Create new file

To create a new File, go to the File menu and click the New command.

This command opens the window for creating a new file. From this window you can search for the template you are interested in, in this case choose the Construction Project Accounting template.

Basic properties

The main parameters of the accounting file are defined in the file and accounting properties, such as the header, the opening and closing date of the project. You can change the properties from the File menu → File and accounting properties.

This data is included in the report and can be printed.

Create a project folder

You can manage your documents and receipts in digital format by linking them to transactions so you have everything well organized and can view them with one click.

It is therefore useful that you create a folder to save the accounting file you have created.

Then create subfolders for documents of deliberations, receipts, and others. See how to organize digital documents.

Categories Table

The Categories table is where you set the elements of the work to be performed. Cost categories can be changed or personalized in any moment, if you have particular requirements you can decide to change the structure of grouping of the elements, or use the one proposed by the template.

Estimate Budget Column

In this column you define the amount of the estimate for each Cost category. You can change the amount whenever you want.

Variants of Budget

You can add additional columns to enter the amounts relating to any variants of the estimate. Use the Data menu → Columns setup command, and add a column of Amount type to make sure that the values are totalized.

Additional columns

In Banana Accounting terminology, the Budget column is the one that contains the values calculated on the basis of the movements contained in the Budget table.

In project management, the Budget table has been renamed to "Assignments " and is used to insert assignments . This can create a moment of confusion.

Assignments column

Contains the values shown in the Assignments table.

Expenses column

It contains the values calculated on the basis of the movements in the Transactions table.

Expenses-Assignments column

Calculates the difference between the values obtained with the movements in the Transactions table and the amounts in the Assignments .

Use your own structure

You can freely create a structure of Categories as you wish, also taking up standard structures.

• Create categories.
  You can use numbers or descriptors.
• Create the groupings.
  You can use as many levels as you like.

Additional groupings

For tax authorities or other needs you may find it useful to group the Categories entries by other criteria. You can use the Gr1 column for this purpose or add additional columns as needed.

Movements relating to the assignment of work are entered in the Assignments table.

When entering a assignment, the Company account and the category to which it refers must also be entered.

Once you have entered the data, you can use the report to see the overall situation and deviations from the estimate budget. You can also see the assignment amounts in the Categories table, they are listed in the 'Assignments ' column so that you can have a quick comparison with the other values.

Create assignments movements

You can create Assignments transactions in an easy and fast way. From the Extensions menu choose Construction Project Statement→Create transactions for assignments . The extension takes the data from the Categories table and for each cost category you have defined creates a transaction with the following fields:

• Date: Current Date.
• Description: Description present in the column of the same name in the Categories table.
• Expenses: Amount of the estimate budget. At the time you define the exact amount of the assignment, you can change the amount.
• Category: Name of the category.
• Company: Initially, each assignment is assigned a default "Unassigned" company, as soon as the assignment is assigned to a company, enter the correct name, referring to the companies you have defined in your chart of accounts.

When you start the extension, a dialog is shown with a summary of the changes that will be made, by pressing OK, the changes will be confirmed and executed. On the contrary, if you press Cancel the operation will be cancelled. You can execute this command every time when you add new categories to which you assign an estimate budget, starting the extension again will create the movements of the assignment only for the new elements.

Alternatively, you can always choose to record the assignment manually.

Accounts Table

The program allows you to manage the origin of the funds that are used to make payments. It indicates the accounts with which you are going to pay the artisans and other accounts of origin of the funds (own contributions).

Typically in a construction project there will be the construction bank account.

There are also preset accounts for:

• Disputed Invoices.
  • Record the part of the invoice amount, which is not considered due.
• Invoices awaiting payment. Invoices received that have not yet been paid.
• Work in Progress. To record work that has been done, but for which you have not yet received the invoice.

However, you can also create other accounts used to make payments or those of mortgages, used for the consolidation of the project.

Company accounts

For each company to which a job is assigned, you must first create an account of type cost center 1 (preceded by ".").

With the address view you can also enter the personal data, contacts and other information relating to the company.

Segments

Transactions table

In the transactions table, record the payments that are made for the project. For each transaction, in addition to the account, it also indicates the company and the category to which it refers. In the Expenses column indicates the amount of the payment, this value is also included in the Categories table.

Advance payment and invoices

The advance payment or invoice payment is recorded, indicating the date, the amount, the account used for the payment, expense category and the company's account.

You can also link the transaction row to the digital slip, so that you can view it with one click.

Receipt of invoice

The accounting management is carried out on the amounts actually been paid. To have an updated situation, it is possible to insert also the receipt of the invoice. In the account column you will have to insert the invoice account to be paid.

When you subsequently make the payment, the invoice receipt transaction must be overwritten with the payment information. If the payment is partial, you will need to create another transaction and split the amounts manually.

Disputed works

Records as if it were a payment, but using the account, disputed invoices.

Work in progress

You can enter registrations, similar to payments, but indicating the work in progress account. The amount will be estimated by the construction management. In this way, you can have a progression of the works. You can also color these rows with a particular color, so that you can easily distinguish them from the others.

When the invoices arrive, you will need to replace the invoice.

Income and financial transactions

In the transactions table you can also enter income such as subsidies or other financial transactions, capital payment or construction account consolidation.

Percentage of work progress

Use the transactions table also to record manually the percentage of work progress. Define if the transaction is related to a company or a category, and the percentage. In the report you can evaluate the progress with the costs incurred.

Heading

The extension takes the following information that you have defined in the file properties:

• Header left: Indicates for example the area, or the city with the mapping where the work will be performed.
• Header right: Indicates the project title.
• Opening/Closing Date: Indicates when the project started or when it will be concluded.

Dialog

When the extension is launched, a dialog window appears in which you can define the columns you want to display. For example, you can initially decide to show in the report only the columns of the estimate budget and the assignments , and then add the columns of the expenses later.

Report by Category

Inside the first table, the report shows the expenses divided by cost category, all the categories you have defined in the Categories table are included.

The columns you can view are as follows:

• Category: Name of the category, taken directly from the Categories table.
• Progress %: Resumes the last recorded work completion percentage, attributed to a specific category.
• Estimate Budget: This is the amount defined in the Estimate Budget column in the categories table.
• Assignments : Assignments are defined in the "Budget" table.
• Diff. Assign./Budg.:  It is the difference between the assigned amounts and the budget, if the assigned amounts are less than the budget, it means that the costs will be lower than initially estimated budget, in this case a green icon is shown, if the assign is greater than the budget instead, then the icon appears red, if the amount is equal it remains yellow.
• Expenses: They are the actual expenses recorded in the transactions table.
• Diff. Exp./Budg.: This is the difference between the actual expenses and the estimate budget; if the estimate budget is greater than the expenses, then a green icon is shown because the actual expenses were less than the budgeted amount for that work. If the amounts are equal, then the icon remains yellow.
• Diff. Exp./Assign.: This is the difference between the actual expenses and the assigned amounts, if the assignments are greater than the expenses, then a green icon is shown as the actual expenses were less than the assigned amount for that work. If the amounts are equal, then the icon remains yellow.

Report by Company

The second table shows the expenses divided by company, the companies are defined in the Accounts table.

The columns you can view are as follows:

• Company: Company name, taken from the account table.
• Progress %: Resumes the last recorded work completion percentage, attributed to a specific company.
• Assignments : The assignments are defined in the "Budget" table, make sure you have assigned a company to the assignments , otherwise no amount will be displayed (see template).
• Expenses:  These are the actual expenses recorded in the transactions table.
• Diff. Exp./Del.: This is the difference between the actual expenses and the assigned amounts for each company, if the assignments are greater than the expenses, then a green icon is shown as the actual expenses were less than the assigned amount for that work. If the amounts are equal, then the icon remains yellow.