Cost Allocation Properties dialog - Cost Allocation tab

You use the Cost Allocation tab of the Cost Allocation Properties dialog to maintain cost and income details of the selected cost allocation. When you assign a direct cost to a task, the default allocation from that cost centre is assigned. You can edit individual cost allocations to change the amount being allocated, the way in which the cost is calculated and to set a delay on the cost.

Explanation of the fields on the dialog

Field	Description
Type	Specify whether the allocation relates to cost or income.
Calculation type	Specify the way in which the allocation's cost or income is calculated - either as a fixed amount, or based on time or task work. Cost and income calculation types
Value	For cost allocations that are time-based or task work-based, enter an amount to represent the complete cost of the allocation. This enables Asta Powerproject to calculate the cost per time unit or cost per work unit automatically. If you want to represent a negative cost or income, you can enter a negative value in this field. Representing negative cost and income
Start type	Specify whether the allocation starts on a fixed date, or relative to the start or finish of the task to which it is allocated. Ways of connecting cost bars to tasks
Start delay	If the start of the allocation is relative to the start or finish of the task to which it is allocated, enter any period by which the start of the allocation is delayed in relation to the start or finish of the task. Delaying costs in relation to tasks
Start date	If the allocation starts on a fixed date, enter the date and time on which it starts.
Finish type	Specify whether the allocation finishes on a fixed date, or relative to the start or finish of the task to which it is allocated. Ways of connecting cost bars to tasks
Point spend	Select this check box to specify that the allocation is a milestone, indicating that the cost or income occurs at a single point in time, or clear the check box to specify that the cost or income occurs over the duration of the task. Representing instant cost and income
Finish delay	If the finish of the allocation is relative to the start or finish of the task to which it is allocated, enter any period by which the finish of the allocation is delayed in relation to the start or finish of the task. Delaying costs in relation to tasks
Finish date	If the allocation finishes on a fixed date, enter the date and time on which it finishes.
Cost	Enter the amount of the cost allocation. The amount you enter here is allocated per time unit or per unit of task work if you have selected a Calculation type other than Fixed. If the amount is time-based, you must also specify a time unit, for example, the cost per hour. If you want to represent a negative cost or income, you can enter a negative value in this field. Representing negative cost and income
Point spend appearance	Select the shape to apply to the cost allocation when it is a milestone, indicating that the cost or income occurs at a single point in time.
Budgeted cost	A field primarily intended for use in projects that have been imported from, or that are intended to be exported to, Primavera® software. In Primavera software, the Budgeted cost field can be used to record the budget cost of items without the need to use a baseline. When you import a project from Primavera software, resource and cost allocation information from this field in Primavera software is imported into this field in Asta Powerproject. You can view and edit this field against resource and cost allocations; the value is calculated for tasks and bars by summing the budgeted cost of the tasks' and bars' allocations. You can choose to calculate a number of earned value fields using the budgeted cost that has been recorded in this field rather than using a value from a baseline. Although this field is primarily intended for use in projects that have been imported from, or that are intended to be exported to, Primavera software, you may also find it useful in other projects, as a simple way of recording the budget cost of items without the need to use a baseline. If you want to represent a negative cost, you can enter a negative value in this field.

How do I...

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