Cost centers and cost structure templates
Cost centers let you analyze results by department or business unit. Templates load a ready-made set of expense and budget categories so you do not start from an empty list.
When to use
Use cost centers when management wants spending and results by unit. Use templates when setting up categories for a new company.
Before you start
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Permissions | accounting:read to view, accounting:write to edit |
finance.cost_center | Turns on cost center tracking (default varies by company) |
finance.mandatory_cost_center_on_je | When on, every journal line must carry a cost center (default off) |
Workflow
Define cost centers
Open Accounting → Cost centers and create the units you want to track.
Decide whether to require them
Turn on the mandatory flag only after your team is used to filling in the cost center, since it applies to every journal line.
Load a template
Cost templates are available through the API only; there is no separate menu entry. They list available sets, show coverage, preview, and apply them to your categories.
Review expense categories
Check the result under Accounting → Expense categories and adjust.
Tips & common mistakes
- Enabling the mandatory flag too early blocks postings that lack a cost center.
- Preview a template before applying it.
- Keep categories and cost centers separate: categories describe the cost, centers describe who incurred it.