# Allocate Budget

Step-by-step guide for adding budget allocations to a cost center, covering both Lifetime and Financial Year budget types.

URL: https://www.procureflow.ai/docs/finance/budget-allocation



<Callout type="info" title="Who can use this?">
  Available to <GuideRole>Admin</GuideRole> only. Other roles do not have access to these settings.
</Callout>

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Navigate to Cost Centers [#navigate-to-cost-centers]

    1. Go to **Settings** in the top navigation bar.
    2. In the left sidebar under **Financial**, click **Cost Centers**.

    The page shows a hierarchy of all cost center groups and cost centers.

    <GuideScreenshot src="/docs/screenshots/finance/budget-allocation/01.png" alt="Step 1 – Cost Center Management page under Settings → Financial, showing the Standard Hierarchy table with cost centers" caption="Step 1 – Cost Center Management page under Settings → Financial, showing the Standard Hierarchy table with cost centers" />
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Open a cost center [#open-a-cost-center]

    1. Click the expand arrow next to a group to reveal cost centers inside it.
    2. Click the **cost center name** (shown in blue) to open its detail page.

    <GuideScreenshot src="/docs/screenshots/finance/budget-allocation/02.png" alt="Step 2 – Cost centers listed in the table; click any name (shown in blue) to open its detail page" caption="Step 2 – Cost centers listed in the table; click any name (shown in blue) to open its detail page" />

    <GuideTip>
      **Tip:**

       Cost centers without a group appear directly in the table without needing to expand anything.
    </GuideTip>
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Review the cost center overview [#review-the-cost-center-overview]

    The cost center detail page shows four summary cards at the top:

    * **Total Budget**: the sum of all budget allocated to this cost center (for the current financial year if FY type).
    * **Available Budget**: total budget minus spending, with a utilisation progress bar.
    * **Role Assignments**: number of users assigned to this cost center.
    * **Current Financial Year**: shown only for Financial Year budget type cost centers; displays the active FY period.

    <GuideScreenshot src="/docs/screenshots/finance/budget-allocation/03.png" alt="Step 3 – Administration cost center detail page showing Total Budget, Utilised Budget, Available Budget, and Current Financial Year summary cards" caption="Step 3 – Administration cost center detail page showing Total Budget, Utilised Budget, Available Budget, and Current Financial Year summary cards" />
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Open the Budget History tab [#open-the-budget-history-tab]

    Click the **Budget History** tab below the summary cards.

    This tab lists all past budget allocations and contains the **Add Budget** button to create a new one.

    <GuideScreenshot src="/docs/screenshots/finance/budget-allocation/04.png" alt="Step 4 – Budget History tab showing the Budget by GL Code rollup table and existing allocations; the Add Budget button is at top right" caption="Step 4 – Budget History tab showing the Budget by GL Code rollup table and existing allocations; the Add Budget button is at top right" />
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Open the Add Budget form [#open-the-add-budget-form]

    Click the **+ Add Budget** button. A dialog opens with the following fields:

    * **Reference Name**: a label to identify this allocation (e.g. *Q3 FY2026 Top-up - Maintenance*).
    * **Amount**: the amount to allocate in the organisation's currency.
    * **GL Code**: optional. Select a GL code to allocate the budget at the GL code level within this cost center. Leave blank to allocate at the cost center level.
    * **Financial Year**: visible only for Financial Year budget type cost centers (see Step 6).

    <GuideNote>
      **Cost center vs GL code level:**

       Allocating at the 

      **cost center level**

       sets the overall budget envelope for the cost center. Allocating at a 

      **GL code level**

       ring-fences budget for a specific expense category (e.g. Travel, Software) within the same cost center. Both levels contribute to the cost center's Total Budget.
    </GuideNote>

    <GuideScreenshot src="/docs/screenshots/finance/budget-allocation/05.png" alt="Step 5 – The Add Budget Allocation dialog with Reference Name, Amount, Financial Year, and the GL Code field (leave blank for a cost-center-level allocation)" caption="Step 5 – The Add Budget Allocation dialog with Reference Name, Amount, Financial Year, and the GL Code field (leave blank for a cost-center-level allocation)" />

    <GuideNote>
      **Note:**

       Budget allocations are additive: each submission adds to the existing total. There is no upper limit enforced at creation.
    </GuideNote>
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Select a Financial Year (FY budget type only) [#select-a-financial-year-fy-budget-type-only]

    If the cost center uses the **Financial Year** budget type, a **Financial Year** dropdown appears.

    Click it and select the year this allocation belongs to.

    All financial years configured for your organisation appear in the list.

    <GuideScreenshot src="/docs/screenshots/finance/budget-allocation/06.png" alt="Step 6 – Selecting &#x22;FY 2026 (Jan 2026 - Dec 2026)&#x22; as the financial year for this allocation" caption="Step 6 – Selecting &#x22;FY 2026 (Jan 2026 - Dec 2026)&#x22; as the financial year for this allocation" />

    <GuideWarning>
      **Important:**

       Selecting a Financial Year is required. The system will show an error and block submission if no financial year is selected.
    </GuideWarning>
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Fill in the allocation details and submit [#fill-in-the-allocation-details-and-submit]

    1. Enter a **Reference Name**.
    2. Enter the **Amount**.
    3. Optionally select a **GL Code**.
    4. Confirm the **Financial Year** is selected (if applicable).
    5. Click **Create Budget Allocation**.

    <GuideScreenshot src="/docs/screenshots/finance/budget-allocation/07.png" alt="Step 7 – Form completed: reference name &#x22;Q3 FY2026 Top-up - Maintenance&#x22;, MYR 50,000, GL Code &#x22;2345 · Maintenance & Repairs&#x22;, linked to FY 2026" caption="Step 7 – Form completed: reference name &#x22;Q3 FY2026 Top-up - Maintenance&#x22;, MYR 50,000, GL Code &#x22;2345 · Maintenance & Repairs&#x22;, linked to FY 2026" />
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Budget allocated [#budget-allocated]

    The dialog closes and the page refreshes automatically. The summary cards at the top update immediately to reflect the new allocation:

    * **Total Budget** increases by the amount just allocated.
    * **Available Budget** updates to match (since no spending has occurred yet).

    The new entry also appears in the **Budget Allocations** table below, showing:

    * the date
    * reference name
    * financial year (if applicable)
    * GL code (if applicable)
    * amount
    * the user who created it

    <GuideScreenshot src="/docs/screenshots/finance/budget-allocation/08.png" alt="Step 8 – Total Budget updated to MYR 3,091,060.00; the new allocation appears at the bottom of the Budget Allocations table with GL code and financial year" caption="Step 8 – Total Budget updated to MYR 3,091,060.00; the new allocation appears at the bottom of the Budget Allocations table with GL code and financial year" />

    <GuideTip>
      **Tip:**

       You can add multiple allocations over time, for example a top-up mid-year at the cost center level or at a specific GL code level. Each shows as a separate row in the Budget History table. GL code-level allocations are labelled with the GL code, making it easy to see how budget is split across expense categories.
    </GuideTip>
  </Step>
</Steps>