Simple: How do I put a Project/Job column in registers and/or reports?!!

MrPete

I'm feeling quite dumb. An obvious need, yet I cannot find a single standard report that shows any form of transactions with a Project/Job column! Nor can I add to registers.

Anybody have a workaround?

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
- I need to *manage* the data entry
- Discover line items with no project/job
- Discover line items that need data correction on Job/Project
- etc

Real example: I can see from the Project/Job by Project report, that one Payee has somthing with no assigned Project/Job. So how can I find it? Seems impossible.

Thanks!
Pete :*

Rocket J Squirrel

Have you looked into the Quicken feature “Tags”? You can use tags for any purpose you choose, including projects and jobs. Transactions can have multiple tags if more than one applies.

MrPete

Thanks for nudging me towards tags. I've been intending to see if there's anything new there. Bottom line of what follows: Tags are interesting but don't solve the problem.
- YES, you can do reports with Tag columns, sorts, etc. AND you can select on no-Tag.
- However, some functions (eg linking payments to invoices and more) are designed to be used with Job/Project, and ignore Tag.
- Thus, I still need a way to discover transactions with the wrong or missing tag.

More detail below...
------------------------

Tags are essentially "Classes" (old name) on steroids: a second dimension of classification.
- Tags are intended (like categories) for long term / permanent attributes, such as personal/business, a business department, etc. This is entirely different from Jobs/Projects, which have a start, end and apply to only a few transactions.

The Good News: yes, you can get Tag-based reports, and in some cases get a "Tag" column.

The Bad News:
1) Due to the 'Class' history, normally the Tag(s) show up as part of the Category column. Therefore it's impossible to sort or search a register based on Tag.

2) Quicken implements certain crucial automatic functions using Project/Job. For example: it links payments to invoices based on project/job.

3) Therefore, Tags don't replace Jobs.

Rocket J Squirrel

MrPete said:

The Bad News:
1) Due to the 'Class' history, normally the Tag(s) show up as part of the Category column. Therefore it's impossible to sort or search a register based on Tag.

2) Quicken implements certain crucial automatic functions using Project/Job. For example: it links payments to invoices based on project/job.

3) Therefore, Tags don't replace Jobs.

I have never used the Business & Rental Property version of Quicken, so I will take your word for #2.

But allow me to correct you on #1. You can indeed cause Quicken to display a Tag column in Banking registers. This moves the tag out of the Category column.

Tags are much harder to use in Investment registers, and there is no column for them there.

UKR

Have you tried Business tab / Business Tools button / Project/Job List view?

When the view shows, you may have to click the Options button and select Show all jobs to populate the list.

If you plan on using this view regularly consider adding a Project/Job List icon to the Quicken Toolbar for easy one-click access.

mshiggins

From C. D. Bales:
The simple answer to the question posed in your discussion subject is: You can't.

"I cannot find a single standard report that shows any form of transactions with a Project/Job column!"

The report that does that is the Business > Project/Job List. You can also add that report to the Quicken Toolbar. It displays invoices and payments by project/job. Which you seem to already know.

"I can see from the Project/Job by Project report, that one Payee has something with no assigned Project/Job".

How do you do that? The only entries I see in the Project/Job List are transactions (invoices or payments) that have a project/job assigned. And payments only get a project/job assigned when they are applied to an invoice that has a project/job assigned.

It is easy to find payments that have not been assigned to an invoice: they will have a blank "Cleared Status" (Clr column) in the invoice account. It's also easy to find invoices that have not been paid: in their invoice account, they will have a Cleared Status of blank, and they will appear in the Business > Unpaid Invoices List (which can also be added to the Quicken Toolbar).

"Due to the 'Class' history, normally the Tag(s) show up as part of the Category column. Therefore it's impossible to sort or search a register based on Tag."

Not true.

Banking accounts can have the Tag column displayed separately from the Category column (which happens by default when a new Banking account is created). But even when the Category and Tag are concatenated in one column/field, you are not prevented from searching based on tag. 

Find (CTRL+f) offers the Tag field as a Find field - separately from the Category field.

The register Search field (just above the heading row at the right-end of the register) will locate all transactions in the register with a given tag (and display only those transactions found) - even in an Accounts Receivable account. The file Search field (in the Quicken Title bar) can do the same for all accounts.

Virtually all reports that display individual transactions can select and sort (and subtotal) on tag. Banking > Transactions for one, can select, sort, and subtotal on tag ... regardless of how the tag is displayed in individual accounts. And if you need to edit a transaction displayed in a report, you can just double-click on the transaction in the report, and Quicken will take you to the transaction in its register.

"Quicken implements certain crucial automatic functions using Project/Job. For example: it links payments to invoices based on project/job."

Quicken only does that when there is a project/job assigned to the invoice - project/job is not required for applying payments to invoices. You can apply a payment to an invoice when the invoice has no project/job assigned - and easily determine which invoices have been paid and which have not. Quicken links payments to invoices by assigning the payment to the invoice; you never need a project/job for the purpose. You can also assign the invoice number being paid to the Accounts Receivable payment transaction for a further link.

MrPete

Thanks to those who pointed out that Tags *can* be separately listed in registers. Still doesn't solve the challenge that Quicken (H/B version) is designed to perform various functions using Projects/Jobs. Which of course is the whole point of having that feature :)

Yes, I've used the Project/Job report. I've poked at it extensively. Here are few items perhaps of value to those commenting:

1) Yes, it shows expenses with no job. If you have any, "No Job" becomes the first column in the report.

2) However, it is impossible to learn ANY detail from this report. It simply summarizes/totals... and provides no ability for click-through "zoom" functions. Very aggravating: I can see that there's $nnn of income or expense related to a specific client, and no Project/Job assigned... but no way to discover what transactions are summarized! No way to know what transactions went into the items summarized in the other columns either.

That's what's amazing about this issue: I can see summaries, yet there's no way to look at the details. Period. Oh how I wish I were wrong about this.

mshiggins

From C. D. Bales:
The Project/Job report "shows expenses with no job. If you have any, 'No Job' becomes the first column in the report."

I see now that you did read my post carefully and I did not read yours carefully.

You repeatedly referred to the "Project/Job by Project report", which I mistakenly did not consider.

But, I referred you to the "Business > Project/Job List"; which works as I already noted (that's "Business", as in the Business menu). And based on your subsequent comments, you clearly did not examine that List - I suggest you do that.

[UKR also referred you to the Project/Job "List"; though he sent you there via the Business "tab" rather than the Business "menu".]

It works as I already noted;  it shows each Customer/Vendor invoice that has a Project/Job assigned, and every payment assigned to such invoice transactions. But it does not show anything that does not have a Project/Job assigned. And you can double-click any invoice or payment in the List and you will be taken to the actual transaction. And nothing that does not have a Project/Job assigned appears in that List.

" ... Quicken (H/B version) is designed to perform various functions using Projects/Jobs."

Other than the Project/Job List and reports; what functions are those?