GLC: General Labor Category
A General Labor Category is a broad labor classification maintained at the company level. It is required on Costpoint labor transactions and applies to employees regardless of whether their hours are direct or indirect. Examples might include Software Engineer, Accountant, Project Manager, or Administrative Specialist, depending on the organization's classification structure.
GLCs help establish a consistent language for labor across projects. They can also participate in defaulting and labor-rate processes. Costpoint can use an employee's GLC as a default during timesheet entry, while project-specific configuration can provide more targeted defaults when applicable.
PLC: Project Labor Category
A Project Labor Category is tied to project activity and represents the labor classification under which hours can be charged for a particular project. PLCs are maintained in Costpoint's project and billing labor-category structures and are validated against the applicable project configuration.
Unlike a GLC, a PLC can provide the project-specific job title or labor classification needed for billing and revenue calculations. For projects that require a workforce structure, Costpoint can validate the PLC against authorized project or employee labor-category assignments.
GLC vs PLC: Key Differences
The simplest distinction is company classification versus project classification. A GLC describes the general nature of an employee's labor, whereas a PLC describes how that labor is categorized for a particular project.
- Scope: GLCs are company-level classifications; PLCs are project-specific.
- Labor entry: GLCs are required for Costpoint labor transactions, while PLCs are required only in applicable project labor scenarios.
- Billing: GLCs classify labor but are not used with labor rates for billing and revenue; PLCs can support project billing and revenue calculations.
- Defaulting: Costpoint can derive PLC defaults from project, employee, workforce, or GLC-to-PLC relationships.
- Reporting: Both categories can help analyze labor, but PLCs provide greater project-specific context.
How GLC and PLC Work Together
GLC and PLC records are not necessarily competing classifications. Costpoint can establish relationships between them so that a general labor classification helps determine an appropriate project labor classification. For example, an employee categorized under a Software Engineer GLC could be assigned to a project PLC such as Senior Software Engineer when that project uses a more specific billing structure.
During timesheet processing, Costpoint can use configured defaulting rules to populate labor categories. A PLC may be derived from project-employee assignments, project labor-category mappings, or other applicable configuration. This creates a connection between employee-level labor information and project-specific billing requirements.
GLC, PLC, and Financial Workflows
Accurate labor-category configuration supports project accounting, budgeting, billing, revenue recognition, and financial reporting. When labor data moves through an ERP environment, organizations should maintain consistent mappings so that category information remains meaningful across connected processes and reports.
For organizations extending deltek through ERP integration or broader finance workflows, preserving GLC and PLC relationships can help maintain consistent labor data during system changes and integrations.
GLC and PLC distinctions can also complement procurement and project-cost controls. A purchase requisition initiates a request for goods or services, while a purchase order formalizes an approved procurement commitment. Keeping these procurement records separate from labor-category classifications helps finance teams maintain clear cost ownership and reporting structures.
Related Finance Terminology
Glossary terms that use a “versus” structure should be interpreted according to their own business context. Acknowledgment Vs Advertisement distinguishes two different communication or business concepts rather than labor classifications, while Advertising Vs Sponsorship compares different approaches to promotional spending and commercial relationships.
For planning and performance management, Forecast Vs Budget Tracking addresses the distinction between forward-looking estimates and approved financial plans. These concepts are separate from GLC and PLC, but understanding the distinction between similarly structured terms helps prevent unrelated classifications from being combined in financial reporting.
Best Practices for GLC and PLC Management
Organizations can improve labor-data consistency by defining each category clearly and establishing documented relationships between general and project-specific classifications.
- Maintain GLC descriptions that clearly represent broad employee labor classifications.
- Define PLCs according to actual project, contract, billing, and revenue requirements.
- Review GLC-to-PLC mappings when projects, contracts, or labor responsibilities change.
- Use Costpoint defaulting and validation rules consistently across timesheet processes.
- Reconcile labor-category reporting with project budgets, billing records, and financial statements.
Well-maintained categories give project managers and finance teams a consistent structure for tracing labor from employee timekeeping through project costing and financial reporting.
Summary
Costpoint GLC vs PLC centers on the difference between broad company-level labor classification and project-specific labor classification. GLCs organize employee labor across the organization, while PLCs provide project-level classifications that can support billing and revenue calculations. When properly configured together, they provide a structured foundation for accurate timekeeping, project costing, compliance, billing, and financial reporting.