Lesson 12-- Cost Locations

The Goldenseal job costing software gives you a second way to group costs-- by location.

Cost locations are optional-- you don't need to use them at all if they don't make sense for your business. You can use cost locations instead of cost categories, or you can use both at the same time.

HINT: If you can't think of a set of Cost Locations that makes sense for you, just skip this Lesson and don't use cost locations at all.

When to Use Locations

Cost locations can be whatever works best for your business. You might use them for different sales departments in a retail store, different project phases, or different processes in a manufacturing plant.

EXAMPLE: In the sample construction company used in these Lessons, we use categories for different types of construction work, and locations for different rooms in a residential building project. Here at Turtle Creek Software we use locations for training class cities, and for general feature areas within our software.

Adding Locations

The Sample Company file already includes a set of locations for a construction company.

To add a new location, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Location Setup from the Costs menu, then choose Locations from the submenu.
  2. You'll see a list of cost locations. Click the New button.
  3. Type in a name for the new location.
  4. If you'd like, enter a brief description of this location.
  5. You can assign this location to any location class.
  6. When you are finished, click OK.

Location Packages

A location package is a grouping of some or all locations. It allows you to show only those locations that apply to a specific type of work.

Use location packages if you have a long list of locations, and want to restrict the ones that are shown for each type of job.

EXAMPLE: The sample file includes two location packages that only include items inside a building, and outside a building.

To set Goldenseal so it uses location packages, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Preferences from the Options menu, then choose Data Entry from the submenu.
  2. Turn on the Use Location Packages checkbox.
  3. Click OK. NOTE: If you turn off the Use Location Packages checkbox, Goldenseal will not use location packages. In that case all locations will always be shown.

To add your new location to a location package, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Location Setup from the Costs menu, then choose Location Packages from the submenu.
  2. You'll see a list of location packages. Click on Overhead, then click the Edit button.
  3. Scroll down through the list of locations until you see the new location that you created earlier in this lesson.
  4. Click on its name, and it will be added to this package.
  5. When you are finished, click OK.

Using Locations

Each time you enter an expense transaction, use the Location field to assign it to a specific cost location.

You can then use the Job Costs command to see a cost breakdown by location.

NOTE: If you don't enter a location for an expense, it will be grouped with other 'unallocated' items in the job cost breakdown.

You can also see many reports broken down by location.

You can also use locations in estimates.

Location Classes

You can group locations into larger classes.

To enter a new location class, choose Location Setup from the Costs menu, then choose Location Classes from the submenu.

To assign a location class to a specific location, enter it into the Location Class field in the location list.

Finishing Up

You have now completed an even dozen Lessons. Whew! That's a lot of material. You already know just about everything you need to get up and running with Goldenseal. Pat yourself on the back!

While you are doing so, remember the three most important rules for a successful back scratching-- "location, location, and location".

FACT FOR THE DAY: Contrary to industry slogans, location actually has very little impact on real estate prices. Instead, the three most important rules for real estate value are "a flamingo in the yard, a gargoyle on the eaves, and a chic hat on the neighborhood pets."