In Coins ERP+, each Contract analysis is made up of three or four elements: the contract code, an optional phase code, the cost code and the cost category. For example:

See Cost Codes

The maximum length of the entire analysis code, including the full stops and company separator, can be between 19 and 30 characters. (The maximum length can be configured; the default is 19.) There are also limits on the lengths of the individual elements:

The contract code identifies the contract (or the development, in a house building context). Each contract has a different code. The contract code can be any combination of up to eight letters or numbers. You define the contract code for the contract when you set up a new contract record using contracts, unless you are linking to the Project Information Workbench, in which case the contract number is defined there.

We strongly recommend using analysis sets to manage phased contracts, rather than using the old phase functionality.

The analysis set approach is to set up separate contracts in Coins ERP+ that correspond to each of the "phases", and use a contract analysis set to relate these contracts together (for example, as a single site).

The phase code provides a way of dividing large contracts into smaller units. Phases are optional -- some contracts may be divided into phases while others are not, and those contracts that use phases can use different ones.

The phase code can be up to two characters long.

You define whether a contract uses phases in contracts, and define the phase codes for a contract using Phases (on the Options menu for the contract within contracts).

We do not advise you to use phases; they are provided in Coins ERP+ for compatibility with earlier versions, but are not fully supported in all areas of Coins ERP+. We recommend using analysis sets to summarise contracts.

Each cost code identifies a different type of cost on a contract. It can show where (the section), how (the activity), and with what (the cost head) the cost was incurred.

The cost code can be any combination of up to ten letters or numbers. The length and structure of the cost codes you use depend on the extent to which you need to analyse costs. For example, you may only need one cost code for materials, or you may want different cost codes for each different type of material.

Although cost codes on each contract may be different, in practice several contracts will use the same costing analysis. Coins ERP+ allows you to generate the cost codes on a contract from a set of standard cost heads (see cost heads).

There are different ways to create the cost codes for a contract:

You can close cost codes after the associated work is complete using Open/Close Cost Codes.

You define a set of standard cost heads (using Standard Cost Heads) and a table of standard activities (using Contract Standard Activities). If needed, you can also define contract-specific activities for individual contracts (using Activities on the options menu within contracts for the contract).

The cost category allows you to analyse costs further into up to six categories, such as labour, materials, and so on. Each cost category can be any combination of up to two letters or numbers. The cost categories apply across the whole company.

You define the cost categories as part of the JC Configuration procedure, and define default categories for standard cost heads in Standard cost heads. If you do not use all six cost categories initially, you can add them at any time. If you need to change or delete a cost category code which has had transactions entered against it, you must consult The Access Group for advice.

Coins ERP+ builds up cost codes by combining section, activity and cost head (see Cost Codes). When Coins ERP+ generates cost codes automatically, either using Auto Generate Costcodes, or when a user enters a previously unused cost code, it checks that the combination of section, activity and cost head is valid, based on cost head classes and activity classes.

Each cost head and each activity can be assigned to a class. These represent groups of cost heads or activities that belong together. For example, you might have a class of general cost heads that will be appropriate for all contracts, and other classes for cost heads that are specific to different types of contracts.

For each contract, section and activity, you can specify which cost head classes are allowed.

For each section, you can specify which cost head classes and which activity classes are allowed.

In order for a combination of cost head, activity and section to be a valid cost code, the cost head Class(es) lists on the activity, the section, and the contract must all contain the class to which the cost head belongs, and the Activity Class(es) list on the section must contain the class to which the activity belongs.

These rules do not apply to cost codes you create by copying standard cost heads or entering them manually.

Coins ERP+ derives the General Ledger account for a cost from both the contract-specific cost code and the contract on which it is used. The cost code and contract can both specify an account mask; the masks identify, in full or in part, a General Ledger account.

To take a simple example, if part of the account code denotes the region (01 - North, 02 - West, 03 - South) and part of the code denotes the type of cost (1200 - materials costs; 1300 - labour costs; 1400 - subcontract costs), contracts would be set up with account masks according to their region:

and cost heads would be set up with account masks against the appropriate categories according to the type of cost:

Then when a material cost is recorded on a northern contract, the masks would combine so that the cost is recorded against account 01.1200.

The mask on the cost code defaults from the mask on the standard cost head on which the cost code is based. However, if you subsequently change the mask on a cost head, this will not affect the mask on any cost codes based on it.

You can set masks on the Group, Type, and Location records (typically for different parts of the account code). The Group, Type, and Location specified on a contract will then build up the account code masks on the GL Codes tab in {Jc Contract} Details. You can override individual accounts on the GL Codes tab (but note that if you subsequently change the Group, Type, or Location, the relevant part of the account mask will be re-set).
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