The following are descriptions of fields on the Project-General screen:
Project ID: (required)
Each project in your database must have a unique Project ID, comprising of the code and the phase. This field displays only when creating a new project profile. The field size should not exceed 48 characters.
Consideration to the ID structure used will assist in future searches. Many systems of classification exist. For example, if you would like to classify projects by year, the first Project of 2021 might be identified by 2021-001. Projects can be classified by type of client. For example, project identification might have a character precede it to define a residential or commercial project (that is, R2021-001 or C2021-001). This helps to narrow searches when the number of Projects becomes large. Whichever system is used, remember to keep it logical and simple.
Phase:
The project phase is not a required element of the Project ID. It should be used when there are multiple phases to a project. The field size should not exceed 10 characters. As an example, there are two phases to a project, preliminary and management. Use an identical Project Code but assign a different phase to each Project ID. Use a Project Code of 2021-01 and assign phases of PRELIM and MGMT. The resulting Project IDs will be 2021-01:PRELIM and 2021-01:MGMT.
In the case of phased projects, you might also want to enter a record for the complete project. Using the previous example, a third record would be created with a Project Code of 2021-01 and no Project Phase. For this third record 2021-01: is the resulting Project ID.
This field only displays when creating a new project.
Create Phase:
Click this link to create a project phase. You can clone the project to create a phase by entering key information for the new phase in the Create Project Phase window. When cloning the project, you must provide the required information.
You can change the label or caption
of the Project Code and Phase in the Custom
Labels screen.
When creating a project phase, BillQuick
Online copies the settings like Send as Joint Invoices, Email Invoices,
Contact, Invoice Templates and all the assigned project rules from the
parent project to the child.
Name: (required)
Enter the full name of the project (up to 100 characters) describing it. This name appears on invoices and reports. When you include phases on invoices, they appear in alphabetic order by name.
Status: (required)
Status of the project. It can be used to filter records for several reports. Click to select from the available options:
Active—Time and expense entries can be entered and billed. You can log time and expenses to active projects only. Typically, new projects and phases will be assigned the Active status. Only Active status projects appear in drop-down lists on Sheet View and Expense Log screens.
Archived—Not a user selection. Archived Status is set automatically by the Archive-Restore tool in BillQuick Online. Archive status can only be achieved when time entries and expense entries are archived with the archive tool in BillQuick Online. No time and expense entries can be entered nor transactions billed. You cannot create an invoice for archived projects.
Completed—Recorded time and expense transactions can be billed, but no new entries can be recorded. Completed projects do not allow time and expense entry but can be billed.
Hold— Recorded time and expense transactions cannot be billed and at the same time no new entries can be recorded since the project is locked.
Inactive—Recorded time and expense transactions can be billed, but no new entries can be recorded. Inactive projects do not allow time and expense entry but can be billed.
Main—Identifies the parent project to which phases are linked. If a project has phases, create a record for the entire project (all phases combined) and assign a status of Main. No time and expense entries can be charged to a project with a Main status. You cannot create an invoice for Parent or Main projects. Hence, you can apply retainer to the phases and not the Parent project directly.
Canceled—Previous invoices may be billed but no new entries can be recorded because the project has been cancelled.
By default, only Active status projects appear in the drop-down lists.
Changing
the status of the parent project prompts you to apply the changes to its
phases and sub-phases.
Client: (required)
Click on the arrow to select the client for which the project is being done. Only active clients appear in the list. This client will be billed for the work done on this project. The person or department who receives the invoices will be the Main Contact on the Client-Details screen or optionally, the Project Contact defined on the Project Billing screen.
You can also associate a different or new client with an existing project. Changing a client updates the previous invoices and payments (including retainer payments) and assigns them to the new client. You cannot change the client of an individual phase; changing the client of the parent changes the client automatically for all its phases.
You cannot change the client for a project if you have used the client's
retainer in payments on the project's invoices.
Click the Filter link to control the
link of the Client list that displays when you click the Client field's
Search icon.
Add New Client:
Instead of using an existing client, you can click
to create a new client to assign to the project. Settings for the new
client can be modified later in the Client screen.
Manager: (required)
The employee (or vendor) assigned as the manager of the selected project (you can show the vendors in the drop-down list by checking that option on the Project Filters screen). In case you have already assigned an employee or vendor as a Client Manager in the Client screen, it is brought forward here by default for the selected project. You can change the default values though. Many reports filtered based on the manager and projects can be reviewed and billed by project manager. In addition, more access is provided to project managers for certain security settings.
Click the Filter link to control the
link of the Employee list that displays when you click the Manager field's
Search icon.
Type: (required)
Contract type for the project. This field tells BillQuick Online what type of contract is to be used for this project. BillQuick Online is designed to record time and expense entries for all contract types. Therefore, whether the projects are to be billed per hour or lump sum or even not billed at all, record time and expense entries for them to take advantage of BillQuick Online's many project management tools.
Open Billing Schedule :
Click
to view, edit or create a project billing schedule.
Contract Details
Contract Amount:
Enter a contract amount for Fixed, Hourly Not to Exceed, Percentage and Recurring with Cap contract types. This is the total consideration for the project (Service Amount + Expense Amount). You can include or exclude expenses and taxes in this amount depending on how you bill. When the rule, Lock at Contract Amount is selected (in Project Detail tab), BillQuick Online evaluates each time and expense entry to determine if the total amount spent exceeds the contract amount. If the new entry pushes you over the contract, a warning displays and the entry's status automatically changes to non-billable.
If necessary, BillQuick Online splits an entry into billable and non-billable entries. Non-billable entries display as Red text, indicating an exception or Red Flag situation. If desired, you can change the entry back to Billable and mark it as Xtra (extra to the contract). This rule can be turned off for a project or for all projects.
Total Amount Spent = [(B-Hours x Bill Rate) + Non-billable expense amount
The contract amount for a parent project can be allocated to the project records under (the next level down in the hierarchy) using the Percent of Total Project (Detail tab, Create Phase). For example, if the contract amount of a main or parent project, NET-0578, is $100,000, and Phase B is 60% of the total project, then BillQuick Online assigns $60,000 to NET-0578:B.
BillQuick Online assumes billable expenses are not part of the contract,
unless specified.
If both billable and non-billable expenses are to be included in the contract amount, select the Expense Part of Contract rule on the Project Detail tab.
If you want to include only Billable expenses as part of Contract Amount, select the Evaluate Time and Expense Billable Status based on Billable Value on Global Settings-Time/Expense.
If you update the fee or contract amount of a phase, BillQuick Online
automatically updates the total contract amount for the main project.
It is tied to the '% of Total Project' value and ignores hourly
projects.
If
the contract amount is modified (increased or decreased), BillQuick Online
automatically updates the difference between the actual and modified contract
amount in the Project Notes and this difference in the amount gets reflected
in the Notes.
If
the total budget amount and project contract amount are equal, BillQuick
Online prompts you to update the project contract amount.
Service Amt:
This is the amount spent on the labor or the service that contributes towards the contract amount. After entering the Contract Amount, this field gets filled by default with the entire contract amount. It accounts for the amount spent on the employee's service or labor (time entry: B-Hours x Bill Rate). You can include or exclude expenses and taxes in this amount depending on how you bill. You can change this amount, the balance of which goes into the Expense Amount field.
Exp Amt:
This is the amount incurred on the expenses that contribute towards the contract amount. After entering the Service Amount, this field gets filled with the balance (Contract Amount- Service Amount), if any. It accounts for the billable expenses incurred by the employee ( Cost Amount). You can include or exclude taxes in this amount depending on how you bill. You can change this amount, with adjustments made to the Service Amount automatically.
% Complete:
The estimated percentage complete of the project, this percentage is read by billing review where invoices are processed. It is stored with the invoice when processed, enabling it to appear on the invoice. A good implementation of the % Complete field is to have managers fill in the % Complete for each of their projects prior to invoicing. When brought up in Billing Review the % Complete is displayed to help the billing manager determine the invoice amount. It accepts decimal entries as well. This field gets updated when related project invoices are processed in Billing Review.
Project Settlement %:
The percentage amount based on which the Contract amount will be recalculated, for example, 80% of the previously entered value. This percentage value is stored and can be viewed later for reference.
PO Number:
Use this field to record the project's Purchase Order number.
Start Date:
Enter the Project start date. Click the arrow, a drop down list appears
that can be used to select the date. Selected reports can be filtered
using this field. This field is useful for filtering reports.
Due
Date:
Enter the due date for the project. It is the date when the project
is expected to get completed.
Address Details
Use Client Address:
When selected, click the Save button to copy the client address for all of the project address fields when empty: Street, City, State, Country and Zip Code. Clearing the check box, the address you enter is saved with the project record.
Street 1/2:
The street address of the project. The field size should not exceed 55 characters for each line. When it is the same as the client, select "Use Client Address" option and leave this field blank. The project address is not used on invoices, instead the client address is. The project address can be added to invoices using Crystal Reports 9.0 or later to modify the invoice template.
City:
The city where the project is located. The field size should not exceed 45 characters. When it is the same as the client, select "Use Client Address" option and leave this field blank.
State:
The state or province where the project is located. The field size should not exceed 3 characters. When it is the same as the client, select "Use Client Address" option and leave this field blank. The project address is not used on invoices, instead the client address is. The mask for this field can be modified in Custom Labels screen. For example, the State field label can be changed to Province.
Zip:
The project's zip or postal code. The field size should not exceed 10 characters. When it is the same as the client, select "Use Client Address" option and leave this field blank. The mask for this field can be modified in Custom Labels screen. For example, the Zip field mask can be changed to the U.S. Postal Service Zip + 4 format, "99999-9999", or to Canada Post, "?9? 9?9".
Country:
The country or region where the project is located. The field size should
not exceed 35 characters. When it is same as the client, leave this field
blank. Selecting the "Use Client Address" option will automatically
fill this field.
Custom 1/2/3/4:
Additional fields for unique characteristics of a project. These fields accept up to 50 characters each. Fields labels can be customized, and should communicate the content of the fields. For example, new labels can be "ClntRate" and "Perfrmnc" for a client rating and a rating of the company's performance in staying within budget or contract amount (or other criteria). The field labels can be altered in Custom Labels screen.
For a parent
project, modifying the address and custom fields prompts you to apply
the changes to its phases and sub-phases.
Memo:
Use the memo box to record any project information. Projects have their own memo field with unlimited space so your text can be as long as needed. Click the Date/Time Stamp icon to add current system date and time to your memo. Type your text and click Update or Save to save your memo.
