Indirect/Overhead Time

Aspire can be set up to track overhead time, sometimes called indirect time, spent by the employees for things like vacation, sick time, meetings, equipment maintenance, etc. Here are the key steps for setting up the system to manage indirect time.

1. Establish internal properties representing each of the branches from the Properties Search List screen.
2. Establish branches from the Branches Search List screen and ensure that they are tied to their associated properties created in step #1.
3. Establish a division for an indirect time from the division section of the  Admin List screen. When establishing this division, commonly called Overhead or Indirect, the user can check the Indirect checkbox if they do not want dollars associated with that division to show up in the Profit and Loss Report. For example, if the Overhead division were marked as Indirect, the overhead column in the image to right would not be included.
4. Establish service type(s) that tie to the indirect division. Service types are established on the Admin List Service Type screen.
5. Create services representing each type of internal work task that should be tracked. Services are established on the Services Search List screen.
6. Create a contract opportunity assigned to the internal property comprised of the internal work task services. The creation of opportunities is initiated by the Properties screen.

Internal services established in this manner will appear in the Crew Mobile App allowing crew members to log time with them. They will also be available in the Indirect Job Time section of the Time Entry screen

When setting up the services in step 5 above, you should determine when creating the opportunity they will establish one occurrence per year for each service or twelve occurrences one for each month. The decision depends on the desire to track internal time monthly. For each service defined, the user should establish either a one-occurrence or a twelve-occurrence service schedule. If they do establish twelve occurrences, they will need to make sure to complete each month’s established work ticket during the month-end process. Aspire recommends setting them up monthly.

When setting up the opportunity in step 6 above consider the following:

• Set up the contract opportunity for one year at a time, typically from January 1 through December 31. You can copy or renew a prior year’s internal contract to establish a new one for the following year.
• Add one service to the contract for each internal service. Add a labor item under each service and set the hours to zero.
• For each service, establish either twelve occurrences or one occurrence as determined when the service was defined.
• The internal contract opportunities are the only opportunities that should be created for the internal property.