Add direct rates in a table

To start setting up a resource's direct rates, you must add an existing resource from your library to a direct rate table. Then you can enter a default rate, escalation sets, or discrete rates for the resource.

Add a resource in a direct rate table

1. In the navigation menu, click Rate Tables > Direct Rates.
2. On the Direct Rates page, select a table, then click Rates. Alternatively, double-click the table.
3. In the table, click Add Resource.
4. Select a resource from the Resource Library. The resource description and type from the library will be entered automatically.
5. Select an input type. This determines if the resource's estimates will be hours, units, or cost.
6. Select an indirect pool. The pool's rates will be used to calculate the resource's indirect costs.
7. Select an accounting calendar for converting the resource's estimates from hours to full-time equivalent heads and vice versa. If the resource has a default calendar in the Resource Library, it will be selected automatically. (Optional)
8. Select a BTL (below the line) position. This determines where the resource calculates in the pricing process. The lower the resource's position, the less it accumulates indirect cost.
   • The default position is Normal. The other positions you can select depend on the pricing model attached to your indirect rate table.
9. Enter the resource's default rate.
10. Enter values in your custom resource fields if any have been created in the Custom Resource Field Library.
11. Click Create. The resource will be listed in the table.

Add direct rates for a resource

Depending on your resources, you might need to set up direct rates differently from one resource to the next. Experiment with each of the following methods to figure out the best approach in any situation.

Default direct rate

If a resource has a flat rate, enter it as the default rate. You will not need to enter monthly rates for the resource in the table.

For a resource that will have fluctuating rates in the table, you can leave the default rate as 0.00. In proposals, the resource's direct cost will be calculated with the data in the Rates grid instead of the default rate.

1. In the direct rate table, double-click a resource to edit its properties. Alternatively, on the resource, select Options > Edit.
2. Go to Default Rate and enter the rate.
3. Click Close.

Direct rates with escalation sets

Escalation sets are best when a resource's direct rate changes regularly over a period of time. After the monthly rates are calculated, you can adjust them discretely if needed.

1. In the direct rate table, select a resource.
2. Go to the Escalation Sets grid and click Add Escalation Set.
3. In the Base Date column, enter the date that the rate escalation begins.
4. In the Base Rate column, enter the resource's starting direct rate.
5. In the Factor column, enter the factor that will be applied to the direct rate to escalate it. For example, a factor of 0.01 will escalate the rate by 1%.
6. In the Step column, enter the number of months the direct rate will stay the same before the factor is applied.
7. In the Months to Extend column, enter the number of months the escalation set will last.
8. To continue escalating the direct rate with different parameters, go to the next row and repeat steps 2 to 6.

Discrete direct rates

Enter direct rates discretely when an escalation set isn't practical, or when automatically calculated rates in specific months need adjustments.

1. In the direct rate table, select a resource, then go to the Rates grid.
2. In each column, enter the resource's monthly direct rates discretely.
   • If a resource has escalation sets, the automatically calculated rates are colored green in the grid. Discretely entered rates are colored black.