What Happens When You Lock a Month

When a month is locked, the rules that apply are not the same for every type of financial data. Forecasts, allocations, timesheets, and invoices each behave differently once the period is closed.

It’s also important to note:

• Cash entries can still be uploaded into a closed month by financial administrators, but time entries (timesheets) cannot.

• Actuals only appear in the project workspace financial components after the month end close, ensuring spend-to-date always reflects locked periods.

• If a timesheet for a closed month is submitted late, the actuals will post into the next open month instead.

• Month end may fall part-way through a timesheet week. In this case, Fluid automatically splits the timesheet so that the hours worked before the cut-off date are posted into the closed month, and the remaining hours are posted into the next open month.

• Closing a month a few days “late” - i.e after the month end - is common practice, as Finance often completes the lock after data feeds and reviews are finished.

In the following sections, we’ll break down what locking means for:

• Resource and Non-Resource Forecasts

• Resource actuals

• Non-resource actuals

This will give you a clear picture of how each element is treated at month end, and how the locked data feeds into the Full Year Forecast (FYF).

When a month is locked, both resource forecasts (driven by allocations) and non-resource forecasts (entered in $ values) are affected in the same way. Locking ensures that the forecast for that month is frozen and can no longer be changed.

Forecasts in locked months

• Read-only: Resource and non-resource forecasts for the locked month become read-only and can no longer be edited by Project Managers, Editors, or Administrators.

• Removed from the Full Year Forecast (FYF): Because the month is closed, its forecast values are excluded from the FYF calculation.

• FYF flag: In reports, these forecasts are shown with FYF = No, clearly marking that they do not contribute to the active forecast view.

Resource allocations in locked months

• Read-only: Resource allocations for the locked month also become fixed. You cannot increase or decrease allocation once the period has closed.

• FYF flag: Just like forecasts, allocations in closed months are tagged as FYF = No.

Forecasts in future (open) months

• Editable: Forecasts and allocations in open months remain fully editable. You can continue updating them as plans evolve.

• Included in FYF: Because they are part of the planning horizon, these values remain in the FYF calculation.

• FYF flag: In reports, they are tagged FYF = Yes.

Non-resource actuals represent project spend captured through invoices. These can be recorded in two ways:

• Manually via the UI – by Project Managers or Project Administrators

• Via bulk upload – by Financial Administrators only (accessible from Financial Administration → Financial Actuals Bulk Edit)

When are invoices included in a locked month?

An invoice actual will be included in the actuals for the locked month (and tagged FYF = Yes) if:

1. The invoice date falls in the locked month or any earlier month, and

2. The invoice was either:

   • Entered before the month was locked (via UI or bulk upload), or

   • Entered after the month was locked, but uploaded by a Financial Administrator using the bulk upload tool.

Important points

• UI entries can only be posted to open months.

  • Project Managers and Project Administrators cannot enter invoices into locked periods.

  • These UI entries remain tagged FYF = No until the relevant month is closed.

• Bulk upload provides an override.

  • Financial Administrators can use bulk upload to enter or adjust invoices in locked months.

  • This ensures that critical financial corrections or late postings can still be reflected without reopening the month.

When a month is locked, the approved (or submitted, depending on configuration) timesheets for that period are brought into the Full Year Forecast (FYF). From that point, they are treated as part of the locked financial record. While it is still possible to recall timesheets - which will create reversal entries - the locked month ensures that actuals included in the FYF are clearly identified and auditable.

1 - If your instance is configured to actualise approved timesheets only

Once the month is locked:

• Approved timesheets for the locked month are now included in the Full Year Forecast (FYF). They are tagged FYF = Yes and treated as part of the closed financial record.

• Timesheets from earlier months that were approved during the month being locked are also included in the locked period’s actuals. This ensures late approvals are captured in the FYF at the point of lock.

• Returned and resubmitted timesheets from earlier months that were re-approved during the month being locked are also included, so any corrections are reflected in the FYF.

• If the Corrections feature is enabled, all corrections that were approved during the month being locked (e.g. moving hours between projects) are included,.

• Unapproved timesheets are not included. They remain outside the FYF and will only be brought in when they are submitted/approved in the next open month.

Result:

• Actuals included in the locked month are tagged FYF = Yes.

• Carried-forward actuals are tagged FYF = No, since they fall outside the locked period.

2 - If your instance is configured to actualise both submitted and approved timesheets

Once the month is locked:

• All submitted timesheets for the locked month are included in the Full Year Forecast (FYF), whether they are still awaiting approval or have already been approved. They are tagged FYF = Yes and form part of the closed financial record.

• Timesheets from earlier months that were already submitted when that month was locked are not affected by later approvals. Because the costs were recognised at the time of submission, approving them a month later does not change the full year forecast.

• Returned and resubmitted timesheets from earlier months that were submitted and approved during the month being locked are included, as the resubmission creates a new entry that must be reflected in the FYF.

• If the Corrections feature is enabled, all corrections that were submitted and approved during the month being locked (e.g. reallocating hours between projects) are included, following the same workflow as standard timesheets.

• Unsubmitted timesheets are not included. They remain outside the FYF and will only be brought in once they are submitted in the next open month.

Result:

• Actuals included in the locked month are tagged FYF = Yes.

• Any carried-forward actuals are tagged FYF = No, as they fall outside the locked period.