Setting up schedule templates for assignment templates

Accountants Enterprise with Practice Manager only

The information in this section is applicable only if the selected Job Mode is Assignments and Schedules. For more information about Job Modes, see Job mode.

To set up a schedule template for an assignment template

Select Maintenance > Assignment > Assignment Templates on the main menu or Maintenance > Maintenance Map > Assignment > Assignment Templates. The Maintenance — Assignment Templates page opens.
Select the assignment you want to create a schedule template for from the list of assignments.
Click the Schedules tab. The tab page displays a table where you can enter the details for the schedule template.
Set up the steps in the list:
1. Enter the step number, for example 1, in the Step field. Create them in multiples of 10. This allows you to insert more steps later.
2. Enter a description of the stage (e.g., Commence Assignment or Prepare Draft Accounts) in the Stage Description field.
3. Select the preceding step if any, or select None (0), from the Predecessor drop-down.
4. Select the Milestone from the drop-down.
  Click the Milestones cell and expand the drop-down that is displayed. If you have created milestones for the Assignment Type in the Maintenance > Assignment > Milestones window, the milestones are available for selection
  
  You cannot link a milestone to more than one schedule stage.
  
  You do not have to link all milestones to schedule stages. You only need to link the schedule stages to milestones that you want to track using the Job Manager.
5. Press [Enter]. The step moves to the next row.
Click
beside the newly created Step.
The step expands to reveal the following columns:
- Employee Category
- Budgeted Time
- Sign Off
- Start Date Offset
- End Date Offset.
Click the Employee Category cell to access the drop-down and select the employee category that will perform the work for the stage.
In the Budgeted Time cell, enter the number of hours the selected Employee Category will take to complete the step. This can be compared later with the actual time taken to complete the step.
Select the Sign Off checkbox if the stage requires it.
Sign Off is used to mark the stage as complete. This is usually performed by selected people in the practice such as a(n):
- Assignment Manager
- Assignment Partner
- Client Manager
- Client Partner.
Selecting the Sign Off checkbox means that only those who hold that particular position selected can sign off or complete a stage.
Enter the Start Date and End Date Offsets. These are the number of days either side of the start and end dates that allow flexibility when starting a stage. The number of days in the offset are used to calculate the Projected Due Start Date and the Projected Due Complete Date.
Click Tasks to attach task codes to the stage. The Prepare Accounts window opens.
Select the Task Codes to be associated with the stage. Add or remove tasks as appropriate for the stage. Task codes are used to identify an activity or step that an employee does to complete a job.
Click OK. The Prepare Accounts window closes.
Repeat Step 4. to Step 12. to set up additional stages for the assignment entering:

the next sequential number in the Step field.
the preceding Step number in the Predecessor field.

Click OK. The Maintenance — Assignment Templates page closes.

A milestone cannot be linked to more than one schedule stage.

All milestones need not be linked to schedule stages. Link only those milestones that you would like to track using the Job Manager.

To revise time across steps

Click Create Uplift to revise the budgeted time for all the steps by a certain percentage. The Uplift window opens.
Enter the change percentage in the Apply Uplift Percentage field.
Click OK.
The budgeted time is revised by the specified percentage. For example, if you enter 10.00 in the Apply Uplift Percentage field, the Budgeted Time values for all the steps increase by 10%. To revise the time downwards, select the Negative Uplift checkbox and enter the reduced percentage for the time.