System / Archibus Application Administrator - Application Configuration

Entering Alternate Names for the CAM Cost Categories

The CAM cost feature uses two new cost categories that are shipped by default:

• RENT – CAM ESTIMATE used to record a lease's estimated CAM Costs
• RENT – CAM RECONCILIATION used to record the CAM adjustments that reconcile the estimated CAM costs a tenant paid with the actual CAM costs that a landlord incurred.

Because lease Cost Administrators can define and name their own cost categories, these default cost categories could be renamed. Also, if the application is localized, the names of these cost category would be changed to different languages. However, these costs need to be summarized when the application reconciles the estimated and actual CAM costs. To ensure that the application includes all CAM costs in the summary, the application includes two application parameters to record these alternate names. The application parameters are CAM_Estimate and CAM_Reconciliation.

Note:  Deleting a parameter value breaks the connection between that cost category and the ‘RENT-CAM ESTIMATE’ or ‘RENT-CAM RECONCILIATION’ category, and so excludes all costs using that category from the ‘Lease CAM Reconciliation Report’. For this reason, do not delete an application parameter if it has been used in any cost records.

The application parameters will be defined in the Application Parameters table (afm_activity_params) for the Costs application.

Defining subcategories for CAM estimates and CAM adjustments

To track CAM estimates and adjustments, the application provides the RENT - CAM ESTIMATE and RENT - CAM RECONCILIATION cost categories. If you would like to track these costs by subcategories, you can define additional cost categories, such as RENT - CAM ESTIMATE - WATER, RENT - CAM ESTIMATE - ELECTRICITY, or RENT - CAM ESTIMATE - SECURITY. This would enable you to track the breakdown for the CAM estimates. You could also define corresponding cost categories for CAM adjustments enabling you to reconcile CAM costs by category.

For information on CAM, see Managing CAM: Overview

• CAM_Estimate: Using this application parameter, you can maintain multiple cost categories for CAM estimates that the cost administrator then selects when adding an estimate from the Lease CAM Profile. This enables you to break down CAM estimates by types of charges. For example, you could enter the following:

  • estimated costs for utilities for common spaces (for example, the cost category could be = RENT - CAM ESTIMATED UTILITY)

  • estimate costs for electricity for common spaces (for example, the cost category could be = RENT - CAM ESTIMATED ELECTRICITY)

  • estimate costs for security of common spaces (for example, the cost category could be = RENT - CAM ESTIMATED SECURITY)

• CAM_Reconciliation: Using this application parameter, you can maintain multiple cost categories for CAM adjustments. If you have defined cost categories for CAM estimates, you could define corresponding categories for CAM reconciliation, so that the CAM adjustments could be entered by type of cost.

Syntax for entering multiple parameter values

When entering multiple values for the CAM cost categories, use the following syntax:

• Separate multiple entries using a comma.
• Ensure that there are no spaces either before or after the parameter values.

Procedure

To enter alternate names for the RENT – CAM ESTIMATE and RENT – CAM RECONCILIATION cost categories:

1. Select the System / Archibus Administrator - Application Configuration / Configure Application Parameters task.
2. From the Applications pane, select AbRPLMCosts.
3. From the Application Parameters pane, select CAM_Estimate or CAM_Reconciliation.
4. In the Edit Application Parameters pane, in the Parameter Value field, enter the alternate name for the selected application parameter.

   You can enter multiple values for either cost category. When entering multiple values, delimit each parameter value using commas. Ensure that there are no spaces either before or after the parameter values.

   For example, for the CAM_RECONCILIATION application parameter, you could enter the following:

   Parameter Value = CAM Recon ELECTRICAL,CAM Recon WATER

5. Click Save.
6. Click Reload All Parameters to have the saved parameter take effect.