Job Tracking Reports

Reports|Project brings up a menu which includes job tracking reports XE "job tracking reports" XE "reports:job tracking" . From a short menu, a wide variety of reports can be selected. Some are primary reports, and some detail reports are found by zooming (drilling down) from numbers on the primary reports.

Profitability Reports are XE "reports:profitability" designed to analyze results of operations. The emphases are on cost vs. revenue, and estimates vs. actuals. The numbers are broken down by customer:job or by item. The first report is an example, as it uses controls typical of all profitability reports. These reports follow the rules described in Chapter 14.

Job Profitability Summary dialog box gives these choices for display:

Primary Columns Specific Columns

Total only Actual Cost

Day Actual Revenue

Week $ Difference

Two Week % Difference

four Week

Half Month

Month

Quarter

Year

Class

At least one specific column must be selected. However, if primary columns are selected by a period of time, all specific columns will be included for each week, month, etc. This has the potential of generating a very, very wide report. During one phase of this process, the program refuses to be interrupted, and can run for a long time. I inadvertently ordered a report about four thousand columns wide, and had the choice of pausing for lunch, or pressing the Reset button. Lunch had a better taste.

Zooming (drilling down) gets various subordinate reports for one job, listing detailed information, according to which column the cursor is in:

Actual Cost Job Actual Cost Detail

Actual Revenue Job Actual Revenue Detail

$ Difference Job Profit Detail

% Difference (none)

Job Profitability Detail Report could be described as a summary report on one customer:job. Unlike most detail reports, it does not list individual transactions. The information for the job is summarized by item. This report displays the same columns as the Job Profitability Summary Report, and zooming gets analogous results.

Zooming (drilling down) gets various subordinate reports for one job, listing detailed information, according to which column the cursor is in:

Actual Cost Item Actual Cost Detail

Actual Revenue Item Actual Revenue Detail

$ Difference Item Profit Detail

% Difference (none)

Job Estimates vs. Actuals Summary compares XE "reports:estimates" results summarized by job, comparing estimated cost against actuals, and estimated revenue against actuals. Time period columns may be selected as for the preceding reports, but the basic report is full page width.

Job Estimates vs. Actuals Detail compares results for one selected job, estimates against actuals for costs and revenues, summarized by item type and item, but is otherwise similar to the report above.

Item Profitability Report summarizes actual cost against actual revenue, summarized by item type and item, again with detail controls like the reports above.

Item Estimates vs. Actuals Report analyzes estimates against actuals, cost and revenue, summarized by item type and item.

Job Progress Invoices vs Estimates can display a wide variety of information about progress on jobs. It can be selected only if estimates are turned on and lists all customer:jobs in the designated time span. You can select any or all of the columns in the table. Custom fields will be whatever you have set up for customers. One of the mysteries of computing is why the menu on the one hand lists Resale Numbut on the other hand shows Account No. Perhaps “num” is how the programmer felt.

Active Status Contact Note

Customer:Job Alt. Contact From timer

Balance Bill to custom fields

Has Notes Ship to Job Status

Company Taxable Estimate Total

Mr, Mrs Tax item Start Date

First Name Resale Num Projected End

M. I. Account No. End Date

Last Name Customer Type Job Type

Phone Rep Job Description

Alt. Phone Terms Progress Invoicing

Fax Credit Limit % Progress

Job Administration Report (QuickBooks Pro 4.0) XE "report:job administration" displays approximately the same descriptive information as the report above, but not any time or money data.

Time reports are on the same report menu, but are described in Chapter 18.