Budget Templates provide an easy approach to setting up a budget framework that can be reused anytime to generate a new budget for your organization's needs. Organizations may choose to implement any of the budgeting options (basic, timekeeper-based, or phase-based) organization-wide or on a matter-by-matter or account-by-account basis.
Budget Templates expedite the process of creating a new Budget. The templates are pre-configured Budgets containing all the details required to implement a new Budget.
Create a Budget Template
To begin creating a budget template, select the New button on the budget templates list, which is located under the app launcher at the top left-hand corner of the page.
General Information
- Provide a Name and Description that will make it easy to recognize the template when searching for it and displaying it in a list.
- The Base Object categorizes the Budget Template for use with Matters or Accounts. The most common use cases involve Matters. The default choice here is none.
- The UTBMS Code Set field is an optional selection that, when used, will assist users in setting up budgets using UTBMS Codes.
Adding Budget Details to the Template
The budget details sub-tab on the template view allows users to add more details to your budget.
Use the + Fee and + Expense buttons to add details to your Budget Template. For each detail, you can add one more layer of sub-details by using the + Detail button on each detail row. This approach can be used to configure budgets by phases (UTBMS Codes) and allocate resources (UTBMS Codes or Timekeepers) accordingly under each phase.
From left to right, column headings are described as follows:
- Record Type - This can be either fee or expense.
- UTBMS Code - The activity for which you want to allocate the budget.
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Timekeeper - The individual for which the budget will be allocated. This timekeeper can be determined in one of two ways:
Specify a Timekeeper from your organization's timekeepers list.
Choose a User field from the base object for which the budget template is being created. The provided field value will determine the timekeeper when the budgets are created using this template.
- Role - The role for which you want to allocate the budget.
- Quantity - A quantity in case of an expense budget detail and number of hours for a fee budget detail. It will automatically be computed when sub-details are added to your budget detail.
- Rate - The amount at which the budget will be allocated based on the provided quantity. Rates do not roll up to budget details. If sub-details are added to budget details, the rate will be emptied based on the parent budget details.
- Total - Will be computed automatically based on the provided rate and quantity. If rates and quantities are not provided, you can provide an amount for budget allocation at the respective detail level. It will automatically be computed when sub-details are added to your budget detail.
- Target - A predefined amount to allocate as a budget at the detail level.
Maintaining the Templates
Most organizations assign an administrator to oversee your budget templates. Rank and file users of the application will not typically edit the templates.
Consider using the Clone button on the template detail page when looking for ways to make your life easier. This function will create a copy of the underlying template with all of the details cloned along with it.
Creating a New Budget from a Template
Simply apply a template to a matter or account and a new budget is deployed with everything planned and assigned as per the template. These templates help provide a framework for implementing your organization's best practices and reusable standards.
On the account and matter page layouts, users can add the New Budget action/button to assist in generating Budgets, using a predefined Budget Template available to be used for the record.