Sage 300 CRE facilitates the setup of standardized cost codes and categories, enhancing efficiency in job management and ensuring consistent cost analysis. Concurrently, the integration between Sage Expense Management and Sage 300 CRE enables seamless import of dependent fields, such as Cost Code and Cost Category, associated with Jobs in Sage 300 CRE. These imported fields are utilized within Sage Expense Management for accurately coding expenses.
Understanding 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
A Sage 300 CRE Job is imported into Sage Expense Management as a Project. Employees therefore see the following hierarchy when coding expenses:
Project → Cost Code → Cost Category
When an employee creates an expense:
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.
Import Jobs with Dependent Fields
On the Import Settings page:
Map the Sage 300 CRE Job field to the Project field in Sage Expense Management.
Enable the Project import.
Map Cost Code and Cost Category to custom expense fields.
Sage Expense Management does not have standard Cost Code and Cost Category fields. Create two custom fields and map them to Cost Code and Cost Category.
Once configured, Sage Expense Management imports Cost Codes and Cost Categories as dependent fields under their associated Projects.
To view the imported values, go to Expenses > Expense fields > Custom fields > Dependent fields.
Important Note:
Only Jobs with the status In Progress are imported, as these are the Jobs expected to have expenses. Jobs with the status Unstarted or Closed are excluded from the import.
For a dependent value to be imported:
The Job must have the status In Progress.
The Cost Code must be associated with the Job.
The Cost Category must be associated with the relevant Job and Cost Code.
Cost Codes or Cost Categories without the required parent associations are not imported.
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 with the status In Progress | 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. |
A Cost Category is disabled | The Cost Category remains available in Sage Expense Management. |
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. |
A Cost Category is renamed | The Cost Category continues to appear under its previous name. |
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 based on their associations 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 the limits, consider how the values are associated across Projects and Cost Codes rather than counting only the number of distinct 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.
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.
Coding and exporting expenses
An expense associated with a Sage 300 CRE Job must also be coded with the relevant Cost Code and Cost Category for a successful export.
When an employee selects a Project, Cost Code, and Cost Category in Sage Expense Management, the integration exports those values to the corresponding Job, Cost Code, and Cost Category fields in Sage 300 CRE.
Before exporting, confirm that:
The selected Project represents an eligible Job in Sage 300 CRE.
The Cost Code belongs to that Job.
The Cost Category belongs to the selected Job and Cost Code combination.
A sample export of how the selected Cost Code and Cost Category will look like on Sage 300 CRE:
Optional: Export Commitment Value
You can choose to export the Commitment value based on the Job, Cost Code, and Category chosen by employees. The Commitment will not be a selectable option in Sage Expense Management but will be automatically populated in Sage 300 CRE during the export based on the Job, Cost Code, and Cost Category combination.
If you have commitments set up in your Sage 300 CRE account based on specific Job, Cost Code, and Cost Category, enable the auto-export commitment option.
Note: The Commitment value will not be visible in Sage Expense Management but will be reflected in Sage 300 CRE upon export.
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 when you need eligible 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 remains available, contact [email protected].
Confirm that the Job has the status In Progress before troubleshooting a missing Project.
Confirm that every Cost Code and Cost Category has the required parent associations.
Verify that employees select the complete Project, Cost Code, and Cost Category combination before exporting expenses.
FAQs
Is a Sage 300 CRE Job imported as a Project?
Yes. Eligible Sage 300 CRE Jobs are imported into the Project field in Sage Expense Management.
Which Jobs are imported?
Only Jobs with the status In Progress are imported. Jobs marked Unstarted or Closed are excluded.
Can a Cost Code be imported without a Job?
No. A Cost Code is always imported as a dependent value under the Project representing its Sage 300 CRE Job.
Can a Cost Category be imported without a Cost Code?
No. A Cost Category must be associated with a Cost Code and Job.
Is Cost Category optional in Sage 300 CRE?
No. Every Job and Cost Code combination must have a Cost Category.
Why is a Cost Code or Cost Category missing?
Confirm that:
The Job has the status In Progress.
The Cost Code is associated with the correct Job.
The Cost Category is associated with the correct Job and Cost Code.
The required mappings and import settings 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.
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.
Is the Commitment visible in Sage Expense Management?
No. The Commitment is determined automatically during export and appears only in Sage 300 CRE.
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, syncing, or exporting dependent fields? Contact [email protected], and we’ll be happy to assist you.