> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://hub.equipme.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://hub.equipme.io/equipme/controlling/cost-management.md). # Cost Management Managing costs effectively is crucial for any organization, and equipme provides powerful tools to help you track, predict, and optimize your equipment and service expenses. This guide will walk you through the key features and best practices for cost management in equipme.
### Understanding Your Cost Dashboard The cost summary dashboard in equipme gives you a clear overview of your expenses, divided into two main categories: **Services provided by suppliers** include all external costs such as software subscriptions, equipment leases, and third-party services. The dashboard shows both current month costs and predicted costs for the next billing cycle, broken down into recurring and one-time expenses. **Internally provided services** track costs for services managed within your organization, helping you understand the total cost of ownership for internal operations. ### Key Cost Metrics #### Current Month Costs This section displays your active expenses for the ongoing billing period. You can see the split between recurring costs (subscriptions, leases, regular services) and one-time costs (purchases, setup fees, special projects). #### Predicted Costs for Next Billing Cycle equipme's predictive capabilities help you forecast upcoming expenses based on your current subscriptions and usage patterns. This forward-looking view enables better budget planning and helps prevent surprises in your next invoice period. ### Managing Individual Services The detailed service list provides granular visibility into each cost item, including: * **Service name and provider**: Identify what you're paying for and who's providing it * **Location**: Track where services are being used across your organization * **Employees and departments**: See who's using each service for better cost allocation * **Inventory numbers**: Link services to specific equipment or assets * **Current and one-time costs**: Understand both recurring and exceptional expenses * **Offer type**: Distinguish between rentals, purchases, and leases * **Remaining duration**: Track when leases or subscriptions expire * **Activation dates**: Monitor when services started * **Status**: View whether services are active, ordered, or ready for delivery ### The Cost Centers View Cost Management also contains a dedicated **Cost centers** view. Where the service list answers what you are paying for, this view answers where those costs belong and how that allocation has developed.

The Cost centers view inside Cost Management.

From here you can navigate and manage your cost centers directly, without switching over to the company profile. How cost centers are created in the first place, what they can be assigned to and how they are inherited is covered in [Billing addresses & Cost Centers](/equipme/controlling/billing-adresses-and-cost-centers.md). #### Exporting cost center changes Cost allocation is rarely static. Services get assigned, employees move between departments, devices are reassigned — and at the end of the quarter someone asks why a cost center looks different than it did in January. The export in the Cost centers view answers that question. Select a time range and equipme generates a report showing when instances were added to a cost center, moved between cost centers, or updated within one.

Selecting the time range for the cost center change export.

Assets that were removed during the selected period are included as well. An instance that no longer exists today still shows up with the changes it went through while it was active, so a period stays complete instead of losing everything that ended inside it. This makes internal reporting traceable. Instead of reconstructing changes by hand, you get the movements for the period in one file. {% hint style="info" %} The export shows the **current** cost values, not the historical cost of each instance during the selected period. It tells you what moved and when, not what it cost at the time. {% endhint %} That distinction matters for reporting. Use the export to trace allocation changes, not to reconstruct historical spend. ### Cost Optimization Strategies #### Regular Cost Auditing Review your cost summary regularly to identify services that may no longer be needed. Look for duplicate subscriptions, unused licenses, or services that could be consolidated. #### Leverage Predictive Analytics Use the predicted costs feature to anticipate budget needs and identify trends in your spending. If predicted costs are significantly higher than current costs, investigate which new services are driving the increase. #### Track by Department and Employee The ability to see costs allocated by department and employee helps you understand which areas of your organization are driving expenses. This visibility enables more informed conversations about resource allocation and budget responsibility. #### Monitor Service Lifecycles Pay attention to the "Remaining duration" column to plan for upcoming renewals or terminations. This proactive approach helps you negotiate better terms or transition to alternative solutions before automatic renewals occur. #### Distinguish Between Cost Types Understanding the difference between recurring and one-time costs helps you manage both operational expenses and capital expenditures effectively. Recurring costs impact your ongoing budget, while one-time costs may require special approval or allocation from different budget pools. ### Best Practices 1. **Set up regular reviews**: Schedule monthly or quarterly cost review meetings to analyze trends and identify optimization opportunities. 2. **Use filters and search**: The search functionality and filtering options help you quickly find specific services or focus on particular cost categories. 3. **Track activation dates**: Understanding when services were activated helps you assess their return on investment and make informed decisions about renewals. 4. **Monitor status changes**: Keep an eye on services marked as "Ordered" or "Ready for delivery" to ensure accurate cost forecasting. 5. **Document justifications**: Use the additional information fields to record why services were purchased and their business value, making future cost reviews more meaningful. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://hub.equipme.io/equipme/controlling/cost-management.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.