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JC Company Parameters

Company Tracker action: implementation-setup-jc-company-parameters Milestone: Job Cost / Module Setup (milestone_id=5, core_milestone_id=2) Order: 1 Estimated duration: 0.25 hours Typical owner: Controller

Purpose​

Lock Job Cost company controls before any live JC work: closed-job posting, phase-code length, audit targets, and GL Cost / Revenue / Close / Material interface levels and journals. Downstream JC, PR, AP, and EM posting follow these choices.

Prerequisites​

  • HQ Company Setup (and groups) done for this company.
  • GL company, journals, and accounts JC will use are ready. Enter a GL company even if you will not interface to GL yet.
  • Soft-close vs hard-close (final close) posting rules agreed with accounting.
  • Phase coding scheme decided before locking character counts on this form.

Vista configuration article​

See the detailed Vista guide:

Configuring JC Company Parameters

Field meanings and form steps live there. Do not restate them on this page.

Implementation guidance​

Decide (client / kickoff)​

  • Soft-closed posting and Hard-closed posting: leave both OFF as the live default.
    • Treat soft close as the inactive status: the job is done and you do not want further posting, but it still rolls into open / soft-closed reporting so year-to-date figures stay available.
    • Treat hard close (final close) as a year-end task, not something you do throughout the year. Vista does not allow reopening a final-closed job; soft close can still be reopened when needed.
    • Normal path: open → soft close during the year → final close at year end. Open → final close is fine when that is truly required.
  • Phase-code length: set from the agreed phase format (for example 6-2-2).
    • Most common: lock to the base length only (e.g. 6 on a 6-2-2 scheme). Users must use a base phase that exists on JC Phases (the master list), but job-level sub-phases stay allowed. More flexible.
    • Stricter: lock to the full length including separators (e.g. 12 on 6.2.2). Every phase on the job must match that full format and that exact phase must exist on JC Phases.
    • Decide the format in kickoff before loading jobs/phases; this control is how you lock which base phases (and optionally full phases) are allowed.
  • Close SL / PO on hard close: usually OFF when the client tracks subcontract / PO committed cost for real.
    • Better practice: close subcontract and PO rows directly on their own forms (final waiver / proper close process).
    • The flag is a fail-safe. It is more useful for smaller clients with loose or placeholder POs who are not really tracking committed costs and want an easy cleanup at final close.
    • For clients who track committed cost carefully, leave it OFF so final close does not silently close open SL/PO rows.
    • Leaving it ON does not hurt technically; the choice is mainly procedural.
  • GL interface levels (Cost, Revenue, Close, Material): Detail for every active stream.
    • Same recommendation on all company-parameter forms: full Detail, not Summary. Summary is rarely useful in practice.
    • Still assign the correct journal for each stream that is in use.
    • No Update is only for staged history/load; cut over to Detail before live posting.
  • GL account override: leave OFF. Drive every GL account from JC Departments. Do not let users override defaults on posts; overrides make subledger-to-GL reconciliation much harder.
  • Forecast tab: mention it exists, but it is seldom used. Prefer an external / better forecasting tool when the client needs a true forecast; do not treat this tab as the primary forecast system.
  • Projection method: Actual vs Actual + Committed. Choose Actual + Committed when committed costs must be included in the projection; otherwise Actual is enough.
  • Allow multiple batches for a job (projection batches): leave OFF. The last posted projection is what users see. If batch A posts $10,000 and batch B later posts $5,000, the visible projection becomes $5,000. Keeping multiple batches off reduces that confusion and pushes each projection through to posted.
  • Workflow on this form: omit from Implementation guidance (low impact for setup tips).

Load / accept (implementation defaults)​

  • Audit: Company Parameters changes always write to HQMA (cannot turn off). Keep other listed audit targets ON (same stance as other module company-parameter forms).
  • Restrict security on this form to admin / a small set of users. Configure before live JC; treat post–go-live changes as high risk.
  • Invalid company or journal references may warn but still save during staged setup; finish them before live JC posting.

Tips and gotchas​

  • With both posting flags off, a soft-closed job stays inactive until someone deliberately allows posting again.
  • Late cost after soft close: temporarily turn the company-parameter posting option ON, post the cost, then turn it OFF again. Do not leave soft-closed posting on as the standing live setting.
  • Avoid final (hard) closing jobs mid-year mainly because the system will not let you reopen them. Soft close preserves reopen and keeps YTD-friendly open / soft-closed reporting.
  • Phase-code length: prefer base length for flexibility; full length when every job phase must already exist on JC Phases.
  • GL interfaces: Detail on Cost / Revenue / Close / Material (and the same Detail stance on other module company-parameter forms). Summary is uncommon.
  • GL account override: keep OFF so JC Departments alone drive accounts; overrides break clean subledger-to-GL reconcile.
  • Forecast tab: seldom used; mention only. Prefer a real forecast tool when needed.
  • Projections: Actual vs Actual+Committed per whether committed cost must count; keep Allow multiple batches for a job OFF so the last posted projection stays clear.
  • Close SL/PO on hard close: prefer the real SL/PO close process when committed cost matters; use the flag only as a light fail-safe for clients who are not tracking those commitments seriously.
  • Soft close does not move GL by itself. Final close behavior (including any WIP move) depends on GL Close interface level and JC Departments accounts; set those deliberately before year-end final close.

Done when​

  • Soft-closed posting and Hard-closed posting are OFF for live (unless a documented temporary exception is in use).
  • Soft-close-as-inactive and final-close-as-year-end policy is documented for the client.
  • Close SL/PO on hard close matches client committed-cost practice (usually OFF when SL/PO are tracked for real; fail-safe only for light tracking).
  • Phase-code length matches the agreed format (usually base length; full length only when exact JC Phases parity is required).
  • GL Cost / Revenue / Close / Material interface levels are Detail (with journals set) for live, or a documented cutover from No Update before live.
  • GL account override is OFF (JC Departments drive accounts; no post overrides).
  • Forecast called out as seldom used; projection method (Actual vs Actual+Committed) and Allow multiple batches = OFF are set for the client.
  • Workflow on this form omitted from tips (not material for standard setup guidance).
  • Audit targets reviewed ON; form security limited to admin / designated owners.