The CapEx/OpEx Tracking add-on helps organizations separate capital expenditures (CapEx) and operational expenditures (OpEx) across projects, tasks, labor, and expenses. By tracking these costs throughout the project lifecycle, Project Insight helps project managers, PMOs, and finance teams better understand where project budgets are being invested and how those costs change over time.
CapEx and OpEx values are automatically calculated from project work and can be rolled up into reports and dashboards for portfolio-level financial visibility.
Why use CapEx and OpEx tracking?
Separating CapEx and OpEx within your projects provides clearer financial reporting and forecasting throughout the project lifecycle.
Organizations commonly use CapEx and OpEx tracking to:
- Separate capital investments from operating expenses.
- Track project budgets more accurately.
- Compare planned and actual financial performance.
- Review monthly and cumulative project costs.
- Provide finance and leadership with more meaningful budget reports.
How do I enable CapEx and OpEx tracking?
Begin by installing the CapEx/OpEx Tracking add-on. Once it is enabled, CapEx/OpEx fields become available throughout Project Insight.
Depending on your organization's configuration, administrators can customize expenditure types, reporting options, and other financial settings.
How do I assign a project as CapEx or OpEx?
Every project includes a CapEx/OpEx field that determines the default financial classification for the project.
- Open the project.
- Locate the CapEx/OpEx field.
- Select either CapEx or OpEx.
- Save the project.
The selected value becomes the default classification for new tasks created within that project.
Can individual tasks use a different CapEx or OpEx value?
Yes. Although tasks inherit the project's default CapEx or OpEx value, individual tasks can be assigned a different classification when needed.
- Open the task.
- Edit the CapEx/OpEx field.
- Select a different value.
- Save the task.
For example, a project may be designated as CapEx while a specific task is classified as OpEx. The task field displays the inherited default value unless you choose to override it.
How are CapEx and OpEx values calculated?
Project Insight automatically categorizes labor and expense values based on the CapEx or OpEx setting assigned to the project or task.
- Labor values are calculated from hours multiplied by the assigned rate card.
- Expense values are categorized using the project's or task's CapEx/OpEx designation.
- Project Insight automatically rolls these values into financial reporting.
How do I report on CapEx and OpEx?
CapEx and OpEx values are available in budget reports and charts, allowing you to review financial performance by project and over time.
For example, a budget chart can display monthly CapEx and OpEx totals by project, while a detailed budget report can show individual monthly values, cumulative totals, and overall project totals.
Can CapEx and OpEx values be displayed on dashboards?
Yes. CapEx and OpEx totals can also be displayed on dashboards, giving project managers and executives a quick summary of financial information without opening individual reports.
Additional configuration options
Depending on your organization's configuration, the CapEx/OpEx add-on can also support additional financial capabilities such as:
- Custom CapEx and OpEx categories.
- Renaming expenditure types.
- Color-coded expenditure classifications.
- Partial allocations between CapEx and OpEx.
- Tracking cost values, billable values, or both.
- Integration with Power BI through the Project Insight REST API for advanced financial dashboards and reporting.
Best practices
- Review CapEx and OpEx reports regularly to compare planned and actual costs.
- Use saved reports for recurring monthly financial reviews.
- Work with your finance team to establish consistent expenditure classifications.
- Use dashboards to provide executives with high-level financial visibility.
- Monitor cumulative values on long-running projects to understand budget performance over time.
Frequently asked questions
Do tasks inherit the project's CapEx or OpEx value?
Yes. New tasks inherit the project's default classification unless an individual task is assigned a different value.
Can one task use OpEx if the project is CapEx?
Yes. Individual tasks can override the project's default CapEx or OpEx value.
How are labor costs classified?
Labor values are calculated using hours and the assigned rate card, then categorized according to the project's or task's CapEx or OpEx designation.
Can expenses be included in CapEx and OpEx reporting?
Yes. Expense values are categorized and reported alongside labor values.
Can I report on CapEx and OpEx by month?
Yes. Budget reports can display monthly CapEx and OpEx values, cumulative values, and project totals.
Can I display CapEx and OpEx information on dashboards?
Yes. CapEx and OpEx totals can be displayed on dashboards for ongoing financial visibility.
Related articles
- Project Budgeting
- Budget Reports
- Expense Tracking
- Rate Cards
- Portfolio Allocation Reports
- How to Build a Dashboard in Project Insight
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