If you’ve ever stared at a project and thought, “This isn’t done yet, but I’ve spent a whole lot of time and money on it,” then congrats—you’ve unlocked the mindset for percent of completion accounting. As your resident DynamicsDad, I’m here to guide you through how
D365 F&O can manage this accounting method without customizations.
Grab your financial calculator, pocket protector (or coffee) and let’s break it down, OOB style.
What Is Percent of Completion Accounting? (Dad-friendly version)
Percent of completion (POC) accounting lets you recognize revenue and expenses based on the work completed, not when the project wraps up. It’s like telling your kids they can have dessert once their room is halfway clean because, hey, progress matters.
This method is a game-changer for industries like construction, professional services, and premium home builders, where projects can stretch across months — or even years.
Key Formula: Revenue recognized = (Total estimated revenue × % complete) – Revenue recognized to date
D365 F&O’s project management module makes this feel like less of a math test and more of a guided tour.
How D365 F&O Handles Percent of Completion OOB
Here’s the good news: D365 F&O offers robust project accounting functionality with built-in percent of completion tracking. Here’s how it works:
1. Project Setup with Contract Details
Start by creating a fixed-price project in the project management module. Fixed-price contracts are essential because POC relies on an agreed-upon revenue total.
Enter budget estimates for costs, revenues, and durations. These become the baseline for tracking progress.
Pro tip: Think of this like planning a family road trip—know your starting point, destination, and snacks budget in advance.
2. Assign Project Stages
D365 allows you to break down your project into stages or WBS tasks (work breakdown structure).
For each stage, define when milestones hit completion or when percentage thresholds trigger revenue recognition.
3. Cost and Effort Tracking (The Heart of POC)
D365 F&O automatically tracks costs through:
Time and material entries (e.g., employee hours)
Vendor invoices (external costs)
Purchase orders for materials or equipment
As these costs roll in, D365 F&O updates the percent of completion based on the formula you configure.
4. Revenue Recognition Methods
This is where the magic happens. You can choose between two core OOB revenue recognition methods:
Percentage of cost to cost: Recognize revenue based on the percentage of incurred costs compared to the total estimated costs.
Percentage of effort: Recognize revenue based on tracked effort (hours worked) against estimated labor.
5. Recognize Revenue Periodically
D365 allows periodic revenue recognition through journals or automated batch processes. This keeps your financials updated and accurate.
Dad Tip: Think of this like checking how much ice cream is left in the freezer before promising your kids a scoop. Regular tracking avoids surprises.
Example 1: Construction Project (Using Cost to Cost)
Scenario: A premium home builder is building a custom $500,000 home over 12 months.
Estimated costs: $400,000
Incurred costs so far: $200,000
The percent of completion is calculated as:($200,000 / $400,000) × 100% = 50% complete
D365 F&O recognizes 50% of the $500,000 contract revenue, or $250,000.
The system automatically handles the deferred revenue and cost accruals, keeping financials in line without manual intervention.
Example 2: Professional Services Firm (Using Percentage of Effort)
Scenario:A consultancy has a $100,000 project contract, expecting 1,000 billable hours.
Estimated hours: 1,000
Hours worked so far: 600
Percent complete = (600 / 1,000) × 100% = 60% complete.
Revenue recognized = 60% of $100,000 = $60,000
D365 F&O links this recognition directly to project journals, making revenue reporting seamless.
Handling Adjustments: OOB Watch-Outs
Even though D365 F&O covers most of what you need, you should be aware of key considerations:
Scope changes: You’ll need to update budgets and estimated costs if project scope increases.
Overruns: D365 can handle overruns, but you’ll want to monitor estimated vs. actual costs regularly.
Audit trails: The OOB functionality provides traceability through project transactions, which auditors love (and so will your CFO).
Why POC Accounting Is the MVP of Revenue Recognition
POC ensures your company doesn’t suffer a revenue drought just because projects are midstream. Instead of waiting until completion, your income statement gets the love it deserves—on time, and reflective of work done.
Industries Benefiting from Percent of Completion in D365 F&O
D365’s OOB POC functionality is particularly valuable for:
Construction: Manage progress billing and milestone-based revenue recognition.
Premium home builders: Keep financials aligned with staged homebuilding milestones.
Professional services: Track billable effort and revenue from long-term consulting contracts.
Subscription services: For fixed-period service projects, recognize revenue steadily as services are provided.
Dad Joke Break
Why did the project accountant bring a ladder to the office?
Because they wanted to reach new heights in revenue recognition!
If percent of completion accounting makes your head spin, don’t worry—D365 F&O’s out-of-the-box features are like cruise control for revenue management. Once you’ve set up projects, D365 takes care of the tedious tracking and ensures you’re always one step ahead.
So, the next time you’re deep in project work, just remember: Progress isn’t measured by how many cups of coffee you’ve had but by how well you’ve set up D365 to do the heavy lifting.
And remember, progress recognized is progress earned.
DynamicsDad