Setting Up Project Accounting in Infor SyteLine
Project accounting in SyteLine extends standard job costing into a multi-level hierarchy that groups related jobs, purchase orders, and service activities under a single project umbrella. For engineer-to-order manufacturers managing complex contracts spanning months or years, project accounting provides the cost collection, billing, and revenue recognition framework that job-level costing alone cannot deliver.
Project Structure and Hierarchy Configuration
SyteLine's project module organizes work into a hierarchy: Project > Task > Sub-Task, each with its own budget, cost collection rules, and billing parameters. The Projects form (Projects > Projects) defines the top-level entity with project type, customer link, contract value, and accounting method (completed contract or percentage of completion). Each task within the project maps to one or more jobs, purchase orders, or expense entries through the Project Tasks form, enabling rolled-up cost visibility from the lowest operation to the total project level.
- Create project records in Projects form specifying project type (T&M, Fixed Price, Cost Plus) and contract value
- Define task hierarchies using the Project Tasks form with WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) numbering for traceability
- Link production jobs to project tasks using the Job Orders form's Project and Task fields for cost collection
- Associate purchase orders with project tasks via the PO Lines form's project reference field for direct cost capture
- Configure project-level budgets in the Project Budget form broken down by cost element (material, labor, overhead, subcontract)
Cost Collection and Overhead Allocation
Project cost collection in SyteLine pulls from multiple transaction streams: job material issues, labor postings, PO receipts, and expense entries. The Project Cost Summary IDO aggregates these into a unified cost view per task and project. Overhead allocation to projects can follow job-level absorption rates or project-specific allocation rules defined in the Project Overhead Rates form. The key configuration decision is whether overhead is applied at the individual job level and rolled up, or calculated as a project-level burden based on total direct costs.
- Enable project cost collection by setting the 'Collect Project Costs' parameter in SyteLine Parameters form (Costing tab)
- Configure direct cost capture from job transactions via the automatic project-job linkage in SLJobTrans
- Set project-level overhead rates in Project Overhead Configuration for burden applied above job-level absorption
- Use the Project Cost Inquiry form to monitor actual vs. budget by task, cost element, and accounting period
- Run the Project Cost Reconciliation report to verify SLProjectTrans totals match corresponding GL project accounts
Revenue Recognition and Period-End Processing
Revenue recognition for projects depends on the accounting method selected at project creation. Percentage-of-completion (POC) projects recognize revenue proportional to cost incurred versus total estimated cost, calculated in the Revenue Recognition Utility (Projects > Revenue Recognition). Completed contract projects defer all revenue until project close. The utility generates journal entries that credit revenue and adjust the WIP-to-cost-of-revenue transition, posting to GL accounts defined in the Project Accounting Codes form.
- Run the Revenue Recognition Utility monthly, selecting the accounting period and project filter criteria
- Configure POC calculation method: cost-to-cost ratio using actual cost / estimated total cost from project budget
- Define revenue and cost GL accounts in Project Accounting Codes form for each project type and cost element
- Review the Revenue Recognition Preview report before posting to validate calculated revenue amounts per project
- Process project close through the Close Project utility to relieve remaining WIP and recognize final revenue and variance
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Related Resources
SyteLine Job Costing Configuration Guide
Configure job costing in Infor SyteLine with material, labor, overhead, and outside process cost elements. Complete setup guide for ETO and MTO manufacturers.
Infor SyteLineSyteLine Earned Value Management (EVM) in ERP
Implement earned value management in Infor SyteLine to track project cost and schedule performance. Configure EVM metrics like CPI, SPI, and EAC in your ERP.
Infor SyteLineSyteLine Project Billing and Milestone Setup Guide
Configure milestone billing and progress billing in Infor SyteLine for project-based manufacturers. Set up billing rules, invoice schedules, and retention handling.