Step by step
Set a project's budget and rates
Give a project a budget in shillings and hours, and its own rates if the client has agreed them. Kila shows how much is used and marks it before it runs out.
A budget tells everyone how much work the fee covers. Kila counts every hour at its rate, adds the expenses, and shows the budget used on the project, in the list and on the home page, so the lead sees an overrun coming.
Open the project and tap Edit
Open Practice › Engagements (Projects in most firms), tap the project, then tap Edit at the top. Until it has a budget, the project says No budget.
Enter the budget
Type the Budget in shillings: what the work is worth at the team’s rates, or the fee agreed with the client.
Enter the budget hours
Type the Budget hours you expect the work to take. Kila shows the hours used against them.
Set this project's rates, if the client has agreed any
Under Rates for this engagement there is a box for each role: “an hour, by role; empty uses the person’s own rate”. Fill in only the roles whose rate differs for this client, such as Manager at KES 8,000 instead of the usual KES 9,000. Leave the rest empty.
Steps 2 to 4 on one form. Tap Save, then watch the budget used
Budget used shows the time at its rates plus the expenses, against the budget, such as of KES 40,000 · 80%. Each hour logged uses the project’s rate: “4 h logged on Review of the borehole project costs at KES 8,000.00 an hour.”
Which rate an hour is billed at
Link to this section: Which rate an hour is billed atKila takes the first rate it finds:
- This project’s rate for the person’s role (Rates for this engagement).
- The person’s own rate, under the Team tab.
- Their role’s rate, from the settings. The Team tab marks it (role): “A person without a rate is charged at their role’s rate.”
When the budget runs low
Link to this section: When the budget runs lowKila marks the budget in amber once the share used reaches the firm’s warning level (80% at Mizani Associates), and adds · over past 100%, in the list and on the project. The home page has a card for them: at an accounting firm, Engagements over budget.
Needs a manager
The owner sets the usual rate of each role, and the warning level, under the Settings tab of the same page: Roles and the rate an hour each is charged at, and Warn at budget used (%).
- Open a project for a client: the budget can be set as it opens.
- Put the team on a project: each person’s own rate and cost.
- Check your team’s utilisation: the billable hours against the hours each person has.
Next: Record your time.