Cost modifiers are percentage-based adjustments that can increase or decrease a project's total cost, allowing for precise financial customization based on project-specific factors.
In This Article:
Understanding Cost Modifiers
Cost modifiers in ActionAtlas represent percentage-based adjustments that can be applied to projects to reflect various financial factors:
Key Characteristics of Cost Modifiers
- Positive or Negative Values - Modifiers can increase costs (e.g., +10% for rush fees) or decrease costs (e.g., -5% for volume discount)
- Compounding Effect - Each modifier applied adjusts the project's total cost
- Custom Naming - You can create descriptive names that make sense for your business
- Project-Specific Application - Apply only the relevant modifiers to each project
- Financial Transparency - See exactly how each modifier impacts your project's bottom line
Managing Cost Modifiers
Configure your cost modifiers from the administration area:
How to Access Cost Modifiers
- Navigate to Administration > Financial Management
- Select Cost Modifiers from the menu
- View existing cost modifiers in the table
Creating a New Cost Modifier
- Click the + Add Cost Modifier button
- Enter a descriptive name for the modifier
- Input the percentage value (positive or negative)
- Add an optional description to clarify its purpose
- Click Save to create the modifier
Tip: Create clear, descriptive names for your cost modifiers to make them easy to identify when applying them to projects.
Applying Cost Modifiers to Projects
Once configured, cost modifiers can be applied to individual projects:
Adding Modifiers to a Project
- Navigate to the desired project
- Go to the Financial tab
- Locate the Cost Modifiers section
- Click Add Modifier
- Select from the list of available modifiers
- Click Apply to add the modifier to the project
Example of cost modifiers applied to a project
Note: When applied to a project, each cost modifier displays its name, percentage, and the calculated dollar amount impact on the project's total cost.
Impact on Project Calculations
Cost modifiers directly affect the financial calculations of your projects:
How Calculations Work
When applied to a project, the modifier adjusts the total project cost using this formula:
The resulting Total Project Cost becomes:
Calculation Example
Initial Project Cost: $10,000
Applied Modifiers:
- "Rush Fee" (+15%): +$1,500
- "Volume Discount" (-5%): -$575
(calculated on $11,500, the adjusted total after the Rush Fee)
Final Project Cost: $10,925
Important: Cost modifiers are applied in sequence, which means each subsequent modifier is calculated based on the running total after all previous modifiers have been applied.
Common Use Cases
Cost modifiers can serve a variety of financial adjustment needs:
Positive Cost Modifiers (Increases)
- Rush Fee (+15%) - For expedited project timelines
- Holiday Rate (+20%) - For work scheduled on holidays
- Complex Project (+10%) - For projects requiring specialized skills
- After-Hours Work (+25%) - For work outside normal business hours
- Remote Location (+15%) - For projects in hard-to-reach areas
Negative Cost Modifiers (Discounts)
- Volume Discount (-5%) - For large-scale projects
- Preferred Client (-10%) - For strategic partners or VIP clients
- Repeat Business (-8%) - For returning clients
- Long-term Contract (-12%) - For extended engagement periods
- Promotional Offer (-15%) - For special marketing campaigns
Need Help?
Our support team is available to assist with questions about cost modifiers in ActionAtlas.
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