About budgeting on transactions and total amounts

Important

This content is archived and is not being updated. For the latest documentation, see Microsoft Dynamics 365 product documentation. For the latest release plans, see Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform release plans.

Applies To: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

When you want to be able to analyze financial performance, you budget on transactions and total amounts by using a flexible budget.

In the Budget form, all cost categories, service categories, and cost lines are automatically displayed according to the cost category that is set up in the Budget model form. The same applies to dimensions. If specific dimensions are set up in the Budget model form, only these dimensions are displayed. Otherwise, you can select all dimensions.

In the Plan cost values form, you first fill in the Dimension and Number fields, and then you can either plan amounts for the whole year or plan a specific amount for each period.

You enter annual amounts for cost categories in the Total column in the Primary costs section. The amounts are automatically divided into 12 partial amounts, one for each month. If a period key is set up in the Cost category setup form, the amounts are divided according to the key.

To plan individual amounts for each month, you enter amounts in the columns for the months in the Primary costs section. Click Calculate to summarize monthly values in the Total values section. Be aware that this calculation is not done automatically.

You plan amounts for a service category or a cost line in the same way. You enter annual amounts in the Total column and individual amounts in the column for each the month.

The following table provides guidance for using the planning tabs in the Plan cost values form.

Cost categories tab

  • If you are planning on cost categories, first select a value in the Cost component field (either Fixed costs, Variable costs, or Full costs), and then enter plan values for the cost categories.

    Note

    If there is a calculation setup for a proportional dependency on another cost line in the Budget model form, you cannot manually enter amounts for those cost categories.

  • When you have finished entering plan values, click Calculate.

  • To display cost balances, click Cost balance.

Service categories tab

Budgeting on service categories works almost the same as budgeting on cost categories, except you do not have to select a value in the Cost component field. Budgeting differs depending on the type of service category. Planning on service categories of the General quantity itemization type is identical to planning on cost categories, because transactions are always single-entry (debit). Service categories of the Internal cost allocation type have double-entry transactions and are marked blue. You cannot plan on them directly. Instead, you enter the quantity in the lower pane of the form, which is the debit transaction, and then the credit transaction is created automatically in the upper pane.

Cost lines tab

If you are planning on cost lines, specify the cost component. You can only plan on the cost lines if the Budget check box is selected for the cost line on the Cost lines tab of the Cost category setup form. (Click Cost accounting > Setup > Budget model. Click Cost category setup.) When you select this check box, all cost categories that are included in the cost line are blocked and become blue. If the Budget check box is cleared, you can only plan on cost or service categories. In this case, the relevant cost line is blocked and becomes green.

See also

Flexible budgets