Introduction to the Jobs Module in Dynamics 365 Business Central

In this blog and video, we will introduce the Jobs module in Dynamics 365 Business Central.

If you’re a current Dynamics 365 Business Central user or in the process of evaluating a move to Dynamics 365 Business Central, this will help you understand what the Jobs module is and if it can help your organization. Specifically, if you manage various projects or jobs as part of your day-to-day processes, the Jobs module is a great module to consider implementing.

Jobs Module Features

The Jobs module can be used for both internal and external projects. Some of the features include:

• Creating jobs that are time and material or fixed price types
• Structuring various costs/revenues related to:
  • Resources (personnel)
  • Items
  • G/L accounts
• Structure a job with different type of WIP calculations other than percent of completion or completed contract
• User friendly interface to manage budgeted costs/revenues and actual cost/revenues
• Timesheet entry functionality for your resources, and approval functionality of those timesheets
• Various out of box reporting options related to your jobs

Basic Jobs Hierarchy in Dynamics 365 Business Central

In Dynamics 365 Business Central, the Jobs module is made up of three main areas, or levels, and they are as follows:

Job Card

You can think of this level in business terms as the Project itself. At this level, you define the main job card. It could be the overall project title such as the building name (if in the construction industry) or the IT improvement project name (if an internal improvement project).

Job Tasks

Below the Job Card level is the Job Tasks. In business terms you can think of this as the phases of your project. You can have different job tasks as Phase 1, Phase 2, and so on, or you can set this up differently depending on how you want to structure your Jobs.

Job Planning Lines

Within each Job Task, is the Job Planning Lines. These are where you structure and enter the budgeted costs and revenue lines. The planning lines you enter determines the totals on the ‘Budgeted Total Costs’ and ‘Billable’ (budgeted revenues) are populated. This is the level where you really determine the details of budget amounts for your Job.

Project Manager Role Center

When you are first learning the Jobs module, the best role center to use is the ‘Project Manager’ role center. When you use this, your role center page (home page) in Business Central will show all the relevant areas and functionality you will need when working in the Jobs Module. It includes all the relevant tiles that are job related such as Invoicing information, WIP status’, any pending timesheets to enter, and timesheets to approve. For simplicity in navigation, I recommend using this role center.

Ways to Structure a Job

There are two popular ways to structure a job, time and materials and fixed fee. The functionality is the exact same between the two structures, but how the Job Task numbers are built is different. The different Job Task numbers create different types of planning lines and how it’s structured is also different.

Time and Materials Job Structure

In the Jobs Card, the time and materials job structure have a total cost with an associated billable amount that is expected to go to the customer.

Fixed Fee Job Structure

In the Jobs Card, for a fixed fee job structure there are budget type lines for each Job Task. At each phase there is a Job Task to represent the end of phase and that is where there is a billable fixed fee cost that is expected to go to the customer.

Jobs Module Introduction Video

In the video below, we will go over a high-level overview of:

• Basic Jobs Hierarchy in Business Central – 0:40
• Project Manager Role Center and Home Page Overview – 1:50
• Job Card Overview – 3:15
  • Job Tasks – 4:20
  • Job Planning Lines – 6:05
• Two Popular Ways to Structure a Job
  • Time and Material – 11:05
  • Fixed Fee – 11:35

Contact us if you have any questions about the Jobs Module in Dynamics 365 Business Central.