This article explains how dependent fields work, how their import limits are calculated, and what happens when values are added, disabled, or renamed in Sage 300 CRE.
What are dependent fields?
Dependent fields are fields whose available values depend on a selection made in another field.
Sage 300 CRE organizes Job-related values in the following hierarchy:
Job → Cost Code → Category
In Sage Expense Management, a Sage 300 CRE Job is imported as a Project. Therefore, employees see the hierarchy as:
Project → Cost Code → Cost Category
A Job can have multiple Cost Codes.
A Cost Code can have multiple Cost Categories.
Every Job and Cost Code combination in Sage 300 CRE must have a Cost Category.
Cost Categories often come from a small, system-defined list, such as Labor, Material, and Other.
When an employee creates an expense in Sage Expense Management:
They select a Project imported from a Sage 300 CRE Job.
The Cost Code field shows only the Cost Codes associated with that Project.
The Cost Category field shows only the Cost Categories associated with the selected Project and Cost Code.
A Cost Code or Cost Category cannot be imported or used as a standalone value. It must remain associated with its parent values.
Prerequisites
Before importing dependent fields:
Connect your Sage 300 CRE account to Sage Expense Management.
Map the Sage 300 CRE Job dimension to the Project field in Sage Expense Management.
Enable imports for Projects, Cost Codes, and Cost Categories.
What gets imported?
Sage Expense Management imports active dependent values every 24 hours. You can also perform a manual sync from the integration dashboard.
Sage 300 CRE value | Imported into Sage Expense Management as |
Job | Project |
Cost Code | A dependent value under its Project |
Cost Category | A dependent value under its Cost Code |
Note: Only Jobs with the status In Progress are imported into Sage Expense Management, as these are the Jobs expected to have expenses. Jobs with the status Unstarted or Closed are excluded from the import.
Import limits
The following limits apply to dependent-field imports:
Level | Supported limit | How it is counted |
Project | 30,000 (30K) | Unique Jobs imported as Projects |
Cost Code | 50,000 (50K) | Project × Cost Code combinations |
Cost Category | 500,000 (500K) | Project × Cost Code × Cost Category combinations |
Cost Code and Cost Category limits are calculated using the combinations available within the dependent-field hierarchy:
A Cost Code is counted once for each Project under which it is available.
A Cost Category is counted once for each Project and Cost Code under which it is available.
For example, suppose each of five Jobs contains ten Cost Codes, and three Cost Categories are available under every Cost Code:
5 Projects × 10 Cost Codes × 3 Cost Categories = 150 Cost Category combinations
When reviewing your import limits, consider how values are associated across Projects and Cost Codes rather than counting only the number of distinct Cost Code or Cost Category names.
What happens when a limit is exceeded?
If a field exceeds its supported limit, the import for that field will fail. Fields that remain within their limits will continue to be imported.
For example:
If Projects are within the 30,000 limit but Cost Codes exceed the 50,000-combination limit, Projects will be imported but Cost Codes will not.
If Projects and Cost Codes are within their limits but Cost Categories exceed the 500,000-combination limit, Projects and Cost Codes will be imported but Cost Categories will not.
If none of the values for Cost Code or Cost Category are imported, contact [email protected]. Our support team can help you review your current combination count and determine whether it exceeds the supported limit.
How changes in Sage 300 CRE are synced
The following table explains how common changes affect dependent fields that have already been imported.
Change in Sage 300 CRE | What happens in Sage Expense Management |
A new Job is added | The Job is imported as a Project during the next sync. |
A new Cost Code is added | The Cost Code is imported under its Project. |
A new Cost Category is added | The Cost Category is imported under its Cost Code. |
A Job is disabled | The corresponding Project is disabled in Sage Expense Management. |
A Cost Code is disabled | The Cost Code remains available in Sage Expense Management. Contact [email protected] to have it deactivated. |
A Cost Category is disabled | The Cost Category remains available in Sage Expense Management. Contact [email protected]to have it deactivated. |
A Job is renamed | The old Project is disabled, and the renamed Job is imported as a new Project. Its Cost Codes and Cost Categories are moved to the renamed Project. |
A Cost Code is renamed | The Cost Code continues to appear under its previous name. Contact [email protected] to update the value in Sage Expense Management. |
A Cost Category is renamed | The Cost Category continues to appear under its previous name. Contact [email protected] to update the value in Sage Expense Management. |
Changes and best practices
Make changes to dependent fields in Sage 300 CRE instead of editing imported values directly in Sage Expense Management.
Perform a manual sync from the integration dashboard when you need changes to appear before the next scheduled sync.
Avoid disabling, renaming, or deleting imported dependent values directly in Sage Expense Management. This can cause mapping or export issues.
If a renamed or disabled Cost Code or Cost Category still appears in Sage Expense Management, contact [email protected] for assistance.
Confirm that each Job, Cost Code, and Cost Category association is active before troubleshooting a missing value.
FAQs
Is a Sage 300 CRE Job imported as a Project?
Yes. Jobs from Sage 300 CRE are imported into the Project field in Sage Expense Management.
Can a Cost Code be imported without a Job?
No. A Cost Code is always imported as a dependent value under a Project representing its Sage 300 CRE Job.
Is Cost Category optional in Sage 300 CRE?
No. Each Job and Cost Code combination in Sage 300 CRE must have a Cost Category.
Why is a Cost Code or Cost Category missing?
Confirm that:
The Job, Cost Code, and Cost Category are active in Sage 300 CRE.
The Cost Code is associated with the correct Job.
The Cost Category is associated with the correct Job and Cost Code.
The required import toggles are enabled.
Then perform a manual sync from the integration dashboard. If the values are still missing, contact [email protected].
Are the Cost Code and Cost Category limits based on unique values?
No. They are based on combinations:
Cost Codes are counted for each Project × Cost Code combination.
Cost Categories are counted for each Project × Cost Code × Cost Category combination.
Why does a disabled Cost Code or Cost Category still appear?
Disabling a Cost Code or Cost Category in Sage 300 CRE does not automatically deactivate a value that was previously imported into Sage Expense Management.
Contact [email protected] to have the value deactivated in Sage Expense Management.
Why does a renamed Cost Code or Cost Category still show its old name?
Name changes to previously imported Cost Codes and Cost Categories are not automatically applied in Sage Expense Management.
Contact [email protected] to have the value updated.
How often are dependent fields synced?
The scheduled import runs every 24 hours. You can also perform a manual sync from the integration dashboard.
Contact support
Need help configuring or syncing dependent fields? Contact [email protected], and we’ll be happy to assist you.