Business object structure

This section describes the Workforce Budgeting business objects and gives a short introduction to the Workforce Budgeting tables that are grouped into the sections described in this topic.

Workforce structure business objects

These are the workforce structure business objects:

  • Job
  • Position
  • Employee
  • Position assignment

Jobs are general groupings used to create specific positions. For each job, positions can be created. Employees are then assigned to positions by creating position assignments. Employees are not assigned to jobs.

Jobs, positions, and employees form a hierarchy in which jobs are at the top level. In Employee-based budgeting, there are three levels, from job down to employee and their position assignments. The relationship of Job – Position – Position Assignment is 1 – N – N. In Position-based budgeting, in hierarchy there exists two levels, from job down to position. The relationship of Job – Position is 1 – N.

A job defines common settings for its positions or position assignments, such as the pay basis: annual, monthly, hourly or table base. To the pay basis table base, the Step and Grade Salary feature must be activated. Jobs also represent the top level for any cost assignment. The cost structure including the values for each cost is inherited from a job to its position and from a position to its position assignment. The inheritance for selected positions or employees can be disabled.

Salary, benefit, cost definition business objects

Any cost associated with the company's workforce must be represented in the system by its cost definition that sets the value calculation formula. These tables are used for configuration:

  • Benefit cost
  • Benefit cost based on
  • Benefit cost caps
  • Benefit cost range
  • Benefit dated values

Benefit cost definitions such as PercentOfPeriodic, PercentOfAnnualized, YTDRanges, PremiumAmountPremiumRate, or PremiumPercentPremiumRate require based on information to be entered in Benefit cost based on table.

Benefit, cost definitions with the cap feature such as QuantityXRate, PercentOfPeriodic, PercentOfAnnualized, or YTDRanges that sets the maximum amount paid for a specific cost require the cap information to be entered in Benefit cost caps table.

YTD Range calculation types must have at least one range that consists of a low value and a high value for the based on amount, and the YTD range percentage in Benefit cost range table.

FlatAmount and RateXQuantity with their amounts spread across the configuration set, PercentOfPeriodic or PercentofAnnualized costs allow to define different cost values for different time intervals. This configuration is entered in Benefit dated values table.

Cost assignment to workforce business objects

These are the cost assignment to workforce business objects:

  • Job action
  • Position action
  • Assignment action

The Action tables represent cost assignments on Job, Position or Assignment level. In Employee-based budgeting, the total costs are calculated from position assignments and any vacancies.

If inheritance is activated between a job and its positions, the cost structure (including the values for each cost) on these positions is the same as on their job. The actions are entered in the calculation process. The same cost structure is created on the inheriting positions. In the Position table there is the ExcludeFromDefaults column. The inheritance can be broken by setting the value in that column to not inherit changes. That lets you have a different cost structure or the same cost structure but with different values between a job and its position.

The same logic applies to positions and their position assignments. If inheritance activated between a position and an employee with the position assignment, the cost structure (including the values for each cost) on the position assignment is the same as on the position. In the Employee table there is the ExcludeFromDefaults column. The inheritance can be broken by setting the value in that column to not inherit.

The only exception are the premium and salary actions definitions that cannot be inherited.

Cost allocation business object

Allocation is the cost allocation business object.

The allocation lets you allocate certain percentages of workforce costs between different cost centers, products, projects, and so on, using the predefined dimensions. You can define allocation rules that allocate costs from positions or position assignments. In Employee-based budgeting, allocating costs from the position level means allocating only the vacancy costs. This prevents double allocation should an allocation rule also be defined on the position assignment.

Salary and Progression Rule business objects

These are the salary and progression rule business objects:

  • Salary table
  • Salary table grade
  • Salary table step
  • Progression rule
  • Progression rule data

Salary tables provide a grouping to hold step and grade information. The Step and grade feature must be activated if you want to use the feature. Step and Grade salary tables are specifically defined levels of pay rates for different positions. Each salary table (also known as a schedule) has one or more grades, and each grade has one or more steps. Each grade and step combination in a schedule define a pay rate.

The Progression rule defines the amount of time needed to progress from one salary grade and step to another.

Feature dependent business objects

Currently, each import and load to a configuration set and version clears existing Workforce Budgeting data (including calculation results) in the selected set and version and replaces it with new data. Therefore, it is necessary to import data from all relevant Workforce Budgeting tables in one step.

If position-based budgeting is activated, these business objects holding employee information, their assignments to positions and the associated costs remain empty:

  • Employee
  • Assignment
  • Assignment action

If the Step and Grade Salary feature is not activated, these tables remain empty:

  • Salary table
  • Salary table grade
  • Salary table step
  • Progression rule
  • Progression rule data

The Allocation table remains empty if there are no cost allocation rules for positions or position assignments.

Keep in mind that even if you do not have any allocation rules defined (the Allocation table is empty), you must still run the allocation process after importing data or after budget changes in Workforce Budgeting.

Depending on the cost structure, you may not have to use each benefit related table. For example, if you do not use the dated values feature or caps, these tables can remain empty:

  • Benefit cost
  • Benefit cost based on
  • Benefit cost caps
  • Benefit cost range
  • Benefit dated values

You do not need to use all the tables for actions, it depends on your configuration. These are the action tables:

  • Job action
  • Position action
  • Assignment action