Overview
Once you have created your cost code descriptions, you need to associate them with the items in the Ensign database. There are three levels at which you can do this:
- Manufacturer — assigns a single cost code to everything supplied by a given manufacturer.
- Component type — assigns a cost code to a specific product range within a manufacturer (e.g. valves, pipework, fittings).
- Individual product — overrides the above by setting a cost code on a single item while you are working in a job.
The recommended approach is to set up as much as possible at the manufacturer and component type levels first, then handle any exceptions on a per-product basis as they come up. This page covers the first two methods. For individual product overrides, see Associating Cost Codes by Product.
Associating by manufacturer
This is the broadest level. Use it when a manufacturer only supplies one type of product and you want everything from them to fall under the same cost code.
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Go to Tools > Setup, then click the Types button.
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You will see a list of manufacturers. Find the manufacturer you want to assign a cost code to.
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Click the Cost Code drop-down on that manufacturer's row.
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Select the appropriate cost code from the list. You can start typing the description to jump straight to it.
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Press Enter to confirm.
Manufacturer-level association works well for suppliers who deal in a single product category. For example, if Stelrad only supplies radiators, you can assign the "Radiators" cost code to Stelrad and every Stelrad product will inherit it automatically.
When not to use manufacturer-level association
If a manufacturer supplies multiple product types — for example, both pipework and valves — do not set a cost code at the manufacturer level. Instead, use component type association so each product range gets the correct code.
Associating by component type
This is the most commonly used method. It lets you assign a cost code to a specific range of products within a manufacturer.
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In the Types screen, expand the manufacturer to see its component types.
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Find the component type you want to assign (e.g. "Steel Tube and Fittings" or "Valves").
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Click the Cost Code drop-down on that row.
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Select the cost code from the list. Start typing the description to filter results, then press Enter to confirm.
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Repeat for each component type as needed.
Component type is the most popular way to set up cost codes because it strikes a good balance between granularity and efficiency. Most organisations find that setting codes at this level covers the vast majority of their database.
Bulk setup via import and export
Rather than assigning cost codes one by one in the software, you can export the types list, fill in the cost codes in a spreadsheet, and import it back.
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In the Types screen, click Export to save the current list as a CSV file to your cloud storage.
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Copy the CSV to your local machine and open it in Excel.
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Fill in the cost code column for each component type row.
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Save the file, copy it back to your cloud storage, and use Import to load it into Ensign.
This is especially useful if you have a large database with many component types to configure.