Budget Overview
 

The following topics need to be set up to operate Budgeting fully and are reviewed in detail in the rest of the document. They should be done in this order. For example, you can create a budget year for a type that does not exist.

• Budget Types
• Budget Years
• Budget Formats
• Budget Format Account Ranges
• Budget Allocations - Some allocations, such as Settings for Health Care Checkboxes, should be set first to create the format logically.
• Global Budget Changes is a budget tool that allows you to apply budget changes to various accounts.
  1. For example - starting budget for all accounts as a percent increase over last year (or any year)
  2. In addition, the electric budget should be set at a 5 % increase.
  3. In addition, set the goal (bgt) for program revenue to be a 4% increase
  4. Or Copy a budget to the Type Approved by Board from the type Budget when the board approves the budget.
• Budget Years
  • Add budget year
    • Allow entry checkbox controls if the budget can be entered for the year. 
    • Set restrictions now or later by user or range of accounts. Leave blank to allow entry for all accounts and all users. If a user is included in one or more groups, the highest permission level (user vs group) will take precedence. Therefore, if you remove permission at a user level and this user's group still has permission, the user will still have permission through the group setting.
• Add forecast year (when ready to start forecasting)
  • Disallow entry on specific dates - assigns the dates each month to stop changes to the forecast. Entry or changes to the Forecast will not be allowed on or after the dates specified each month.  
  • At the beginning of the year, use Global Budget Changes to copy the budget into the forecast for the new year. 
  • Be sure to click Save to hold your settings.

• Budget Types
  • Your data was probably set up to start with a type called Budget.
  • However, if you need additional budget scenarios, add a new budget type (1 alpha/numeric character) and a budget year. 
• Formats
  • Defines the entry screen for budget components.  
  • Set up a general format to be used for all accounts that do not have an assigned format.
  • Add a new format. Click the Template button to select a default, make changes, and save with a new Format ID (name), such as Membership or Salaries. 
    • Budget Type: The exact format can be used for various budget types. Will this format be used for budget, forecast, or all budget scenarios? 
    • Effective Year: formats stay in effect indefinitely unless a format with a new effective date kicks in.
    • Settings: Monthly vs Annual
      • Monthly: columns are defined here, and components are entered at the monthly level.

• Annual: Columns are defined here, and the annual budget amount is entered on one line. Then, using the Distributions button, it is distributed to monthly components as assigned. If the Distribution is set to Last Year, it is based on the Actual/Forecast of the prior year.

• Browse access level: The user must have this permission to allow and/or modify components using this screen format. For example, the salaries format could require more user permission to view the components screen. If the format level exceeds the user permission level, the user cannot see components.
  • Standard setting: format-01 and user permission 01, or 02=user can see monthly budget amounts and components.
  • Standard setting: format-02 and user permission 01=user can browse monthly budget amounts but not components.
  • Secure salary components: format-10 and user permission. 02=The user can see the monthly budget amount but not the components.
• Default number of components: can force the default# of components.  
• Force component entry: disallows entry on budget screen by month—forces using components.
• Distribute to months: (applies to annual components only). How do you distribute the annual amount into monthly amounts?  (equally, %, #pays, etc.) Click the Distribution button to assign a custom distribution. 
• Column for budget placement: If monthly amounts were entered on the budget screen and the user clicks Components, which column should the budget amount be placed on the component screen? See Help text for more info on monthly vs. annual. 
• Prompt to default the prior year’s components: customarily checked. 
• Columns

Additional Column selections: 

 

Example: Payroll Annual with merit increase.

If including a merit increase, click Settings to define the merit increase.

Note:  if the merit increase percentage must be changed later, be aware that the system does not automatically update any budget amounts. However, if budget changes are made on the Actuals/Budget screen, the merit increase will be recalculated (for that G/L account only) upon clicking Save on the Actuals/Budget screen.

Payroll Monthly with merit increase:

A merit increase percentage in a monthly format must be added as a column. A checkbox cannot be used in a monthly format. In the following example, the budget entry screen will allow the user to enter the Hourly Rate. The merit increase percentage will default to the appropriate month but can be changed or blanked out if merit does not apply to the budget row. The New Hourly Rate will be calculated using a formula.

• Format Account Ranges
  • Assign a generic format for all accounts (000’s to 999’s).  
  • Assign each format to the range of accounts that apply to each. The generic format will default if a range of minor accounts does not have a specified format.

• Budget Allocations
  • Option to auto-calculate account budgets based on a % of other accounts. 
  • Option to disable auto-calculation and manually calculate when choosing to do so.
  • Once allocations are defined, the computer automatically calculates them as budgets or forecasts for the specified accounts change. For example, FICA and/or workmen’s comp expenses are calculated as a percentage of salary expenses. The process adds all budgets for the account range and places them in the target.
  • Option to include/exclude individual component lines at the account# level in the auto-calculation of budget allocations, based on an optional checkbox on the budget entry component screen.
  • See Help text for more info.

• Global Budget Changes
  • Formula calculations are available for percentage increase, trend, etc., on a range of accounts, such as x% increase over the prior year auto-calculated for utility accounts.  
  • To create a Forecast column at the beginning of the year, Copy the new year’s budget to the new year’s forecast.  
  • To create a Fixed Forecast (snapshot of actual/forecast at any time), Copy the Actual/Forecast to the appropriate budget type (fixed forecast).
     
• Actuals/Budget entry screen
  • Budget managers make all entries from this screen. The report writer can also access this screen at the account number level by right-clicking> Actuals/Budgets.
  • Account# can be entered or click on search. No need to key dashes in the account#.
  • Back/forward arrows will scroll through accounts.
  • Filter: displays selected accounts only when paging forward/back. Filters remain until removed.
  • Key in the division of an account# and click the previous or next button to jump to the following account in sequence.
  • View: customize the screen by selecting the columns to display; save with a view name. Select from actual, budget, and forecast figures or add dollar or percent variance columns.   Option to display yr-end adjusting entries or not.
  • Save records of all budget changes.
  • Sum: summarizes based on a selection of accounts. For example, select all accounts in a branch, all salary accounts, etc. Then, print to paper, Excel, or graph.   Budget entry cannot be done in this summary mode. 
  • Double-click on any monthly (actual) amount to see the G/L transactions.
  • Budget Entry:
    • The comments box allows notes for the specific budget year. Forecasting comments are kept separate from budget comments.
    • The last modified date and user are displayed in the bottom right corner. Click on this link to see the audit history of manual changes made to this column. (no audit history for global changes)
    • The appropriate format screen will be displayed for this range of accounts.
    • Simple budget entry: 
      • Key the budget amount directly into the yellow area.  
      • For formula calculations, click on the budget total line and select a formula calculation, such as percent increase. You may try different formula calculations. Click the Worksheet button to review multiple formula calculations and select the preferred calc.  

• Monthly components:
  • Double-click or click Components to enter monthly budget amounts.
  • Copy to other months icon allows you to enter in one month and copy to a range of other months.
  • The Copy to Other Months icon allows you to enter multiple entries in one month and copy all lines to a range of other months.
  • User-defined checkboxes or drop-down selections for insurance, retirement, etc., can be added to each component line and set to include or exclude each component line in the auto-calculation of budget allocations.
• Annual budget entry, distributed monthly:
  • Enter the annual amount and define how to distribute monthly—equally, by %, by pay period, etc. Distribution is usually preset in the Format setup but can be overridden here if necessary.
  • Option to set an effective month for a merit increase for salary accounts.
  • Forecasting is done at the monthly distribution screen, allowing partial year entries.  
• Forecasting: Forecasting/revising the budget is usually done in the same screen format as the original budget entry. An exception is if the screen format is set to enter the annual budget amount; in that case, the forecasting is done every month. So, if you have a new hire in mid-year, add a new line, enter each appropriate monthly amount, and select the relevant checkboxes.

• Printing Budgets
  • Reports-Financial Statements
    • Allows printing of monthly and/or annual budgets and actual amounts.
  • Reports-Generic Report Writer
    • Allows printing the breakdown of monthly budget amounts (budget components). Multiple budget component reports may be set up to match various budget formats if desired. For example, suppose a specific format screen is in place for entering budgets for salary accounts. In that case, you might prefer to have a report of budget components for salaries listing each of these specific amount columns. You might also have a report of budget components for accounts using a generic format screen. The Select tab must include lines for Type = B (budget) and Year = xx. If printing a report of forecast figures, select Type = F (forecast).