Turn on and Use Labor Budgets

Did you know that you can create labor budgets in busybusy? We know that you know keeping track of your labor budget can be a vital tool for your company. We also know that it can be overwhelming. What is a labor budget and how do you use it?  In this article, you will find what a labor budget is, how to turn it on, how to add a budget, and where to see your budget data. 

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What are labor budgets?

Turn on a Labor Budget from the Web

Set Up a Labor Budget from the Web

A Note on Autofill

Turn on a Labor Budget from iOS

Setup a Labor Budget from iOS

Turn on a Labor Budget from Android

Setup a Labor Budget from Android

Find Budget Information from iOS and Android

Use Progress Tracking with Your Budget

What are labor budgets?

Labor budgets allow you to analyze data to track project progress, and view detailed budgets of allocated money and labor hours. You will see a project’s status in real-time to stay on budget. It's easy to turn on budgets and begin using them!

Turn on a Labor Budget from the Web 

1. From the left navigation menu click on Settings
2. Select Budgeting
3. Click Labor Budgets
4. Check the box and Update

Set up a Labor Budget from the web

1. From the left navigation menu click on Budgets
2. Select a project. You can use the FILTER on the right to search for a project
3. Click on  Create Budget
4. Enter your estimated Labor hours
5. Enter your estimated Labor costs and Submit

From here you can see the progress of your budget. If the project has a budget set up you can see in real-time the actual budget numbers being used. If the line is in green, you are on track. If the line is in red, you are over budget. You can also click on the plus icon to the right of the project name from the Budgets main screen. 

Note: You can allocate the budgets to your subprojects as well by clicking into the main project and clicking on the subproject to add a Budget.

A Note on Autofill

Something good to be aware of with budgets is that you'll come across an Autofill and Autofill Higher option when editing parent project and subproject budgets, respectively. When creating a budget for a parent project, you can turn on Autofill that will total the subprojects' data to the parent project. Autofill totals the subprojects at that time, meaning it doesn't keep them up to date in the background.

If you change a subproject you would need to use Autofill Higher or go back into the parent project and use Autofill again to update the the budget totals. The Autofill Higher will only change the parent if it needs to. Essentially only when the parent needs a higher total to fit the subproject totals. Autofill is automatically turned off when you create a budget, so you will always need to manually turn it on if you want those totals.

Turn on Labor Budget from iOS

1. Go to the main menu. You can get there by clicking on the three horizontal lines (we call it a "hamburger icon") and choosing Settings
2. Select Company
3. Turn on the toggle switch for Use Labor Budgets

Setup Labor Budget from iOS

1. From your main menu, go to Projects
2. Click on a project you'd like to add a budget to
3. Select Labor Budget
4. Select Create Estimates
5. Add Labor Hours to the box to the right of Labor Hours
6. Add Labor Cost to the box on the right of Labor Costs
7. Select Done in the top right

Turn on Labor Budgets from Android

Turn On Labor Budgets

1. Go to the main menu. You can get there by clicking on the three horizontal lines (we call it a "hamburger icon") and click Settings
2. Select Time Keeping
3. Turn on the toggle switch for Use Labor Budgets

Setup a Labor Budget from Android

1. From your main menu, go to Projects
2. Click on a project to which you'd like to add a budget
3. Select Budget

You will automatically be taken to the budgeted cost section of the labor budget for this project. To add a budget to the Cost and Hours section, select the three vertical dots in the top right of the screen, then select Edit Budget. (It does not matter which section you are viewing, once you hit Edit Budget you will have the ability to add both budgeted cost and hours.) Once you are finished, select Save.

Find Budget Information from iOS and Android

From the Budgets feature you can see an overview of all of the projects you have in busybusy. If the project has a budget set up you can see in real-time the actual budget numbers being used. If the line is in green, you are on track. If the line is in red, you are over budget. 

1. Go to the main menu. You can get there by clicking on the three horizontal lines (we call it a "hamburger icon") then click Budgets.

As you continue to use Labor Budgets, you will get a better picture of what your actual labor cost is vs your estimated labor cost.

Use Progress Tracking with Your Budget

Are you interested in using our Progress Tracking feature alongside your budgeting?  If so, we have a great video here that can get you more information on that!

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