# 💵 Budget Builder ## What Is It? The Budget Builder is an application that allows you to create detailed budgets and timelines. It also provides ready to use tables and charts that you can use include in your proposal and offers. ## Key Concepts

Margin

Daily Rates

Labor

Expenses / Direct Costs

Budgets

Resourcing Request

## Key Performance Indicators The main purpose of the Budget Builder is to help you compute precisely the **total cost of a contract** and its associated **margin**. In addition, the Budget Builder will provide: - The break down between Labor and Expenses (value and margin) - A detailed timeline of the project - A Resourcing Request - Tables and charts for your proposals / offer documents ## Using The Application ### Typical Workflow 1. You identify the main workstreams / phases of execution of the contract. 2. You outline the main activities for each work stream. 3. You specify which roles will be involved in each activity and the number of days per month you estimate necessary. 4. You specify any expenses / direct costs associated with the activities. 5. You review the budget numbers (labor, expenses, margin) and make sure that everything makes sense according your prospects needs and constraints. 6. You copy/paste some of the tables and charts in your offer.

Any table you copy from the Budget Builder into a Google Doc can be copied as [Linked to spreadsheet](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/7009814?hl=en&ref_topic=1361463). If you update the numbers in the Budget Builder, the tables will automatically update in the Google Doc 😎.

### Structure & Features

If any monetary value (totals, rates, unit costs) does not have a Loaded or Unloaded mention next to it, it then refers to **Loaded** value (what you charge to your client).

#### Setup This tab allows you to configure the main attributes of your budget.

Attribute	Description
Period - Type	You can choose between: - weeks for shorter contract up to 12 weeks - months for longer contracts up to 12 months
Period - Start	The number of week (1-52) or month (1-12) in which you expect the contract execution to start.
Workstream	The main phases / components of the contract. This is a way to group the activities of the contract. You can have up to 13 workstreams.
Role	The list of roles in your company. You can have up to 33 roles.
Unloaded Rate	The unloaded rate for a role.
Loaded Rate	The loaded rate for a role. This is a function of the unloaded rate and the margin. 💡Computed Field
Margin (%)	The margin you what to make on a role

The columns Role, Unloaded Rate, Loaded Rate and Margin define your Rates Card. A similar one is used in the [Project Dashboard](https://help.conduite.app/books/user-manual/page/project-dashboard "Project Dashboard"). #### Labor Each line of this tab specifies the **amount of days** (Labor) a **role** needs to execute an **activity** **over time**. That activity being part of a **workstream**. You decide the level of detail you need. Once you are done you will have built your labor budget and project timeline 👌. You can actually use this tab as Gantt Chart.

Make sure that the columns Workstream, Activity and Role are filled in if there are days allocated to a line. Otherwise these days will not be taken into account in the other tabs.

Column	Description
Workstream	The name of the workstream. Choose from the list.
Activity	The name of the activity. Tip: Keep it short.
Role	The role of the person that will be executing the activity. Choose from the list.
Rate	The Loaded Rate associated to that role. 💡Computed Field
Periods	12 columns in which you specify the number of days needed for that role (and activity). Leave blank (or input 0) if no days are necessary.
Total - L	The total value of corresponding to the number of days for that role (and activity) based on its Loaded Rate. This is what you will charge your client. 💡Computed Field
Total - UnL	The total value of corresponding to the number of days for that role (and activity) based on its Unloaded Rate. This is what it will cost you. 💡Computed Field
\# Days	The sum of days across all periods for that role (and activity). 💡Computed Field

⛑️ Adding An Activity

In order to add an activity for a role you simply need to: 1. Insert a row where ever you want in the table (*Right Click > Insert row above / below*). 2. Copy the formulas for the computed fields. Validation conditions will be copied automatically.

#### Expenses This tab allows you to specify any expenses / direct costs for the client associated with the execution of the contract for each **workstream** **over time**.

Make sure that the columns Workstream and item are filled in. Otherwise these items will not be taken into account in the other tabs.

Column	Description
Workstream	The name of the workstream. Choose from the list.
Item	The name of the item. Tip: Make it explicit for your client
Unit Cost - L	The Loaded Unit Cost of the item. This is the amount you will charge your client for each unit of that item.
Margin (%)	The margin you will make on that item.
Periods	12 columns in which you specify the number of items needed for that workstream. Leave blank (or input 0) if no items are necessary.
Total - L	The total value of corresponding to the number of items needed based on the Loaded Unit Cost. This is what you will charge your client. 💡Computed Field
Total - UnL	The total value of corresponding to the number of items needed based on the Unloaded Unit Cost (Loaded Unit Cost without the Margin). This is what it will cost you. 💡Computed Field

⛑️ Adding An Expense / Direct Cost

In order to add an expense for a role you simply need to: 1. Insert a row where ever you want in the table (*Right Click > Insert row above / below*). 2. Copy the formulas for the computed fields. Validation conditions will be copied automatically.

#### Budget - Summary