The following two blog posts have been guest written by our great partners over at OPSPro, LLC. Cathy Goin, Tricia Santos, and their team have been instrumental in helping us develop the ability to connect PROCAS data to Business Intelligence systems via an API. Part 1 describes the relationship between API and BI, and Part 2 discusses how you can leverage your PROCAS data using this resource.

API and BI – Where acronyms meet

Data analytics and business intelligence used to only be available to large corporations. These large enterprises had massive amounts of data to consume that Business intelligence had to become ingrained in their reporting tools. The goal of these tools was always an easy interpretation of vast and sometimes unstructured data.

In recent years, these tools have evolved to where a small business is no longer left behind. Whether your company is big or small, or you are the CEO or an employee, the tools available have progressed so you can access and make use of the same interactive reports. You no longer need large databases and dedicated analysis to retrieve your information in a meaningful way. These tools let users consume data in tailor-fit solutions that provide them with up-to-date information with a modern look and immersive feel.  

Right now, you may have processes in place where you pull and export data from Procas into excel. Each time the data is pulled you or an employee may have to waste time updating formulas, reselecting chart areas, filtering and removing columns, but now there is a new way. 

Microsoft defines Power BI (Business Intelligence) as a “collection of software services, apps, and connectors that work together to turn your unrelated sources of data into coherent, visually immersive, and interactive insights. Your data may be an Excel spreadsheet, or a collection of cloud-based and on-premises hybrid data warehouses. Power BI lets you easily connect to your data sources, visualize and discover what's important, and share that with anyone or everyone you want.”

An API, Application Program Interface, is a set of programming instructions.  These instructions enable computer programs to communicate with each other. These programs allow a software-to-software interface which allows the programs to communicate with each other without any user intervention. The API lets Microsoft’s Power BI Application communicate and exchange details with the Procas server. The API provides us with the data and the Power BI Application gives us the tools to export, transform, and refresh the data without repeating or reconfiguring steps or formulas.

What do you need to visualize and discover? What’s important to you?

Our clients look at a vast array of items from their project profitably, their resource management, to employee timesheets, and income statement details. These and more could be at your fingertips.

Follow along in the series to see detailed examples of how OPSPro and Procas used each powerful application to help create an easy-to-consume report. 

Source:

What is Power BI? - Power BI | Microsoft Docs, 9/23/2020, website

The blog post been guest written by our great partners over at OPSPro, LLC. Cathy Goin, Tricia Santos, and their team have been instrumental in helping us develop the ability to connect PROCAS data to Business Intelligence systems via an API. To learn more about the relationship between API and BI, click here for Part 1.

Download - OPSPro Demo of PROCAS Data Using PowerBI.pdf (1.19 mb)

Connect and Transform PROCAS Data - Power Query in Excel

Once you have Procas API access setup, there are a few things you will need to do. You will need to connect using Power Query in Excel or connect to Power BI. Power Query in Excel is a lighter version of the Power BI desktop application. 

With Power Query, you can: 

• Connect to the data  
• Merge with other data sources  
• Transform pivot or unpivot  
• Remove or add columns  
• Apply custom formula’s 
• And so much more 

With the shaped data, it can be loaded into your excel file as a table. This method will provide you with an introduction to many of the data mining methods used in Power BI but in a format, you might be more familiar with. 

Reasons to Explore the Power Query in Excel:  

• Provides a great way to validate data in a macro table view. You can apply custom cell formatting to make data that does not validate correctly appear in bright red. 
• Gets you out of the cell method and into the column method. Rather than focusing on the formula of a single cell and then replicating either across or down. Power Query is all Column-based logic. 
• Using Power Query's column-based logic it can be easier for you to check your math and reduce formula errors.  
• You can refresh the data when you open the file. It will keep all your steps and transformations. 
• You can apply Pivots and charts. 
• Combine and merge data from other sources such as; SharePoint, Excel, and hundreds more.

Some limitations:

• Not all connectors are available. 
• The data must be refreshed manually. 
• Changes made to any cells inside a table loaded from Power Query will be reset to reflect what is in the data source on refresh. 

Upgrading your Reports

Power BI Desktop application and Power BI Service are the true powerhouses behind this self-service reporting tool. Not only does it provide a way to format and clean your data, but it also delivers these engaging, interactive visualizations to tell a story or highlight critical decision-making information.

In addition to all the Power Query features in Excel, there are additional connectors and additional methods to handling formulas:

• Using DAX formulas to create calculated columns, measures, and dynamic formatting.  
• Bookmarks and interactive buttons 
• Customizable visuals and a visual marketplace 
• Custom slicers and hierarchies  
• Custom report pages and dashboards 
• Change the interaction between visuals. 
• Schedule refresh with the Power BI service. 
• Restrict access using Row-level security or RLS.

Tips and Tricks: 

• You can copy your query steps between both systems naturally because they all use the M Query language.  
• Many Excel formulas have equivalent formulas in DAX.  
• Have a goal or question you want answered before beginning a report or data set. Start off narrow and simple and build the report up in pieces. 

Leveraging PROCAS Data via the API

Data mining and cleaning your data can be daunting. OPSPro can help. OPSPro has experience connecting and combining many different types of data sources including SharePoint lists, SharePoint Files, OneDrive files, Office 365 Admin Centers, Trello, Jira, Excel, and many more.

OPSPro can also design custom export solutions using Microsoft Flows and SharePoint. OPSPro received some of the earliest access to the Procas API so we are ready to help you navigate. Our services range from consulting to full outsourcing services.

Contact OPSPro, LLC to schedule a demo today!

Download - OPSPro Demo of PROCAS Data Using PowerBI.pdf (1.19 mb)

Resources

Getting started - Power BI Microsoft Docs

Introduction to DAX - Power BI Microsoft Docs

Power Query M Reference - PowerQuery M | Microsoft Docs

Power Query - Overview and Learning

What is an Incurred Cost Submission?

Incurred cost electronic submissions are compilations of various schedules of your costs, presented in a specific way, submitted to the DCAA for their review and audit. The submitted ICE model is a true up of your actual indirect costs incurred over the prior fiscal year to what was provisionally billed.

Why are incurred cost submissions important?

The federal government requires ICE submissions to help verify that the prices paid for cost reimbursable services are both fair and reasonable. A completed ICE submission typically results in an adjustment to amounts billed in the previous year (either under-billed or over-billed). DCAA will review these submissions in a process known as Incurred Cost Audits.

If this is a confusing idea, think of it like a tax return for your billed indirect costs. You always want to be prepared if the IRS shows up at your door. Likewise, it would be smart to treat this process very seriously in the case that DCAA audits your ICE submission(s).

How do I know if I have to complete an incurred cost submission?

ICE submissions are required if any of your contracts are subject to FAR 52.216-7 "Allowable Cost and Payment." This typically includes most if not all cost reimbursable contracts and some time & materials contracts.

When do I have to complete an incurred cost submission?

ICE submissions are due 6 months after the close of your fiscal year. For most contractors, this deadline is June 30^th of each year (calendar fiscal year). However, it could be a different date if your company runs on a different fiscal year.

Any additional tips?

For more information, the above stated ICE model can be found here. DCAA provides instructions for completing the ICE schedules as well as a sample submission.

Completing the ICE Model using PROCAS

If you select the above link and download the ICE model as per the DCAA’s instructions, you will notice that completing the model is no easy feat. (You know you’re in for a long day when an Excel file comes with its own User’s Manual!)

The ICE_Model spreadsheet contains a little more than 25 tabs, all of which require major brain power. To help with this, we’ve built reports for specific schedules that are separated on each tab.

Our reports can be found by going to Indirect Rates --> Incurred Cost Submission Support within the Accounting menu.

Once each report is printed, they can be downloaded as Excel or CSV files using the downloads option to easily copy and paste your company's numbers into the ICE model.

The remainder of this post will be broken down into the following sections:

1. Calculating Indirect Rates
2. Indirect Rate Support
3. Schedule H
4. Schedule I
5. Schedule K
6. Schedule L

Note: These reports will only give accurate numbers if…

• Invoices are being billed out of the system
• Costs are recorded correctly
• Rate Calculation Setup has been completed for the fiscal year being submitted
• Indirect Rates have been calculated and applied for the fiscal year being submitted (process covered in the next section)

Calculating Indirect Rates

Before we begin gathering any data from the system, we need to calculate and apply our indirect rates for the prior year being reported. This can be done by following the below process:

1.Navigate to Indirect Rates --> Calculate Indirect Rates within the Accounting menu.

2. Scroll back to the prior year using the page up button on your keyboard, or the back arrow  at the bottom of the screen.

3.  Select the "Calculate" button to the right of the screen.

1. On the pop-up menu, make sure actual rates are selected for the correct date range, then select "Calculate."
2. This will update the numbers on your indirect rates screen, timestamped for the moment they were calculated.

4. Select the "Apply Rates" button in the upper right-hand corner.

1. Again, verify the date range is correct, then confirm by selecting "Apply Rates."
2. This will give you a notification that indirect rates have been applied.

5. Navigate to the "Rate Support" button in the right hand corner.

1. Continue along to the supporting detail breakdown of your incurred indirect costs.

Indirect Rate Support

Now that rates have been calculated, let's start printing information to start completing our incurred cost submissions. Perhaps the most important, indirect rate support reports contain the details of costs within each pool and base for the rate calculation most recently performed.

The ClaimedIndirectRateSupport.rdl report should be used in completing ICE Model Schedules A, B, C, D, and E and can be downloaded in PDF format as supporting documentation. This report will take into account your indirect rate structure as originally defined under Accounting --> Setup --> Cost Application Rates --> Rate Calculation Setup, and will present data in accordance with this structure.

• On the Indirect Rate Support Report, navigate to the correct fiscal year using the back arrow .
• Print ClaimedIndirectRateSupport.rdl using the print icon .
• There are multiple pages to this report –1 for each of the following indirect rate types: 
  1. Fringe – Page 1
  2. Facilities – Page 2
  3. Overhead – Page 3
  4. General & Administrative – Page 4
  5. Material Handling & Subcontract Admin – Either combined in one of the previous four pages or split out depending on your rate structure.
  6. B&P and IR&D – Either combined in one of the first four pages or split out depending on your rate structure.
  7. Indirect Rate Setup – Final page of the document breaks down your indirect rate structure. This page is a great explanation of what is going on if you are struggling with understanding the numbers!!!
• Export the report to Excel or CSV using the download icon .

You should begin your ICE Model by inserting a new tab in the workbook, which will be used to copy your trial balance information. You should then link information within the various schedules in the ICE Model to the trial balance tab where appropriate. This will leave less room for discrepancies between information in the ICE Model compared to information in your general ledger.

Note: If general ledger adjustments are needed after you have begun the ICE Model, you will only need to update the trial balance information on the trial balance tab.

Schedule H

The ICE Model Schedule H is the “Schedule of Direct Costs by Contract/Subcontract and Indirect Expense Applied at Claimed Rates.” The standard Schedule H report accommodates a consolidated overhead rate structure and a two worksite overhead rate structure.

• Indirect Rates --> Incurred Cost Submission Support --> Schedule H
• Indirect rates must be calculated and applied before printing (shortcut located on menu).
• For the report to group the contracts by element of cost class, an Incurred Cost Class code must be established on the project records, invoice task records, and/or the revenue task records.
• The report is available in six roll up levels: Invoice Task, Project, and WBS Levels 2-5.
• The report can be filtered by Department, Division, Location, Site.

Schedule I

The ICE Model Schedule I is a “Schedule of Cumulative Direct and Indirect Costs Claimed and Billed by Contract and Subcontract.” The automated billing process records billed detail information in Billing History which maintains the inception-to-date billed hours and amounts on contracts. By default, this report will display prior years settled total costs, prior year costs, and cumulative billed amounts, by contract, grouped by incurred cost class for the date range selected. The report displays the contract billed information in cost class order.

• Indirect Rates --> Incurred Cost Submission Support --> Schedule I
  
• The Schedule I support report requires that the automated billing process is used to create invoices within the accounting system.
• The Schedule I support report in the system requires billing history.
• The report is available in six roll up levels: Invoice Task, Project, and WBS Levels 2-5.
• Select "Search" to populate the applicable task selection screen.
• The report can include or exclude specific tasks by using the checkboxes in the selection screen.

Schedule K

The ICE Model Schedule K is a “Summary of Hours and Amounts on Time and Material/Labor Hour Contracts.” The automated billing process records billed detail information in Billing History which maintains the inception-to-date billed hours and amounts on contracts. By default, this report will display the cumulative hours and amounts billed for the date range selected, regardless of the cost class. The report displays the contract billed information in cost class order. You can filter on a cost class code or a range of cost class codes to isolate the information needed.

• Indirect Rates --> Incurred Cost Submission Support --> Schedule K
  
• The Schedule K support report requires that the automated billing process is used to create invoices within the accounting system.
• The Schedule K support report in the system requires billing history.
• The report is available in six roll up levels: Invoice Task, Project, and WBS Levels 2-5.
• Select "Search" to populate the applicable task selection screen.
• The report can include or exclude specific tasks by using the checkboxes in the selection screen.

Schedule L

The ICE Model Schedule L is a “Reconciliation of Total Payroll per IRS form 941 to Total Labor Costs Distributions.” It is a reconciliation of the accrual basis labor cost per your general ledger to a cash basis labor cost per the IRS Form 941s. The Schedule L report will display the labor costs recorded in the general ledger, grouped by cost pool.

• Indirect Rates --> Incurred Cost Submission Support --> Schedule L
  
• Performing a labor reconciliation separately before beginning the ICE Model will help to ensure the information in your general ledger is accurate.

Additional Help

If you’ve made it this far, I applaud your stamina! These reports can seem intense, however they lend a helping hand in completing the associated tabs of the ICE model. For additional help getting the information you need to complete your incurred cost submissions, you can reach us at consulting@procas.com.

Related Tags - ICES, ICP, ICS, Incurred Cost Proposal, Indirect Cost Rate Submission, Final Indirect Rate Proposal

PROCAS has recently released a new mobile friendly timekeeping system! Whether you’re Team iPhone or Team Android, all users will get to utilize the new timekeeping system with the same mobile friendly end user experience.

To clarify, this is NOT a mobile application, but rather a mobile friendly web application.

• When you access it via your smart phone or tablet, the system will be aware of the device and adjust accordingly.
• Because this is not a natively installed mobile application, you will always have the most up-to-date version of our software and will not have to worry about routinely updating your timekeeping application or operating system on your mobile device.

For instructions on how to login to your PROCAS timesheet on a desktop or laptop computer, please click here.

Otherwise, follow along to engage in our new mobile timekeeping process in 2 parts:

• Part 1 - Login and Setup (Below)
  
  • Logging into PROCAS Mobile Time
  • Creating a Web Shortcut or Bookmark
  • Additional Login Notes

• Part 2 - Anatomy of a PROCAS Mobile Timesheet
  
  • PROCAS Mobile Time Overview
  • Entering Time
  • Other PROCAS Mobile Time Options

Logging into PROCAS Mobile Time

The link for our mobile timekeeping web application can be found here.

The link for the login screen is the same as the link for the desktop version of the timekeeping system. You will be automatically redirected to the mobile optimized version of the timekeeping system, which should appear as follows:

We highly recommend bookmarking this login screen to your phone's web browser or setting it as a web shortcut for easy access. Help for creating a web shortcut is broken out by device type:

Web Shortcut - Apple Devices (iOS)

The steps for creating a web shortcut on Apple devices are as follows:

1. On PROCAS Mobile Time, select the "More Options" icon
   1. iPhone - Bottom of screen
   2. iPad - Upper right-hand corner of screen
2. Scroll to the right and select "Add to Home Screen"
3. Name shortcut and hit "Add"
4. Shortcut now available on "Home Screen"

Tip - Leverage iOS' security features such as facial recognition, fingerprint, and/or pin code to store your PROCAS username and password for easier future use of the shortcut.

Web Shortcut - Android Devices (Google Chrome)

To create a web shortcut through Google Chrome on Android Devices, follow this step by step process:

1. On PROCAS Mobile Time, select the "More Options" kebab menu icon
2. From the listed options, select "Add to Home screen"
3. Name shortcut and hit "Add"
4. Touch and hold to place manually or hit "Add automatically"
5. Shortcut now available on "Home Screen"

Web Shortcut - Android Devices (Samsung Internet)

To create a web shortcut through Samsung Internet on Android Devices, follow this step by step process:

1. On PROCAS Mobile Time, select the "More Options" hamburger menu icon
2. In the upper right-hand corner of the options, select "Add Page To"
3. Add the current webpage to "Home Screen"
4. Name shortcut and hit "Add"
5. Shortcut now available on "Home Screen"

Additional Login Notes

Once your shortcut is saved, go ahead and proceed to login with your assigned username and password.

Note 1 - If you have access to multiple companies, you will first need to select which company you are attempting to log into before accessing your timesheet.

Note 2 - If you do not know your username or password, please refer to this prior post with steps related to obtaining that information, or reach out to your system administrator. However, you can always reset your password from this screen if you know the email assigned to your account. 

Note 3 - If you prefer to operate in the desktop version of the timekeeping system, please select the link "Switch to Desktop" (red arrow) under the hamburger menu (orange arrow) when logged into the system.

Once logged in, you should proceed to a screen that looks similar to the screenshot of a timesheet in the next section - PROCAS Mobile Time Overview.

To Continue to Part 2, please click here -->

For information related to logging into PROCAS Mobile Time, click here for Part 1.

PROCAS Mobile Time Overview

Once logged into the system, your timesheet will populate for the current day, with your default charge codes on display. An example can be seen below, which will be broken down piece by piece.

PROCAS Mobile Time Header

The timesheet header provides context to what is being presented in the body of the timesheet, as well as functional buttons for navigating throughout the system:

  - Hamburger Menu 

• Allows the end user to enter today's time, see their timesheet summary, submit their timesheet, or log out.
• See below section Other PROCAS Mobile Time Options for utilizing these additional functions.

  - Pay Period

• Displays current pay period and allows for the end user to toggle to any prior open period.

- Pay Period End Date

• Displays when the current pay period ends for the end user to see when they have to submit their timesheet.

- Total Time for Current Day

• Sums up the hours recorded on the current day for a total across all used charge codes.

- Date Range Slider

• Allows end user to scroll left or right across days of the available pay period with the touch of a finger.

- Sort & Filter Functions

• Sort - Toggle controls end user's preference to sort their timesheet by charge code or by charge code description.
• Filter Box - Text box limits what charge codes end user sees by typing in specific words or phrases. Helpful for searching for specific codes or descriptions from the available list of charge codes.

PROCAS Mobile Time Detail

The timesheet detail provides available charge code information as well as the ability to enter daily time. This section describes important aspects of using a DCAA compliant timekeeping system and passing DCAA timekeeping audits. 

- Consolidated Charge Code

• - Charge Code Description
  • Describes the contract/task for which work is performed.
    
    
• - Charge Code
  
  • Concatenation of Account, Task, Labor Category, & Pay Code (see breakdown below).
    
    
• - Hours Recorded
  • Total hours recorded for each charge code.
  • To add/remove/modify time, please select the number of hours recorded.
    
    
• - Drop Down Carrot
  • Expands the consolidated charge code screen into the expanded view below.

- Expanded Charge Code

Established by accounting staff, the codes below are combined to make up the overall charge code.

• Account - Type of labor performed, either direct (for a contract) or indirect (fringe, overhead or G&A)
• Task - Contract/project being completed at the work breakdown level
• Lbr Cat - Type of work performed for the contract, signified by a labor category
• Pay Code - Type of pay due to the employee (regular, overtime, straight-time overtime, leave without pay, etc.)

- Add Time

• Shows all available charge codes for the end user to select when inputting time.
• Only charge codes marked as 'default' will appear on the timesheet upon logging into the system.
  • All other available charge codes will need to be picked using this button.
  • To change your 'default' charge codes, you must access your timesheet via the desktop version of timekeeping.

Entering Time

Entering time in our new mobile optimized software can be done two ways:

1) Default Charge Codes - Simply select the hours    on the appropriate charge code.

2) Other Charge Codes - Must select the    icon to find all other charge codes not marked as default. Find the appropriate charge code in this list and select the description    in the title.

Both options will lead to the below screen for time entry.

On this screen, you will see the following two informational pieces:

- Remaining Hours on Project/Contract

• Budgeted hours set by administrative staff less hours already recorded against charge code.
• Hours remaining for employee to use for each charge code.

- Authorized Dates to charge against Project/Contract

• Dates set by administrative staff for which employees can record time against charge code.

And will have the following two functions to complete time:

- Hours Input

• Select this box and enter time worked for the day.

- Comments

• External - Optional comments for administrative staff to use on documentation being sent out of the system.
• Internal - Optional comments for approver to see specifics related to the work being performed.

Once hours (required) and any comments (optional) have been entered, select Save to record time on your timesheet. This process can be done for as many charge codes as needed per day.

Audit Trail of Changes

If previously entered hours or comments are changed or deleted, the system will require that the user add a reason for the change/deletion. This reason and the change/deletion are then added to an audit trail, which is available for supervisors, managers, and auditors to see.

Other PROCAS Mobile Time Options

By selecting the hamburger menu in the upper left hand corner, the end user will be presented with the following options:

1) Enter Time - If selected, user will be taken to today's time entry screen.

2) Timesheet Summary - Once selected, user will be presented with an expandable date view for time entered for each charge code (see below screenshot under Submit Timesheet).

3) Submit Timesheet - This menu presents the user with the view referenced in Timesheet Summary with the addition of a submit button at the bottom, which allows the user to submit their overall timesheet for the current pay period selected.

Once the submit button is selected, a notification screen will pop up to confirm that the time entered for the period is true and accurate.

At this point, the user will confirm that they want to submit their time, or if they need to make any adjustments.

4) Switch to Desktop - If selected, the user will be switched over to the original desktop version of PROCAS Timekeeping. This option is recommended if the user is looking for a menu option that is not yet available in PROCAS Mobile Time.

5) Log Off - If selected, the user will be completely logged out of the system.

• Additional ways to log out of the system include:
  • Closing out of your web browser
  • Sitting idle on the timekeeping screen for 60 minutes.

Note - Letting your phone go to the lock screen should NOT log you out of the system unless you have hit the timeout limit.

Additional Help

For any additional feature requests, please submit emails to feedback@procas.com.

As always, operating DCAA compliant timekeeping software not only incorporates the software itself, but how it is used. Please be sure to check with your administrative staff for an explanation of how your policies and procedures align with our government contract timekeeping system.

At PROCAS, it is our mission to improve the quality of life of our clients by simplifying government contract accounting. In order to accomplish this, we believe that we should provide the best solution of presenting meaningful data to our clients in the most efficient way possible. Because what good is having a DCAA compliant accounting system if it is a hassle to get data out of it?

The PROCAS Accounting Dashboard helps you manage your business with an easy to read snap shot of your company's real-time financial data, with no additional setup or configuration required.

The below video and post is broken into 7 Sections:

1. Cash
2. Accounts Receivable
3. Accounts Payable
4. Income Statement
5. Balance Sheet
6. Financial Ratios
7. Dashboard Default Controls & Troubleshooting

To access the dashboard, please go to Accounting --> Dashboard --> Accounting Dashboard in the menus.

Cash

Getting ready to process payroll? Pay vendor invoices? Deposit a client payment? This tile will give you an accurate balance of how much cash is on hand.

Graph 1 - Cash Flow over a Period of Time

• Default Date Range - Current Year Beginning Period to Current Period
  • Range can be modified using slider bar control defined under Income Statement section
• Tool Tips - Hovering over each month with mouse in the area graph will give accurate cash balance ending each period
• Color - Dark Blue (Indigo) = Assets
• Report - Selecting "Cash" title at the top will generate Statement of Cash Flows for date range
  • Report has full drill through capabilities to Account, Vendor/Client, & Transaction level details

Graph 2 - Cash Balance as of Today's Date

• Default Date - Date & Time Dashboard is generated (Today)
• Tool Tips - Hovering over each cash account (displayed by different shade of dark blue) will provide accurate balance as of today
• Colors - Shades of Dark Blue (Indigo) = Assets

Accounts Receivable

Manage your cash flow by staying on top of what’s owed to your organization. This tile will show you how many client payments still need to be collected and how long they've been outstanding.

Graph 1 - Outstanding Amounts Aged from Invoice Date

• Default Date - Date & Time Dashboard is generated (Today)
• Range - 30 day bars sorted by invoice date
  • Invoice date is stored on the sales journal where the revenue and receivable are recorded
• Tool Tips - Hovering over each bar will give accurate receivable total for specified time frame
• Color - Dark Blue (Indigo) = Assets
• Report - Selecting "Accounts Receivable" title at the top or "Total Outstanding" on the side will generate Accounts Receivable report for today's date
  
  • Report defaults to transaction level detail to be able to see all transactions that make up the totals

Graph 2 - Overdue Amounts Aged from Due Date

• Default Date - Date & Time Dashboard is generated (Today)
• Range - 30 day bars sorted by due date
  • Due date is established on the client record under "Payment Terms"
• Tool Tips - Hovering over each bar will give accurate receivable total for specified time frame
• Color - Dark Blue (Indigo) = Assets
• Report - Selecting "Total Overdue" on the side will generate Accounts Receivable report for today's date
  
  • Report defaults to transaction level detail to be able to see all transactions that make up the totals

Accounts Payable

Don't get behind on bills owed to your vendors. This tile will show you how many invoices still need to be paid and how long they've been outstanding.

Graph 1 - Outstanding Amounts Aged from Invoice Date

• Default Date - Date & Time Dashboard is generated (Today)
• Range - 30 day bars sorted by invoice date
  • Invoice date is stored on the purchases journal where the expense and liability are recorded
• Tool Tips - Hovering over each bar will give accurate payable total for specified time frame
• Color - Red = Liabilities
• Report - Selecting "Accounts Payable" title at the top or "Total Outstanding" on the side will generate Accounts Payable report for today's date
  
  • Report defaults to transaction level detail to be able to see all transactions that make up the totals

Graph 2 - Overdue Amounts Aged from Due Date

• Default Date - Date & Time Dashboard is generated (Today)
• Range - 30 day bars sorted by due date
  • Due date is established on the vendor record under "Payment Terms"
• Tool Tips - Hovering over each bar will give accurate payable total for specified time frame
• Color - Red = Liabilities
• Report - Selecting "Total Overdue" on the side will generate Accounts Payable report for today's date
  
  • Report defaults to transaction level detail to be able to see all transactions that make up the totals

Income Statement

Use the Income Statement graph to monitor the overall profitability performance of your company. This tile breaks down your organization's revenue, expenses, and net income over a period of time.

Graph 1 - Income Statement

• Default Date Range - Current Year Beginning Period to Current Period
  • Range can be modified using slider bar control below
• Tool Tips - Hovering over each income statement item will give accurate balances as of end date of period range
• Color - Light Blue = Revenue, Orange = Expenses, Green = Net Income
• Legend - Clicking Revenue, Expenses, and/or Net Income will remove or add each bar to the graph
• Report - Selecting "Income Statement" title at the top will generate Income Statement as of end date of period range
  
  • Report has full drill through capabilities to Account, Vendor/Client, & Transaction level details

Graph 2 - Revenue Area Graph

• Default Date Range - Inception-to-Date Period to Current Period
• Tool Tips - Hovering over each period will give accurate revenue numbers as of end date of period 
• Color - Light Blue = Revenue

Dashboard Date Range Selection - Slider Bar

• Beginning Period - Slide first button left or right to change the beginning date period
  
  • First possible period = Inception-to-Date Period
  • Tiles Updated when Modified - Total Cash by Month, Income Statement, Bottom 3 Financial Ratios
• Ending Period - Slide the second button left or right to change the ending date period
  • Last possible period = Current Period
  • Tiles Updated when Modified - Total Cash by Month, Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Top 3 Financial Ratios

Balance Sheet

Use the Balance Sheet graph to quickly see the distribution of your company’s resources and obligations. This tile breaks down your organization's assets, liabilities, and owner's equity.

Graph 1 - Balance Sheet

• Default Date Range - Current Year Beginning Period to Current Period
  • Range can be modified using slider bar control defined under Income Statement section
• Tool Tips - Hovering over each balance sheet item will give accurate balances as of end date of period range
• Color - Dark Blue (Indigo) = Assets, Red = Liabilities, Purple = Owner's Equity
• Report - Selecting "Balance Sheet" title at the top will generate Balance Sheet as of end date of period range
  
  • Report has full drill through capabilities to Account, Vendor/Client, & Transaction level details

Financial Ratios

Key Performance Indicators are right here at a glance to help you gauge your company's liquidity, profit margins, and growth in earnings. What is considered "Good" varies by industry and company, but some definitions and common suggestions for interpreting the ratios are provided here:

Ratio 1 - Quick Ratio

• Formula - Quick Assets divided by Current Liabilities as of the selected end date
• Colors - Dark Blue (Indigo) = Assets, Red = Liabilities
• Defined - Quick Assets are defined as Cash, Marketable Securities and Accounts Receivable
• Interpretation - A Quick Ratio should generally be ≥ 1:1
  
  • Lower ratios may indicate that the company does not have enough short-term assets to cover its short-term liabilities.

Ratio 2 - Current Ratio

• Formula - Current Assets divided by Current Liabilities as of the selected end date
• Colors - Dark Blue (Indigo) = Assets, Red = Liabilities
• Interpretation - A Current Ratio should generally be ≥ 1:1 and ≤ 3:1
  • Lower ratios may indicate that the company does not have enough short-term assets to cover its short-term liabilities.
  • Higher ratios may indicate that assets are not being used efficiently.

Ratio 3 - Debt to Equity

• Formula - Total Debt divided by Total Owner's Equity as of the selected end date
• Colors - Red = Liabilities, Purple = Owner's Equity
• Interpretation - A Debt to Equity Ratio should generally be ≤ 1.5:1
  • Higher ratios may indicate that a company is too highly leveraged with debt and may not be able to generate enough cash to satisfy its debt obligations.

Ratio 4 - Profit % of Revenue

• Formula - Net Income divided by Revenue for the selected date range
• Colors - Green = Net Income, Light Blue = Revenue
• Interpretation - Profit % of Revenue should generally be between 4% - 25%, depending on contract type(s) and the business model.

Ratio 5 - Profit % of Costs

• Formula - Net Income divided by Expenses for the selected date range
• Colors - Green = Net Income, Orange = Expenses
• Interpretation - Profit % of Costs should generally be between 4% - 33%, depending on contract type(s) and the business model.

Ratio 6 - Return on Equity

• Formula - Net Income for the period divided by Average Equity for the selected date range
• Colors - Green = Net Income, Purple = Owner's Equity
• Defined - Average Equity is defined as the sum of beginning and ending equity divided by 2.
• Interpretation - A Return on Equity Ratio should generally be ≥ 14% per year (the long-term average of the S&P 500).

Dashboard Default Controls & Troubleshooting

This item is included because it must be completed to have the dashboard populate. If you do not complete this screen, it is possible you will see the following error when clicking on the dashboard:

To access the default screens for the dashboard, please navigate to the following:

Accounting --> Dashboards--> Report Defaults  - (should be located right below the Accounting Dashboard)

In this menu, update the following 6 default fields to populate relevant data within a matter of seconds on the dashboard:

General

1.

• Established one time - beginning date for slider bar under the income statement.

2.

• Updated once a month - used for reference/informative purposes.
• Should be updated each time an accounting period is closed.

Reporting Period

3.

• Updated once a month - prior year period to compare to current year period.

4.

• Updated once a month - current year accounting period for reporting purposes.
• Ending date for the slider bar under the income statement.
• Should typically be the period after the "Books Good Through Date."

Reporting Year

5.

• Established once a year - prior accounting year for reporting purposes.

6.

• Established once a year - current accounting year for reporting purposes.

Help & Explanations -

• For more details on establishing any of the 6 defaults, please click the help icon in the upper right hand corner of the menu.
• The help icon can also be selected on the Accounting Dashboard for more explanations on how the tiles are calculated.

For any additional help utilizing the dashboard, please reach out to your PROCAS Consultant.

As always, operating DCAA compliant accounting software not only incorporates the software itself, but how it is used. Please be sure to check with your administrative staff for an explanation of how your policies and procedures align with our government contract accounting system.

Every January, accounting staff & business owners walk into the same old confusing process as they wake up from their holiday slumbers…

*Grabs coffee and begins annual research*

“What is a 1099 again?”

“How do I determine who should receive a 1099?”

“What are the different types of 1099s that need to be reported?”

“Ok… (takes deep breath), what in the world is a 1099-NEC?

WAIT A SECOND, WHEN DID THE PROCESS CHANGE?!!

“I don’t remember ever having to split out 1099-MISC payments from 1099-NEC (sighs).”

*Completes reading new rules*

"I think I get it now, time to print these forms out.”

“THAT’s right, I can’t print them online. Need to swing by Staples to pick some up.”

*Purchases 1099-MISC & 1099-NEC forms*

“I only bought a box of 50 forms, why are there a billion papers in here.”

"Oh yeah... I need to complete 5 form types for each vendor (facepalm)."

“When are all of these due and who do I send them to?”

CAN I GET IN TROUBLE IF I MESS THIS UP??

Fear not! We will break down this process in detail below and explain how PROCAS can help you simplify the reporting requirements. So, keep the Tylenol up in the cupboard, we aren’t going to need it!

The IRS offers a comprehensive breakdown of the changes made to 1099s and all associated forms, deadlines and penalties.

Editor's Note

This post takes into account the creation of the 1099-NEC (Nonemployee Compensation) form and changes made to the 1099-MISC forms by the IRS for the 2020 fiscal year, covered under the Forms & Deadlines section.

The IRS offers a comprehensive breakdown of the changes made to 1099s and all associated forms, deadlines and penalties.

If you have been using PROCAS to produce your 1099s in the past, we have already done the work in adjusting your system to the new forms and alignment. If not, proceed to learn how the process is completed!

What is a 1099 and why is it important?

1099-NEC & 1099-MISC forms are used to track income of organizations who are not established as corporations (or LLCs taxed as C or S corps). For most companies, 1099 forms will be used to provide an accurate representation of how much non-employees, vendors, sub-contractors, and consultants have been paid throughout the prior year. Because these people and businesses do not receive W-2’s for work performed, 1099s are what the IRS depends on to know how much they owe in taxes for the calendar year.

Who receives a 1099?

Determining who receives a 1099 can be a tricky process. To help, we’ve broken the decision-making tree into the following points:

1) Is the person in question an employee of your organization?

1. YES – No need, they should have received a W-2.
2. NO – Independent contractors and consultants will most likely need a 1099, proceed to Question 3.
3. NOT SURE – Consider the following questions:
   1. Do you provide benefits to this individual?
   2. Do you provide equipment, office space, or materials for the individual to complete their job?
   3. Do you reimburse business expenses incurred by the individual?
   4. Are you the sole client or primary client of the individual? And do you completely control their weekly workflow?
4. NOT SURE – If you answered NO to all the above sub-questions, proceed to Question 3.
5. NOT SURE – If you answered YES to any of the above sub-questions, you may be considered that individual’s employer in a court of law and may need to start providing W-2 information. Consider seeking a labor lawyer’s advice.

2) Is the vendor you purchased services from a corporation?

1. YES – No need to send a 1099.
2. NO – Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships will most likely need a 1099, proceed to Question 3.
3. NOT SURE – LLC’s are the most confusing of the bunch. To determine how the company is taxed, please send a W-9 to that vendor’s accounting staff. Once returned,
   1. If taxed as S Corp or C Corp, no need to send 1099.
   2. If taxed as sole proprietorship or partnership, proceed to Question 3.

3) How much money was paid to individual or vendor?

1. Anything less than $600 total for the calendar year does not require a 1099.
2. Any payments totaling $600 or more will require a 1099.
3. Common Exceptions:
   1. $10 or more in royalties will require a 1099
   2. In general, payments made to law firms will require a 1099
   3. If paid via credit card, a 1099 is not required (even in excess of $600). The credit card company will take care of the reporting for you.
   4. Business expense reimbursements for employees will not require a 1099.

Forms & Deadlines

For fiscal year 2020, the IRS has separated out nonemployee compensation from other standard types of miscellaneous payments into two forms – 1099-NEC & 1099-MISC.

1099-NEC forms now require the following payments be submitted:

• Cash payments made to nonemployees
• Prizes and awards for services performed by nonemployees
• Cash payments for fish
• Payments by a federal executive agency for services
• Gross oil and gas payments for a working interest
• Taxable fringe benefits for nonemployees

All other types of payments will still be listed on the 1099-MISC forms. Alignment of the remaining boxes on this form has shifted, which we have already adjusted for you in PROCAS! Please see Utilizing PROCAS to complete your 1099s for how we’ve modified to the new forms.

1099 Forms

Each set of forms contain 6 parts to be filled out and sent to their appropriate recipient(s):

1. Copy A - For Internal Revenue Service Center
2. Copy 1 - For State Tax Department
3. Copy B - For Recipient
4. Copy 2 - To be Filed with Recipient's State Income Tax Return, When Required
5. Copy C - For Payer
6. 1096 - Completed with each set of 1099s

Deadlines

While these forms can be generated around the same time, they typically are sent separately at different deadlines:

1. January 31st
1. File 1099-NEC Copy A forms and 1096 with the IRS
1. DO NOT mix in 1099-MISC Copy A forms
2. Can also e-file if preferred
2. Send 1099-NEC Copy B forms to recipients
2. February 28th
1. File 1099-MISC Copy A forms and 1096 with the IRS
2. Send 1099-MISC Copy B forms to recipients
3. March 31st
1. Deadline to e-file to the IRS for 1099-MISC Copy A forms and 1096

PENALTIES

Failure to submit accurate 1099 forms by the required deadlines can be costly for businesses. The below charts are taken from the IRS's publication on potential penalties and fines for failure to submit 1099s.

Large Businesses with Gross Receipts of More Than $5 Million

Small Businesses with Gross Receipts $5 Million or Less

As you can see from the above charts, proper submission of 1099 forms to the IRS is one that should not be taken lightly.

Utilizing PROCAS to complete your 1099s & 1096s

PROCAS currently supports four types of 1099s: 1099-NEC (nonemployee compensation), 1099-MISC (all other payments), 1099-INT, and 1099-DIV, as well as 1096s. Each form can be generated out of the system by following these 3 steps:

1. Determining which vendors/subcontractors require 1099s
2. Establishing 1099 form type and box by vendor/subcontractor
3. Generating 1099/1096 forms from PROCAS

1) Determining which vendors/subcontractors require 1099s

In order to find out who you paid money to in the prior year, please go to the following:

Accounting --> General Ledger --> General Ledger

Here, use the parameters next to the orange arrows below to generate a report for cash payments made in the following year.

• If you conduct electronic batch payments (ACH or EFT), open up the account range to include AP accounts along with cash.

Once you’ve printed your report, please follow the above section “Who receives a 1099” to whittle down your list of possible vendors to those who should receive a form.

2) Establishing 1099 Form Type & Box by Vendor or Subcontractor

Now that you have your list of vendors and subcontractors, time to label their records as to which type of form they should receive. Please navigate to:

Setup --> Purchasing --> Vendors

And select the “Find” button or “F8” function key to begin searching for those vendors/subs. Once on the record of an applicable vendor/sub, select the “Payment Info” tab of the record to locate a box called “1099 Type & Box.”

If you click in this box, you can then select the “Lookup” button or “F9” function key to see the list of possible 1099 types.

From the above list, make the appropriate selection for each vendor/subcontractor as needed.

Editor's Note - 2021

If you have established this list in prior years, we have remapped your vendors to the new form & box types. 1099-MISC07 has been modified to 1099-NEC01 for Nonemployee Compensation and remaining 1099-MISC boxes have been modified for the new form alignment. You do not have to complete any extra work in remapping existing vendors!!

3) Generating 1099 & 1096 forms from PROCAS

Once all 1099 types and boxes have been determined, navigate to the final menu:

Accounting --> Accounts Payable --> Forms 1099/1096

This screen will be broken into two separate parts to get the appropriate items needed to print your forms:

The header section of Forms 1099/1096 has specific parameters to determine which items will generate in the detail grid:

• Reporting Year Date - Use the prior calendar year for as is required for reporting 1099/1096 amounts.
• Cash Account - Use the cash account recorded in the GL for payments made to each vendor/sub (if left blank, all accounts will generate).
• Batch Liability Account - If you make payments in batch from your bank account, enter the liability account used here. Leaving this area blank will populate all possible payments.
• 1099 Type - Choose applicable 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, 1099-DIV, or 1099-INT.
• Minimum Amount - This will limit the results by taking the sum of all payments by vendor, and exclude them if the total is less than the minimum entered.
• Search - Will populate below details.

In this detailed grid, select the payments made to each vendor if you are looking to include them on your forms. When all appropriate rows have been selected, print the proper 1099 or 1096 report from the below report bar.

• Each column has the ability to sort items if you click the column header
• Each column also has the ability to filter items if you select the filter icon to the right of each column header

Extra Help & Form Alignment

For additional help completing your 1099/1096 forms using PROCAS:

• In the upper right hand corner there is a "?" symbol, which will provide in-system help for detailed instructions on any of the menus!
• Feel free to reach out to our Support Team at support@procas.com
  • We can help align your report forms to your printer specs as well as help explain the process.

We are excited to bring you some long-awaited news of the PROCAS Accounting upgrade! Our entire team has been very busy this year working on the development of the upgraded accounting software. We are grateful for the many clients that agreed to jump on board early and help us improve the usability and functionality of the software before a general release.

The upgraded version, while closely based on the existing version that you are used to, is accessed directly from a web browser. Since it is web-based, the user interface is quite different than what you are currently familiar with. We also have the flexibility to improve how things work and to continuously add new features and functions.

Upgrade Logistics

We are slowly transitioning our clients to make sure everyone gets one-on-one time with a consultant to help get acclimated to the new user interface and many of the new features. Part of the transition includes an import of all your existing data into the new system. This means that you will maintain all the general ledger transaction, invoice history, and setup details that you have now. This also means that you can transition during any time of the year, regardless of where you are in the accounting cycle.

By the way, there is no added cost to upgrade—not even the time spent with your consultant! We want all our clients to enjoy the new software without an unplanned hit to their bottom line.

Our transition schedule is full through the end of this year, and we are looking to start adding clients to the list for 2020. If you are interested in a demo to learn about new features, or how to get on the transition wait list for 2020, send us an email at feedback@procas.com.

From all of us at PROCAS, we would like to wish you a wonderful holiday season!

We look forward to hearing from you and working with you soon!

- The PROCAS Team

For clients that operate on a government fiscal year basis, please remember to address the following items in accordance with the year change on October 1^st!

Required

• Establish new task numbers to increment the option year on cost type contracts that continue beyond the end of the current fiscal year
• Complete the billing setup for the new task numbers
• Establish new work authorizations
• Establish new expense authorizations

May Be Required*

• Enter the new accounting year
• Enter the accounting periods for the new accounting year
• Establish timesheet periods for October 2019 – September 2020
• Establish new task numbers for tracking PTO by fiscal year

*If you operate on a calendar basis but have contracts that operate on a government fiscal year basis, not all of the above items will apply to your company. If that is the case, we recommend focusing on the first 4 items.

Additional Help

If you need help with any of the listed items, please contact your consultant. Depending on which version of the software you are on, some of the items may not be relevant to your company.

Our consulting team can be reached at consulting@procas.com.

Time collection is one of the most important processes for service-based government contractors. In order to effectively collect employees’ time, apply labor distribution, and bill the government accurately, you first need to make sure employees know how to access their timesheets. This is the simplest, yet most important step of implementing a DCAA compliant timekeeping system.

In PROCAS, employees can access their timesheets from any web browser on any device with internet access. This includes laptops, mobile devices, tablets, home computers, and even TV’s.

Let’s take a look at how you can access your timesheet in PROCAS. The following post will be broken down into 4 sections:

• Upgraded Version, Returning User
• Upgraded Version, New User
• Legacy Version, Returning User
• Legacy Version, New User

To determine which category you belong to, please look at the integrated screenshots below to see which login screens look familiar.

As of 04/14/2020 - If you are using a mobile device, instructions for login and usage can be found here. The following post assumes you are using a desktop or laptop computer.

PROCAS Timesheet – Upgraded Version, Returning User

If your company has upgraded to the most recent version of PROCAS, you have the easiest journey to accessing your timesheet. Everyone logs into the same web address, so all you have to do is click here and enter your username and password.

If you forget your username and/or password, please select the “Reset Password” link and enter the email assigned by your administrator to begin the reset process.

Note: If you cannot remember this email either, the accounting admin of your company can look it up under Accounting --> Setup --> Time and Expense Users.

PROCAS Timesheet – Upgraded Version, New User

If your company has upgraded to the most recent version of PROCAS, and this is your first time logging in to record your time, you will need to establish a username and password via an email invitation. Your company’s administrator will determine your level of access in PROCAS and send an email from invites@procas.com to get the login process started.

Click on the first link at the bottom of the email as displayed in the screenshot above. From here, you will be able to establish your login credentials as displayed in the screenshot below.

Follow the instructions defined in the email sent from invites@procas.com to complete the fields required for login.

Note: Your email address will be your official username, which is set by your administrator and cannot be changed by you once this process is completed.

PROCAS Timesheet – Legacy Version, Returning User

If your company is on a Legacy version of PROCAS time, the path you will take to access your timesheet follows the sequence --> www.procastime.com/ + Company Code. In this sequence, the first portion of the web URL stays consistent, however the “Company Code” portion is a code assigned specifically to your company. The following example illustrates this:

Ex. LJ’s Maintenance Shop has been a PROCAS client for 5 years. When implemented, LJ’s Maintenance Shop was assigned the company code of LJMAIN. Therefore, all employees (new and existing) will login to www.procastime.com/ljmain until upgraded to the newest version of PROCAS.

If you forget your username and/or password, please click the “I Forgot My Password” button and enter the email assigned by your administrator to begin the reset process.

Notes:

• If you cannot remember this email either, the accounting admin of your company can look it up under System --> Time and Expense --> Web Users.
• If you are using the correct email, and the system replies with User could not be found, please try logging into this link, or contact your administrator.

PROCAS Timesheet – Legacy Version, New User

If your company is on a Legacy version of PROCAS time, you will first need to set your password before you can log in to the timekeeping system. Following the example in the above section, please navigate to your company’s timekeeping link using the sequence --> www.procastime.com/ + Company Code.

Once you’ve made it to timekeeping, select the “I Forgot My Password” link and enter the email assigned by your administrator upon onboarding. This will generate a system email, which will provide a link to set and confirm the password required to log in. 

Note: If you are using the correct email, and the system replies with “User could not be found”, please try logging into this link, or contact your administrator.

If you bump into any issues attempting any of the above login processes, feel free to contact our Support team at support@procas.com.

As always, running DCAA compliant timekeeping software not only incorporates the software itself, but how it is used. Please be sure to check with your administrative staff for an explanation of how your policies and procedures align with our government contract timekeeping system.