# Job Cost — Learning Path _Learning Paths › Job Cost_ This learning path is for Job Cost users who need to direct cost transactions to purchasing or sales activity. After completing it, you will be able to choose the appropriate allocation destination, start a new allocation using the relevant Job Cost screen, and apply a consistent decision process for recurring allocation work. ## Learning objectives - By the end of this path you can determine whether a cost transaction should be allocated to purchasing or sales activity. - By the end of this path you can start a new allocation to a purchase order from Job Cost. - By the end of this path you can start a new allocation to sales from Job Cost. - By the end of this path you can apply the correct allocation route for common job-cost scenarios. - By the end of this path you can use the available allocation screens consistently during daily and periodic cost-management work. ## Prerequisites - Access to the Job Cost app. - Access to the allocation screens: **New Allocation to PO** and **New Allocation to Sales**. - Familiarity with the business purpose of purchase orders and sales activity in your organization. - A cost-transaction allocation task to complete. ## Module 1: Choose the right allocation destination **Goal:** Learn to route a cost transaction to the screen that matches the business outcome you need. ### Lesson 1.1: Decide when a cost belongs with purchasing When a cost needs to be associated with a purchase order, begin the allocation from the purchase-order route. Open **New Allocation to PO** to create an allocation intended for PO-related activity. Use this route when the next business action is purchasing-focused rather than sales-focused. **Practice task:** Identify a cost transaction that should support purchasing and open **New Allocation to PO**. ### Lesson 1.2: Decide when a cost belongs with sales When a cost needs to be associated with sales activity, use the sales allocation route instead of the PO route. Open **New Allocation to Sales** to start a new allocation for a sales-related outcome. **Practice task:** Identify a cost transaction that should support sales activity and open **New Allocation to Sales**. ## Module 2: Perform daily purchase-order allocations **Goal:** Use the PO allocation route when daily job-cost work requires a purchasing outcome. ### Lesson 2.1: Start an allocation to a purchase order Your goal is to begin a new allocation for a cost that must be handled through purchasing. From Job Cost, open **New Allocation to PO**. Work in this screen when the allocation is intended to connect the cost-transaction process to a purchase-order outcome. **Practice task:** Start a new PO-directed allocation using **New Allocation to PO**. ### Lesson 2.2: Validate your route before continuing Before proceeding with a PO allocation, confirm that the business request is genuinely purchasing-related. If it is, remain in **New Allocation to PO**; if the request is actually about sales activity, switch to **New Allocation to Sales** and begin the allocation there. **Practice task:** For one sample request, state why the PO route is appropriate and open **New Allocation to PO**. ## Module 3: Perform sales-directed allocations **Goal:** Create sales-directed allocations and distinguish them from purchasing allocations. ### Lesson 3.1: Start an allocation to sales Your goal is to begin a new allocation when the cost should support sales activity. Open **New Allocation to Sales** and use this screen as the starting point for a sales-directed allocation. **Practice task:** Start a new sales-directed allocation using **New Allocation to Sales**. ### Lesson 3.2: Handle competing PO and sales requests A cost request may mention both purchasing and sales context. Determine the primary intended outcome before selecting a screen: choose **New Allocation to PO** when the allocation is for a purchase-order outcome, or choose **New Allocation to Sales** when it is for a sales outcome. This decision prevents starting the allocation in the wrong route. **Practice task:** Take two example requests—one purchasing-related and one sales-related—and open the correct allocation screen for each. ## Final assessment 1. A project cost must be handled as part of a purchase-order outcome. Which screen should you use to begin the allocation? 2. A cost needs to support sales activity rather than purchasing. Which allocation route should you select? 3. You opened the PO allocation screen, but the request is confirmed to be sales-related. What should you do? 4. A request refers to both a vendor-related activity and a customer-facing sales outcome. What should you decide before opening an allocation screen? 5. During recurring cost-allocation work, how can you consistently avoid choosing the wrong allocation route? ### Answers 1. **New Allocation to PO** — it is the route for starting a new allocation to a purchase-order outcome. 2. **New Allocation to Sales** — it is the route for starting a new sales-directed allocation. 3. Open **New Allocation to Sales** — the allocation should be started in the route that matches the sales outcome. 4. Decide the primary intended business outcome — choose the PO route for purchasing and the sales route for sales activity. 5. Confirm whether each request is purchasing- or sales-directed before opening a screen — then use the matching PO or sales allocation screen.