This chapter contains the topic:
A job can be defined as any activity for which you will manage costs and track progress. Anything from publishing a book to building a skyscraper can be considered a job.
Depending on your business needs, you might divide a large job into a series of smaller jobs based on subprojects within it. In this case, you should consider the overall job as your project, and each subproject as a separate job. Consider the following examples:
You are contracted to build a 10-story office building. You will manage costs and track progress on a floor-by-floor basis. In this case, the office building is your project, and each floor is a separate job.
You are contracted to build 30 houses in a subdivision. You will manage costs and track progress on a house-by-house basis. In this case, the subdivision is your project, and each house is a separate job.
You are contracted to build a large regional airport. You will manage the costs and track progress on a job-by-job basis. In this case, the airport is your project, and each subproject, such as the main terminal building, the access road, and each concourse, is a separate job.
To use the Job Cost system, you must create a job master record for each of your projects and jobs. A job master record includes identifying information, such as the job number, the job description, and the project, if any, with which the job is associated. The Job Cost system, along with the General Accounting system, uses the job master record to track and manage costs and other information associated with each job.
Complete the following task to identify your jobs and projects:
Create a job master record