How to Configure a Normal Cost Type for the Financial Plan in OnePlan

Direct Answer: How to Configure a Normal Cost Type for the Financial Plan in OnePlan

To configure a Normal Cost Type for the Financial Plan in OnePlan, open a project’s Financials tab, select the ellipsis (…), then select Configure. On the Cost Types tab, select New Cost Type (+), set Type to Normal, and complete the General, Totals, Setup, Controls, and Imports settings in the Add Type form. Normal Cost Types are the primary mechanism for entering, importing, and calculating financial data such as budget, forecast, actuals, and benefits in the Financial Plan.

What This Article Covers: Configuring Normal Cost Types in the Financial Plan

This article explains how to create and configure a Normal Cost Type in OnePlan, including its General, Totals, Setup, Controls, and Imports settings, and how to associate it with Cost Categories.

What you will accomplish By the end of this article, you will be able to create and configure a Normal Cost Type and associate it with the appropriate Cost Categories and data sources.

Before You Begin: Configuring a Normal Cost Type

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A OnePlan account with Administrator permissions
• The Financial Plan app installed
• Financial Plan Cost Categories already configured (see How to Configure a Combined Cost Type for the Financial Plan in OnePlan)

Why This Matters: How Cost Types Work in the Financial Plan

Context: How Cost Types Work in the Financial Plan

Cost Types define how financial values behave in the Financial Plan. They control whether values are entered manually or imported, how values are calculated or aggregated, which Cost Categories are available, and whether the Cost Type represents costs or revenue. Each Financial Plan can contain multiple Cost Types, letting organizations track different financial perspectives side by side.

Context: Normal Cost Types vs. Combined Cost Types

A Normal Cost Type is used for data entry, calculation, and imports. A Combined Cost Type is a separate, read-only Cost Type that blends the values of two Normal Cost Types into a single reporting view (for example, Actuals plus Forecast) and does not allow manual data entry. For instructions on the read-only variant, see How to Configure a Combined Cost Type for the Financial Plan in OnePlan.

Step-by-Step: Configuring a Normal Cost Type for the Financial Plan

Task: Access Financial Plan Settings

Starting from within a Plan in OnePlan:

1. Go to the Financials tab at the top of the screen and select the ellipsis (…).
2. Select Configure.

### Task: Create a Normal Cost Type

Starting from the Financial Plan configuration screen:

1. Under the Cost Types tab at the top of the screen, select New Cost Type (+).
2. Complete the Add Type form.
3. In the General section, enter a clear, descriptive Name (for example, Budget or Actual Revenue).
4. Set Type to Normal.

### Task: Configure Totals for a Cost Type

1. Under Totals, set Method to None or Total of Cost Type. This determines how the Financial Plan calculates and displays values in a plan-level summary field.
2. If Total of Cost Type is selected, choose the plan-level field that will store the aggregated total in the Cost Total Field. If this field does not yet exist, create a new Currency plan field first (see Plan Fields - Create a New Plan Field).
3. Set the Multiplier if all values should be multiplied by a common factor (for example, 1000).

### Task: Configure Plan Type Availability

Under Setup, select the Plan Types where this Cost Type should be available.

### Task: Configure Controls for a Cost Type

1. Under Controls, enable Read Only if values are imported or should not be edited manually.
2. Select a Lock Field — a Yes/No Plan field used to lock the Financial Plan.
3. Set a Status Date to lock values prior to and including that date.
4. Enable Status Date Lock to prevent imports from updating data prior to the Status Date.

### Task: Configure Imports for a Cost Type

1. Under Imports, select an Import From source:
   • Resource Planner — imports resource allocation data from a plan’s Resource Plan. Variations include Resource Planner (Your Organization’s Financial Plan Cost Types), which imports from a specific Cost Type, and Resource Planner (User Selectable), which lets users choose a Cost Type when importing.
   • Timesheets — imports actual time entry data.
   • Resource Schedule — imports allocation data from the Work Plan, either at the plan level (Resource Schedule) or the assignment level (Resource Schedule (Assignments)).
2. Select an Import Method:
   • Blended Costs / Revenue — uses standardized costs or rates based on Labor Cost Categories.
   • Actual Costs / Revenue — uses actual costs or rates defined at the resource or plan level.
3. Enable Auto Import to automatically import data whenever the source is updated.

### Task: Manage Existing Cost Types

Each Cost Type includes a set of actions:

• Edit — modify the Cost Type configuration.
• Delete — remove the Cost Type from the environment.
• Cost Categories — select which Cost Categories are available for this Cost Type.
• Move Up / Move Down — control the order Cost Types appear in the Financial Plan.

### Task: Associate Cost Categories with a Cost Type

After creating a Cost Type, select which Cost Categories apply:

1. Select the Cost Categories icon next to the Cost Type.
2. Check the categories that apply. Selecting a parent category selects all of its children.
3. (Optional) Enable Auto-Add Children to automatically include new child categories.
4. Save your changes.

Frequently Asked Questions: Normal Cost Types in the Financial Plan

Q: What is the difference between a Normal Cost Type and a Combined Cost Type in OnePlan? A: A Normal Cost Type allows manual data entry, imports, and calculations, while a Combined Cost Type is read-only and derives its values entirely from two Normal Cost Types. See How to Configure a Combined Cost Type for the Financial Plan in OnePlan for details.

Q: What does the Read Only setting do on a Normal Cost Type? A: Enabling Read Only under Controls prevents manual editing of the Cost Type’s values, which is appropriate when values are populated entirely through import.

Q: What import sources are available for a Normal Cost Type in OnePlan? A: A Normal Cost Type can import data from Resource Planner, Timesheets, or Resource Schedule, and can convert that data into financial values using either the Blended Costs / Revenue or Actual Costs / Revenue import method.

What to Do Next: After Configuring a Normal Cost Type

Get started with related tasks: - How to Configure a Combined Cost Type for the Financial Plan in OnePlan - How to Configure Automatic Cost Categorization for the Financial Plan in OnePlan

Learn about related topics: - Financial Plan Cost Types - Administrator Overview - Financial Plan - Cost vs. Revenue