

If you use multicurrency, the amount displayed is in source (customer) currency.

The field is updated when you post an original Accounts Receivable invoice, debit note, or credit note for the project that includes retainage. It also updates the field when you post retainage documents to clear amounts from the Accounts Receivable outstanding retainage control account.

The program credits the revenue account when you recognize revenue for a project.

You specify the revenue account for all project types at the project level - either on the Project tab of the Contract Maintenance form or on the Project Maintenance form.

Note that these fields are not available for internal contracts (contracts with no customer number).

How you specify the work in progress account depends on the project type and accounting method, as follows:

• For time and materials projects, you specify the work in progress account for each category.

• For fixed price projects, you specify the work in progress account only for the project.

• For cost plus projects that have a completed project, total cost percentage complete, or labor hours percentage complete accounting method, you specify the work in progress account for the project, only.

• For cost plus projects with a billings and costs or category percentage complete method, you specify the work in progress account for each category.

• Projects that use the accrual-basis accounting method do not use a work in progress account.

The Optional Fields tab appears on the Contract Maintenance form if you use Sage ERP Accpac Transaction Analysis and Optional Field Creator.

Optional fields that are set up for automatic insertion on contracts appear, along with their default values, on the Optional Fields tabs of the Contract Maintenance form when you add a new contract.

You can edit or delete the optional fields that appear for a contract, and you can add different optional fields you have defined for contracts, if necessary.

The Totals tab on the Contract Maintenance form provides a snapshot of the contract as a whole. It displays both the original and current estimates, earned revenue and recognized revenue, and actual, stored, and committed costs for the entire contract.

If all the projects in the contract use the same currency as the contract customer, contract totals are shown in both functional currency and source currency. However, if you use a variety of currencies for your projects, contract totals are shown only in functional currency.

The tab also displays the following fields that summarize retainage for the contract:

• Retainage Receivable

  The Retainage Receivable field shows the receivable retainage outstanding for the contract. The amount is shown in the source (customer) currency.

  The field is updated automatically when you post an original invoice, credit note, debit note, or adjustment that contains a retainage amount in Accounts Receivable. It is also updated when you post a retainage invoice, retainage credit note, or retainage debit note to clear outstanding retainage for the contract in Accounts Receivable. You cannot edit the amount.

• Retainage Payable

  The Retainage Payable is the payable outstanding retainage for the contract. The amount is shown in your functional currency.

  The field is updated automatically when you post an original invoice, credit note, debit note, or adjustment that contains a retainage amount in Accounts Payable. It is also updated when you post a retainage invoice, retainage credit note, or retainage debit note to clear outstanding retainage for the contract in Accounts Payable. You cannot edit the amount.