Projects & Contracts > Transaction Processing > Contract Maintenance

Contract Maintenance

You use this program to add and maintain contracts for the Projects and Contracts module.

Jobs can be grouped together under a contract so that reviews and profitability can be jointly accessed.

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Field Description
New Select this to add a new contract.
Delete Select this to delete the contract currently displayed.
Save Select this to save the details you entered or changed.
Contract Enter the contract number you want to add or maintain.
Play Select this to use the Multimedia program to view multimedia objects defined against the contract.
Edit Select this to use the Multimedia program to define multimedia objects against the contract.

Contract Maintenance

Field Description
Contract This indicates the contract number entered.
Description 1 - 5 Enter up to five lines of text to describe the contract.
Responsibility code

Enter the responsibility code.

This code can be used as a selection criterion when generating the Contract Progress Report.

Person responsible

Enter the name of the person responsible for handling the contract.

This field is used only as a note.

Hierarchy code

Enter the standard hierarchy code for the contract if required. This field is optional.

The standard hierarchy code is used when jobs and/or quotations are attached to the contract.

Standard hierarchy codes are defined using the Standard Hierarchies program.

Customer

Enter the code of the primary customer for whom you are creating the contract.

This field is optional, but if you intend to process deposits and retentions for this contract, then you must enter a customer number.

The customer code you enter here must also be entered against any jobs or sales orders created for the contract.

You must enter a valid customer code before you can enter details for deposits or retentions against the contract.

Customer name This indicates the name for the customer code entered.
Estimated completion date

Enter the date on which the contract should be completed.

If you select a billing method other than Manual entry, then you must enter an estimated completion date.

You can use this date as a selection criterion when generating reports.

Next billing date

Enter the date when billings are going to be posted against a contract.

This date can be used to produce a report for those contracts which may need to be invoiced against a customer.

Next review date

Enter the date on which the contract must next be reviewed.

This date can be used by the person responsible for producing progress reports, which assist in keeping track of developments and setting new billing dates if required.

Last review date

Enter the date the contract was last reviewed.

This field is updated with the existing next review date each time the next review date is changed.

You can only access this field when maintaining an existing contract.

This date cannot be after the Next review date.

Actual completion date

Enter the date on which the contract was completed.

An entry of 00/00/00 indicates that the contract is incomplete.

This date can be used as a selection criterion when generating the Job Transaction Report.

You can only access this field when maintaining an existing contract.

Billing method

Indicate the billing method required for the contract.

If you want to create a billing schedule for the contract, then you need to select a billing method other than Manual entry.

The billing method you select applies to all schedules for a contract.

This option is disabled if:

  • you created a schedule for the contract using the Create Schedules function of the Browse on Contracts program and you created at least one job linked to the contract.
  • you used the Job Entry program to add a job, which you linked to the contract, and you created a billing schedule against the job.

Progress billings are claims or payments made against a contract while the contract is in progress (i.e. before the contract is complete). They are the payment intervals for work completed on a project according to the agreed terms of the contract. Once you have selected a billing method, you define a schedule, using the P&C Billing Schedules program, to indicate when progress billings must be made and the amount or percentage to bill.

Fixed day of the month

Select this to create schedules for progress billings to occur on a specific day of the month. Progress billings occur until either the estimated date of completion or the total value of the project is reached.

If you select this option, then at the time of creating a hierarchical job and linking it to the contract, you are prompted to enter the billing schedule.

Series of fixed dates

Select this to create schedules for progress billings to occur according to a series of fixed dates. A billing amount or a billing percentage can be defined against the schedule.

If you select this option, then at the time of creating a hierarchical job and linking it to the contract, you are prompted to enter the billing schedule.

% of head/section complete

Select this if you want progress billings to occur when a specific percentage of the head and/or section of a hierarchical job for the contract is complete. The completion percentages for the heads/sections are defined against the schedule for each hierarchical job.

If you select this option, then at the time of creating a hierarchical job and linking it to the contract, you are prompted to enter the billing schedule.

% of anticipated costs

Select this if you want progress billings to occur when a specific percentage of the anticipated cost for the head/section of a hierarchical job is reached. The amount specified in the Anticipated value 1 field against the head/section is always used for the calculation (see P&C Maintenance of Job Hierarchies).

If you select this option, then at the time of creating a hierarchical job and linking it to the contract, you are prompted to enter the billing schedule.

% of costs accumulated

Select this if you want the progress billing to occur when the required percentage of the total accumulated costs for the contract is reached.

The schedule for this billing method is defined at contract level. You use the Create Schedules function of the Browse on Contracts program to define the percentages of the accumulated costs for the contract at which progress billings must be made.

Manual entry

Select this if you do not want to create a progress billing schedule for the contract.

If you select this option, then you determine the timing of progress billings manually. You use the Part Billings program to manually process the progress billings. In addition, you will be unable to define either deposits or retentions.

Create Schedules

Select this to define the percentages of the accumulated costs for the contract at which progress billings must be made.

This option is only enabled if you selected the billing method: Percentage of costs accumulated.

Billing Schedules - Percentage of Costs Accumulated

You use the Create Schedules option to define the progress billing percentages for the contract, if you selected the Billing method: % of costs accumulated.

Field Description
Percentage of costs accumulated  
Contract This indicates the contract for which you are defining the schedule.
Percentage

Enter the percentage to be billed.

The percentage you enter applies to the percentage completion of the contract selected and the percentage to bill.

For example, if you enter 10%, then the customer will be billed 10% of the accumulated costs of the contract when the contract is 10% complete.

Add Select this to add the percentage to the list of percentages already defined.
Remove Select this to remove the highlighted percentage from the list of percentages already defined.
Create Schedules

Select this to create the billing schedules according to the information you entered.

Schedules are created at contract level.

Schedules are created in order of percentage from lowest to the highest, irrespective of the order in which you entered the percentages.

Close Select this to exit the screen without creating the schedules.

Deposit Details

Deposits enable you to receive an advance payment from the customer. This deposit is reflected on the customer's account and at the time of billing the customer. Billing amounts can be offset against the deposit.

Field Description
Deposits Select this if the contract is subject to a deposit payment.
Deposit method  
Prompt per schedule Select this to be prompted to enter the deposit amount or percentage (based on the Deposit type you select), at the time of confirming the quote.
Calculate % per schedule

Select this to automatically calculate the deposit amount for each schedule at the time of confirming the quote.

The deposit amount is calculated according to the percentage you enter in the Percentage field below.

If you select this option, then the P&C Deposit Creation and Maintenance screen is not displayed at the time of accepting the contract and confirming the quotation.

Deposit type  
Percentage

Select this to base the deposit amount on a percentage of the contract selling price.

If you select this option, then you must enter the percentage to apply in the Percentage field below.

Value Select this to use the P&C Deposit Creation and Maintenance program to enter the deposit amount manually for each schedule at the time of accepting the contract and confirming the quote.
Percentage Enter the percentage of the contract selling price to use to calculate the deposit amount.
Comment

Enter a notation relating to the deposit.

This notation is entered against the miscellaneous sales order line that is created for the deposit.

Product class

Enter a valid product class for the deposit line on the sales order. The product class defines the General Ledger accounts to which the deposit amount is distributed. A valid product class must be entered.

Taxable

Select this if the deposit amount is subject to tax.

This field is not enabled if the customer is defined as Non taxable (Customers).

Tax code

Enter the tax code applicable to the deposit.

The Descriptive tax code must be used if defined (Descriptive Tax Code Browse/Maintenance).

This field is only enabled if you selected the Taxable option.

Tax codes are defined using the Tax Code Setup program.

GST taxable

Select this if the deposit amount is subject to General Sales Tax.

This option is only displayed if you selected the setup option: Canadian GST required (Company Tax Options Setup ).

This field is not enabled if the customer is defined as Non taxable (Customers).

GST code

Enter the GST tax code applicable to the deposit.

Retention Details

A retention is the amount (or percentage) of the contract that the customer withholds for a prescribed period of time after the completion of the contract work.

It is not necessary to create a quotation in order to apply retentions to a contract. Retentions can be applied at the time of creating the jobs linked to the contract.

Field Value
Retentions

Select this if the contract is subject to a retention amount.

Retentions enable you to record the terms of a customer's final payment for the project and the date on which the invoice for the retention value must be raised.

This option is not enabled when your AR invoice numbering is set to Alphanumeric (Set Key Information) and your Invoice numbering method is Company (Set Key Information) because the system cannot allocate an invoice number.

Retention method  
Prompt per schedule

Select this if you want to use the P&C Retention Creation and Maintenance program to enter the retention amount manually for each schedule at the time of either confirming the quote or creating jobs for the contract.

When you use the Billing Schedule Review program to bill the customer, you are prompted to apply all or part of the retention as payment.

Calculate % per schedule

Select this if you want the system to automatically calculate the retention amount for each schedule at the time of confirming the quote or creating the jobs for the contract.

If you select this option, then the P&C Retention Creation and Maintenance screen is not displayed at the time of confirming the quotation or creating the job(s).

When you use the Billing Schedule Review program to bill the customer, the retention amount is automatically calculated according to the percentage you enter in the Percentage field below.

Apply at job completion

Select this if you want to create a retention schedule that is billed based on the estimated completion date of the contract. The schedules you create are based on the value of the selling price less the retention amount. A final retention schedule is created which is due on contract completion.

These retention schedules are date driven, so this option can only be selected if your billing method is set to Fixed day of the month or Series of fixed dates.

If you select this option, then when you use the Billing Schedule Review program to bill the customer, you are not prompted to enter retention information and the system does not automatically apply a retention percentage to each schedule. One final retention schedule due on the estimated date of completion of the contract is created instead.

Retention type  
Percentage

Select this to base the retention amount on a percentage of the contract selling price.

If you select this option, then you must enter the percentage to apply in the Percentage field below.

Value Select this to use the P&C Retention Creation and Maintenance program to enter the retention amount manually for each schedule at the time of confirming the quote or creating the job(s).
Percentage Enter the percentage of the contract selling price to use to calculate the retention amount.
Comment Enter a notation relevant to the retention.
Customer This displays the customer code entered on the previous field, but can be changed. This is the customer who is withholding the retention amount.
Product class

Enter a valid product class for the retention. The product class defines the General Ledger accounts to which the retention amount is distributed. A valid product class must be entered.

Terms code

Enter the terms applicable to the retention value.

Taxable

Select this if the retention amount is subject to tax.

This field is not enabled if the customer is defined as Non taxable (Customers).

Tax code

Enter the tax code applicable to the retention amount.

This field is only enabled if you selected the Taxable option.

GST taxable

Select this if the retention amount is subject to General Sales Tax.

This only applies if the option: Canadian GST required is enabled (Company Tax Options Setup).

This field is not enabled if the customer is defined as Non taxable (Customers).

GST code

Enter the GST tax code applicable to the retention amount.

Notes and warnings

Deletion considerations

  • You cannot delete a contract if it is attached to at least one job.

Restrictions and limits

  • Retentions

    • You cannot add retentions to a contract if:

      • your AR Invoice numbering is set to Alpha (Set Key Information) and
      • your Invoice numbering method is Company (Set Key Information)

      as the system is unable to allocate an invoice number.

    • You cannot change the retention information against the contract once you have created retentions for a job within the contract.
    • You must enter a valid customer code before you can enter details for retentions against the contract.
  • Deposits

    • You must enter a valid customer code before you can enter details for deposits against the contract.

    • You can only define deposits against a contract if you process a quotation for the customer using the Quotations program. At the time of accepting the contract and confirming the quotation using the Quotation Confirmation program, the deposit is added to the sales order as a miscellaneous charge line.

      Jobs relating to the contract must also be created using the Quotation Confirmation program. The sales order is then immediately linked to the job. You enter and accept the deposit amount using the P&C Deposit Creation and Maintenance program, which is run from the Quotation Confirmation program.