Set up billing templates

If you are using a billing schedule for your project, you can set up billing templates to be used for the bills that are to be generated (when using the suggested bills option).

Set up billing templates for the types of bill that you use regularly, or design a bill layout for a specific customer. A billing template is a standard bill layout, containing a list of predefined billing lines.

The templates can consist of as many template lines as you want. Each line will generate at least one line on the bill. For each template line you must first select the Calculation Method. Other options depend on the calculation method chosen.

Note: If you amend a billing template, the changes will not effect existing projects that use that template in their billing schedule. Each project stores its own copy of the template when it is added to the billing schedule. You will only see the changes when you next add the template to a project billing schedule.

To add, amend, copy or delete a billing template

Open: Project Accounting > Project Maintenance > Bill templates.

  1. The Billing templates window displays a list of existing bill templates.

  2. You can Add, Edit, Copy or Delete billing templates.

    A copied template has the same title as the original with the addition of 1, 2, 3 and so on.

  3. To set up the billing lines on the template, select the template and click Details.

    1. Click Add.
    2. Enter a description for the billing line as the Narrative.

    3. Select the Calculation method for the billing line:

      You must make sure that the calculation method chosen within a single template does not result in 'double counts' on the bill.

      For example, if a template contains a line for Percentage of the price quoted, and a line for the Remaining Quantity Quoted, both will generate a bill line. But the Remaining Quantity Quoted will also include the Percentage of price quoted amount, and so this value is included in the bill twice.

      The Cost Type method is designed for Time and Materials projects. The other methods are for Fixed Price projects.

      Cost Type

      Select this to calculate the bill line using the Value to bill from all transactions that require billing and that are posted to project items of the relevant type, are included in the bill.

      • Value: Select All, or select a particular cost type such as Labour Items.
      • Show: Choose how the costs are displayed on the bill line. Select Summary to show one line with a total of all the costs, or select Detail to list each individual cost on a separate line.
      • Include negative entries: Select this if you want to include this line in the bill even when it is a negative value.

      Note: As the Value to bill on the transactions is always in base currency, the value charged on the bill line will be calculated in the customer's currency, using the system exchange rate.

      Percentage of Price Quoted

       

       

      Select this to calculate a percentage of the quoted price for the item and include that amount in the bill.

      • Value: Enter the percentage of the quoted price.

      The percentage of the quoted price is included on the bill.

      Remaining Price Quoted

      Select this to calculate the difference between the original price quoted for the project and the amount already billed to the customer.

      The remaining amount is included in the bill.

      Remaining Quantity Quoted

       

      Select this to calculate the difference between the original quantity, quoted for this customer, for this project, and any quantity already billed to the customer.

      The remaining quantity is multiplied by the unit price and the resulting value is included on the bill.

      Set Quantity

       

      Select this to calculate a set quantity for project and customer.

      • Value: Enter the required quantity.

      The quantity entered is multiplied by the unit price entered for the project and customer, and the resulting amount is included on the bill.

      Set Value

       

      Select this to specify a set price for the project and customer.

      • Value: Enter the required price.

      The price entered is included on the bill.

    4. Revenue item:Select the appropriate revenue item from the list.

      Note: When selecting the bill template for a project, make sure that the project contains the same revenue items that are entered on the template. If it does not, you cannot select the billing template.

    5. VAT Rate If required, you can amend the VAT Rate.
    6. Nominal code: Select the required nominal account. The revenue generated from the billing line is posted to selected nominal account.
    7. To change the order of the lines on the bill, select the line and click Move Up or Move Down.
    8. When you have finished setting up the template billing lines, click OK.