Choose a reporting mode: labour, material or both

4 min read · Updated 28 Jul 2026

Every project runs in one of three reporting modes — Labour, Material or Both — controlling which cost columns and metric blocks appear on the WBS, dashboard and exports. The portfolio has its own independent mode. Labour and material performance are always reported side-by-side, never blended into one misleading index.

The three modes

  • Labour — hours-based EVM only: S/E, SPI, earned vs spent hours. Material columns are hidden everywhere. The right default when material spend is tracked elsewhere.
  • Material — material budget, actual spend, material CPI and % material spent. Labour cost columns are hidden.
  • Both — labour and material shown side-by-side, plus a total money roll-up that converts labour hours to cost at the project's default labour rate.
Mode: Both — three independent blocks Labour S/E · SPI earned vs spent hours Material material CPI · SPI % material spent Total money roll-up via default labour rate
Why no single blended CPI? A crew ahead on hours can mask a material overrun (and vice versa) — one merged index hides exactly the signal you need. WBSync keeps the labour and material blocks independent and adds the total money view alongside, so each dimension keeps its own story.

Set the mode per project

1
Project Settings → Reporting

Pick Labour, Material or Both. The WBS table, project dashboard, PDF/XLSX exports and Report Studio widgets follow the mode immediately — hidden columns are withheld by the server, not just collapsed in the browser.

2
Company Settings → portfolio mode

The portfolio dashboard has its own mode, plus a default mode applied to newly created projects. Changing one project never changes the portfolio setting (or the other way round) — a mixed portfolio of labour-only and both-mode projects is fine.

Role gating still applies on top of the mode: whatever the mode shows, € figures are only visible to roles with cost access. Mode decides which dimensions the project reports; roles decide who sees the money.

What next?

Feeding the material block: Material cost budgets and material CPI →

Frequently asked

What does the reporting mode actually change?

Which cost columns and metric blocks appear on the WBS table, project dashboard, exports and reports: hours-based labour EVM, material budget/CPI, or both side-by-side with a total money roll-up. Hidden columns are removed server-side, not just visually.

Does changing a project's mode change the portfolio view?

No. The portfolio dashboard has its own independent mode set in Company Settings, along with a default mode for newly created projects. Project and portfolio settings never propagate into each other.

Why doesn't WBSync combine labour and material into one CPI?

Because one blended index hides the signal: a crew ahead on hours can mask a material overrun and vice versa. Labour (S/E, SPI) and material (CPI, % spent) are reported as independent blocks, with a separate total money roll-up in Both mode.

How is the Total block calculated in Both mode?

Labour hours are converted to money at the project's default labour rate and added to material figures — a single money view of the project alongside (never instead of) the per-dimension blocks.

Does the mode override who can see costs?

No. Cost-visibility roles apply on top: even in Both mode, € figures are withheld from roles without cost access. The mode decides which dimensions the project reports; roles decide who sees the money.

What mode should I pick if I only track labour?

Labour. Material columns disappear from every surface, keeping the WBS table and dashboard focused. You can switch to Both later without losing anything — material budgets and imports simply become visible again.

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