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Epicor Job Cost Variance Worksheet

Closing a job is the best moment to ask what it really cost. This worksheet lets you paste estimated and actual cost by element for a batch of jobs and see the variance in dollars and percent, so you can find the pattern behind the overruns instead of reading jobs one at a time.

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Total estimated	Total actual	Variance	Variance %
$8,100	$9,480	$1,380	17%
$5,400	$5,220	-$180	-3.3%
$2,220	$2,660	$440	19.8%
$10,900	$10,530	-$370	-3.4%
$3,330	$4,260	$930	27.9%

Total estimated

$29,950

Total actual

$32,150

Total variance

$2,200

Worst job variance %

27.9%

Overall variance %

7.3%

Average variance per job

$440

Enter figures from your Epicor job costing view or job closing report, then sort by variance to find the jobs worth investigating.

Automated variance report

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How to use it

Take estimated and actual material, labor and burden from the job costing view in Epicor, or from a BAQ that lists closed jobs. Type or paste one row per job. The sheet computes totals, variance and percent for each row, plus overall figures at the bottom. Sort or scan for large percentages, then look at which element drives them: material points to price or scrap, labor to routing standards or rework, and burden to hours spent on the machine.

Compare like with like: same cost basis for estimate and actual
Review at least 20 jobs before drawing a conclusion
Group by part family or work center to find systematic issues

Interpreting variance

A positive variance is an overrun. A few jobs over by large amounts usually reflect individual events such as a scrapped batch. A consistent small overrun across many jobs points to a stale standard: the routing times or material costs behind the estimate no longer match reality. The default sample shows labor and burden running together, which is expected because burden is usually absorbed on labor or machine hours.

What to do next

Fix the estimate where it is systematically wrong, since it feeds quotes and standard costs. Where actuals are bad because of process problems, take them to the shop floor. Revisit rates and routings quarterly. Keep a short log of what you changed and why, so that next quarter's variance can be judged against it.

Common mistakes

People compare estimates made at one cost basis with actuals at another, such as standard against average cost, and chase variances that are only a method difference. Another is leaving jobs open for months, so actuals are incomplete. Finally, burying subcontract and outside processing in the material column hides a major source of surprise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find job costs in Epicor?

Job Tracker and job costing views show estimated and actual cost by material, labor, burden and subcontract. You can also build a BAQ listing closed jobs for export. The exact screens depend on your Kinetic version.

What is a normal variance?

It depends on the work. Repeat production should be within a few percent. Prototype and engineering-heavy jobs often vary by 20 percent or more. Track your own baseline rather than a generic number.

Should I include subcontract costs?

Yes, either in the material column or by adding a column. Keeping them separate is better, because outside processing often drives surprises and has a different owner.