Processes
SyteLine cost rollup explained: Current BOM Cost Roll Up and rolling current cost to standard
Applies to: SyteLine 8, 9 and 10, and CloudSuite Industrial. Standard cost steps apply to items costed at standard.
Short answer
SyteLine keeps two sets of costs. Current costs are a working estimate built from routings and bills of material. Standard costs are the fixed baseline used for variances when your General Parameters say to calculate variances against standard. To refresh current costs, run Current BOM Processor (so low-level codes are right), then Change Cost Rates (so labour and overhead rates are current), then Current BOM Cost Roll Up. That writes each parent's cost to Current Unit Cost on Item Costs. Configured items and alternate materials are skipped. To make those numbers the new baseline, run Roll Current Cost to Standard Cost, usually once a year.
Current vs standard: why there are two
| Current costs | Standard costs | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Today's best estimate | Fixed baseline for variance analysis |
| Built from | Current Materials and Current Operations | Standard Materials and Standard Operations |
| Changes when | You edit current BOMs or routings, or run the rollup | Only when you roll current to standard |
| Used for | Templates for jobs, production schedules and estimates; cost planning | Variances and costing on reports, when Calculate Variances Against is Standard on General Parameters |
Editing the current BOM doesn't touch standard costs. That's deliberate. Standard is meant to stay still so variances mean something.
Refreshing current costs: the right order
1. Current BOM Processor
Run this first. It makes sure each item's low-level code is correct, meaning how deep the item sits in the BOM structure. The rollup works bottom-up, so wrong low-level codes mean parents get costed before their components are up to date.
2. Change Cost Rates
Run this if labour or overhead rates have changed. It updates the rates on existing current routings, so the rollup uses today's rates instead of last year's.
3. Current BOM Cost Roll Up
This recalculates costs for items with current BOMs. For each parent it adds up:
- operation setup and run times from the routing
- material quantities per assembly from the BOM
- each material's unit cost, taken from Current Unit Cost on Item Costs
The result is written to the parent's Current Unit Cost.
It doesn't roll up:
- items with the Configuration Flag set (Controls tab of Items)
- alternate materials on the current BOM
On a large item master the rollup can take a while. Run it outside busy hours.
4. Review before anyone relies on it
Before the numbers feed quotes or a new standard, check them:
- Biggest changes. Compare each item's new current cost with the previous one, and with standard. Large jumps are usually a BOM or routing error, such as a quantity in the wrong unit of measure or a run time entered per lot instead of per piece.
- Zero or missing costs. A purchased component with no current cost makes every parent look too cheap.
- Configured items. They weren't rolled up, so check them separately.
Rolling current cost to standard
When the current costs are reviewed and approved, Roll Current Cost to Standard Cost copies them into the standard side, from Current Materials to Standard Materials. This sets the new baseline.
Most businesses do this once a year, at the start of the financial year, often after a full review with finance. Doing it more often makes variance reporting hard to read.
Before you run it:
- Agree it with finance. Changing standard costs changes how inventory is valued and how variances appear. Finance needs to know the date and the expected impact.
- Take a snapshot. Export the old standard costs first, so you can show what changed and why.
- Run it at a quiet time. It touches many records. Infor publishes guidance on preventing it from blocking other processes, so check that for your version, and don't run it at the same time as posting or heavy reports. Blocking is explained in Why a SyteLine task runs for days.
- Test it on a copy with production data, and compare the results.
Common problems
- Parent costs look wrong after the rollup. Usually a component cost or a BOM quantity. Trace one parent down its BOM by hand.
- Costs didn't change at all. Check whether Current BOM Processor and Change Cost Rates ran first, and whether the item is configured.
- Variances exploded after rolling to standard. The new standard was rolled before current costs were reviewed. That's why Step 4 exists.
Checking costs with SQL (read-only)
To list items whose current cost has moved a lot from standard, you can query Item Costs data through a DataView, or with a read-only SQL query against your own test copy. Column names vary by version, so check yours in the IDO behind the Item Costs form. See the SyteLine SQL table cheat sheet for how to find the table behind any form. Never update cost columns directly with SQL. Always use the utilities.
FAQ
How do I run a cost rollup in SyteLine?
Run Current BOM Processor, then Change Cost Rates if rates changed, then Current BOM Cost Roll Up. The parent's cost is written to Current Unit Cost on Item Costs.
Why didn't some items roll up in SyteLine?
Items with the Configuration Flag set, and alternate materials, aren't included. Wrong low-level codes can also give wrong results. Run Current BOM Processor first.
What's the difference between current and standard cost in SyteLine?
Current cost is the working estimate from current BOMs and routings. Standard cost is the fixed baseline used for variances. It only changes when you roll current to standard.
How often should I roll current cost to standard?
Usually once a year, agreed with finance, after the current costs have been reviewed.