Using the Master Hierarchy feature, you can group projects under a single initiative and define your own hierarchies. With Master Hierarchy, you can efficiently track and report on collections of project events and activities and have visibility into spend and budget activities.
For example, you may be planning several Marketing projects for the upcoming year, and you need to easily manage their overall annual budget and group them by year. You can create a YYYY Marketing Master Hierarchy for your region and add the relevant competitive bids, bids, statements of work, and project engagements. You could even create and enforce a master budget.
To create a master hierarchy, complete these steps from your Beeline Enterprise dashboard.
- Select New Master Hierarchy from the New menu.
- Enter a label for your hierarchy in the Master Hierarchy Name field.
- Optional. Enter an explanation for how your hierarchy is used in the Master Hierarchy Description field.
- Use the Date Range Calendars to specify the timeframe for your master hierarchy. The dates you identify here are informational only; they aren’t enforced on linked engagements. So, you can link projects with cost centers outside the hierarchy range.
- Select a currency value from the Master Hierarchy Budget Currency Type list and enter an amount for the total budget.
- Optional. Select the Enforce Budget checkbox to ensure that engagements are validated against the budget and prevent the hierarchy budget from exceeding the Allocated amount.
TIP: Turning on Enforce Budget prevents users from linking engagements that exceed the hierarchy budget and ensures that error messages display. It doesn’t validate the potential amount in the Master Hierarchy budget. If you don’t turn the Enforce Budget option on, you can have a zero-dollar amount for your master hierarchy budget. - Optional. Select the Enforce Limited Suppliers checkbox to restrict vendors to a single or a few suppliers based on your business processes. When you use that option, the supplier and the point of contact you designate can access the Master Hierarchy and are included in the approval process.
TIP: Frequently, the supplier is a partner, a hierarchy stakeholder, and responsible for managing spend and budgets. - Optional. Enter the accounting or finance number from your in-house system in the PO Number field so you can track the work to be completed.
- Optional. Choose the Select link next to the Cost Centers field to open the Select Cost Center dialog. Use the controls in the dialog to Identify the department or function associated with costs for your hierarchy. You can choose one or more.
TIP: The cost centers you identify here are informational only; they aren’t enforced on linked engagements. So, you can link projects with cost centers outside the hierarchy range. - Optional. To add one or more users in your organizational unit who can also administer your hierarchy, complete these steps:
- Start typing in the User Search field to automatically locate and then choose users in your program who you want to include as stakeholders.
- Use the Is Admin checkbox to designate users who can edit the hierarchy and link or unlink engagements.
- Use the Is Financial Approver checkbox to designate the appropriate permissions.
- Optional. You’re name automatically displays in the Stakeholders section with Is Admin permissions. If you’re also an approver for finances, select the Is Financial Approver checkbox in the row where your name displays.
- Optional. In the Attachments section, select Add Item to open the Select Master Hierarchy Attachments dialog and upload relevant documents, such as a master service agreement.
- Select Submit. Your master hierarchy is routed for approvals and moves to a Pending status.
TIP: You cannot link engagements until your hierarchy is approved and in an Active status. - After your hierarchy is approved and in an Active status, continue with Managing a master hierarchy.
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Documentation release: Beeline Enterprise | Q3 2024