A cost center is typically an organizational unit which works to fulfill specific program goals.  The cost center is also the lowest accounting level to which a revenue is credited or expenditure is charged.  After revenue or expenditures are recorded against a cost center they are then 'rolled up' the organization, program and project tables for responsibility reporting purposes.  In addition to pointing to the roll-up table attributes, cost centers point to the appropriations an segregations to be charged with the expenditures.

     The Cost Center Profile Document provides the information needed to record these authorized actions:

• the establishment of a new cost center.
• a change to an existing cost center.
• the deletion of an existing cost center.

                COST CENTER PROFILE DOCUMENT FLOW

     Cost Center Profile Documents are completed and batched by the agencies.  The are sent to DOB for review and approval.  DOB sends the batch to OSC for log-in and data entry.  The signed Cost Center Profile Document is the authorization for OSC action.

     At the end of each year, the system creates batches of cost center profile records which existed during the previous year.  This eliminates the need to complete Cost Center Profile Documents for those cost centers which existed during the previous year and would be established during the new fiscal year based on the new year appropriations and segregations.  (See Cost Center Profile Year End procedure 9.4300.)