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The purchase came in more expensive than the estimate, and the remaining budget is negative. Should I move money?

No. Let the production code show a negative remaining budget, so you can see where the project is not going as planned. If you expect more cost, use uncertainty or an expected addition.

No, we recommend that you let the production code show a negative remaining budget. That way you and others quickly see which production codes are not going as planned. If you move money to cover it, you hide the deviation.

How you should do it

  1. Leave the remaining budget negative in Prod. codes. On the production code you see it as Rem. budget (may be called Rem. Cost price estimate) in Overview.

  2. Do not use transactions just to get the remaining budget to zero.

  3. If you expect more cost on the code going forward, enter it as an uncertainty or an expected addition. Both are shown under Adjustments in Overview on the production code.

  4. Follow the risk for the whole project together on Home.

The General tab on a production code in AIMZ with Overview on the right. 1 points to the line Rem. Cost price estimate (the remaining budget on the code), and 2 to Adjustments with Uncertainty and Expected Addition, where the expected extra cost is entered.

Why is this a good idea?

  • A negative remaining budget is a useful signal. It shows where the purchase came in more expensive than the estimate.

  • When deviations are left visible, it is easier to see where the project loses and gains money.

  • Transactions should be used when costs actually are to be moved between production codes, not to dress up the numbers.

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