Feature Article: Job Budget

Overview

The Job Budget feature in Profitz allows you to set and manage financial budgets for individual jobs or projects. This provides granular financial oversight beyond company‑wide budgets, enabling you to:

• Control job‑specific costs
• Track spending against planned values
• Improve forecasting and cash‑flow planning
• Ensure profitability at the job level

Job Budgets can be created in three formats:

• Budget (B) — Total budget per Operation/Resource
• Simple Budget (SB) — Budget using only Operation values
• Budget by Period (BP) — Total budget split across financial periods

Each format supports different levels of detail depending on your project requirements.

When to Use Job Budgets

Use Job Budgets when you need to:

• Establish cost expectations for a job before work begins
• Track actual costs against planned values
• Allocate costs by Operation, Resource, or Period
• Support project managers with financial visibility
• Improve job profitability analysis

Choose the correct Budget Type when:

Budget Type	Use When	Detail Level
Budget (B)	You want a total cost per Operation/Resource	Medium
Simple Budget (SB)	You want a quick, operation‑only budget	Low
Budget by Period (BP)	You need monthly/period‑based planning	High

 

Job No: Select the job using the lookup you want to budget for. Jobs are created and maintained under: Jobs > Job Setup

Budget Type

Choose one of the three budget modes using the lookup:

• Budget (B) — Total budget for each Operation/Resource
• Simple Budget (SB) — Budget using only Operation values
• Budget by Period (BP) — Total budget split into periods

Budget Types are maintained under: Setup > Codes Setup > Job Budget Types (Contact [e-mail] to change/maintain)

From Period (BP only)

Defines the starting period for a Budget by Period. Example: 01.26 = Period 1 of the 2026 financial year.

Get Results

Loads the budget entry screen for the selected Job and Budget Type.

Budget Screen Load

Each budget type loads into its on screen once the Job and Budget Type has been selected.

1. Period Based Budget (BP)

Purpose

Create a detailed job budget broken down by financial period (month).

Key Difference

Unlike a Total Budget, this format spreads costs across multiple periods for cash‑flow and forecasting accuracy.

Toolbar

• Add — Add a new budget line
• Edit — Modify an existing line
• Delete — Remove a selected line
• Import — Import budget lines from a file
• History — View audit history

Field Definitions

Operation Code Select an operation (e.g., 1600 – Roofing). Maintained under: Jobs > Operation Cost Codes

Resource Code Select a resource (e.g., EU – Equipment Usage). Maintained under: Jobs > Resource Cost Codes

Period Amounts Enter budgeted values into the appropriate monthly columns.

2. Total Budget (B)

Purpose

Create a high‑level budget by entering a single total cost per Operation/Resource.

Key Difference

Unlike Period Based Budgets, this format uses one total value instead of monthly breakdowns.

Toolbar

Same as Period Based Budget:

• Add
• Edit
• Delete
• Import
• History

Field Definitions

Operation Code Select an operation (e.g., 1600 – Roofing).

Resource Code Select a resource (e.g., EQ – Equipment Usage).

Amount Enter the total budgeted cost.

Quantity (optional) Enter a quantity (e.g., 20 litres, 25 hours).

Comment Optional description for the budget line.

3. Simple Job Budget (SB)

Purpose

Create a simplified budget using only Operation values.

Key Difference

No Resource Code is required — costs are grouped into four categories:

• LAB — Labour
• MAT — Materials
• P — Plant
• SC — Subcontracting

Toolbar

Same as other budget types:

• Add
• Edit
• Delete
• Import
• History

Field Definitions

Operation Code Select an operation (e.g., 1600 – Roofing).

LAB / MAT / P / SC Enter budgeted values for each cost category.

Workflow Summary

1. Select Job No
2. Select Budget Type
3. (If BP) Select From Period
4. Click Get Results
5. Add budget lines
6. Enter values
7. Save or continue editing

Related Articles

• How to Set Up a Job Budget
• How to Create a Period Based Budget
• How to Create a Total Budget
• How to Create a Simple Job Budget