Availability
Packages: Enterprise
Users Roles: Admin, Manager
General Questions
Will enabling Cost Tracking create costs for my old Work Orders?
Yes! When you activate Cost Tracking, the system automatically creates cost entries for all historical time entries and parts usage. You'll have immediate visibility into past maintenance costs.
Do technicians need to do anything different?
No. Labor and parts costs are calculated automatically from time entries and parts usage that technicians already record. Only manual "Other Costs" require additional input.
Can I track costs for Assets without creating Work Orders?
No. All costs must be associated with a Work Order. This ensures data integrity and allows you to understand the context of every expense.
Hourly Rates
What if a user doesn't have an hourly rate configured?
The system uses the tenant's default hourly rate. You should set this in Settings > General Information.
How do date-based rates work?
You can configure different hourly rates that become effective on specific dates (e.g., a rate increase on January 1st). The system automatically uses the correct rate based on when the work was performed.
What happens to labor costs when I update a user's hourly rate?
Existing labor costs are automatically recalculated to reflect the new rate structure based on when the work was performed. For example:
Work done before a rate change uses the old rate
Work done after a rate change uses the new rate
Parts Costs
What if a part doesn't have a price set?
The system will record a cost of 0. Make sure to configure part prices before using them, or manually edit the cost entry afterward.
Can I adjust the cost of a part after it's been used?
Yes. You can edit the individual cost entry in the Work Order's Costs tab. This only affects that specific usage, not the part type's base price.
Why don't my parts costs update when I change the part type price?
This is intentional. Costs represent what the part cost at the time it was used. This maintains accurate historical cost records and ensures audit compliance.
Other Costs
What should I include in "Other Costs"?
Use Other Costs for legitimate maintenance expenses that aren't captured as labor or parts:
External contractor services
Travel expenses
Equipment rentals
Specialty tools
Can technicians add Other Costs?
By default, no. Only Admins and Managers can create Other Costs. If your workflow requires different permissions, contact Customer Support via support@remberg.de to customize user role permissions.
Can I attach receipts or invoices to Other Costs?
Not in the current version. This feature is planned for a future update.
Permissions
Who can see cost information?
By default, only Admins and Managers can view costs. If you need to customize permissions for your organization, contact Customer Support via support@remberg.de.
Can I let technicians see costs or add Other Costs?
Yes, but you'll need to contact Customer Support via support@emberg.de to customize user role permissions. They can configure:
View All Costs: Allow users to see all cost entries
Create And Edit Cost Entries: Allow users to add and modify their own "Other Costs"
Create And Edit All Cost Entries: Allow users to add and modify any "Other Costs" entries, including those created by others
Work Orders & Assets
Why doesn't my Work Order show any costs?
Costs are only generated when:
Time entries are logged
Parts are used
Other Costs are manually added
If none of these exist, the Work Order will show 0 total costs.
How are Asset costs calculated?
Asset costs are the sum of all costs from Work Orders associated with that Asset. The system shows:
Last 12 Months: Sum of all costs from the last 12 full calendar months
Year to Date: Sum of all costs from January 1 to today
What happens to costs when I reassign a Work Order to a different Asset?
The costs automatically update to reflect the new Asset assignment. Historical cost reports will show the costs under the current Asset.
Do Sub-Work Orders roll up into parent Work Order costs?
Not in the current version. Each Work Order shows only its own costs. Combined reporting for Work Order hierarchies is planned for a future update.
Reporting & Analysis
Can I create custom cost reports?
You can export cost data to CSV and create custom reports in Excel or other tools.
How can I compare costs across different time periods?
Use the Asset detail page to view thee last 12 months vs. year to date costs. For more detailed analysis, export Work Order data with different date filters. Read here about Data Exports.
Can I see cost trends over time?
Cost dashboards and charting are coming in a future update. Currently, you can export data and create trend analysis in your preferred tool. Read here about Data Exports.