Check and override cost accounting fields when recording

Every project time, cost element, line item and general posting has a “Cost accounting” section with the fields cost category, cost centre and cost object. Usually you do not need to do anything there: a rule pre-fills the fields. You only look at them if the rule value does not fit or is missing, and then you override it.

Where to find the section

The section is available in all four primary elements, i.e. wherever costs or revenue arise:

The administration decides which source applies in which order (see Define rules for default values).

How to read the section

Each of the three fields has two sides:

• On the left is the value from the rule, labelled Cost centre from rule, Cost object from rule or Cost category from rule, e.g. “6100”.
• On the right is the Override button. Use it to set your own value; the field is then called e.g. Cost centre manually overridden. A manual value always wins over the rule value.
• Reset deletes your manual value and restores the rule value.
• - None - means that the rule did not find anything. The field stays empty, because none of the three fields is mandatory unless the administration has set it as a mandatory field.

Override a value

1. Open the element, e.g. the project time, the expense receipt, the line item or the posting. When you create a new element, the section is only visible if the administration has already enabled it for new elements.
2. Expand the Cost accounting section.
3. Check the three rule values on the left.
4. Next to the field that does not fit, click Override and select the correct value, for example a different cost centre.
5. Save the element.

If you want the rule value back later, click Reset for that field.

This is what an element whose values have been overridden looks like:

When to override and when not to

• Override if the rule value is wrong for this one case: a consultant works for another department as an exception, or a line item belongs to a different area from the article.
• Do not override if the rule value is wrong in principle. Then the source is maintained incorrectly, e.g. the cost centre on the employee or the cost category on the cost type. Have it corrected at the source, otherwise you will have to override the same error every time.
• Do not split amounts here. If an amount belongs to two projects (e.g. a trip for two customers), it stays complete in the original. Controlling then distributes it with a reposting (see Repost an amount).

Notes

• Whether you see the section and whether you may override depends on your rights: with Set cost accounting elements you can override; without that right you only see the rule values. Hide cost accounting element input hides the section entirely for individual primary elements, for example for interns who should get a simple time-tracking dialog (see Permissions for cost accounting).
• An employee’s cost centre is stored as a time-dependent value on their department (HR → Analysis → Department, field Cost centre; Automatic = the department’s cost centre). If they change department, old time bookings keep their old cost centre.
• With a salary cost centre, the cost centre of your time bookings is your department’s salary cost centre. That is correct and not an error (see Allocate personnel costs via a salary cost centre).

Common problems

I do not see the “Cost accounting” section. There are three possible causes: the fields are set to Off or Visible in admin mode in the configuration. Or you are creating a new project time, and in the time-tracking configuration the fields are only set to Visible instead of Visible when creating new elements; in that case they only appear when you edit the element. Or your right Hide cost accounting element input hides the section for this input.

Every rule value says ”- None -”. The rule finds no value at its source. Typical causes are a missing cost centre on the employee or their department, a project without a cost object or a cost type without a cost category. This is not an error in the element but in the master data. Report it to the administration.

I cannot change the value. You lack the right Set cost accounting elements, or it is restricted for this object type. Contact the administration.

I overrode a value, and now it no longer fits after a master data change. A manual value stays in place even if the rule source changes. Click Reset, and the element takes over the rule value again.

Common questions & needs

Related topics

• Define rules for default values Cost accounting Configuration
• Repost an amount Cost accounting How-to
• Book project times Time tracking How-to
• Record expenses & material Costs & travel expenses How-to
• Topic: Cost accounting Cost accounting
• Cost accounting with teamspace