Processing allocations

After you define allocations, you must process them to calculate the allocation amounts, create allocation transactions, and post transactions to activities. You can process allocations at any time. Ensure that you have posted transactions to activity or General Ledger based pools before processing allocations.

When you process allocations, you can review the calculation before creating the allocation transactions to be posted. If you find errors in the allocation calculation, then you can unrelease the allocation, correct information in the pool or the allocation, release it, and recalculate it until you get the desired results.

If you process allocations by allocation group, define the allocation group before you start this procedure.

This diagram shows the process of allocations:

Procedure flow: Processing allocations
  1. Release the allocation that you processed.
    To release You can
    An individual allocation Inquire on the allocation using the form you used to define it:
    • Allocation (AC30.1)
    • Multiple Pool Allocation (AC30.2)
    • List Allocation (AC30.3)

      Use the Release special action to release the allocation.

    A group of allocations

    Assign two or more allocations to an allocation group using Allocation Group (AC37.1) or Allocation Group by Step (AC37.2).

    Use the Release line action to release all or select allocations in the group.

  2. Verify transactions are posted to activities in activity based pools. If unposted transactions exist, then run Activity Posting (AC190).
  3. Verify transactions are posted for General Ledger based pools. If unposted transactions exist, then run Journal Posting (GL190).

    See General Ledger User Guide.

  4. Run Allocation Calculation (AC130) to calculate the amounts to be allocated. Specify this information:
    Allocation Group and Steps

    To select allocations to calculate by allocation group, select the allocation group and range of steps.

    See Defining an allocation group.

    Allocations

    If you are not processing by allocation group, then select up to six allocations you calculated.

    Allocation Date

    Specify an allocation date. The allocation date determines the posting date on the allocation transactions. In addition, the allocation date determines the current period and year for any optional parameters used with data dictionary names in compute statements used in allocations. If left blank, the current system date is used.

    Allocation Worksheet

    Select whether you intend an allocation worksheet to print with this report. The default setting is Y - Yes.

    Pool Summary

    Select whether you intend a pool summary to print with this report. The default setting is Y - Yes.

    Step Results

    Select if you intend to print the results of each allocation step. The default setting is Y - Yes.

    GL Journal Entries

    Select whether you intend to print the General Ledger entries for allocations that are set to post to General Ledger. The default is Y - Yes.

    Print Blank Lines

    Select whether you intend blank allocation lines to print in this report. The default setting is Y - Yes.

    Note: You can run AC130, AC131, AC190, and AC191 concurrently.
  5. Review the results of the calculation program. If the results are not what you expected, then check the allocation pool balances to ensure all amounts and units were posted. If the pool balance is correct, then check the allocation to ensure it is set up correctly.
    Note: Repeat steps four and five until you get the results you intend.
    Note: You must unrelease an allocation to change it. Unrelease an allocation using the same forms you use to create allocations.
  6. Run Allocation Update (AC131) to create the allocation transactions in Project Accounting. This creates transactions that are ready for posting to the activities. Specify this information:
    Allocation Group and Through Step

    To select allocations by allocation group, select the allocation group and allocation step in which the allocation is updated through.

    See Defining an allocation group.

    Allocations

    If you did not select an allocation group, then select up to six allocations that you updated.

    Automatic Reversals

    To create reversing entries for the allocation, select Y - Yes in the Automatic Reversals field. To qualify for auto reversal, you must set the allocation record to auto reverse on AC30.1, AC30.2, AC30.3, or AC30. The default setting is Y - Yes.

    Note: If your allocation is based on year-to-date balances, set this flag to N - No during the last allocation of the year.
    Reversal Date

    If you specified Y - Yes in the Automatic Reversals field, then specify the date that you should assign to the reversing entries created for the allocation. If you leave this field blank, it uses the posting date from the transaction it is reversing.

    Note: You can update each allocation once each day.
  7. Run Activity Posting (AC190) to post the allocation transactions to Project Accounting.
  8. If you maintain accounting unit or resource balances, then run Accounting Unit Balance Post (AC191) or run Activity Posting (AC190) with the Post Acct Unit Balances field set to Y - Yes.
  9. If you created allocations that are to be posted to General Ledger, then run Journal Posting (GL190).

    See General Ledger User Guide.

Related reports and inquiries

Function Form
List allocation information by allocation, allocation group, or step range. Allocation Listing (AC230)