This article describes how to activate and set up the Budget module of Dalux FM.
Dalux FM's Budget module allows you to track expenses on work orders and recurring work orders, keeping track of invoices, budgets, accounts, and future planned expenses via the 30 year plan.
Table of contents
- Activate the Budget module
- Budget user role
- Invoice user roles
- Accounts
- Budget
- Invoices
- Inventory management
User rights
You must be a Dalux FM administrator before you can activate the Budget module.
After activation, a Dalux FM administrator and a role with administrator permissions for the Budget module can set it up.
Budget module requires O&M pro.
Activate the Budget module
To activate Budget, go to:
Settings
Operations and maintenance
Economy
'Activate'
Activate invoices and inventory management
Once the Budget module has been activated, the Dalux and Budget administrator can activate invoices and inventory management. This is done by going to:
Settings
Operations and maintenance
Economy
'Invoices' and 'Inventory management'
'Activate'
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Technical information
Invoices must be activated before work orders and recurring work orders can be added to accounts or project plans.
Budget user roles
Permissions for the Budget module can be controlled via user roles. For a better understanding of user roles and permissions, and how to set up user roles, you can read this article: User roles and regions.
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The permissions of the Budget user role are:
- Access to Budget: Users can view the Budget module and all budgets with related work orders, the 30 year plan, and all projects.
- Administrator for the module: Users can create and delete budgets, accounts, and project plans in settings. They can also activate and deactivate the invoices and inventory management features.
- Access to projects: Users can see and edit projects under the Budget module.
- Edit projects: Users can create/delete projects and phases in settings and create/delete/edit projects under the Budget module.
Invoice user roles
Permissions for the invoice feature can be controlled via user roles under work orders.
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- Access to Work Orders: User roles that should be able to create invoices must have access to this module.
- Edit invoice: This will enable this user role to create, edit and delete invoices.
- Approve limit: This sets a limit on the 'netto amount' of an invoice that this user role can approve and pay.
Accounts
Accounts act as the bridge between budgets and work orders/invoices. They are a long-term feature, typically tracking the economy over several years.
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Create data: Click here to import the account data via spreadsheet.
Get template: Click here to download the template for importing data. Be sure not to add or remove columns, which will cause the import to fail.
Use of account is mandatory for all work orders: Check this box if all work orders must have an account before they can be created with expected costs.
Create: Create a new account manually. See below.
Edit: Select an account and click here to edit the content.
Delete: Select an account and click to delete it. This action is permanent and cannot be undone.
How to create accounts
To create an account, go to:
Settings
Operations and maintenance
Economy
'Accounts'
Create
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Name: This identifies the account when selected from a work order or invoice.
Main data
- Account number: This is visible when selecting the account from mobile and used for sorting and reporting.
- Can be used for invoices: This indicates whether this account can be chosen when creating an invoice.
- Can be used for budget: This indicates whether this account can be linked to a budget.
- Description: A brief description of the account to help identify its purpose.
Region
- All buildings and lots: If this option is selected, there are no restrictions on where to use this account.
- Specific buildings and lots: If this option is selected, you can restrict the account to specific regions, buildings, and lots so that only work orders from these locations can be linked to this account.
Placement
This displays the hierarchy of the accounts and their respective locations. The entire hierarchy is shown when selecting the account on a work order or invoice.
If an account contains another account, it is converted into a folder and cannot be selected; it can only be used as part of the folder structure.
Click on the account or folder to reposition it.
Budget
Budgets must be created within the budget module. They are the main structure under 'Budget follow-up' and only track the economy within the set start and end dates.
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Add: Create a new budget manually. See below.
Edit: Select a budget and click here to edit the content and add posts. See below.
Delete: Select a budget and click to delete it. This action is permanent and cannot be undone.
Duplicate: Select a budget and click here to make a copy of it.
How to create a budget
To create a budget, go to:
Settings
Operations and maintenance
Economy
'Budget'
Add.
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- Name: This identifies the budget and is visible in 'Budget Follow-up'.
- Status: This can be active or inactive. Only active budgets may be selected within accounts and are visible in the Budget module.
- Start and end date: This budget can only track work orders and invoices within the start and end dates.
How to edit a budget
To edit a budget, go to:
Settings
Operations and maintenance
Economy
'Budget'
Edit.
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For the name, status, start date, and end date, refer to the section above under 'How to create budget'.
Posts
Add: Create a new budget post. See below.
Edit: Select a budget post and click here to edit the content.
Delete: Select a budget post and click to delete it. This action is permanent and cannot be undone.
How to add posts to a budget
Posts are used to assign funds to accounts and project plans. To add a budget post, go to:
Settings
Operations and maintenance
Economy
'Budget'
Edit
Add.
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Name: The name is used to identify the post under the budget and for sorting purposes.
Main data
- Account: Select the account that is linked to this budget.
- Project plan: Select the project plan that is linked to this budget.
- Budget amount: Enter the amount allocated to the budget and/or project plan. The currency value is tied to the FM instance and can only be changed by Dalux. Contact support if this is the case.
- Description: A brief description of the post to help identify its purpose.
Region
- All buildings and lots: If this option is selected, there are no restrictions on where to use this post.
- Specific buildings and lots: If this option is selected, you can restrict the post to specific regions, buildings, and lots so that only work orders from these locations can use this post.
Project plans
Project plans are used to separate expenses for a specific project or one-time renovation from regular accounts.
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Create data: Click here to import the project plan data via spreadsheet.
Get template: Click here to download the template for importing data. Be sure not to add or remove columns, which will cause the import to fail.
Use project plan for invoices and budget: Check this box to make this project plan available for invoicing and budgeting.
Choosing a project plan is mandatory for all tasks/invoices: Check these boxes if all tasks/invoices must have a project plan before they can be created with expected costs.
Create: Create a new project plan manually. See below.
Edit: Select a project plan and click here to edit the content.
Delete: Select a project plan and click to delete it. This action is permanent and cannot be undone.
Create project plan
To create a project plan, go to
Settings
Operations and maintenance
Economy
'Project plan'
Create.
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Main data
- Name: This identifies the project plan when selected from a budget post.
- Project plan ID: Used for filtering and sorting.
- Description: This briefly describes the project plan to help identify its purpose.
- Can be used for invoices: This indicates whether this project plan can be chosen when creating an invoice.
- Can be used for budget: This indicates whether this project plan can be linked to a budget.
Region
- All buildings and lots: If this option is selected, there are no restrictions on where to use this project plan.
- Specific buildings and lots: If this option is selected, you can restrict the project plan to specific regions, buildings, and lots so that only work orders from these locations can be linked to this project plan.
Placement
This displays the hierarchy of the project plans and their respective locations. The entire hierarchy is shown when selecting the project plan on a work order or invoice.
If a project plan contains another project plan, it is converted into a folder and cannot be selected. It can only be used as part of the folder structure.
Click on the project plan or folder to reposition it.
Invoices
When invoices are enabled, a new feature is added to work orders and recurring work orders that allows users to link accounts and project plans.
Invoices can also be added to track the invoiced amount in more detail.
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When the economy is closed, the invoice amount is tracked via the 'charged' column under 'Budget Follow-up'.
Read this article to learn how to create invoices: Use the Budget module
Inventory management
Inventory management allows you to track your items and store rooms under assets.
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Read this article to learn how to manage items and store rooms: Set up inventory management.
Read more
If you want to learn more about using the Budget module, read this article: Use the Budget module.