Charge codes are an essential element in Synergist, created and maintained in File Maintenance.
Each charge code is a type of work that you wish to estimate or create timesheets for, or both.
The input form for charge codes is displayed during creation or editing and is comprised of various sections:
Details
The charge code field is mandatory and unique. Generally not displayed in the UI.
Description should allow other users to select the correct type of work from a list of charge codes for the given situation - estimating, creating timesheets etc.
Charge code can only be used when set as an organisation price. This setting allows you to restrict certain charges for use on jobs for specific organisations. Until a charge code with this flag is added to an organisation rate card it cannot be used for estimating or timesheet entry on jobs for that organisation.
Rates
Set a cost rate on this charge code. If you are using cost rates at charge code level (see this article for a description of all the entities in Synergist which can hold a cost rate, and the hierarchy they exist in) you should check this box and enter the cost rate in the field that is displayed.
Manual charge out for estimates. This option can only be ticked on charge codes that have not been used on an estimate or added to an organisation rate card. This is a special type of charge code used in Departmental Revenue Analysis for either adjusting charge out values on a phase, or for transgerring charge out amounts between departments. See this article for more information on Departmental Revenue Analysis.
Charge rate. The fundamental value associated with a charge code is its charge rate. This is the hourly (or optionally daily) value for this type of work and is used to calculate recommended charge out values. Charge rates can be set on other entities in Synergist, see this article for more the full list, and the hierarchy they exist in.
Department. Charge codes can be grouped into departments, either as a way of setting a departmental cost rate, making for simplified re-costing of jobs, or for the purposes of Departmental Revenue Analysis.
Quote detail. You can specify default text narrative that will be added to quote lines created from estimates for a charge code by entering it here.
Suppress from calendar. Ticking this will prevent calendar bookings for estimates for this charge code from being created.
Book from MyCalendar. Allows a user to book out of office time directly in their calendar using this charge code. The charge code is linked to an event type (normally Holiday, but Other is also an option). An estimate must exist on a job for this charge code in order to create the calendar event.
Out of office. Charge codes used for events in the calendar are typically considered out of office. Other charge codes can optionally be flagged as such.
Exclude from quick estimating. Self explanatory.
Allowed on. This choice drop down allows you to choose between Internal jobs only, External jobs only or any jobs. This will affect the availability of the charge code in estimating and timesheet entry.
Estimate in. Normally estimating and timesheets are entered in hours, but you can set a charge code to be estimated in days. A background calculation based on the company setting "hours in day" will then be used to calculate the value of a time estimate using this charge code. The charge rate entered is still hourly, and timesheets are entered in hours, this is just an estimating simplification.
Allocate new estimates to. This is a list of teams and sets the default team on new estimates, useful in resource planning and calendar booking.
Sort order. This field can be used to impose a display order on the list of charge codes wherever it is displayed.
Resource skills and Team skills
These tabs are used to set up matrices of charge codes for use by specific resources / teams. These are then used in conjunction with the company setting "Charge code is resource skills restricted" to limit the choice of charge codes presented to users during timesheet entry. These settings are also used in the event that you wish to assign different cost or charge rates to time estimates based on which resource or team they are assigned to.
Organisation prices/costs
This is a read only view the organisation rate card(s) that thuis charge code has been allocated to.
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