Sub-Category Description File

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You must enter a master job cost record for each job that you wish to place in the system. Each job record will be stored permanently in your files until the job is finished and removed. You can use the Job File Menu to build these records. When you first begin building your files, you must use the initial build option one time to prepare the files for your records.

Each job record is actually made up of a basic record that holds the job name, etc. and then one or more category records. The following nine items are contained in the basic record.

Job Number

Each job must be assigned a number. The number is limited to six characters. You can use alpha characters in the number.

Job Name

The job name can be 40 characters long.

Job Address

City State Zip

The City, State and Zip are all combined into one 30 character field.

Estimated Completion Date

If you do have an estimated completion date, you can place that date in this field in MMDDYY format (month day year). The system does not require this date to be entered.

Contract Amount

You can place the total contract amount for the job in this field.

Billings to Date

The system allows you to enter and accumulate the billing on all jobs. If this information is used in any of your reports, you should enter the total billings as you place the job record in the system.

Job Status

The job status code is only used by the system to denote the jobs that are complete and ready to be removed. They system removes any job with a job status of 9. You can use this field to denote the type of job, etc., but never use code 9 for anything other than to denote a removal. The field is limited to two digits.

Category Records

Each job record is also made up of one or more category records. If your company is in the construction business, a good example of a category record would be "Excavation". You can have any number of category records on each job, so you should give careful consideration as to how you want each job broken down. Each category record contains the following information.

Category Number

Each category must be numbered. The number is limited to five numeric digits.

Category Name

Each category name is limited to 25 characters.

Labor Estimate

You can have an estimate of both the labor and other costs for each category. This field holds your estimate of the labor cost.

Hours Estimate

The system provides a place to store your estimate of the labor hours for each category. These estimate fields are optional fields. This field will not be used by the system unless some of your User-Designed Reports require the information.

Other Estimate

Even though the system allows you to have 99 different sub-categories of other costs, you can only have one estimate of other costs for each category. Other costs will include everything except labor.

Labor to Date

The labor costs are accumulated and stored separately in each category record. In order to have the total cost in each job, you must enter the labor to date as you build your job files.

Hours to Date

The total hours are also accumulated in each category record. The hours are for memo purposes only. You will not have to enter the Hours to Date, unless some of your User-Designed Reports require the information.

Other to Date

All costs, except labor, are accumulated in this field. To get the total cost in each job, you must enter this amount as you build your files.

Labor Current Period

This field and the following two fields are used to accumulate the costs and hours for the current period. The current period can be any period of time and will be determined by how often you choose to zero the current period information. The zero current period information is an option on the menu. You will probably never enter information in these fields as you build your files.

Hours Current Period

The hours will also be accumulated for the current period.

Other Costs Current Period

Units Completed

Each category record contains a field to hold the units completed to date. This field can be updated as time sheets are entered or as jobs are billed. In construction of buildings, etc. this field will probably be unused, unless maybe you use the field to keep track of yards of concrete, etc. If you are making some product that consists of many individual units, this field can be very useful in determining the number of units that have been completed at each category (phase of the job).

Estimated Units

This field holds your estimate of the units required, or may hold the total units required if you have contracted to do a certain number of units. The information in this field will be entered as you build the job records.

Labor Percent Complete

You have the ability to enter and store the percent complete on each phase (category) on the job. The percent complete for labor and percent complete for other are retained in separate fields. There is an option on the menu that will allow you to enter these percents as they change.

Other Percent Complete

This is the percent complete for all costs except labor.

Sub-Category File Menu

Description of Contents of Sub-Category File Menu

The sub-category records are used to provide detailed analysis of the types of time and charges that are processed into the system. For example, a job will be made up of a basic job record, which contains the job name etc., and one or more category records. The category records are used to give totals by phases or cost centers within the job. A sample category record could be "Excavation". Each job is assigned its own category records and the categories can differ from the other jobs in the system. The sub-category records are further broken down within the categories. Sample sub-categories might be supervisory labor, finish carpentry, equipment rental, materials, sublet, etc. You can have up to 99 sub-categories in the system. Unlike the category records, the sub-category records are not tied directly to a job, but instead are standard breakdowns for your entire system. You do not have to enter sub-categories, but their use can greatly enhance the analysis of any job. For example, under excavation you can receive a summary of how much equipment rental, material, etc. were used. You can get further summaries by job and also for your entire system.

You will use the Sub-Category File Menu from the Job Cost Menu to build and maintain the sub-category description file.

The following information is contained in each sub-category record.

Sub-Category Code

The sub-category codes are limited to 1 though 99.

Description

The description is limited to 30 characters. Any description you enter will be shown in the summaries on the job cost report.

Initial File Preparation

This program will allow you to establish the sub-category description file on your disk. If you have more than one company, you must run this option on each new company you place on the disk. To run this program, select Initial File Preparation on the Sub-Category File Menu. This initial file preparation program should be run only one time on each company.

All records in the sub-category description file will be erased when you take this option. Be sure to only run this program one time on each company, unless you wish to erase all records in the file.

Add New Records or File Maintenance / Inquiry

This Add and File Maintenance options have been combined on the Sub-Category Description File menu. You will take option 2 from this menu to perform either function. If you enter a description code that exists in the file, that record will be displayed. If the record does not exist, you will be given an option to add the record. Either screen will be similar to the following:

Please note that on this file you must change the description to a blank to delete an existing record.

Print Proof List

Option #3 from the Sub-Category Description File menu will allow you to print a proof list of the sub-category file.

Normally a proof list will only be run as you build your files, but a proof list can be printed anytime.

File Search

The search option will display all sub-category records that have been entered.