Hi Gurus
I'm facing a problem with my client in the project budget release and I hope I can use your help.
We have a requirement to check budget availability for each activity and activate cost forecast, so our network type is apportioned. Simultaneously, we have a requirement to enable the financial department to control the project budget using budget release functionality.
The financial department has higher authority over the budget rather than the project manager (which is actually the case for every client I worked with).
When using apportioned network types, the assigned value for the WBS element is equal to the sum of all the planned values for the subordinate network activities. Which forces the financial department to either release the entire budget for WBS element or not (the budget for all the activities), and then to control the budget, the authority falls to the project manager to release whichever activity he likes.
The budget release must be greater than or equal to the sum of all activities. Never less.
We need to enable the financial department to have the flexibility to release whatever amount suits them while using the apportioned network functionality for other purposes.
Example:
Title Planned Assigned Original Budget
Cost Value Budget Release
WBS 1 10,000 10,000 12,000 12,000 >= Amount >= 10,000
Activity 1 4,600
Activity 2 2,400
Activity 3 3,000
In case we need to release 7000 for the first 2 activities only the system refuses because the release amount is less than the assigned value for the WBS element. And of course we cannot even specif the release amount for a certain activity in any given case (apportioned or not).
Is there anyway we can achieve this by any means possible?
If there isn't, Please provide us with a convincing justification to this problem.
Your contributions and opinions are highly appreciated
Many Thanks.