Have you considered populating the contracts module in Unanet with your data, but haven’t taken the time to do it yet? Let’s talk through the benefits of using the Contracts module.
The level of detail within the project codes in Unanet varies for different customers and different contracts. Most contracts require multiple project codes for the following reasons:
- CLIN level separation for tracking funding, billing, and reporting
- Project administrator access and separation of information
- Expense type limitations for different efforts on the same contract
- Different WBS (work breakdown structures)
A contract can easily be represented within the project codes as a prefix so it’s easy to group for reporting in Unanet. For that reason, Unanet customers might think the Contracts module might not offer much benefit. Below, we will highlight a few benefits to the Contracts module that Unanet customers should consider:
Automatically Populated ICS Schedules
Fringe, Sch B, Sch C, Sch D, Sch G-1, Sch H, Sch K, and Contract Brief are all now located in the Analytics Report tool as a standard company report. Some of these schedules will group the information by contract (Sch H, Sch K), so having each project code associated with a Contract profile could group those reports and prevent any manual overrides and potential data translation mistakes in the process. Contract Briefs are also an Incurred Cost Submission (ICS) requirement and helpful to keep on file for other reasons and reference. These will print with all associated details in the correct format.
Contract Maintenance
Record the details of modifications, a change in contract language, period of performance (POP), or funding adjustments. Since the project profile doesn’t have a good record of each individual modification, this is a benefit to staying organized with what changes within the contract occurred at what time.
Attachments
The Contracts module is a great place to store contract-related documents for ease of access across the company. Attachments can be done within the Notes section of the project profile, but when you have multiple project codes for a contract, it is easy to lose track of which code or notes hold the documents.
Reporting by Contract
Although you can easily group project codes for reporting if they have a unique prefix, the logic used might not always be a convenient filter. The Contracts filter is included on most key report criteria, so it’s convenient to use that field to select things you want to report.
Custom Reporting
Since the contracts module information is available in Analytics, creating custom reports by contract is easy. This could help consolidate your data into a more useable format since one contract often has multiple project codes. Analytics reports can be easily saved and shared within the module or via scheduled e-mail.
If you have questions or would like assistance walking through the new release features, please let us know. Our Unanet Team is here to assist you through the process.
Katie is the Unanet Practice Lead at Redstone Government Consulting, Inc. based in our Huntsville, Alabama office. Her areas of expertise include supporting government contract businesses with a special focus in DCAA-compliant Unanet Time and Expense Tracking, Project Portfolio and Financials. QuickBooks, and Deltek GCS. Katie is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, Certified Unanet Systems Implementer and has completed the Unanet Advanced Project Management training. Katie was one of the first Unanet Certified Implementers and was part of the initial pilot offering to non-Unanet consultants. As part of her certification process, Katie invested over 300-hours of instruction, out of class database development time and testing to obtain her certification. Since certification, Katie has assisted numerous Redstone GCI clients with implementation and post-implementation support services. Katie is frequently called upon by Unanet to join their implementation teams as an external resource and is considered a subject matter expert in the implementation of all Unanet software offerings. In her role with Redstone Government Consulting, Inc., Katie not only provides software systems expertise, but also frequently assists clients with preparation and support of DCAA audit activities including SF1408 pre-award accounting system audits, provisional billing rate submission, development of forward pricing rates for proposals, incurred cost submission preparation and development and design of policies and procedures necessary to support an adequate (DCAA-approved) accounting system. Katie serves as the primary point of contact for many small business clients in government cost accounting/compliance and assists monthly with the close of those contractor’s accounting systems and reporting to program management and executives. Her industry experience, software systems expertise and compliance knowledge provides a rare combination of knowledge to clients looking for a consultant to become an integral part of their team. Professional Experience Prior to joining Redstone Government Consulting, Inc., Katie worked in public accounting as well as small to mid-sized government contractors. She has prior operational experience with the many types of software such as Unanet, Deltek GCS, QuickBooks, SpringAhead, Deltek T&E, ADP, Paychex, and QB Payroll. Education Katie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from The University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2010, where she was President of Beta Alpha Psi (an honor organization for finance and accounting students and professionals). She received her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from The University of North Alabama in 2014, graduating Cum Laude. Decades of Consulting, Training and Helping Government Contractors Succeed Redstone GCI offers a variety of services for large and small government contractors including evaluation, education and training, monitoring and DCAA audit preparation. Through our consulting and training programs, government contractors develop and learn to maintain compliance processes that help them succeed by mitigating risk and maximizing profitability. Our consulting team is comprised of senior leaders from government agencies and industry executives creating balance and an informed approach to our client services. Our services span the entire government contract lifecycle from proposal assistance, accounting, audit readiness, purchasing, project controls, contract administration, system implementation through to contract closeout. We specialize in preparing contractors for growth through our deep knowledge of common pitfalls companies face as they progress from small business in CAS, DFARS Business Systems and other common gates to contractor growth. In addition to almost 30 full-time consultants we also maintain a trusted network of independent contractors and other service providers who work with our team on specialized areas like ITAR, facility security, EVMS and other areas.