how to add a billing rate which is different from the cost rate?

[Juliem]

I am using MSP 2003 with Project Server.
I want to create a budget sheet (on Task Usage view of Enterprise Global
file) where I show the Cost budget and the Billing budget, using custom
fields. Therefore, I need a billing rate field to calculate the billing
budget. There is no field of type "rate" and using a field of type "cost"
does not work.
Cost = [Std Rate]*Work
Billing=[billing rate]*Work, where Billing and billing rate are custom fields.

The relation between cost and billing rates varies from project to project
and/or from task to task in the same project. So creating a rate field that
is calculated based on the Std Rate does not seem to be a valid option.

Thank you for your help!

 

[JulieS]

Hi Juliem,

Can you tell us the problem that occured when you used one of the custom
Cost fields?

I am using MS Project 2003 Professional, although I am not using server. I
was able to create the following fields in the Usage Table (left side of Task
Usage View) and calculate what I think you are looking for:
[Cost] - standard Project defined cost field.
[Cost1] - Renamed Bill Rate - user enters the data for the hourly billing
rate.
[Cost2] - Renamed billing. Formula in field follows:

[Work]/60*[Cost1]

The [Work] value in the formula needs to be divided by 60 to convert the
data back to work in hours.

Hope this helps. Let me know if I have missed the boat completely and we'll
try again.

Julie

 

[Juliem]

Tks Julie, it worked.... partially:

Before, I did not divide [Work] by 60. Now it works, although I don't
understand why I should do that since [Work] is already set as hours in my
project.

My problem now, is that I cannot have the billing rate at the resource level
and the billing budget at the task level + details at the resource level:

If billing budget is a Task type custom field, I cannot use the billing rate
in my formula if it is set as a Resource type custom field.
If Billing budget and billing rate are both resource types, I cannot see the
task details of my billing budget. In fact, I can only see the total billing
budget of my resource in the Resource sheet.
If Billing budget and billing rate are both task types, I cannot see the
resource details of my billing budget.
What I really want is to reproduce the Cost scheme, but for billing.

Do you have a solution for this?

Juliem
*****

Hi Juliem,

Can you tell us the problem that occured when you used one of the custom
Cost fields?

I am using MS Project 2003 Professional, although I am not using server. I
was able to create the following fields in the Usage Table (left side of Task
Usage View) and calculate what I think you are looking for:
[Cost] - standard Project defined cost field.
[Cost1] - Renamed Bill Rate - user enters the data for the hourly billing
rate.
[Cost2] - Renamed billing. Formula in field follows:

[Work]/60*[Cost1]

The [Work] value in the formula needs to be divided by 60 to convert the
data back to work in hours.

Hope this helps. Let me know if I have missed the boat completely and we'll
try again.

Julie

I am using MSP 2003 with Project Server.
I want to create a budget sheet (on Task Usage view of Enterprise Global
file) where I show the Cost budget and the Billing budget, using custom
fields. Therefore, I need a billing rate field to calculate the billing
budget. There is no field of type "rate" and using a field of type "cost"
does not work.
Cost = [Std Rate]*Work
Billing=[billing rate]*Work, where Billing and billing rate are custom fields.

The relation between cost and billing rates varies from project to project
and/or from task to task in the same project. So creating a rate field that
is calculated based on the Std Rate does not seem to be a valid option.

Thank you for your help!

 

[JulieS]

Hi Juliem,

The reason you needed to divide work by 60 in the formula is because project
is calculating work to the minute. The "hrs" you see in the work field are a
formatting issue that is controlled in Tools>Options>Schedule tab.

You are 100% correct when you note the differences between resource custom
fields and task custom fields. The answer I gave in my earlier reply was
based upon your comment that the billing rate varies from task to task.

You have run up against the limitation that Project is a scheduling tool and
not an accounting tool able to easily track such issues as the difference
between your project costs you and what you bill your project for. My
recommendation would be to pick one of the two cost basis (ie enter either
your billing rate or pay rate in the Standard Rate field) then export the
data to Excel to do the accounting piece.

Perhaps another poster can offer more sage advice about dealing with this in
Project but sadly, that is all I can offer.

Hope this helps somewhat. Please let us know how you get along and repost
if you have any further questions.

Julie