Define rules for default values

So that nobody has to record anything extra for cost accounting, teamspace pre-fills cost category, cost centre and cost object by rule when you record. A rule is an order of sources: the first source that has a value wins. If no source finds anything, the field stays empty (“None”), because none of the fields is mandatory. You maintain the values themselves where the information belongs: on the employee, the project, the customer, the article and the cost type.

Where to set the rules

The rules are in two configuration areas, each next to the field visibility:

Configuration → Time tracking → Settings → Project times → Field visibility   (project times)
Configuration → Finance → Settings → Line item → Field visibility            (line items)
Configuration → Finance → Settings → Costs → Field visibility                (cost elements)
Configuration → Finance → Settings → Postings → Field visibility             (general postings)

For each field (Cost centre, Cost object, Cost category), the visibility (e.g. Visible) is on the left and next to it on the right is a Rule for default values selection with the possible orders, e.g. - None -, 1. Project, 2. Employee or 1. Employee, 2. Project.

Tip: Type “kosten” into the search field at the top right of the configuration. teamspace then only shows the sections with the cost accounting fields.

A proven setup

How to read the “Costs” row: the cost category depends on the kind of expense (travel costs, material …). The cost object is the project. The cost centre comes from the employee first; if they do not have one, the system takes the customer.

General postings deliberately remain without a rule. Controlling creates them and sets the three fields itself on purpose.

Where the sources get their values from

Step by step

1. First maintain the sources: cost centre on the employees’ departments, cost object on the projects, cost category on cost types, categories and articles.
2. Open Configuration → Time tracking → Settings → Project times → Field visibility and set the visibility and the Rule for default values for cost centre, cost object and cost category.
3. Open Configuration → Finance → Settings and set the same in the sections Line item, Costs and Postings, each under Field visibility.
4. Record a test entry for each area and check in the Cost accounting section whether the expected rule values appear on the left (see Check and override cost accounting fields when recording).

Automatic cost elements from attendance and absence times

Cost elements that teamspace creates automatically from attendance and absence times (such as flat rates) get their cost accounting fields via the same rules as manually recorded cost elements: the cost category from their cost type, cost centre and cost object from the employee, customer or project. You switch this on under Configuration → Finance → Settings → Travel expenses & weekly/monthly closing with Rules for the automatic creation of cost elements based on attendance/absence times (see Generate flat rates automatically with rules).

Notes

• Manual beats rule. If someone has overridden a value in the element, it stays in place. Reset brings back the rule value.
• Correct wrong rule values at the source, not in each element. Otherwise employees will keep overriding the same error.
• Departments are time-dependent. If an employee changes department, only new postings receive the new cost centre.

Common problems

The dialog shows ”- None -” as the rule value everywhere. The sources are not maintained: no cost centre on the employee’s department, no cost object on the project, no cost category on the cost type. Maintain the source, and the rule will apply the next time you record.

The cost centre comes from the customer instead of the employee. The employee has no cost centre for the date of the posting; the rule falls back to the second source. Check the time-dependent value Department under HR → Analysis: does it apply to the posting date, and is the Cost centre field filled in – or, with Automatic, does the department have a cost centre?

Line items have no cost centre. The “Line item” rule takes the cost centre from the article. Free line items without an article do not supply a value. Enter a cost centre on the article or set it manually in the line item.

Common questions & needs

Related topics

• Check and override cost accounting fields when recording Cost accounting How-to
• Set up cost accounting: create cost categories, cost centres and cost objects Cost accounting Configuration
• Cost types at a glance Costs & travel expenses Reference
• Configure time tracking Time tracking Configuration
• Topic: Cost accounting Cost accounting
• Cost accounting with teamspace