Application Overview

The eCMS Job Cost System calculates costs at defined intervals to identify potential cost variances. Regular cost tracking means you maintain control throughout the life of a project, regardless of its complexity. Because all data is integrated within the eCMS application set, the resulting information is always complete and accurate. Perhaps the most convenient function is the ability for users to view up-to-date information on the current cost status, related to each job, at any point in time.

Cost at completion estimates are calculated using actual, projected, or estimated numbers to account for a variety of scenarios. Also, for a department-specific viewpoint your Operations and Accounting staff can both project and maintain job costs.

Job Cost Benefits

Informative Project Cost/Inquiries Reporting
Your project staff needs real-time access to job information. Our Job Cost application's inquiry and report features allow users to quickly and easily access that information. Project Cost Reports provide job status information in various formats. Estimated costs at completion and costs remaining are calculated, either from actual costs plus outstanding purchase orders and open subcontracts or by comparing actual costs to date with work completed. In addition, estimated costs at completion are compared with current budgets and variance projections.

Customizable Job Cost Inquiries
The Job Cost inquiry allows users to view online costs and income for a job, summarized by income and cost type information (labor hours, labor dollars, material, equipment, subcontract, overhead etc…). The inquiry categories that can be displayed include:

• Budgeted dollars
• Budgeted quantity
• Budgeted hours
• Actuals to date
• Open commitments
• Total Commitments
• Estimated at completion (hours, dollars, or quantities)
• Variances
• Gross profit
• Over/under budget

Project Management Report Options
Project Management Reports are available to assist the project manager in calculating percentage complete, cost at completion, labor productivity, unit cost analysis, variances, and over/under costs. The Job Cost System provides over thirty-five standard Job Cost Reports, all of which have numerous selection and sorting criteria available. The application's report writer allows the project manager to design and create custom reports for even further control.

Complete Financial Reporting
Financial cost reports are provided to assist financial managers in calculating revenue earned, billings in excess of earnings, and earnings in excess of billings, and they also assist in the auditing of job cost and general ledger records. You'll have the ability to easily produce a detailed analysis of actual cost, committed cost, contract change orders, and actual versus allocated overhead.

Percent Complete Financial Report Made Easy
The preparation of financial statements, using the percent completed method, is simplified using the Summary Contract Analysis, Prior Period Accrual File, and the Income/Cost Update options in the Job Cost System. All records are kept on a completed contract basis and easily adjusted to the percentage complete basis.

Income/Cost Updating
The Income/Cost Update function allows for review and update of job status. The system's calculation of revenue earned is based on the revenue method, and also the job type for each job. The estimated cost, revenue at completion, remaining cost and unbilled revenue are also calculated. Jobs are summarized by user-defined cost types so all of the information you need is available on demand.

Insightful Field Forecasting
Field Reporting/Forecasting is provided for use in reporting quantities and percentages complete, in relation to a project. From this field data, projections and variances from budgeted costs are reported. Forecasting can be based on:

• Percent complete
• Put-in-place quantities
• Estimated quantity of hours or cost to completion
• Cost at completion

Accurate Overhead Allocation
Overhead allocation provides a more accurate picture of job profitability by allowing various types of overhead to be distributed to jobs. Overhead charges can be based on a percentage of either income or selected costs. Overhead can also be calculated on a fixed dollar amount to be allocated over selected jobs.

Change Order Tracking
The change order function allows tracking of changes, from the preparation of an estimate to receipt of approval, by the owner or general contractor. Change order reports allow the review of income and profit on pending and approved change orders. Change orders can be tracked for owners, subcontractors, and as internal budget transfers.

Estimating History and Job Costing
The job cost system maintains a complete detailed history of transactions on all open and closed jobs. This information can be printed in report form or accessed through on-line inquiry. When a closed job is removed, a permanent summary of the cost and income can be saved. This summary data is useful for estimating future jobs. The estimating history is available by inquiry or customizable reports. The availability of historic productivity and cost analysis helps assure that past experience can be factored into future bids - using the current rates.

Unit Price Contract Calculation
For quantity and unit price work, the Computer Guidance Job Cost System tracks original estimated quantities and unit cost. Contracts and estimates can be composed of lump sum, time and material, fixed quantity, and variable quantity activities.

Quantity, unit cost, productivity information for estimates, actuals, and variances can be viewed in the job cost inquiry or reported by Computer Guidance's unit cost and labor productivity reports.