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Discrete Accounting Classes

Standard Discrete

When you define an accounting class, you must assign valuation and variance accounts to it. When you issue materials to a job that uses this accounting class, the appropriate valuation accounts are charged. When the job is closed, final costs and variances are calculated and posted to the variance and valuation accounts. When the accounting period is closed, these journal entries are automatically posted to the general ledger.

Non-Standard Discrete

For example to track recurring expenses -- machine maintenance or engineering projects -- with non-standard jobs, you can define and assign an accounting class with a type of expense non-standard to these jobs. The valuation accounts carry the costs incurred on these expense jobs as an asset during the period and automatically writes them off to the variance accounts at period close.

On the other hand, if you use non-standard discrete jobs to track production costs as assets, you can define and assign an accounting class with a type of asset non-standard. Asset non-standard discrete jobs are costed the same as standard discrete jobs. Valuation accounts are charged when material is issued to a job and final costs and variances are calculated and posted to the appropriate variance and valuation accounts when the job is closed.

Repetitive Accounting Classes

You can analyze repetitive manufacturing costs by assembly regardless of the line on which it was manufactured by using the same accounting class for all lines that build that assembly. You can use the same class for all assemblies on a line to do line based cost reporting or you can use a different accounting class for every line/assembly association.

Valuation and Variance Accounts

Variance accounts associated with Standard Discrete and Non-standard Asset accounting classes are charged when jobs are closed. Variance accounts associated with Expense Non-standard Discrete, and optionally Repetitive accounting classes, are charged when accounting periods are closed.

As noted in the following table, different valuation and variance accounts are required under standard versus average costing:

Account	Valuation	Variance
Material	Standard and Average	Standard and Average
Material Overhead	Standard and Average	Standard and Average
Resource	Standard and Average	Standard and *Average
Outside processing	Standard and Average	Standard and *Average
Overhead	Standard and Average	Standard and *Average
Standard Cost	Standard Only
Bridging	Average Only
Expense	Average Only
*Applicable only if you are using the new cost processor. See: Setting Up Inventory Average Costing and Setting Up Manufacturing Average Costing
Table 1 - 3. Standard Versus Average Costing Valuation and Variance Accounts (Page 2 of 2)

Valuation Accounts

Material	Normally an asset account this account tracks material costs. Under standard costing, it is debited at standard when you issue material to a job or schedule and credited at standard when you complete assemblies from a job or schedule, close a job, or close an accounting period. Under average costing, this account is debited at the average cost in effect at the time of the issue transaction and is credited when you complete assemblies from a job.
Material Overhead	Normally an asset account this account tracks material overhead (burden) costs. Under standard costing, it is charged/debited at standard when you issue material with material overhead to a job or schedule and relieved at standard when you complete assemblies from a job or schedule, close a job, or close an accounting period. Under average costing, this account is debited at the average cost in effect at the time of the issue transaction.
	Note: When a job is completed and material overhead is earned, this account is not charged /credited. Instead, the material overhead account for the completion subinventory is debited.
Resource	Normally an asset account this account tracks resource costs. Under standard costing, it is charged/debited at standard when resources are charged to a job or schedule and relieved/credited at standard when you complete assemblies from a job or schedule, close a job, or close an accounting period. Under average costing, this account is debited and credited at the resource rate in effect at the time the resource is charged.
	Outside ProcessingNormally an asset account this account tracks outside processing costs. Under standard costing it is debited at the standard or purchase order cost when you receive items for a job or schedule in Oracle Purchasing. It is credited at standard when you complete assemblies from a job or schedule, close a job, or close an accounting period. Under average costing when you move job or repetitive schedule assemblies through an outside processing operation, it is debited at the resource's predefined rate or at the purchase order cost. See: Performing Move Transactions.
Overhead	Normally an asset account this account tracks resource or department overhead cost. Under standard costing it is debited at standard when resources are charged to a job or schedule. It is relieved at standard when you complete assemblies from a job or schedule, close a job, or close an accounting period.

For additional information about how elemental accounts are charged under standard and average costing see: Work in Process Average Cost Transactions and Work in Process Standard Cost Transactions.

Variance Accounts

Material	This account tracks variances that occur when the previous level material costs charged to the job or schedule do not equal the previous level material costs that are relieved. This calculation gives you a net material usage and configuration variance.
Resource	This account tracks variances that occur when the this level resource costs charged to the job or schedule do not equal the this level resource costs that are relieved. If you charge actual labor without creating resource rate variances (resource standard rate is set to No), the resource variance includes any rate, efficiency, and method variances. If you recognize rate variances or charge resources at standard, the resource variance includes resource efficiency, and any method variances.
Outside Processing	This account tracks the variances that are occur when the this level outside processing costs charged to the job or schedule do not equal the this level outside processing costs that are relieved. If you do not calculate purchase price variance (resource standard rate is set to No), the outside processing variance includes any rate, efficiency, and method variances. If you recognize purchase price variance, this account includes efficiency and any method variances.
Overhead	This account tracks the variances that are occur when the this level overhead costs charged to the job or schedule do not equal the this level overhead costs relieved from the job or schedule. These variances include both efficiency and method variances.
Standard Cost	Applies only to standard discrete and non-standard asset. This account is charged for the sum of all the elemental standard cost adjustments when you perform a standard cost update that impacts an active job. Cost updates are not performed for repetitive schedules or expense non-standard jobs.
Bridging	This field is optional.
Expense	Normally an expense account, this account is debited and credited when issuing and completing non-standard expense jobs under both standard and average costing.

See Also

Work in Process Costs