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The Cost Table is a central list of your current costs, which can be used in your Items.
Because multiple Items can refer to the same cost in the Cost Table, changing a single
cost in the Cost Table can update all the uses of the cost in the Price Book Items, and even in the current Bid. The Cost Table is a Level 4 feature.
The Cost Table is especially useful for entering the cost of materials, which are used in multiple Items. For instance, 2x4s are used as studs, plates, blocking, etc. Depending on how you build your Price Book, you may have many Items which refer to 2x4s, albeit with different uses and conversion factors, but which need the same cost. By assigning the same Cost Table Entry to each Items Cost Column which uses a 2x4, you need only change the 2x4 cost once when its price changes.
Similarly, like-priced labor can be grouped together. Because the Cost Table is also an accumulator, you can get the total hours and total cost for each type of labor or subcontractor used in a Bid. You can also get a total piece count, board feet, etc., for material.
Each Item Cost Column (e.g., Material, Labor, Subcontractor) can have a different Cost Table Entry associated with it. If a Cost Column has a Cost Column (other than 0) assigned to it, you know that it’s Raw Cost came from the Cost Table. The Price Book Items always reflect the current Cost Table Costs, whereas the Bid Items retain their costs at the time they were bid until you update them with Update Items to/from Price Book (from the Bid menu).
If you type in a cost directly in the Item, the Cost Code for the effected Cost Columns is reset to 0, indicating no Cost Table Entry is used for the Item. Similarly, if you change the Total Cost or Price of an accumulator (such as Divisions) which the current Item contributes, the Item will have its cost changed, and the costs will no longer be from the Cost Table (i.e., the Cost Codes will be reset to 0). If you later wish to re-price from the current Price Book Item and Cost Table costs after entering Bid-specific costs, use Update Items to/from Price Book, and check the Update Cost Modified in Bid, too check box.
Crews also work much like Cost Table Entries, but provide costs only for the Labor Cost Column. The Labor cost can come from the Cost Table or the Crews, but not both. Assigning a Crew will replace the Labor Column’s Cost Code, and vice versa.
Adjustments can also be used to add inflation, regional modifiers, or other percentages to a group of costs. Adjustments can be used with costs in the Item Cost Columns from the Cost Table, Crew Table, or just entered directly.
Cost Table Entries are entered and updated in the Cost Table List, which is available from the Price-Book Menu.
Columns in the List:
Tag Allows you to specify certain Cost Table Entries for changing and reporting.
Code Up to eight characters or digits can be used to name a Cost Table Entry.
Description Up to 70 characters.
Class Indicates class of cost: Material, Labor, Equipment, Subcontract or Other. Use the first letter of the class (e.g., M for Material). Can be used for grouping all Subcontract costs together, etc.
Raw Cost Amount you have to pay for this good or service, excluding tax. When you change this amount, the new cost will be changed in all the Price Book Items which refer to it. You will be asked if you want to update all uses of this Cost in the Bid Items, too.
Unit Unit for this cost. For instance, nails can be sold by the pound, box or keg. For the cost to make sense, it needs to have a unit (such as "LB" for pound.) The Unit is also used to total order quantities, so make sure you use the same abbreviations consistently; don’t use "Hours" in one place, and "HR" elsewhere. The unit-matching is not case-sensitive, so "HOUR" and "Hour" are treated as the same. If, in your Item Form, you select a Cost Table Entry with a different Unit than the Order Unit of the Cost Column you are working it, you will be warned, and asked if you want to use the Cost Table Entry’s Unit instead.
Rev. Date Shows the date this Cost Table Entry’s Raw Cost was last updated. It will automatically be changed when the Raw Cost is changed. You may also change it manually.
Total Cost The Total Cost is how much you will have to pay, including taxes and other Cost Markups, for the good or service this Cost Table Entry represents, if you perform this Bid. The Total Cost computed by adding all the Extended Costs for each Bid Item Cost Column which refers to the Cost Table Entry. See Total Adjusted Cost if you want to see the cost before adding Cost Markups.
Note: Unlike most other Total Costs in the system, the Cost Table Total Cost (and other totals in this list) cannot be changed and back-computed into Bid costs because back-computing a cost disassociates it from its Cost Code, which changes which Cost Table Entry the costs are accumulated into.
Total Price This is the total amount of the costs plus the Price Markups from the second group on the Markup List. This is how much you are charging your customer for the good and service this Cost Table Entry represents. The Total Price cannot be changed in this List; see note for Total Cost.
Order Qty Gives you the accumulated total Order Quantity of this Cost Table Entry’s good or service to order for this Bid. For instance, 500 yards of 2500 P.S.I. Concrete, or 150 Hours of carpentry labor. Unlike Total Cost and Total Price, only those Item Cost Columns that have an Order Unit which matches this Cost Table Entry’s Unit will be included in this total order quantity, so be sure to enter the Unit for the Cost Table Entry, and use Units consistently. (It doesn’t make sense to add pieces to board feet to get a single total.)
Total Adj. Cost. The Total Adjusted Cost is how much you will have to pay, excluding taxes, for the good or service this Cost Table Entry represents if you perform this Bid. The Total Adjusted Cost is the sum of all the Extended Adjusted Costs (i.e., the Adjusted Cost times the Order Quantity) for each Bid Item Cost Column which refers to the Cost Table Entry. See Total Cost if you want to see this value after adding Cost Markups. The Adjusted Cost, as its name suggests, also includes any Adjustment Percentages added to the Raw Costs, which (presumably) also effects how much you will pay for these items. The Total Adjusted Cost cannot be changed in this List; see note for Total Cost.
Unit Adj. Cost The Unit Adjusted Cost is how much you estimate you will pay per Unit, excluding taxes, for this Cost Table Entry’s good or service for this Bid. (See the Unit Cost if you need the Cost with Cost Markups added.) It is computed by dividing the Total Adjusted Cost for the Cost Table Entry by its Order Quantity. The Unit Adjusted Cost is often equal to the Raw Cost amount shown, but can be different if (1) the Bid has not been updated with the latest Cost Table Entry’s Raw Cost, (2) Adjustments have been assigned to Bid Item Cost Columns which use this Cost Table Entry, or (3) not all Bid Item Cost Columns’ Order Units match the Cost Table Entry’s Unit. The Average Adjusted Cost cannot be changed in this List; see note for Total Cost.
Unit Cost The Unit Cost is how much you expect to pay for this good or service, including Cost Markups such as Taxes. (See the Unit Adj. Cost for the before-tax cost.) It is computed by dividing the Total Cost for the Cost Table Entry by its Order Quantity. In order for the Unit Cost to be an accurate per-Order-Unit cost, all Bid Order Units should match their Cost Table Entry’s Order Unit.
Unit Price The Unit Price represents how much you expect to charge your customer for each unit of this Cost Table Entry’s good or service, including Price Markups such as overhead, bond, and profit. The Unit Price equals to Total Price divided by the Order Quantity. Again, like the Unit Adj. Cost and Unit Cost, in order for the Unit Price to be an accurate per-Order-Unit price, all Bid Order Units should match their Cost Table Entry’s Order Unit.
How to use Cost Table Entries in an Item:
1. When in the Bid Item Form or Price Book Item Form, move to the Cost Code line in one of the five Cost Columns.
2. Press the List Key F7 to see the Cost Table List. (If you know the Code for the Cost Table Entry you want to use, you can just type it in here, and skip the rest of the steps.)
3 If you want to enter a new Cost Table Entry, move to end and enter a new Cost Table Entry, or select the Insert Record from the Edit menu or toolbar. If you want to Use (pullback) that Cost into the Item you came from, then proceed with the next step.
4. Once you have a Cost Table Entry highlighted and want to Use (pullback) that Cost in the Item you came from, click the Right Mouse Button and select "Use" or press the Use Key F8. Note that the Raw Cost for that Item Cost Column has been changed to the Raw Cost for the select Cost Table Entry, and that the Cost Table Entry’s Code is recorded in the Cost Code line.
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