Cost Object
A cost object is something that costs money and is charged to work: labour, machine time, power. It carries the cost key, the cost category and the account its cost goes to.
What it is for
Cost objects are listed on resource groups (see Resource Group), which is how a resource’s hourly cost is built up. Once a resource group uses a cost object it cannot be deleted.
Every field in plain words
General
| Field | What it means | What to put |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Object | The code that identifies the cost object. You type it on New, before Create. | Required. A short code; it cannot be changed once the record exists. |
| Name | The name of the cost object. | Required. Locked after the first save. |
Basic Data
| Field | What it means | What to put |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Key | How the cost is classified. | Required. Pick from the fixed list the product ships; it is not the Cost Key screen’s list. |
| Cost Category | The cost category it is reported under. | Pick from the fixed list the product ships. |
| Cost Account | The ledger account the cost is charged to. | Optional. Pick from the Release Account in Legal Entity list. |
How to configure it
The screen allows import, so a long list can be loaded from a file instead of typed. Which fields are required, greyed, hidden or pre-filled for a company is set on Organizational Structure Setting, in its Default Parameters grid, and one user can differ through User Parameter Value.
What it is connected to
- Cost Object Group - groups cost objects with a cost each.
- Resource Group - lists cost objects per resource group.
- Picked on these company setup screens: Cost Object Group, Resource Group, Resource.
- Picked on Resource, Resource Group in Service and maintenance.
If something looks wrong
- “Cannot Delete, Already referred in Resource Group” The cost object is on a resource group. Remove it there first, or block it instead.