# Deltek Costpoint Contract Management Module and Project Setup Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/erp-help/deltek-costpoint-contract-management-module-project-setup-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: ERP Help ## Short answer Setting up a contract in Costpoint is about getting the structure and rules right before the first charge: the project hierarchy, organisation, funding and ceiling, billing and revenue method, rates and labor access. Work through the checklist below in order and verify with a test timesheet and billing preview before announcing the project open. ## Kind how-to ## System deltek ## Erp Deltek Costpoint ## Module Projects / Contract Management ## Query deltek costpoint contract management module ## Alternate Queries - deltek costpoint project setup checklist - costpoint new project setup steps - costpoint contract setup walkthrough ## Applies To Deltek Costpoint 7.x and 8.x with Projects, Billing and Timesheet modules; screen names vary by release ## Steps ### New contract and project checklist **Items:** - Contract review: contract type (cost-plus, fixed price, time and materials), clauses affecting billing, funding, ceilings and key dates. - Project structure: parent project, subprojects and the work breakdown levels you need to charge and bill against. - Organisation and accounts: assign the responsible organisation and the right account groups so costs map to the correct ledger accounts and indirect pools. - Funding and value: set funded amount, total value or ceiling and period of performance. - Billing and revenue: choose the billing format, billing and revenue method, fee or retention, and invoice terms. - Rates and labor categories: set billing rates and labor categories where the contract has them. - Labor access: authorise employees to charge via the project's labor charging setup so timesheets accept the project. - Customer and contacts: attach the correct customer, bill-to and remit details. - Test: submit a test timesheet and run a billing preview, then clean up test data per your policy. - Sign-off: contracts, finance and project management confirm and the project is released for charging. ## Sections ### Why structure comes first **Body:** Changing the project hierarchy after charges exist is painful, because posted cost lives at specific levels. Decide the charge levels with project managers before creating records: the lowest level that people charge to, the levels that carry funding, and the levels you will report and bill on. Align the structure with how the contract is invoiced and reported. If the customer wants billing by task, build tasks. If the contract has a single funded line, extra levels simply add keying errors for timesheet users. ### Rules that drive billing and revenue **Body:** Billing and revenue behaviour comes from setup, not from the invoice screen. Contract type decides whether you bill cost plus fee, fixed milestones or rates times hours. Revenue recognition method decides when revenue appears. Getting these wrong shows up weeks later as unbillable cost or misstated revenue. For government work, indirect rates and fee must follow the contract and your disclosed practices. Coordinate with your indirect rate setup so the project picks up the right pools. See the page on setting up indirect rate pools for how that side is organised. ### Labor access, controls and the test run **Body:** Many 'cannot charge this project' tickets are access problems, not project problems: the employee is not authorised, the project is not open for the period, or the account is not valid for labor. Authorise labor deliberately and keep it tight on restricted or classified work. Finish with a controlled test. A test timesheet proves charging works, a billing preview proves the invoice looks as the contract requires. Fix issues before real charges land, because rework after posting is expensive and visible to auditors. ## Pitfalls - Creating the hierarchy before agreeing charge levels with project managers. - Choosing the wrong contract type or billing method, which only surfaces at first invoice. - Leaving labor access open to everyone on a restricted project. - Skipping a test timesheet and billing preview. - Entering funding that does not match the signed contract. ## Ai Angle Setup checklists are exactly what a grounded assistant checks quickly: ERPray can compare new projects against your standard, reading funding, billing method, organisation and labor access from Costpoint and listing gaps. It is read-only by default and does not change records. For contractors who cannot send data to public AI services, it runs on your own hardware. ## Faq ### What is the first step in setting up a project in Costpoint? **Answer:** Review the contract and decide the project structure and charge levels with the project manager. Structure is hardest to change after charges post, so settle contract type, hierarchy, funding and billing approach before creating records. ### Why can employees not charge my new Costpoint project? **Answer:** Typically the project is not open for the period, labor access is not authorised for those employees, or the account setup does not allow labor. Check status, labor charging authorisation and account groups before looking elsewhere. ### Do I need a billing preview before the first invoice? **Answer:** It is strongly advisable. A preview shows whether the contract type, rates, fee and format produce what the customer expects, so you correct setup before any invoice is issued and posted. ### Who should sign off a new project setup? **Answer:** At least contracts, finance and the project manager. Contracts confirms terms, finance confirms billing, revenue and indirect treatment, and the project manager confirms the structure people will actually charge to. ## Search terms deltek costpoint contract management module, costpoint project setup checklist, costpoint new project setup, costpoint project hierarchy, costpoint billing method setup, costpoint labor access, costpoint cost plus project setup, costpoint contract setup --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json