OPEX¶

OPEX (Operating Expenditure) items are your recurring IT costs: software licenses, cloud subscriptions, maintenance contracts, and services. This is where you plan budgets, track actuals, and allocate costs across your organization.

The OPEX workspace helps you manage each spend item from initial budgeting through execution and reporting -- all in one place with year-by-year budget columns, flexible allocation methods, and direct links to suppliers, contracts, applications, and projects.

Getting started¶

Navigate to Budget management > OPEX to see your list. Click New to create your first item.

The workspace opens in creation mode, with the Properties panel open on the right. Type the product name in the title at the top, fill in the properties, then click Create.

Required fields: - Product name (the title): What you are spending on (e.g., "Salesforce Licenses", "AWS Compute") - Paying company: Which company pays for this spend (required for accounting) - Account: The general ledger account for this spend. Only accounts from the paying company's chart of accounts appear - Currency: ISO code (e.g., USD, EUR). Defaults to your workspace currency; you can override per item - Effective start: When this spend begins (DD/MM/YYYY)

Optional but useful: - Supplier: Who you are paying. Links to your suppliers in master data - Cost center: Who owns the spend. See Cost centers. When the paying company is still empty, picking a cost center fills it with the cost center's company - Run or build: Run for spend that keeps existing services running, Build for spend that creates or changes them - Analytics dimensions: One field per dimension, named after it, for custom grouping in reports (e.g., "Licenses" on Nature). The default dimension shows as Analytics dimension until it is renamed. See Analytics dimensions - End of validity: The date this spend stops. Leave it blank if there is no end. After it, the item is disabled and later years no longer count in the budget views - IT owner / Business owner: Who is responsible - Description and Notes: Free text on the Overview tab

Once set, Paying company and Account can be changed but not emptied. Supplier can be cleared at any time.

When you change the paying company of an item that has an account, and the new company uses another chart of accounts, the account is cleared in the same save. Account then shows as required, with the list on the new company's chart. Pick the new account to finish.

Once the item is created, the workspace unlocks all four tabs: Overview, Budget, Allocations, and Relations.

Tip: You can create items quickly and fill in budgets and allocations later. Start with the essentials and iterate.

Working with the OPEX list¶

The OPEX list (at Budget management > OPEX) is your main view for browsing, filtering, and navigating spend items.

Default columns: - Product name: The item name (links to the Overview tab) - Supplier: The supplier name - Paying company: Which company pays for this item - Contract: The latest linked contract name (links to the Contract workspace) - Account: The GL account number and name - Allocation: The allocation method label for the current year (links to the Allocations tab) - Budget Y and Expected landing Y: The current-year amounts of the default column and of the last shown column (links to the Budget tab for this year). With the standard settings these are Budget and Expected landing. When the default column is also the last shown one, a single amount column appears. See Budget columns - Task: The latest task title (links to the Overview tab, where the Tasks panel sits)

Additional columns (hidden by default, toggle via the column chooser): - Amount columns: Every shown budget column for Y-1, Y, Y+1 and Y+2, under the names your organisation chose. The header gives the column, the year relative to today and the calendar year, for example Revision Y+1 (2027). Amounts are in the reporting currency. Hidden columns are not offered - FTE columns: The FTE of every shown budget column for Y-1, Y, Y+1 and Y+2, under the names your organization chose, right after the amount columns in the column chooser. The header gives the column and the calendar year, for example Budget FTE (2026). An item's FTE is the sum of the FTE of its lines in that column. See FTE. The cell is empty when the column has no lines - Enabled: Item status (enabled or disabled) - Description: Item description - Currency: ISO currency code - Effective start: Start date - End of validity: Date the item stops (blank means no end) - IT owner / Business owner: Responsible users - Analytics dimensions: One column per enabled dimension, named after it, with the item's value. The default dimension's column comes first (Analytics dimension until it is renamed), then the other dimensions in their order - Cost center: The code and name of the cost center. Hover it to see its full path in the tree; click it to open the cost center - Budget holder: The budget holder of the item's cost center. It is derived from the cost center, not stored on the item: change the budget holder of a cost center and every item on it follows - Run or build: Run or Build - Project: Names of the projects linked on the Relations tab - Notes: Internal notes - Created / Updated: Timestamps

Filtering: - Quick search: Searches the reference, product name, description, supplier, paying company, account, contract, project names, allocation, owners, analytics values, cost center (code, name and path), budget holder, notes, currency and status. Filters the list in real time as you type - Column filters: Click the filter icon in any column header. Supplier, Paying company, Account, Allocation, Currency, IT owner, Business owner, each analytics dimension, Cost center, Budget holder, Run or build and Enabled use checkbox set filters (multi-select). The Enabled filter offers Enabled and Disabled and narrows the list when Show is set to All - Amount filters: Every amount column has a number filter. A number typed in the box under the header keeps the items with at least that amount. Open the filter menu for the other conditions: greater than, less than, equal, not equal, or between two amounts - FTE filters: Every FTE column has a number filter with the same conditions, plus blank and not blank. Blank keeps the items whose column has no lines - Date filters: Effective start, End of validity, Created and Updated have date filters. Pick a date in the box under the header to keep the items on that date, or open the filter menu for before, after, between, blank or not blank - Text columns use text filters. On Ref, type the number or the full reference, for example 12 or OPX-12 - Status scope: Use the Show: All / Enabled / Disabled toggle above the grid (defaults to Enabled)

Sorting: - Click a column header to sort ascending/descending. Every column sorts, including every amount and FTE column. Items without an FTE come last in ascending order - Default sort is by the default column of the current year, highest first (Budget Y with the standard settings). The Prev and Next buttons of the workspace follow the same order - The list remembers your last sort, search, and filters when you return

Totals row: - The pinned row at the bottom shows the total of every amount column, in the reporting currency - Each shown FTE column shows the sum of the items' FTE. When some items have no FTE, the count follows the total, for example "3.50 · 12 unknown". Hover it for the full sentence: "Unknown for 12 lines". When no item has an FTE, the total is blank and only the count shows - Totals respect your current filters and search

Deep linking: - Clicking any cell opens the workspace on the most relevant tab: - Product name, Supplier, Paying company, Account, and other general columns: Opens the Overview tab - Amount columns (Budget Y, Expected landing Y, Revision Y+1, etc.) and FTE columns: Opens the Budget tab pre-set to the column's year - Allocation: Opens the Allocations tab for the current year - Task: Opens the Overview tab, where the Tasks panel sits - Contract: Opens the linked Contract workspace directly (not the OPEX workspace) - Cost center: Opens the cost center workspace

Actions: - New: Create a new OPEX item (requires opex:manager) - Import CSV: Bulk-load items from CSV (requires opex:admin) - Export CSV: Export items to CSV (requires opex:admin) - Delete selected: Bulk-delete selected items (requires opex:admin; select rows via checkboxes)

Prev/Next navigation: - When you open an item, the workspace shows Prev and Next buttons - These navigate through the list in the current sort order, respecting filters and search - Moving to another item saves your pending edits first - Your list context (sort, filters, search) is preserved when you close the workspace

Tip: Use column filters + quick search to build focused views (e.g., "All cloud spend over 10k"), then navigate item-by-item with Prev/Next to review budgets.

The OPEX workspace¶

Click any row in the list to open the workspace. It has four parts:

Header: the item reference (e.g., OPX-12) with a copy button, the product name (click it to rename the item), Prev / Next, Send link, and the close button
Metadata bar under the title: Status, IT owner, and Business owner, each editable in place. When the item's cost center has a budget holder, Budget holder follows them. It is read only and derived from the cost center, not stored on the item: hover it to see which cost center it comes from, and change it on the cost center (see Cost centers)
Four tabs: Overview, Budget, Allocations, and Relations (the Relations tab shows how many links the item has)
Properties panel on the right: the item's main fields. Open or close it with the properties button; the workspace remembers your choice

Autosave: - Every change saves automatically. A Saving... / Saved hint shows in the header - Switching tabs, moving to the previous or next item, or closing the workspace saves pending edits first. If a save fails, you stay where you are and an error explains why, so no edit is lost silently - Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on Mac) saves immediately

Overview¶

The Overview tab holds the free-text fields and the tasks of the item.

What you can edit: - Description: What the spend covers - Notes: Free-form internal notes

Tasks panel: - Lists every task linked to this OPEX item, with Title, Status, Priority, Due date, and Actions columns. The panel title shows the number of tasks - Status filter: All (default), Active (not done), Open, In progress, Pending, In testing, Done, or Cancelled. The clear button resets it - Click Add task to open a new task already linked to this item. Fill in the title, description, priority, assignee, and due date in the task workspace - Use the open icon to go to a task, and the delete icon to delete it (you confirm first) - Tasks have their own permissions (tasks:member to create and edit). OPEX manager access does not grant task editing rights on its own; check with your admin if you cannot create tasks - Tasks can also be viewed and managed from Portfolio > Tasks, which shows all tasks across your organization

Properties panel: - Supplier, Cost center, Paying company, Account (filtered by the paying company's chart of accounts), Currency (only the currencies allowed in your workspace), one field per analytics dimension, Run or build, and Effective start - Lifecycle: the Enabled switch and the End of validity date. See Status and lifecycle - Created and Updated dates (read only)

Cost center: - The list shows the cost center tree. Groups are shown to help you find your way and cannot be picked. Search by code, name or group name - A disabled cost center is marked Disabled. It stays on the items that already have it, and cannot be picked for another item - When you create an item and the paying company is empty, picking a cost center fills the paying company with the cost center's company, so the Account list opens on that company's chart of accounts. Until you pick a company or an account yourself, choosing another cost center updates the company too - When the paying company differs from the cost center's company, both are kept. A hint under the field says "This cost center belongs to" followed by the company name - An item saved through the API with a cost center and no paying company takes the cost center's company. For CSV files, see CSV import/export

Run or build: Run, Build, or Not set. Use it to split the budget between keeping services running and changing them.

Analytics dimensions: - Each enabled dimension has its own field, named after the dimension, in dimension order. Pick a value or clear the field; the change saves at once - Each field lists the enabled values of its dimension. A disabled value stays on the items that already have it, and cannot be picked for another item - The field cannot create a value: create it in Analytics dimensions, or let a CSV import create it - If the dimensions cannot be loaded, one line replaces these fields: "Dimensions could not be loaded."

Tip: When you create an item, an "Obsolete account" warning means the selected account does not belong to the paying company's chart of accounts. Choose a different account to resolve the warning. An existing item whose account is outside its company's chart can still be edited: the chart is checked only when the company or the account changes.

Budget¶

The Budget tab is where you enter financial data per year. It supports multiple budget columns and two input modes, shown as tabs: Flat (annual totals) and Monthly (monthly breakdown).

Year selection: - Use the year tabs at the top to switch between Y-2, Y-1, Y (current year), Y+1, and Y+2 - Each year has its own version, mode, and amounts - Switching years saves your pending edits first

Budget columns: - The tab shows the columns your organisation shows, under their names, always in the same order. The standard columns are: - Budget: Initial annual budget approved at the start of the year - Revision: Mid-year budget update (e.g., after a reforecast) - Forecast: An additional planning column, hidden by default - Actuals: Actual spend, as it is recorded during the year - Expected landing: Your best estimate of the year-end figure - A budget administrator can rename the columns, hide some and choose the default column in Budget management > Administration > Budget columns (see Budget columns). A hidden column keeps its amounts

Period of a column: - Every column has a period inside the year, for example April to December - A month counts when the period covers its 15th. A period that starts on April 10 includes April; one that starts on April 20 begins in May - A column with no amount and no period yet gets a suggestion: the item's Effective start and End of validity, limited to the year. An item that starts on April 1 suggests April to December - A column that already holds amounts and has no period reads as the whole year, so existing data behaves as before

Flat vs Monthly: - Flat: Enter one total per column. The total is spread evenly over the months of the column's period, and the months outside it are set to zero. The period shows under each total before you type, for example "9 months, April to December". Only the total you edit is saved. The other columns keep their monthly amounts. - Click the pencil icon next to the period under a total (Change period) to open the spread panel on that column, with its current total. If the item's dates leave no month in the year, the total is disabled and reads "No month of 2026 is within the item's dates." Click the pencil icon next to it (Choose the period) to set one yourself. - Click the calculator icon next to the pencil (Quantity and price) to open the same box on the lines of that column. See Quantity and price. - Monthly: Enter amounts per month (Jan-Dec) for each shown column. Quarter subtotals and a yearly total are shown. Only the months you change are saved. - Both tabs show the same columns: Forecast appears in Flat too when it is shown. - Switch between modes with the Flat and Monthly tabs. Switching does not change your amounts.

Freeze behavior: - If a year's budget columns are frozen (via Budget Administration), the corresponding inputs become read-only and show a lock icon - You can still view frozen data; admins can unfreeze via Budget management > Administration > Freeze / unfreeze data - Each column can be frozen independently

Spreading an amount: - The panel box has two tabs: Spread an amount and Quantity and price. This part covers the first one - The spread panel is always visible in the Monthly tab. In the Flat tab it opens from the pencil icon under a total, and its close button closes it - Choose a Column among the shown columns, check the Amount, pick a Distribution (Flat or 4-4-5), and set the From and To dates. The dates start from the column's current period, and the distribution from the column's own - The panel opens on the default column. The amount starts with the column's current total, in both tabs, and follows when you choose another column. It is empty when the column has no amount - Every change saves at once: the amount when you leave the field or press Enter, the distribution and the dates as soon as you change them. There is no button to click. A blank or zero amount saves nothing - Apply the distribution to all columns is a switch, on by default: every column that follows it gets the same distribution and period, and each keeps its own current total. Turning it on spreads those columns at once, and it stays on for your next changes. Turning it off changes nothing by itself: the next changes apply to the selected column only. By default every column follows. A budget administrator chooses which ones in Budget columns. Frozen columns never change. Hover the switch to see which columns follow and which keep their own period - A column that does not follow the switch spreads alone: the switch does not appear when you spread it. The switch is also hidden when no other following column can change - To bring a column back to a flat spread over twelve months, choose Flat and set the dates to January 1 and December 31 - Totals typed in the Flat tab still apply to their own column only - The From and To dates show the period. When some months fall outside it, the panel says which ones will be set to zero ("January to March will be set to zero."). A whole-year period shows no line. Hover the info icon next to the panel title to see the 15th rule - With 4-4-5, the weights of the months that count are scaled up so the whole amount lands on them - A soft warning appears when the period goes beyond the item's dates. The spread is still saved - While a date is missing or no month counts, the panel says why and saves nothing - A spread over a column built from lines keeps its lines. See Quantity and price

How each column was produced: - A short label tells you where the amounts of a column come from. In the Monthly tab it sits under the column header (hover it to see the period). In the Flat tab it sits next to the period - Spread flat, Spread 4-4-5 or Spread by quarter: the amounts come from a spread - Copied from Budget 2025 +2%: the amounts come from Copy budget columns in Budget Administration, with the percentage shown when there is one - Quantity and price · 3 lines · 1.00 FTE: the amounts come from lines, with their number and, when the lines count people or days, the column's FTE. The FTE is the full-year average. Hover the label to see the lines, for example "Project manager: 1 person × 1,200 per day, 5 days per month, Feb to Jul" - Edited by hand: a month was changed in the grid or by a budget rows import - A column with no label kept the data it had before periods existed

Monthly tools: - Clear column: the icon next to a column header sets every month of that column to zero, for example before entering the whole amount in a single month. It counts as an edit by hand. To remove both the amounts and the period of a column for every item, use Reset budget column in Budget Administration

Multi-year trend: - A chart below the grid shows every shown column across years, Forecast included when it is shown, and updates as you type

How to use it: 1. Select the year you are planning for 2. Choose the Flat or Monthly tab 3. Fill in the relevant columns (Budget for initial planning, Actuals for tracking, Expected landing for the year-end figure) 4. Your changes save automatically; a Saving... / Saved hint shows next to the year tabs

Tip: For most items, Flat mode is faster. Use Monthly mode when the spend varies significantly by month (e.g., seasonal licensing, one-time setup fees).

Quantity and price¶

Build a column from lines instead of typing its amounts. Each line reads as a sentence: a quantity, a unit, a unit price, how often, when, and on which calendar. For example, one project manager 5 days per month at 1,200 a day from February to July, and 50 licences at 12 per piece per month. The months of the column are the sum of its lines.

Opening the tab: - Flat tab: click the calculator icon next to the period under a total. The box opens on Quantity and price for that column - Monthly tab: click Quantity and price at the top of the panel box - Choose the Column at the top of the tab. Frozen columns cannot be picked

The lines:

Column	What to enter
Description	What the line pays for, for example "Project manager". Optional, up to 200 characters
Quantity	How many, in the unit of the line. Zero or more, up to 3 decimals
Unit	people, days or pieces. The unit decides what the price is for, how often it counts, how the amount lands on the months, and the FTE
Unit price	The price of one unit, in the item's currency. Up to 4 decimals. A negative price is accepted, for a credit. What the price is for shows right after it: per day for days, per piece for pieces, and for people a small list to choose per day or per month
How often	It follows the unit. People priced per day: a Full time checkbox and, when it is not ticked, the days per month they work on the item (more than 0, up to 31, with up to 3 decimals). People priced per month: "per month". Days: "over the period". Pieces: a list to choose per month or once
From / To	The period of the line, inside the year. A month counts when the period covers its 15th, as for a spread. Pieces bought once take a single Date instead and land in its month. When every line takes a date, the header reads Date
Calendar	Shown for a price per day only: people priced per day, and days. The working-day calendar whose days count. The list offers the enabled calendars, plus the calendar a line already uses if it was disabled since, marked "(disabled)". When there is no calendar yet, the tab reads "No working-day calendar yet.", with an Add a calendar link for those who can create calendars. See Working-day calendars
Amount	The total of the line, once it is saved. Read only

When the tab is wide enough, each line fits on one row. On a narrower screen, or with the Properties panel open on a 1080p screen, each line takes two aligned rows, with Description, Quantity, Unit, Unit price and Amount on the first, and How often, From and To (or Date) and Calendar on the second; close the Properties panel to bring back one row per line.

Click Add a line under the table to add a line, and the cross at the end of a line to remove it. A column holds up to 50 lines.

Units and prices:

Unit	Price	How often	Amount of each month of the period	FTE of each month
people	per day	Full time	The month's working days in the calendar × quantity × unit price	The quantity
people	per day	5 days per month	5 × quantity × unit price	Quantity × 5 ÷ the month's working days in the calendar
people	per month	per month	Quantity × unit price	The quantity
days	per day	over the period	Quantity × unit price, counted once and split evenly over the months of the period	The month's share of the days ÷ the month's working days in the calendar
pieces	per piece	per month	Quantity × unit price	None
pieces	per piece	once	Quantity × unit price, in the month of the date	None

Use people for staff who work on the item month after month. Priced per day, say how much they work: tick Full time to count every working day of the calendar from the start to the end of the line, or enter the days per month. For example, a project manager 5 days per month at 1,200 a day from February to July costs 6,000 a month. On a calendar with 21 working days in March, that month counts 5 ÷ 21, about 0.24 FTE. A consultant full time at 400 a day costs the month's working days × 400 each month, and counts 1 FTE
Priced per month, people cost the quantity × the unit price each month, for example 1 person at 8,000 per month
Use days for a number of days bought for the period, as one bundle. For example, 30 days at 1,200 a day from February to July give 36,000, that is 6,000 a month. Each month holds 5 days: in a month with 20 working days, the line counts 0.25 FTE
Use pieces for licences, devices or subscriptions. Per month, they count in every month of the period: 50 licences at 12 per piece give 600 a month. Once, they take one date and land in its month: a laptop at 2,000 on March 15 lands in March. Pieces never count as FTE
Each month is rounded to the cent. When an amount is split over the period, the rounding difference lands on the last month. The months outside a line's period get nothing from it
Changing the unit adapts the rest of the line. People keep a price per month when you chose it, and are priced per day otherwise. Days are priced per day, over the period. Pieces are priced per piece and bought once, dated the start of the column's period. Switching pieces from once to per month gives them the column's period again

A new line starts with the unit people, a quantity of 1, a price per day, Full time unticked with the days per month to enter, the period of the column (the whole year when the column has none) and the default calendar. The default calendar is the standard calendar of the paying company's country, else the first enabled calendar. Enter the unit price and the days per month, or tick Full time, and the line saves. Without an enabled calendar, a new line starts with a price per month.

Saving: every field saves as you leave it, press Enter, or pick a value or a date. There is no button to click. Each save sends every complete line of the column, and the months of the column follow at once. The Saving... hint next to the year tabs shows while it works. - A line is complete when it has a quantity, a unit price, a valid period or date, the days per month or Full time for people priced per day, and a calendar for a price per day. Until then it stays on screen with a hint, for example "Enter a quantity and a unit price to save this line.", "Enter the days per month, or tick Full time." or "Choose a calendar for a price per day.", and the saved lines do not change - Removing the last line removes the lines of the column, and its amounts stay as they are. A column computed from its lines then counts as amounts entered by hand. A spread or copied column keeps its spread or copy - When a save is refused, the reason shows under the table in red, and what you typed stays in place. For example, "Head office staff has no working days for 2027. Add them on the Working-day calendars page." when a custom calendar does not hold the year yet - On a frozen column, the lines are read only

Under the table: - The FTE of the lines, when a line counts people or days, for example "FTE over the period 0.24 · Full-year average 0.12". See FTE. The total of the column shows in the column itself - Where the amounts come from, when they no longer come from the lines: one of the sentences in the next part - Notes when they apply: "The period goes beyond the item's dates.", a calendar disabled since, for example "Head office staff is disabled. The lines still use it.", and working days changed since the last save of the lines - Apply these lines to all columns: a switch for the same columns as the spread tab's switch, off by default here. Turning it on writes the lines to every column that follows at once, and it stays on: each later save writes the lines to those columns too. Turning it off changes nothing by itself

When the amounts change another way: the lines stay with the column as a reference, and the tab says where the amounts come from now, followed by a Use the lines again link. The link saves the lines as they are and computes the column from them again. - A month typed in the Monthly tab: "Amounts were entered by hand. Use the lines again." - A spread: "Amounts come from a spread. Use the lines again." - Copy budget columns in Budget Administration: "Amounts were copied from Budget 2025. Use the lines again." The copy brings the source column's lines with the amounts. See Copying a computed column - A calendar's working days changed: "Working days changed since the last computation: March: 20 days, now 19." Nothing changes on the column until you click Use the lines again - Reset budget column in Budget Administration removes the lines with the amounts. See Reset budget column - A budget rows file changes the months only, and the lines stay. See Budget rows file

FTE¶

FTE (full-time equivalent) says how many people a column pays for. It comes from the lines: each month adds up the FTE of its lines (see the table above). Two figures follow, each rounded to 2 decimals: - Full-year average: the sum of the twelve months divided by 12. It is the column's FTE, shown in the label of the column and in the FTE columns of the OPEX list - FTE over the period: the sum of the months with people or days, divided by the number of those months. Pieces do not count, so licences or a laptop never lower it. It shows under the lines while the amounts come from them. After an edit by hand, a spread or a copy, it is not shown until you use the lines again

For example, a consultant full time from February to October counts 1 FTE in each of those 9 months: 1.00 over the period, and 9 × 1 ÷ 12 = 0.75 for the full year. A project manager 5 days per month from February to July counts about 0.24 over the period, and 0.12 for the full year. Licences over the whole year or a laptop in December on the same column leave both figures as they are.

Counted: a column with lines in people or days
Zero: a column whose lines are all in pieces. Its FTE is 0
Blank: a column without lines, an item without a version for that year, or a year after the item's end of validity. Its FTE cell stays empty, because KANAP cannot tell how many people it pays for
The FTE stays with the lines. After an edit by hand, a spread or a copy, the column keeps the FTE of its lines. A copy brings the FTE of the source column

Allocations¶

The Allocations tab distributes the spend across your companies and departments. This drives chargeback reports and cost-per-user KPIs.

Year selection: - Works the same as Budget: use year tabs to switch between Y-2, Y-1, Y, Y+1, Y+2 - Each year can have a different allocation method - The year total of the default column shows on the right, for example Budget, year total, and the table shows each share as a percentage and as an amount

Allocation methods:

Method	How it works
Headcount (default)	Splits spend proportionally by each company's headcount for the selected year. No manual selection required -- percentages are computed automatically from company metrics. This is the standard default.
IT users	Splits spend proportionally by each company's IT user count for the selected year.
Turnover	Splits spend proportionally by each company's turnover (revenue) for the selected year.
Manual by company	You select which companies receive this spend and choose a driver in Allocate by (Headcount, IT users, or Turnover) to calculate percentages among the selected companies only.
Manual by department	You select specific company/department pairs. Percentages are calculated from each department's headcount. Useful when a spend item benefits only certain departments (e.g., a CRM used by Sales).
Manual percentages	You pick the companies and type each percentage yourself. The percentages must add up to 100%.

Default vs pinned methods: - The default entry -- shown as Headcount (default) until your organisation configures another method -- follows the setting in Budget management > Administration > Default allocation method. Every item left on the default is re-driven when an admin changes that setting - That setting can also restrict the default to a selection of companies (for example the entity that carries the IT budget): the driver then applies to those companies only, and the option reads Default (n companies) - Headcount, IT users and Turnover pin that method on the item: a pinned method keeps working even if the organisation default changes later - Items with a manual allocation are never affected by the default setting

How percentages work: - For automatic methods (Headcount, IT users, Turnover): percentages are computed from the latest company metrics across your enabled companies. You do not edit them directly - For Manual by company and Manual by department: you pick the companies or departments, and the system calculates percentages from your chosen driver and the current metrics - For Manual percentages: typing a percentage pins that row, and the remaining rows share what is left. Split equally gives every row the same share; Clear manual pins releases the pinned rows - Percentages reflect live data. If you update a company's headcount, allocations recalculate

How to use it: 1. Select the year 2. Choose an allocation method in Method 3. For a manual method, use Add row to add companies (or company/department pairs) and the remove icon to drop one. For Manual by company, pick a driver in Allocate by 4. Changes save automatically

Common issues: - Missing metrics: One or more companies have zero or missing headcount/IT users/turnover for the selected year. Fill in the metrics in Master data > Companies (Details tab) - "Manual percentages must sum to 100%.": Adjust the rows, or click Split equally

Tip: Use Headcount (default) for most items -- it is the simplest and updates automatically. Reserve manual methods for spend that benefits specific companies or departments only.

Relations¶

The Relations tab links this OPEX item to related objects: Projects, Applications, Contracts, Contacts, Relevant websites, and Attachments. Everything on this tab saves automatically.

Projects: - Use the autocomplete to link one or more projects from your Portfolio - This helps group spend by project in reports and enables project accounting - The project names appear in the OPEX list Project column, and the quick search finds them - Remove a project by clicking the X on its chip

Applications: - Use the autocomplete to link one or more applications or services from your IT catalogue - This helps track which OPEX items fund which applications or services

Contracts: - Use the autocomplete to link one or more contracts - When linked, the contract name appears in the OPEX list Contract column for quick reference - Contracts can link to multiple OPEX items (many-to-many relationship) - Remove a contract by clicking the X on its chip

Contacts: - Link contacts to this spend item: pick a contact, then pick its role (Commercial, Technical, Support, or Other). Choosing the role adds the contact - The table shows the role, first name, last name, job title, email, and mobile. Hover the role to see whether the contact comes from the supplier or was added manually - Remove a contact with the remove icon - Useful for tracking who to reach out to for renewals, support issues, or negotiations

Relevant websites: - Click Add URL to add a link (e.g., vendor portals, documentation, admin consoles, internal wikis). Each link has a Name and a URL - Click a link row to edit it, or use the delete icon to remove it

Attachments: - Upload files related to this spend item (e.g., contracts, invoices, quotes, SOWs, technical specs) - Drag and drop files into the attachment area, or click Select files to browse - Click a file chip to download the file - Delete an attachment with the delete icon on its chip (you confirm first; requires opex:manager)

Tip: Link contracts to track renewals across multiple OPEX items. Add vendor portal URLs for quick access. Upload quotes and invoices as attachments to centralize all spend-related documentation.

CSV import/export¶

You can bulk-load OPEX items via CSV to speed up initial setup or sync with external systems.

Export: 1. Click Export CSV in the OPEX list 2. Choose: - Template: Headers only (use this to create a blank CSV to fill in) - Data: Every OPEX item with budgets for Y-1, Y, and Y+1

CSV structure: - Delimiter: semicolon ; (not comma) - Encoding: UTF-8 (save as "CSV UTF-8" in Excel) - Headers: product_name;description;supplier_name;company_name;account_number;currency;effective_start;status;disabled_at;owner_it_email;owner_business_email;analytics_category;cost_center_code;run_build;notes;y_minus1_budget;y_minus1_landing;y_budget;y_follow_up;y_landing;y_revision;y_plus1_budget;y_plus1_revision - disabled_at is the end of validity: the date the item stops. Use a date (2026-12-31) or a full date and time. Leave it empty if there is no end - Older files with an effective_end column still import: its date fills the end of validity when disabled_at is empty - analytics_category holds the value of the default analytics dimension, whatever its name. Each other enabled dimension has its own column, analytics:<code>, where <code> is the dimension's code. Exports and the template carry these columns right after analytics_category, in dimension order - analytics_category, the analytics:<code> columns, cost_center_code and run_build are optional columns: exports and the template always carry them, and files without them still import

Import: 1. Click Import CSV in the OPEX list 2. Upload your CSV file (drag-and-drop or file picker) 3. Click Preflight check to validate: - Every required column is present and no column is unknown. Columns are matched by name, in any order - Required fields (product_name, account_number) are present. A new item also needs a currency, and a company_name unless it has a cost center - Each company, supplier, account, cost center, and owner in the file exists in your workspace - Dates are valid, and no two rows describe the same item - Currencies are allowed in your workspace currency settings - Owners are active users 4. Review the preflight report (shows counts and up to 5 sample errors). A file with any error loads nothing: fix the rows and run the preflight again 5. If OK, click Load to import

Important notes: - Matching: A row is matched to an OPEX item by product name and supplier. A row that matches an existing item updates it; any other row creates a new item. A row with an empty supplier_name matches only an item that has no supplier. Two rows with the same product name and supplier are an error ("Same line as row N"): keep one row per item - Currency: Required for a new item, and it must be allowed in your workspace currency settings. On an existing item, an empty cell keeps its currency - Supplier: supplier_name is optional. When filled, a supplier with exactly this name is used. Otherwise the name is matched without regard to case. A name that matches no supplier is an error, and so is a name that matches several suppliers only by case (for example "Acme" and "ACME" when the file says "acme") - Company and account: company_name must match a company by name (case-insensitive). An empty company_name keeps the company of an existing item; a new item takes the company of its cost center. With neither, the row is refused: "Company is required unless the line has a cost center." account_number is looked up in the chart of accounts of that company, or in the default chart of accounts when the company has none. An account number that exists only in another chart is an error - Owners: owner_it_email and owner_business_email must match active users by email: an invited user or a contact without an account is refused - Dates: effective_start (and effective_end in older files) must be a real calendar day in YYYY-MM-DD format, for example 2026-01-01. Other formats, such as 01/03/2026, are errors. An empty effective_start keeps the stored date of an existing item; a new item starts on January 1 of the current year - Analytics dimensions: Each analytics cell names a value of its column's dimension, regardless of case. A value that does not exist yet is created in that dimension during the load. A disabled value is accepted on an item that already has it, and refused as a new value. An empty cell clears the item's value on that dimension. When a column is absent, items keep their value on that dimension. A column for an unknown or disabled dimension refuses the whole file, and so do two columns for the same dimension (analytics_category and the default dimension's own code). Exporting and importing the same file changes nothing - Cost center: cost_center_code is the code of a cost center, regardless of case. A group is refused. A disabled cost center is accepted on an item that already has it, and refused as a new value. An empty cell clears the item's cost center. When the whole column is absent, items keep their cost center - Run or build: run_build is run, build or empty (regardless of case). An empty cell clears the value. When the whole column is absent, items keep their value - Company from the cost center: A new item with an empty company_name takes its cost center's company, and account_number is looked up in that company's chart of accounts. A filled company_name is kept, even when it differs from the cost center's company - Budgets: Budget columns populate Y-1, Y, and Y+1 versions. Amounts are spread evenly across 12 months (Flat mode) and the column's period becomes the whole year. An empty cell leaves the column as it is; 0 clears it. The headers keep their technical names whatever your organisation calls the columns, and they also load hidden columns - Monthly amounts: to load or review amounts month by month, with the period of each column, use the Budget rows file in Budget Administration

Common errors: - "Supplier '...' not found": Check the spelling, or create the supplier in Master data > Suppliers first, then re-import - "Supplier '...' matches more than one supplier": Several suppliers differ from this name only by case. Write the name exactly as one of them, or rename one in Master data > Suppliers, then re-import - "Same line as row N": Two rows describe the same item. Merge them into one row, then re-import - "Account ... not found in ...'s chart of accounts": Use an account of the paying company's chart, or add the account in Master data > Charts of accounts, then re-import - "effective_start must be a valid date": Use the YYYY-MM-DD format - "Company is required unless the line has a cost center.": Fill company_name or cost_center_code for the new item - "Cost center ... was not found.": Check the code, or create the cost center in Master data > Cost centers, then re-import - "... is a group. Choose a cost center.": Use the code of a cost center inside that group - "Cost center ... is disabled.": Use an enabled cost center, or enable it again in Master data > Cost centers - "Run or build must be run, build or blank.": Fix the run_build cell - "The column analytics:... names no dimension. Check the dimension code or remove the column.": Use the code shown in the dimension's workspace in Master data > Analytics dimensions, or remove the column - "The ... dimension is disabled. Enable it or leave it out.": Enable the dimension in Master data > Analytics dimensions, or remove its column - "The file has two columns for ...": Two columns name the same dimension, for example analytics_category and the default dimension's own code. Keep one column - "... is disabled. Pick an enabled value.": Use an enabled value of that dimension, or enable the value again - "Invalid currency": Use 3-letter ISO codes (USD, EUR, GBP) that are allowed in your workspace currency settings - "Header mismatch": A required column is missing, or a column is unknown; the message lists them. Columns are matched by name, in any order, and the analytics columns are optional. Compare your first line with a fresh template

Tip: Start with the template export, fill in a few rows, and run a preflight to catch issues early. Fix errors in the CSV and re-upload until preflight passes, then load.

Status and lifecycle¶

Every OPEX item has a status (Enabled or Disabled) and an optional End of validity that controls when it appears in reports and selection lists. It is the only end date of an item.

How it works: - Enabled: The item is active and appears everywhere (lists, reports, allocations) - End of validity: The date the item stops. Leave it blank if there is no end - After the end of validity: - The item no longer appears in selection lists for new contracts or allocations - It is excluded from reports for years strictly after the end of validity - Historical data remains intact; the item still appears in reports covering years when it was active

Setting status: - When you create the item, you can set its End of validity in the Properties panel - Later, change the Status in the metadata bar, or use the Lifecycle field in the Properties panel (Enabled switch and End of validity). Switching an item to Disabled without a date sets its end of validity to today - You can schedule a future end of validity (useful for planned end-of-contract items)

Viewing disabled items: - By default, the OPEX list shows only Enabled items - Use the Show: Disabled or Show: All toggle to see disabled items

When to disable vs delete: - Prefer disabling: Keeps history intact, ensures reports remain consistent, and supports audit trails - Delete only if: The item was created by mistake - Deleting an item also removes its budgets, allocations, tasks, relevant websites, attachments (with their files), and its links to contracts. If one of its tasks was turned into a request, the request is kept: it has its own copy of the title, description, and attachments, and only its link to the task goes

Tip: Use the End of validity to sunset OPEX items when contracts end or services are discontinued. Do not delete unless it is a true mistake.

Tips and best practices¶

Start simple: Create items with just the essentials (product name, paying company, account), then add budgets and allocations as you plan.
Use the default allocation method: For most items, Headcount (default) is enough. Reserve manual allocations for spend that benefits specific companies or departments only.
Link contracts: If you manage spend via contracts, link them in the Relations tab. It makes renewals easier to track.
Link applications: Associate OPEX items with the applications or services they fund. This provides a clear cost-to-application mapping.
Upload documentation: Use the Attachments feature to store vendor contracts, quotes, invoices, and SOWs.
Add vendor portal links: Use Relevant websites to link to vendor admin consoles, support portals, and documentation for quick access.
Track contacts: Add supplier contacts with roles (Commercial, Technical, Support) so your team knows who to call for each spend item.
Leverage analytics dimensions: Give items a value on each dimension (for example Licenses on Nature, Workplace on Program) to group spend in reports.
Keep company metrics up to date: Allocations depend on company headcount, IT users, and turnover. Outdated metrics cause allocation errors.
Use CSV for bulk setup: If you are migrating from another system or have hundreds of items, start with CSV import. Export a template, fill it in, and preflight before loading.
Disable, do not delete: Preserve history by disabling items when they are no longer active. Delete only if it is a mistake.
Review the totals row: Before finalizing budgets, check the pinned totals row in the list to ensure your spend adds up as expected.
Use deep linking: Click directly on a budget column in the list to jump to the Budget tab for that year. Click the Task column to jump to the item's tasks on the Overview tab. This saves navigation time.
Freeze budgets after year-end close: Use Budget Administration to freeze prior-year budgets once actuals are finalized, preventing accidental edits.

Permissions¶

OPEX access is controlled by three levels:

opex:reader -- View the OPEX list, open items, see budgets and allocations (read-only), download attachments
opex:manager -- Create and edit OPEX items, update budgets and allocations, upload and delete attachments, manage relations and links
opex:admin -- All manager rights plus CSV import/export, budget operations (freeze, copy, reset), and bulk delete

Additionally: - Tasks have separate permissions (tasks:member to create/edit tasks on OPEX items) - Users with tasks:reader can view tasks but not create or edit them

If you cannot perform an action (e.g., Import CSV button is missing, cannot upload attachments), check with your workspace admin to review your role permissions.

Need help?¶

CSV issues: Download a fresh template, ensure UTF-8 encoding, and run preflight to see detailed errors
Allocation errors: Check that all companies have the required metrics (headcount, IT users, turnover) for the selected year
Obsolete account warning: The account does not belong to the paying company's chart of accounts; pick a different account
Missing buttons or tabs: Your role may not have the required permission level (manager or admin). Contact your workspace admin