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Usage entry

Usage entry

Overview

The Usage Entry screen lets you enter, per Accounting period, the units produced or consumed by each asset that uses the Units of Production depreciation method. This data is the basis the depreciation engine uses to work out each period's variable depreciation charge. Accountants and fixed asset owners who manage machinery, industrial equipment or other Assets whose wear depends on production volume rather than elapsed time use it.

How to get there

Main menu: Accounting and depreciation > Usage Entry

URL: /Accounting/usage

Key concepts

Term Definition
Units of Production The depreciation method where each period's charge is calculated in proportion to the units produced or used during that period. Only Assets configured with this method are available on this screen.
Posting period The Accounting month and year the entered units are charged to. It is shown as YYYY-MM. It must exist and be configured in the company's Accounting period catalog.
Units The quantity of units produced, machine hours, kilometers travelled or whatever unit of measure is defined for the asset during the selected period. Up to four decimals are allowed.
Usage entry A record tying an asset, a posting period and a unit quantity. Only one entry can exist per asset-period combination.

How to use it

Record new units for a period

  1. From the main menu, go to Accounting and depreciation > Usage Entry.
  2. In the Posting period field, select the month and year to charge the units to. You can type part of the period to filter the list. The entries table loads automatically when you select the period.
  3. Click New (top right). The button is disabled if no period is selected.
  4. In the New Usage dialog, select the Asset from the drop-down. Only Assets using the Units of Production depreciation method are shown. You can type to filter by asset code.
  5. Enter the quantity of Units produced or used during the period.
  6. Click Save. You get a success notification reading Usage created. The new entry appears in the table.

Edit an existing entry

  1. Select the posting period holding the entry you want to change.
  2. In the table, click the asset code (shown as a link).
  3. The Edit Usage dialog opens with the current data. The Asset field cannot be changed in edit mode.
  4. Correct the value in Units.
  5. Click Save. You get a success notification reading Usage updated.

Refresh the list

Click the refresh button (the reload icon, next to New) to reload the currently selected period's entries from the server.

Fields

Period selector (screen header)

Field Type Required Description Validation
Posting period Filterable drop-down Yes (to enable actions) The Accounting period (YYYY-MM) the units will be assigned to. The entries table stays empty until a period is selected. A period must be selected before creating entries or using New.

Usage entries table

Column Type Description
Asset Text (code, link) The fixed asset's code. Clicking it opens the edit dialog.
Units Decimal (4 decimals) The total units recorded for the asset in the selected period. The table sorts by this value, highest first.

New Usage / Edit Usage dialog

Field Type Required Description Validation
Asset Filterable drop-down Yes The asset the units are charged to. It only shows Assets using the Units of Production depreciation method. Disabled when editing an existing record. An asset must be selected. Save stays disabled while no asset is selected.
Units Numeric field (4 decimals) Yes The quantity of units produced or used in the period. Minimum value: 0. The system accepts values with up to four decimals. Negative values are not allowed.

Permissions

Available to users with access to the Accounting and depreciation module, as configured by your administrator.

Notes

  • This screen only shows Assets whose depreciation method is set to Units of Production. Assets using other methods (straight-line, declining balance and so on) do not appear in the asset selector.
  • Only one usage entry can exist per asset-and-period combination. If you try to save an asset that already has an entry in the selected period, the system updates the existing record.
  • The value entered under Units must be consistent with the unit of measure defined for the asset (hours, kilometers, pieces produced and so on). ActivoHQ does not validate the unit of measure; entering the right value is the user's responsibility.
  • If you switch the active company (the company selector in the top bar), the screen resets automatically: the period selection is cleared and the new company's asset and period lists are loaded.
  • Posting periods must be set up beforehand in your account's Accounting period catalog. If the period you need is not in the list, contact your administrator.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Likely cause Resolution
The New button is disabled No posting period is selected. Select a period in the Posting period field before clicking New.
No Assets appear in the dialog's selector The company has no Assets configured with the Units of Production depreciation method, or no Assets exist. Check that the Assets are created and that their depreciation method is Units of Production. Ask your administrator if needed.
The table is empty after selecting a period No usage entries have been created for that period, or the period has no Assets attached. Click New to add the first entry, or use the refresh button to reload the data.
The period you need is not there The Accounting period has not been created in the system. Ask your administrator to create the period in the Accounting period catalog.
Record not found error when clicking an asset The record was deleted by another user between the table loading and the edit attempt. Click the refresh button to reload the list and try again.

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