Cost Object Reporting

Open cost object reports by selecting Financials > Reporting and monitoring > Cost object reporting.

Make sure that in the accounting function-specific rights the user has at least the following rights so that cost object reporting is visible:

• "Basic reporting" – at least read access
• "Basic accounting functions" – at least read access
• "Accounting report search criteria" – at least read access

Note the following:

• The reports are directly visible with the "Company user" or "All rights" profile.

Use cost object reporting to review account balances and transactions related to cost object calculation. Make use of budget monitoring in the report view.

Open the cost object report for a user who has been granted the following in the Function-specific rights view:

• edit rights to "Basic reporting"
• at least read access to "Accounting report search criteria"

Reports:

• Cost object calculation table 
• Cost object calculation table in profit and loss statement format
• Cost object calculation table by objects in profit and loss statement format
  • Proceed as follows when you use a detailed cost object on this report:
    • Select a detailed cost object if you want a separate balance for each lower-level object (when cost objects are built hierarchically).
    • Leave the detailed cost object unselected if you want the report to take the hierarchy into account and sum balances to the upper level.
    • Note that without a detailed cost object the report shows the data as:
      • Unallocated
      • Total (objects + unallocated)
    • Note that when you use a detailed cost object, the report does not show unallocated at all, but separates each object’s balance individually.
    • Select whether to use a detailed cost object depending on whether you want the figures:
      • to be summed hierarchically upwards, or
      • to be shown for each object separately without an upper-level total.

• Cost object calculation transaction table
• Cost object comparison report
  • Note that the cost object comparison report only includes invoice vouchers from purchase and accounts receivable ledgers that have a recorded cost object.
• Controller view as cost object calculation table (requires Key figures and management reporting enabled)

Define the report criteria as follows:

• Select the necessary transaction restrictions related to dates, accounts and other conditions.
• For cost objects, select or limit the objects under the desired title.
• Pick several sub-objects as a condition by selecting "Show targets in multi-selection mode" and choosing the desired objects while holding down the CTRL key.
• Note that by default the cost object report does not take into account hidden cost objects and entries made for them.
• Select "Show hidden targets and titles" if entries have been made for hidden cost objects and you want to include them in the report.

Review the report as follows:

• View, based on the restriction criteria, the account balances under the cost object title and their budget comparison.
• Use the tabs to review the report data by title.
• Note that if a combination of cost objects from different titles has been used as a restriction on the report, transaction rows that are unallocated at the corresponding title level are also included.
• Exclude unallocated transactions from view by selecting "show only allocated".
• Exclude budget monitoring from the view if you do not want to see the budget comparison.

Proceed as follows when you make a cost object restriction on the cost object report:

• Note that when you are viewing the tab of this cost object title, the Unallocated column is always zero, because you are only viewing the objects restricted in the search, meaning there are no unallocated ones.
• Note that for other title levels, transactions are shown where the restriction is met but no objects under the cost object title being examined have been recorded.
• Example: if you search with the restriction "Hki", which belongs under the title level "City", the Unallocated column on the "City" tab is empty.
• In the same example, on the "Cost center" tab you see in the Unallocated column a voucher that is recorded for the object Hki (in the search criteria), but it is in the Unallocated column because no cost object under the "Cost center" title level has been recorded for the voucher.
• When you do not make any cost object restrictions in the search, the report shows unallocated transactions that are not allocated to any cost object.

Then when examining the "City" tab, the Unallocated column is empty:

But on the "Cost center" tab we see that there is a voucher in the Unallocated column that is recorded for the object Hki (which we had in the search criteria), but it is in the Unallocated column because no cost object under the "Cost center" title level has been recorded for the voucher:

 

When no cost object restrictions are placed in the search at all, unallocated transactions that are not allocated to any cost object are shown. 

Hierarchy of cost objects in reporting

Take the hierarchical cost object structure into account in reporting as follows:

• If the cost object structure is hierarchical, entries recorded at level 3 are summed upwards in the hierarchy to the levels above it.
• If an entry is made for a cost object at the lowest level of the hierarchy, it is also visible on all its upper levels in reporting, even though the entry is not directly made for them.

Printing the report

Print the reports as follows:

• Print the Cost object calculation table and Cost object calculation table in profit and loss statement format from the top corner of the report using the "Export report" button.
• Select CSV format if you want a CSV file, but note that in CSV format the Total column visible in Netvisor is not included in the report.
• Note that the Total column does not necessarily sum all the figures in the row together if hierarchical cost objects are used, because some balance may appear on both upper and lower objects.

Print the Cost object calculation table by objects in profit and loss statement format report so that each cost object is printed on its own page by using the browser’s Print function (CTRL+P).

Other functions of the report

Use the functions in the Show menu on the cost object calculation table:

• In profit and loss statement format: Change the cost object calculation table to profit and loss statement format.
• Only allocated rows: Hide zero rows from the report. A zero row appears on the report if there are entries for the cost object during the selected period, even if the closing balance is zero.
• Show budget comparison: Bring out the budget version created with the old Controller as a comparison column.
• Show hidden targets and titles: Show on the report the cost objects that are hidden in cost object management.

 

Frequently asked questions

Question: Where can I find cost object reports?

Answer: Open cost object reports by selecting Financials > Reporting and monitoring > Cost object reporting.

Question: What rights do I need to see cost object reporting?

Answer: In the accounting function-specific rights you need at least read access to "Basic reporting", "Basic accounting functions" and "Accounting report search criteria". The reports are directly visible with the "Company user" or "All rights" profile.

Question: How do I use a detailed cost object on the report?

Answer: Select a detailed cost object when you want a separate balance for each lower level and not a hierarchical total. Leave the detailed cost object unselected when you want the report to sum balances upwards in the hierarchy and also show the Unallocated and Total columns.

Question: Why is the Unallocated column empty on a certain tab?

Answer: When you make a cost object restriction and view the tab of the restricted cost object title, the Unallocated column is always zero because the report only shows the objects restricted in the search. On the tabs of other title levels, unallocated transactions can still be shown.

Question: How does a hierarchical cost object structure affect reporting?

Answer: In a hierarchical structure, entries made at the lowest level are automatically summed upwards in the hierarchy to the upper levels. The same entry can appear on both the lower-level and upper-level cost object.

Question: How do I print the cost object calculation table?

Answer: Print the Cost object calculation table and Cost object calculation table in profit and loss statement format using the "Export report" button. If you print in CSV format, the Total column is not included because it does not necessarily sum all the figures in the row when hierarchical cost objects are used.

Question: How do I get each cost object on its own page in the printout?

Answer: Print the Cost object calculation table by objects in profit and loss statement format report using the browser’s Print function (CTRL+P). In this way, the report’s cost objects are printed so that each cost object is on its own page.

Question: How do I show hidden cost objects on the report?

Answer: In the report search criteria, select "Show hidden targets and titles" if you want to include cost objects that are hidden in cost object management and the entries made for them.

Question: What do the functions in the Show menu do?

Answer: From the Show menu you can change the cost object calculation table to profit and loss statement format, hide zero rows (Only allocated rows), show budget comparison (budget version created with the old Controller) and show hidden targets and titles.

Keywords

cost object reporting, cost object calculation table, cost object calculation table in profit and loss statement format, cost object calculation table by objects in profit and loss statement format, cost object calculation transaction table, cost object comparison report, controller view as cost object calculation table, hierarchy of cost objects, detailed cost object, unallocated, budget comparison, Show menu, Export report, CSV printout, hidden cost objects

Did you find it helpful? Yes No

Send feedback