For job costing, OBG needs to show not only what kind of time was recorded, but also which customer or Service Site should receive that time. The time category describes the type of work or travel; the allocation determines where the time is counted. These are separate pieces of information.
How entries are allocated
Recorded entry | Time category | Allocation rule |
Scheduled Service Visit | Service Time | Allocated to the Service Site where the service is performed. |
Scheduled delivery | Other Time | Allocated according to the customer account or Service Site associated with the delivery entry. |
Scheduled quality inspection | Other Time | Allocated to the specific customer account associated with the inspection. |
Unplanned activity | Other Time | Can be allocated to a relevant customer or left unallocated for general work, depending on the entry. |
First commute of the day | Commute Time | 100% allocated to the first Service Site of the day. |
Travel between two Service Sites | Commute Time | Split equally between the two Service Sites by default, unless the allocation is changed. |
Last commute of the day | Commute Time | 100% allocated to the last Service Site of the day. |
Adjust the allocation of commute time
The first commute is assigned to the first Service Site, and the last commute is assigned to the last Service Site.
Travel between two Service Sites is split 50/50 by default. If that split does not reflect the situation you want to represent, edit the proportions in the timesheet using “Edit cost allocation”. This changes how the recorded commute time is distributed between the two sites, not the duration of the journey.
How allocated time contributes to site totals
Time is recorded separately for each person. When multiple team members contribute time to the same Service Site, each person’s allocated time contributes to that site’s total. Individual entries remain available for administration and review, while the site total summarizes the time attributed to the work at that location.
A team member’s role does not automatically assign their time to a customer or Service Site. The time must be recorded and allocated to the relevant customer or site to contribute to its job-costing total.
Investigate an unexpected total
If a Service Site’s actual time looks unexpectedly high or low, check the underlying entries before drawing conclusions. Confirm that each entry has the appropriate activity type, correct timestamps, and the intended customer or Service Site allocation. For commute entries, also check whether the default split reflects the journey.
Use the Timesheets section in the Back Office to review individual entries and their allocations. Then use the Budgets section to compare actual time with the budget for the relevant Service Site and time category.
Practical tips
Check the time category and allocation separately. Both affect how recorded time appears in job-costing results.
Verify that deliveries, quality inspections, and unplanned activities are associated with the intended customer or left unallocated when they represent general work.
Review commute allocations when a journey between sites is unusually long or the default 50/50 split does not reflect the situation.
When totals look wrong, start with individual entries in Timesheets, then compare the result in Budgets.