--- title: Cost Centers slug: cost-centers docTags: createdAt: 2022-07-26T15:12:54.000Z --- # Overview This feature allows you to create Cost Centers within SHI One that represent different showback and chargeback entities within your organization. This enables reporting in SHI One to provide insight into consumption data across all cloud platforms by these Cost Centers. It also customizes the ways organizations are billed for their AWS and Microsoft cloud spend. *** # Benefits ### Showback - Allows creation of Cost Centers that can be consistent reporting categories across multiple clouds. - Allows for a multi-cloud reporting experience. - Allows generation of reports that can you use for internal cost reporting, alignment of cloud spend to Business Units, Departments, Projects, Applications, etc. - Allows generation of reports that you can further use within your internal accounting system for chargeback purposes. ### Chargeback *Currently available for AWS and Azure/M365, when you purchase your AWS or Microsoft Cloud through SHI.* - Customize your Invoices to receive separate invoices per each Cost Center. - Align Purchase Order numbers to each Cost center for automated internal cost allocation on your SHI Invoice. *** # Requirements Need to have a contract with at least one cloud platform (AWS/Azure/GCP). Best results for multicloud experience to have at least two contracts to see consumption across all clouds. Customized invoices require a contract with AWS or Azure/M365. *** # Setting Up a Cost Center You need Admin privileges to set up Cost Centers. Navigate to **Cloud -> Cost Centers**, then in the upper righthand corner click **New Cost Center** to create a new Cost Center and assign specific cloud platform accounts to the entity. ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/iNsEBjkrzpMV8hFLC23IM/uG3StrRCD9IZFVvDqkQXB_image.png) ## How to Designate a Cost Center's Name, ID, and Billing PO Number When setting up a Cost Center, the following fields are available: - **Associated Customer Account: **Users must select a customer account with which the Cost Center will be associated. Licenses/subscriptions will only be able to be assigned to a Cost Center that shares their account designation. (Ex. If a Cost Center is created for Test Account 1, only licenses/subscriptions purchased by Test Account 1 will be able to be assigned to this Cost Center.) - **Cost Center Name:** The name of the Cost Center in SHI One - **Description, optional:** Optional field if you wish to add a description - **PO Number, optional:** By default all Cost Centers are billed collectively on one single invoice; Billing PO Numbers allow AWS/Azure/M365 Cost Centers to be billed to separate invoices - If you require only one single invoice for all Cost Centers, the Billing PO Number field must be left blank - If the Billing PO Number field is populated, each Cost Center using that unique Billing PO Number will be billed to a separate invoice - Scroll to the Billing PO Numbers section below for more information ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/iNsEBjkrzpMV8hFLC23IM/48ZJj5LAixCGkIKq2pCKT_image.png) Once you have filled out the desired fields and are ready to use the Cost Center, click **Create**. ## Editing Cost Center Information After creating Cost Centers, you can select a specific Cost Center on the **Cloud -> Cost Centers **page and edit the Cost Center Name, Description, and PO Number. You can also delete Cost Centers from the editing screen. Finally, in the **Cloud Subscriptions** tab of a selected Cost Center, you can see a count of associated cloud accounts and licenses per cloud provider. ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/iNsEBjkrzpMV8hFLC23IM/0n6GJGyPx1z1HevDeZrFU_image.png) ## Billing PO Numbers By default all Cost Centers on an account are billed collectively on one single invoice. When Cost Centers are given different Billing PO Numbers, each unique Billing PO Number will be billed to a separate invoice. Cost Centers can have different names for **reporting** but use the same Billing PO Number for **billing**, or vice versa. This grants more flexibility and customization for organizations who have different needs for reporting and billing. For AWS, any changes to PO Numbers made on or before the 12th of the month will be reflected in the previous month's AWS bill.  For example, a change on July 5th would impact June consumption's billing that is invoiced on July 13th.  A change on July 14th would impact July consumption's billing that is invoiced on August 13th. For Microsoft, any changes to PO Numbers made on or before the end of the month will be reflected in the previous month's Microsoft bill.  For example, a change on June 30th would impact June consumption's billing that is invoiced on July 8th.  A change on July 1st would impact July consumption's billing that is invoiced on August 8th. Currently Billing PO Numbers are available only for AWS or Azure/M365 accounts. ## Unallocated Cost Centers Unallocated Cost Centers grant the ability to assign a single Billing PO Number to any license/subscription that has not been assigned to a Cost Center. If no Billing PO Number assigned, they default to specific values based on the cloud provider: - **Azure: **MONYEARAzure - **AWS: **AWSMONYEAR - **GCP: **GCPMONYEAR - **M365: **MONYEARO365 ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/iNsEBjkrzpMV8hFLC23IM/K4sA4CxtNT9-7EqhC_pCW_image.png) Any license/subscription not allocated to a specific Cost Center would default to populating the Billing PO Number associated with the Unallocated Cost Center on the monthly invoice. Unallocated Cost Centers can be edited on the **Cloud -> Cost Centers **page; the Cost Center Description, and PO Number can be edited. In the Cloud Subscriptions tab of Unallocated Cost Centers, you can see a count of associated cloud accounts and licenses per cloud provider. Currently Billing PO Numbers are available only for AWS or Azure/M365 accounts. *** # Viewing Cost Center Reporting Once Cost Centers are set up, you can access reporting in two places: - The multicloud consumption dashboard is found at **Cloud -> Consumption** - Individual cloud provider spend by Cost Center is found by navigating to **Cloud -> cloud provider -> Consumption/Reports** Clicking the 'By Cost Center' tab shows consumption by Cost Center. ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/iNsEBjkrzpMV8hFLC23IM/l8OxhnRv61qJ_gOM9jLCg_image.png) ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/iNsEBjkrzpMV8hFLC23IM/VuplZNJ8_Nh0UdiElLKfL_image.png) # Using Cost Center Table Enhancements ### 1. Searching for Cost Centers 1. Navigate to the **Cost Centers** table. ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/iNsEBjkrzpMV8hFLC23IM/vw8B_WK2D4TgVdyaWwb0o_13.png) 1. Enter a Cost Center name or PO number in the search field. 2. Optionally use include or exclude filters to refine results. 3. Result: The table updates to display Cost Centers that match the selected search criteria. ### 2. Viewing Subscriptions by Cloud Provider 1. Open a Cost Center and access the **Cloud Subscriptions** tab within the Cost Center drawer. ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/iNsEBjkrzpMV8hFLC23IM/lw2TggqyWekM2FsIW6WEa_14.png) 1. Select the subscription or license count displayed for a Cloud Provider. 2. Result: The Subscriptions table opens with filters automatically applied for: - Selected Cost Center - Selected Cloud Provider ### 3. Viewing All Subscriptions for a Cost Center 1. Open the Cost Center drawer. 2. Select **View All Subscriptions**. ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/iNsEBjkrzpMV8hFLC23IM/UVZJ_NAT2d48v3GZHg83N_15.png) 1. Result: The Subscriptions table opens and displays all subscriptions and licenses allocated to the selected Cost Center. Applied filters include: - Cost Center ### 4. Viewing Subscriptions for Unallocated Cost Centers 1. Open an unallocated Cost Center. ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/iNsEBjkrzpMV8hFLC23IM/_Jaj--5GNbOFzaCB6tW8R_16.png) 1. Select **View All Unallocated**. ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/iNsEBjkrzpMV8hFLC23IM/JAbH_wJvuBVX7etC72U4f_17.png) 1. Result: The Subscriptions table opens with filters automatically applied for: - Customer Account - Unallocated subscriptions