QuickBooks and Job Costing - Tips and Tutorial
Recently we've had a lot of discussion on AccountingWEB about the best software package for job costing. QuickBooks got a lot of votes, but our IT Zone consultant editor David Carter found it difficult to get out a simple listing of all costs from all sources. After advice from readers, he's been able to write a custom report in QuickBooks that gives him at least some of the detail he's looking for
In the discussions of the various packages so far, few members have much time for Sage Job Costing ('about as useful as a chocolate fireguard,' says Neil Eglintine).
Continued...
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QuickBooks can do most of what you are after
In response to:
"This Project Detail Report is a good start, but unfortunately it’s not sufficient as it doesn’t print costs from ALL sources other than bills".
To get information from all the sources needed you can use a combination of a few reports:
time sheets - Time by Job Detail
mileage expenses - Mileage by Job Detail
purchase invoices - Custom Project Detail Report
stock issues - (if you mean stock adjustments) - Custom Project Detail Report
nominal journals - Custom Project Detail Report
sales invoices - Custom Project Detail Report
purchase orders - Custom Project Detail Report
stock assemblies - No (No costs associated with this transaction)
and anything else - ?? - What else is there?
The Custom Project Detail Report was created by using the Custom Transaction Detail Report as a base and then just modified and filtered it to suit.
The user could take the 3 separate reports and drop them to one Excel Spreadsheet, using the Export to Excel functionality within QB. The spreadsheet contains formulas to add the 3 reports together and produce the necessaries and the spreadsheet format could be saved by the user so that it can be re-used again and again with fresh data from QB.
I have made the spreadsheet and example data file available for download and review at:
https://www.quickbase.com/db/98ndf8w9?a=dr&r=b&rl=b
Saves having to explain in detail how the QB report was customised and what formula's were used in Excel.
When you open up the data file please look at the memorised reports list, the group called Accounting Web, for the 3 QB reports needed
Hope this helps.
Stock purchases.
One thing always bothers me with job costing on QuickBooks. How do you deal with stock that you've bought in to keep in stock and then issue to jobs?
Adjust Quantities/Value in Hand?
Kevin, are you using Suppliers - Stock Activities - Adjust Quantity/Value in Hand?
This has fields for a GL Adjustment account and a Customer:Job name. It looks OK although it seems you have to scroll through the entire stock database on the screen to find the one item you want to issue.
Hi Alex
At last someone has provided me with the material for part 2!
I'm at Softworld this week but will take a look at your material next week. Thanks once again.