You can designate allocations as either a flat amount or calculated based on a specified rate.

If you elect to assign a flat amount, you'll enter the desired amount in the Amount To Allocate field. If you wish to have them calculated based on a rate, you'll enter the rate in the Allocation Rate field. If the basis for calculations is revenue or costs, the rate will be a percent of the amount. If the basis is hours, the rate will be a dollar amount per hour.

Another option that may be used is indicate the datatype from the Job file that will be used for the allocation amount or rate. With this method, you use the Job Amount Column or the Job Rate Column fields to designate the field in JC Jobs from which to pull the amount or rate. Then, when the allocation is performed, the system uses the amount or rate indicated by that field.

In order to use this feature, you must create a custom (user-defined) field in which to designate the amount and/or rate you wish to use. If you will be using both flat-amount allocations and rate-based allocations, you will need to create a field for each of these methods. To create these allocation amount/rate fields, use the VA Custom Fields Wizard form, which steps you through the process of creating a custom field.

Assuming that you have set up an allocation for Small Tool Expenses, the following is an example of the options you would select when creating the fields to use for cost allocation amounts and/or rates:

VA Custom Fields Wizard