PSD Report (Project Spend Detail Report)

Overview

The PSD Report is a specialized financial accountability report designed to provide detailed visibility into weekly project spending across three core cost categories: Project Management/Strategy, Design, and Per-Piece Artwork production. This report aggregates finalized billable time and connects it to the hierarchical business structure of Purchase Orders, Divisions, Invoice Groups, Clients, and Projects—enabling precise tracking of where money is being spent on creative services work.

The report operates on a week-by-week basis aligned with the company's billing cycle, presenting spending data organized by project with full context including the requestor (the client-side contact who initiated the work), the campaign the project belongs to, the project manager responsible for oversight, and the specific packaging pieces being produced. This comprehensive context enables both financial accountability and operational visibility in a single view.

A distinctive feature of this report is the dual-sheet Excel output: the main "PSD Report" sheet shows finalized work ready for billing, while a companion "Pending Artworks" sheet displays artwork that has been worked on but not yet completed—providing visibility into work-in-progress that will appear in future billing cycles.

Location: Navigate to Reports from the main navigation menu, then click PSD Report in the GENERAL section.

URL: /reports/psdreport.aspx

Access Level:

• Regular Staff: Can view PSD data only for invoice groups where they serve as Account Manager
• Administrators: Can view all data without restrictions across all Purchase Orders and Divisions

Business Value

For Client Account Management

The PSD Report provides Account Managers with critical financial intelligence for their client relationships:

• Weekly Spending Transparency - See exactly what is being billed to clients each week, broken down by type of work (PM, Design, Artwork)
• Purchase Order Consumption Tracking - Monitor how quickly PO budgets are being consumed to proactively manage client expectations
• Requestor Attribution - Understand which client stakeholders are driving work volume and associated spending
• Campaign-Level Visibility - Group spending by marketing campaign to support client budget discussions

For Financial Leadership

Finance and billing teams benefit from:

• Invoice Support Documentation - Comprehensive backup for client invoices showing exactly what work was performed
• Division-Level Segmentation - Filter spending by business division for accurate cost allocation
• Purchase Order Alignment - Verify that billed time corresponds to appropriate PO agreements
• Pending Work Forecasting - The Pending Artworks sheet previews upcoming billing before completion

For Operations Management

Operations directors gain operational insights:

• Project Manager Workload - See which project managers are associated with high-spend periods
• Packaging Production Volume - Track the specific packaging pieces flowing through the production pipeline
• Weekly Billing Patterns - Analyze spending distribution across weeks to identify workload variations
• Historical Comparison - Include finalized-in-the-past option for accurate period comparisons

For Client Services

Client-facing teams use this report for:

• Client Meeting Preparation - Comprehensive spending data for budget review meetings
• Scope Discussion Support - Detailed breakdown supports conversations about scope changes or additions
• Relationship Health Indicators - Steady spending patterns indicate healthy ongoing relationships

Business Benefits

1. Three-Dimensional Cost Breakdown - Every dollar spent is attributed to PM/Strategy, Design, or Per-Piece Artwork categories, enabling precise understanding of where creative services investment is directed.
2. Purchase Order Budget Management - Filter by PO to see exactly how work is consuming specific contract budgets, supporting proactive client communication before POs are exhausted.
3. Division-Based Reporting - Large clients organized into multiple business divisions can see spending segmented appropriately for their internal cost allocation requirements.
4. Weekly Period Alignment - The Monday-based week selection ensures spending aligns with standard billing cycles and payroll periods.
5. Pending Work Visibility - Unlike traditional billing reports that only show completed work, the Pending Artworks sheet reveals work-in-progress, enabling accurate cash flow and billing forecasts.
6. Subtotal Generation - Optional subtotals per week group data visually and provide running totals for weekly spending review.
7. Historical Inclusion Option - The "Include finalized in the past" option captures artwork that reached completion status before the selected period but was added during the period—ensuring accurate period attribution.
8. Role-Based Security - Account Managers see only their clients' data, maintaining appropriate data boundaries while providing the transparency needed for client relationships.
9. Excel Export Format - Direct Excel download enables further analysis, client distribution, or integration with external financial systems.

Usage Scenarios

Scenario 1: Weekly Client Budget Review

Role: Account Manager

Every Monday morning, an Account Manager generates the PSD Report for the previous week, filtered to their client's Purchase Order. They review the spending across PM, Design, and Artwork categories. Before the weekly client call, they verify the numbers align with expectations and can speak confidently about what work was completed and the associated investment. The packaging piece column lets them reference specific deliverables discussed previously.

Scenario 2: PO Consumption Monitoring

Role: Account Director

An Account Director manages a major client account with a large annual Purchase Order. Quarterly, they generate the PSD Report spanning the quarter with the client's PO selected. The subtotals option provides weekly spending summaries. They calculate cumulative PO consumption against the annual budget and determine whether to initiate a PO renewal discussion or adjust project scope to stay within budget.

Scenario 3: Invoice Backup Preparation

Role: Finance Manager

When generating monthly client invoices, the Finance Manager runs the PSD Report for the billing period with appropriate PO and Division filters. The Excel export serves as detailed backup supporting invoice line items. Each row traces spending to a specific project, packaging piece, and project manager—providing audit-ready documentation for client questions.

Scenario 4: Division Chargeback Reporting

Role: Client Finance Contact

A large enterprise client has multiple internal divisions that share creative services through a master agreement. Each division needs to understand its portion of the total spending. The Account Manager generates separate PSD Reports filtered by each Division, enabling internal chargeback or cost allocation within the client organization.

Scenario 5: Pending Work Pipeline Review

Role: Production Manager

Before committing to new project timelines, a Production Manager reviews the Pending Artworks sheet to understand the current work-in-progress pipeline. The artwork dollar values on unfinished pieces reveal the financial magnitude of pending completions. This informs capacity planning and helps set realistic delivery expectations for new work requests.

Scenario 6: Year-Over-Year Spending Comparison

Role: Account Executive

During annual contract renewal discussions, an Account Executive generates PSD Reports for the same period across two years. By including "finalized in the past" items, they ensure accurate period comparisons. The spending trends inform negotiations—growing spend justifies volume discounts while declining spend may require relationship development strategies.

Scenario 7: Campaign Cost Analysis

Role: Marketing Manager (Client Side)

A client marketing manager requests a breakdown of creative services spending by campaign. The Account Manager generates the PSD Report filtered to the relevant period and shares the Excel export. The Campaign column groups spending by marketing initiative, enabling the client to calculate true campaign costs including all packaging artwork production.

Industry Context

Standard Practice in Creative Agencies

Professional creative services organizations universally provide detailed spending reports to clients:

Activity-Based Costing

Breaking down costs by work type (strategy, design, production) is standard practice:

• Clients expect to understand what they're paying for
• Different work types often have different rate structures
• Activity breakdown enables value discussions beyond just hours

The PSD Report's PM/Strategy, Design, and Artwork separation directly supports this expectation.

Purchase Order Management

Enterprise clients typically engage creative agencies through Purchase Orders:

• POs represent committed budgets for defined periods or scopes
• Agencies must track consumption against PO limits
• Proactive communication prevents budget surprises

The PO filter capability enables this essential financial governance.

Period-Based Billing Cycles

Weekly billing periods are common in agency-client relationships:

• Align with payroll and time entry cycles
• Enable regular budget check-ins
• Support predictable invoicing schedules

The Monday-aligned week selection matches this industry standard.

Per-Piece Pricing Models

The packaging industry commonly uses per-piece pricing:

Fixed Unit Pricing

Rather than hourly billing, packaging artwork production often uses fixed prices per deliverable:

• Price based on packaging type (label, carton, insert)
• Complexity factors affect per-piece rates
• Provides predictability for both agency and client

Volume Economics

Per-piece pricing creates economies of scale:

• Higher volumes justify lower per-piece rates
• Volume commitments support staffing planning
• Both parties benefit from volume predictability

The PSD Report's dedicated Artwork Dollars column and packaging piece detail directly support per-piece billing model transparency.

Division-Based Enterprise Relationships

Large enterprise clients often structure agency relationships by business division:

Decentralized Budget Management

Enterprise business units maintain separate budgets:

• Each division controls its marketing spending
• Shared services require allocation visibility
• Division leaders need their specific spending data

Consolidated Agreements

Master Service Agreements cover multiple divisions:

• Agency manages relationship at corporate level
• Individual divisions activate work within the master agreement
• Spending must be trackable by division for internal allocation

The Division filter capability directly addresses this enterprise client structure.

Work-In-Progress Visibility

Separating completed and pending work is essential for financial planning:

Revenue Recognition

Accounting standards require appropriate timing:

• Completed work can be recognized and billed
• Pending work represents future revenue
• Visibility into the pipeline supports forecasting

Client Expectations

Clients benefit from understanding upcoming costs:

• Current period spending affects budget consumption
• Pending work preview enables budget adjustment
• No surprises when future invoices arrive

The dual-sheet structure with Pending Artworks directly addresses this need.

Business Logic Details

Time Activity Filtering

The report aggregates time entries across specific activity categories:

Project Management/Strategy Hours and Dollars

Includes time logged under PM and Strategy activities for specific client engagements. These represent the planning, oversight, and strategic guidance provided by project managers and account strategists. Both hours and dollar values are calculated based on employee billing rates.

Design Hours and Dollars

Captures Brand Design/Creative activity time that is not per-piece artwork production. This represents conceptual design, brand work, and creative development billed on an hourly basis.

Artwork Dollars

Aggregates per-piece artwork production across three activity types:

• Artwork Items (new packaging piece production)
• Artwork Alterations (modifications to existing artwork)
• IFU/Inserts (instructions for use and package insert documents)

Per-piece work is valued at fixed rates based on packaging type and complexity rather than hourly rates.

Finalization Status Requirements

Only finalized time entries appear in the report:

Finalized Status

Time entries must be marked as "finalized" by employees and approved through the billing workflow. This ensures:

• All time has been reviewed and approved
• Dollar calculations reflect final billing amounts
• Data represents accurate billable work

Pending Artworks Exception

The Pending Artworks sheet shows work that is "in process" status—artwork that has been worked on but not yet completed and finalized. This includes:

• Artwork production time logged but not finalized
• Pieces not yet reaching completion status
• Work-in-progress that will appear in future billing

Week-of Attribution Logic

Time entries are attributed to weeks based on specific rules:

PM/Strategy and Design Time

Uses the standard week-of date from time entries—the Monday of the week when work was performed and logged.

Per-Piece Artwork Time

Uses the "Status 3" date—the week when artwork reached completion status (Status 3 in the artwork workflow). This ensures per-piece work is billed in the period when it becomes ready for client delivery rather than when production hours were logged.

Historical Inclusion Option

When "Include finalized in the past" is enabled:

• Includes artwork that reached Status 3 before the selected start date
• But only if the artwork was added to the project within the selected date range
• Enables accurate period comparison when artwork completion was delayed

Account Manager Restriction

For non-administrator users:

Account Manager Filter

Regular staff see only data for invoice groups where they are designated as Account Manager. This restriction applies at the Invoice Group level, filtering all subordinate data (clients, projects, time entries) accordingly.

Data Boundaries

This ensures:

• Account Managers see their client portfolio only
• Client financial data remains appropriately restricted
• Users cannot access spending for unrelated accounts

Hierarchical Filtering

The report supports cascading filters:

Purchase Order Selection

When a PO is selected, data is limited to projects linked to that specific Purchase Order agreement. Time entries must fall within PO date ranges.

Division Selection

When a Division is selected, data is limited to projects and work associated with that business division. Divisions represent client organizational structures.

Combined Filtering

Both filters can be applied simultaneously, limiting data to work that matches both the selected PO and Division.

Key Features

Filter Controls

Date Selection Constraints

The date pickers enforce Monday selection:

• Only Mondays are selectable in the calendar
• Ensures proper week alignment with billing cycles
• Default to the previous week's Monday for both start and end

Main Report Columns

Pending Artworks Sheet Columns

Excel Output Features

The generated Excel workbook includes:

• Frozen Header Row - Headers remain visible while scrolling
• Automatic Column Widths - Optimized for content display
• Currency Formatting - Dollar columns use proper currency display
• Numeric Formatting - Hours columns use decimal formatting
• Week Grouping - Visual borders separate weekly data blocks
• Subtotal Rows - Bold subtotals when option is enabled
• Two Worksheets - Main report and Pending Artworks in single download

Summary

The PSD Report is a comprehensive financial accountability tool that transforms finalized time entry data into detailed weekly spending reports organized by project, client, and cost type. By breaking down costs into Project Management/Strategy, Design, and Per-Piece Artwork categories—and enabling filtering by Purchase Order and Division—the report provides the precise spending visibility that enterprise client relationships require.

Key Capabilities:

• Three-Category Cost Breakdown: Every dollar categorized as PM/Strategy, Design, or Artwork for clear cost attribution
• Purchase Order Filtering: Track spending against specific PO budget commitments
• Division Segmentation: Support enterprise clients with multi-division organizational structures
• Pending Work Visibility: Companion sheet reveals work-in-progress for billing forecasting
• Weekly Period Alignment: Monday-based week selection matches standard billing cycles
• Role-Based Security: Account Managers see only their client portfolio data
• Excel Export: Direct download for further analysis or client distribution
• Historical Inclusion: Option to capture delayed completions for accurate period comparison

Business Impact:

• Enables transparent client budget discussions with detailed spending backup
• Supports Purchase Order consumption monitoring and proactive communication
• Provides invoice-ready documentation with full project and requestor context
• Facilitates division-based cost allocation for enterprise client relationships
• Reveals pending work pipeline for cash flow and capacity forecasting
• Maintains appropriate data boundaries through Account Manager restrictions
• Delivers industry-standard spending transparency for creative services relationships

The PSD Report serves as the primary detailed spending report for client-facing financial discussions, connecting time tracking and billing data to the business context of Purchase Orders, Divisions, Campaigns, and individual projects while maintaining the work-type granularity (PM, Design, Artwork) essential for creative services value communication.