Add default budget allocations to a template
A budget allocation is one line of budgeted time: who will do the work (their job position), how many minutes it should take, and at what hourly rate. Default budget allocations are entered on the template, and apply to every client that does not have its own allocations for that section.
Use defaults when most clients on a workflow take roughly the same time, for example, signing off a standard VAT return. Where the time varies a lot from client to client, such as year-end accounts, you can leave the defaults empty and set each client's budget on the client card instead (see Set a client-specific budget), or use defaults as a starting point and override them for the clients that differ.
Defaults or client-specific: never both
The choice is made section by section. If a client has any allocations of its own in a section, Glide uses only the client's allocations for that section and ignores all of the defaults. The two are never added together. Other sections still use the defaults.
Add a default allocation
- Open the template from Budget Templates and expand the section.
- Under Default Budget Allocations, click Add default budget allocation.
- Complete the form and click Save.
Every field explained
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Budget Allocation Description | An optional description of the activity, up to 64 characters, for example Accounts preparation or Review by the manager. It is shown next to the job position on the client card and job card, and on Scheduler items, so a clear description helps whoever books the work. |
| Job Position (required) | The role that will do the work. The list contains the job positions set up on the workflow system, using the names you have given them (for example Partner, Manager, Preparer, CT Preparer, CT Reviewer), plus External for work done by someone outside the practice. Choose the role, not a named person: who actually does the work is decided when it is booked on the Scheduler. |
| Minutes (required) | The budgeted time in minutes, for example 600 for ten hours. It must be at least 1. Minutes are added up to give the section and template totals, and set the length of the booking when the line is dragged onto the Scheduler. |
| Rate (£/hour) | The hourly rate for this work. Enter it by hand; it is not taken from your charge-out rates, so you can budget at whatever rate suits the job. Optional, but without a rate the line has no value. |
| Value (£) | Worked out for you as minutes ÷ 60 × rate, rounded to the penny. For example, 600 minutes at £75.00 an hour is £750.00. You cannot type in this field. |
| On Scheduler | Whether this particular line should appear on the Scheduler. Inherit from job section (the default) follows the section's own On Scheduler setting. You can override it with Yes - Client site, Yes - In office or No. |
| Status | Draft lines are kept on the template but not used. Active lines are copied onto new jobs. Archived (available when editing) retires a line without deleting it. A draft line has an Activate button in its row. |
Remember to activate
Only Active allocations, in Active sections of an Active template, are copied onto new jobs. If a budget line is missing from new jobs, check all three statuses.
The allocations table
Each section lists its default allocations with the columns Description, Job Position, Minutes, Rate, Value, On Scheduler, Status and Actions (edit, activate, delete), with a total at the bottom. The section header shows the total minutes and value.
If a section has no default allocations, it says so. That is fine if you plan to set client-specific allocations for every client.
Several people on one section
Add one allocation for each role. For example, a Manager review section might have:
| Description | Job Position | Minutes | Rate | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Review by the manager | Manager | 240 | £150.00 | £600.00 |
| Make adjustments | Preparer | 60 | £75.00 | £75.00 |
Changes apply to future jobs
Default allocations are copied onto jobs when they are created. Changing them does not change the budgets on existing jobs. To change an existing job, edit its budget. See View and edit a job's budget.