Use this article to understand how Yarken calculates workforce costs and how those costs affect budgets and forecasts.
Cost calculation overview
Yarken calculates workforce cost from three core inputs:
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Annual base compensation for the selected role.
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Monthly headcount entered by the user.
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Account distribution configured by Admins.
The calculation converts annual role cost into monthly cost, multiplies it by monthly headcount, and distributes the result to mapped financial accounts.
Main formulas
Monthly cost
Monthly cost = Annual base compensation ÷ 12
Monthly expense
Monthly expense = Monthly cost × Monthly headcount
Total expense
Total expense = Sum of monthly expenses across the planning period
Account allocation
Account allocation = Total expense × Account distribution percentage
Example: Monthly and total expense calculation
A role has annual base compensation of 1,200,000.
Monthly cost = 1,200,000 ÷ 12 = 100,000
The user enters the following headcount:
|
Month |
Headcount |
Monthly expense |
|---|---|---|
|
January |
0.5 |
50,000 |
|
February |
0.5 |
50,000 |
|
March |
1 |
100,000 |
|
April |
1 |
100,000 |
Total expense = 300,000
Example: Account-level distribution
The total expense is 300,000.
The role is mapped to Software Licenses at 10%.
Account allocation = 300,000 × 10% = 30,000
Yarken generates a budget or forecast value of 30,000 for the Software Licenses account.
How cost centers affect the calculation
The cost center does not change the role rate or monthly cost formula. It determines where the generated budget or forecast value is assigned for ownership, review, and reporting.
For example, if the same role and headcount are planned under two different cost centers, the cost formula may be the same, but the generated financial values will be assigned to different cost center owners.
How entities affect the calculation
The entity identifies the reporting or legal structure for the workforce cost. Like cost center, entity does not change the base formula unless your organization has separate role rates or account mappings by entity.
Entity selection is important for access control, reporting, and multi-entity planning.
How expense type affects financial impact
Expense type classifies the workforce cost as CapEx or OpEx.
This affects how the cost appears in financial plans and reports. Users should follow the organization’s accounting policy when selecting expense type.
Why generated values may differ from manual expectations
Generated values may differ from a user’s manual calculation because of:
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Rounding.
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Distribution percentages.
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Multiple account mappings.
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Distribution totals greater than 100%.
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Headcount entered across more months than expected.
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Incorrect role rate.
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Incorrect role selection.
When reviewing differences, start with the workforce entry. Confirm the role, rate, monthly headcount, cost center, entity, expense type, and account mapping.
Troubleshooting calculation issues
Total expense is higher than expected
Check whether headcount has been entered in additional months or whether vendor headcount is greater than expected.
Total expense is lower than expected
Check whether partial headcount was entered or whether the role rate is lower than expected.
Account allocation is missing
Check whether the role has account mapping.
Account allocation is too high
Check whether the distribution percentage is higher than expected or whether the total distribution exceeds 100%.
Cost is assigned to the wrong cost center
Update the cost center in the workforce entry if the workflow allows editing. If not, contact the Budget Process Owner.
Next step
Workforce Planning concepts and terminology
Related articles
Configure Workforce Planning roles and account mappings