Add estimates and costs to a project

This guide explains how to add estimates and costs to a project in Collaboration Hub, and how to change or delete them. An estimate records what you expect to spend, and a cost records what you actually spend, so you can track a project’s spending next to its work. To commit a final cost to the accounts that pay for it, use Commit a cost to accounts.

What you see here depends on your workspace’s configuration. Your workspace settings control whether projects have a Finance menu, and which fiscal types and accounts you can choose from. If a project has no Finance menu, contact your administrator.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

Access to the project, through a group set up by your administrator.
The owner or editor role on the project. To assign project roles, use Manage project collaborators. If you can’t add or change estimates or costs, contact your administrator.

Open a project’s finances

A project’s estimates and costs are in its Finance menu. Open it before you add, change, or delete an estimate or cost.

Select Content Portal from the app switcher in the left navigation.
Select Collaborate, then select the All Projects tab.
Select a project.
Expand Finance in the project’s menu.

The Estimates and Costs tabs display.

Add an estimate

Add an estimate to record what you expect to spend on a project. Each estimate is for one account.

Select the Estimates tab.
Select Create Estimate.
Complete the estimate details:
- Name (required).
- Fiscal Type (required): the kind of spend, for example production or media.
- Account (required): the account the estimate is for.
- Value (required): the estimated amount. The value can’t be negative.
Optionally, add attachments, such as a supplier quote. Drag files into the upload area on the right of the modal, or browse for them.
Select Submit Estimate.

The estimate appears on the Estimates tab, grouped under its fiscal type. Each currency has its own table of estimates, with a total at the bottom.

Change or delete an estimate

Change an estimate when the expected spend changes, or delete it.

Change an estimate

You can change an estimate’s name and value. You can’t change its fiscal type or account after you create it. To use a different fiscal type or account, delete the estimate and create a new one.

On the Estimates tab, open the estimate’s menu and select Edit.
Change the Name or Value.
Add or delete attachments as needed.
Select Submit Estimate.

Delete an estimate

Delete an estimate you no longer need, or one with the wrong fiscal type or account.

On the Estimates tab, open the estimate’s menu and select Delete.
Confirm that you want to delete the estimate.

Add a cost

Add a cost to record what you actually spend on a project. A cost’s total is its Quantity multiplied by its Value.

Select the Costs tab.
Select Create Cost.
Complete the cost details:
- Name (required).
- Fiscal Type (required): the kind of spend, for example production or media.
- Currency (required).
- Quantity: the number of units. The default is 1.
- Value (required): the cost of each unit.
Optionally, add attachments, such as an invoice. Drag files into the upload area on the right of the modal, or browse for them.
Select Submit Cost.

The cost appears on the Costs tab, grouped under its fiscal type. Each currency has its own table of costs, with a total at the bottom.

Change or delete a cost

You can change or delete a cost until you commit it.

Change a cost

You can change a cost’s name, currency, quantity, and value. You can’t change its fiscal type after you create it. To use a different fiscal type, delete the cost and create a new one.

On the Costs tab, open the cost’s menu and select Edit.
Change the Name, Currency, Quantity, or Value.
Add or delete attachments as needed.
Select Submit Cost.

Delete a cost

Delete a cost you no longer need, or one with the wrong fiscal type.

On the Costs tab, open the cost’s menu and select Delete.
Confirm that you want to delete the cost.

Troubleshooting

Each of these problems is a common cause of trouble with estimates and costs. Select one to display its solution.

Problem: The project has no Finance menu.

Solution: the Finance menu only appears when your workspace uses finances and you have access to estimates or costs. Contact your administrator.

Problem: The Create Estimate or Create Cost button isn’t there.

Solution: you can view estimates or costs, but you don’t have access to create them. Contact your administrator.

Problem: A cost has no menu, so you can’t change or delete it.

Solution: the cost is committed, and you can’t change a committed cost.

Problem: You can’t change an estimate’s fiscal type or account.

Solution: you can’t change an estimate’s fiscal type or account after you create it. Delete the estimate and create a new one with the right fiscal type or account.