PSA Configuration — Project Setup, Billing & Resource Planning

Configure PSA so delivery, billing, and reporting work together. Configure NetSuite PSA — project types, billing schedules, resource roles, time entry validation, revenue recognition, and the profitability reporting — from Awatay PSA implementation. 12 hrs · 4 sessions · Advanced. Overview NetSuite PSA is the module that makes professional services financially manageable — when it is configured correctly. When it is not, billing disputes occur because the invoice does not match what the client expects, revenue recognition is manually adjusted every month because the automatic recognition produces the wrong number, and the profitability report cannot be trusted because cost allocation is inconsistent. This is the most technically demanding course in the NetSuite catalogue and the one most directly sourced from Awatay PSA implementation experience. Every configuration decision — project type selection, billing schedule design, resource role rates, time entry validation rules, revenue recognition method — is explained in terms of its downstream impact on the invoice, the GL, and the management report. Learning outcomes • Configure project types and billing schedules that match each service offering's commercial model • Set up resource roles, rates, and rate cards for accurate billing and cost tracking • Build time entry validation rules and approval workflows that ensure billing data integrity • Configure revenue recognition correctly for each project type in compliance with IFRS 15 • Produce the project profitability, WIP ageing, and resource utilisation reports that practice management requires Prerequisites • Chart of Accounts, Accounting Periods & Financial Settings course • PSA in NetSuite — Projects, Timesheets & Resource Management course (Track A) • CRM Configuration course is helpful for understanding the opportunity-to-project link Modules 1. Project types, templates & the billing schedule (3 hours) NetSuite PSA project types: time and materials (bill every approved hour at the agreed rate), fixed price (bill at milestones regardless of hours spent), cost plus (bill cost plus a markup), and the retainer (bill a fixed monthly fee regardless of activity). The commercial and accounting implications of each: T&M puts delivery risk on the client, fixed price puts it on the firm, and the wrong choice creates financial exposure. Choosing the right project type: the questions to ask the commercial team before configuring the project. Billing schedules: the milestone-based schedule (invoice when a deliverable is approved), the percentage of completion schedule (invoice when X% of the project is recognised as complete), the monthly recurring schedule (invoice on the first of each month), and the hybrid schedule (a fixed upfront fee plus monthly T&M). Building a billing schedule template: the standard milestone structure for each service type, and why standard templates reduce the configuration time for new projects from two hours to ten minutes. Project templates: how to create a template that pre-populates the task hierarchy, resource role requirements, billing schedule, and budget so that new project setup is consistent and fast. Topics: T&M project type; Fixed price project type; Cost plus project type; Retainer model; Commercial risk implications; Project type selection criteria; Milestone billing schedule; Percentage completion schedule; Monthly recurring schedule; Hybrid billing schedule; Billing schedule templates; Project templates 2. Resource roles, rates & the resource management setup (3 hours) Resource roles versus named resources: the role is the job function (senior consultant, project manager, analyst, developer), the named resource is the person — and why the billing rate should attach to the role, not the person. Resource role setup: creating the role record, setting the standard billing rate, the standard cost rate (for profitability), and the GL accounts for the cost and revenue posting. Rate cards: the standard rate card that applies to all clients, the client-specific rate card that overrides the standard for a preferred client, and the project-specific rate that overrides everything for a fixed-price engagement. Resource availability: how NetSuite calculates availability from the employee's standard hours minus their committed project hours, and how to configure the work calendar that drives the availability calculation. The resource management dashboard: project managers's view of available resources, the resource utilisation report, and the over-allocation alert. Skills and certifications on the resource record: how to capture skill data and how to search for resources with a specific skill when staffing a new project. Staffing requests: the workflow that allows a project manager to request a resource, routes the request to the resource manager, and tracks the allocation decision. Topics: Resource role vs named resource; Role billing rate; Role cost rate; GL account mapping; Standard rate card; Client-specific rate card; Project-specific rate override; Availability calculation; Work calendar setup; Resource management dashboard; Utilisation report; Over-allocation alert; Skills and certifications; Staffing request workflow 3. Time entry validation, approval workflow & billing review (3 hours) Time entry validation rules: the configuration that prevents a consultant from logging time against a project that is on hold, a task they are not assigned to, or a date outside the project period. Why validation rules matter: the cost of time entries against the wrong project is not visible until the billing review or the profitability report — by which point the invoice may already have been sent. The timesheet approval workflow: designing the approval chain (does the project manager approve, or the resource manager, or both?), the approval sequence (must all timesheets be approved before billing, or can partial billing happen on approved time only?), and the timeout and escalation rules. Expense approval integration: ensuring that project-coded expenses follow the same approval chain as timesheets and appear in the same billing review. The billing review: the configuration that controls what appears in the billing queue (only approved time, or also pending time?), how to mark items as non-billable after approval, and the billing run that generates invoices for multiple projects simultaneously. Invoice customisation: the SuiteScript-free approaches to showing the right level of detail on a project invoice — time by consultant and task versus a single project fee line versus a detailed time report as an attachment. Topics: Time entry validation rules; On-hold project restriction; Task assignment validation; Date range validation; Validation cost without it; Approval chain design; Timesheet vs resource manager approval; Approval sequence options; Escalation rules; Expense approval integration; Billing queue configuration; Non-billable marking; Billing run for multiple projects; Invoice detail level; Invoice customisation options 4. Revenue recognition, WIP & PSA profitability reporting (3 hours) Revenue recognition in professional services: the accounting distinction between billing (when you invoice) and revenue (when you earn the right to the revenue). The four revenue recognition methods in NetSuite PSA: time and materials (recognise when time is approved), percentage of completion (recognise proportional to the completion percentage), completed contract (recognise when the project is fully complete), and straight-line (recognise evenly across the project period). Choosing the right method: the accounting standards that apply (IFRS 15 / ASC 606), the contractual terms, and the practical implications for the month-end close. The revenue recognition schedule: the planned recognition by period versus the actual recognition as time is approved. The revenue recognition journal: how NetSuite posts the recognition entry and the accounts it debits and credits. Work in progress (WIP): what it is (the cost incurred on a project for which revenue has not yet been recognised), where it sits on the balance sheet, and how it clears when revenue is recognised. WIP ageing: the management report that shows how long cost has been sitting in WIP without revenue recognition — the early warning signal of a project that is in trouble. The project profitability report: how it combines revenue recognised, cost incurred (time, expenses, subcontractors), and budget to show the margin by project, client, and practice. The key configuration decisions that make the profitability report reliable: consistent cost rates, consistent revenue recognition timing, and correct GL account mapping. Topics: Billing vs revenue recognition; T&M recognition method; Percentage of completion; Completed contract method; Straight-line method; IFRS 15 / ASC 606 alignment; Revenue recognition schedule; Recognition journal entry; WIP balance sheet treatment; WIP clearing entry; WIP ageing report; Project profitability report; Margin by project and client; Practice-level profitability; Configuration decisions for reliable reporting Delivery Four sessions over four days. The billing configuration in session three builds on the project type decisions from session one and the resource rate setup from session two. Attendance by the finance director, the operations director, and the system administrator together is strongly recommended. Certification Certificate of completion Price USD 1100 · per participant per person · indicative · group pricing available HRDC eligibility Up to 75% refundable Mauritius-registered employers may claim this training via the HRDC levy. We provide full documentation to support your claim. Languages English Provider reference SIMPLIT-054-NS_PSA_CONFIG

• NetSuite administrators configuring the PSA module for a professional services firm • Implementation consultants deploying NetSuite PSA on a client engagement • Operations directors responsible for the PSA system design • Finance directors ensuring that PSA configuration supports accurate revenue recognition • Practice leaders who need profitability and utilisation reporting to work correctly • IT leads configuring NetSuite for a consulting, legal, or audit firm