The forecast is the floor, until you write a reason to change it.
A direct cost is job money that is not a purchase order, a vendor bill, a miscellaneous expense or a time card. It hits job-cost actual only when you post it. Voiding it takes it back out.
What changes the number
Posted, or not.
Only a posted direct cost enters actual. It does not create a separate expense transaction. The attachment is an upload. A pasted image address is refused.
The floor.
With no direct cost and no override, the forecast stays the higher of the budget or the actual plus what is still committed. Margin is the contract minus that forecast.
An override.
Per cost code, with a reason. It cannot go below money already spent. It can sit under the calculated floor, when you expect to finish under budget or to cancel an open order. Optional months have to add up to the forecast in force.
The company WIP
The WIP report is one row per job, and the same address exports CSV. It skips a canceled job, a lost job, and a job with no contract. Percent complete is cost to date over the forecast when that forecast is positive. Overbilled is what you have invoiced minus revenue earned at that percent.
Questions
Does a draft direct cost change the job cost?
No. Only posted does. Voiding a posted one removes it from actual, and voiding again changes nothing.
Can the override undercut the budget?
It can sit under the calculated floor. It cannot sit under money the job has already spent.
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