Prepare Job Data Before Running the Report
Start by confirming that relevant transactions have been entered and posted for the reporting period. Review labor charges, material purchases, subcontractor invoices, equipment costs, customer billings, and approved adjustments. Check that transactions are assigned to the correct jobs and cost codes.
Also verify estimated job costs, contract amounts, and project completion information. Missing supplier invoices or unrecorded labor can understate costs, while incomplete billing records can distort comparisons between costs incurred and amounts billed.
Month-end expense recognition deserves particular attention. Finance teams should identify expenses incurred before the reporting cutoff, estimate unrecorded costs where appropriate, book supported accruals, and reverse temporary accruals in the following period when required. The guide Run Your Entire Small Business on Free AI-Powered Software in 2025 discusses accounting tools and finance workflows that include accruals and related month-end activities.
Run the WIP or Job Cost Report
Open Sage 100 and navigate to the reporting functions available for your installed Job Cost or construction-related modules. Look for the job cost reports, project summaries, WIP reports, or related financial reports that match your reporting objective. Menu names and available report options can vary by product edition and configuration, so use the documentation for your specific installation.
Select the appropriate company, accounting period, job range, and other available filters. Choose whether to include open jobs only or a broader set of jobs, depending on the report's purpose. If the report offers options for detail or summary output, select the level that supports your review.
Preview the results before printing or exporting them. Confirm the reporting date, selected jobs, cost categories, and displayed totals. Save the report using your organization's file-naming and document-retention conventions so the figures can be reproduced during close or audit procedures.
Understand WIP Valuation and Cost-to-Complete
WIP valuation estimates the value associated with work performed but not yet completed or fully recognized under the applicable accounting method. Wip Valuation focuses on the measurement of this work for financial planning and reporting, while Wip Accounting covers the accounting treatment and related entries. Work In Progress Wip is the broader term for partially completed goods, services, or projects that still carry value before final completion.
For a simple cost-to-complete review, assume a project has an estimated total cost of $200,000 and has incurred $120,000 in eligible costs. The estimated remaining cost is $80,000, calculated as $200,000 minus $120,000. This calculation assumes the original estimate remains appropriate and that the incurred costs are complete and correctly classified.
Some construction accounting methods use a percentage-of-completion calculation based on costs incurred divided by estimated total costs. With the same figures, the estimated completion percentage is $120,000 divided by $200,000, or 60%. This percentage is a planning illustration; the appropriate revenue recognition method and eligible cost definitions must follow the company's accounting policy and applicable standards.
Reconcile Results and Investigate Differences
Compare the WIP report with the general ledger, job cost detail, accounts payable, payroll, and customer billing records where applicable. Investigate unusual balances, negative costs, unexpected changes in completion percentages, and differences between costs incurred and amounts billed.
Check whether unbilled work, customer deposits, retainage, approved change orders, or subcontractor commitments affect the interpretation of a job's financial position. A WIP report should be reviewed alongside supporting schedules rather than treated as a standalone measure of revenue or profit.
AI Copilots for Sage 300 is a separate resource for learning how AI copilots can support finance workflows in Sage 300; Sage 300 and Sage 100 are different products, so its capabilities should not be assumed to apply directly to Sage 100. For finance leaders evaluating reporting resources and team responsibilities, the Financial Controller Salary Benchmark Data Report and the 2026 VP of Finance Salary Benchmarking Report provide compensation benchmarking information rather than WIP calculation guidance.
Improve Reporting Controls and Financial Decisions
Establish a repeatable reporting schedule, document the selected filters, and retain supporting reconciliations. Assign responsibility for reviewing cost estimates, posting late invoices, validating project completion data, and approving period-end adjustments. These practices help maintain consistent reporting across jobs and accounting periods.
When businesses extend their finance processes with technology, Hyperbots Platform supports company-specific configuration of ERP integrations, workflows, roles, and general ledger structures. Process Specific Capabilities address finance tasks through domain-focused AI automation, while Ready to Deploy Capabilities emphasize pre-trained agents and pre-built ERP connectors. Self Learning Capabilities allow systems to adapt from human actions, and Human in the Loop describes review and approval by people. These are broader finance automation capabilities, not native Sage 100 report functions.
Summary
To run a WIP report in Sage 100, verify job transactions and estimates, select the appropriate reporting function and period, review the output, and reconcile important balances with supporting financial records. Because available reports vary by edition and configuration, confirm the correct procedure for your installation. Consistent WIP reviews help finance teams monitor project costs, evaluate expected profitability, and improve the accuracy of construction financial reporting.