Adding Budgets on Apperio

Overview 

There are two ways for a law firm to set up budgets in Apperio. Budgets on Apperio apply to the life of the matter. The preferred approach is to include budget data directly in the datafile upload — this keeps budgets dynamic and automatically updated with every upload. A manual platform entry option is also available on request.

• Option 1 (Recommended): Include budgets in the datafile upload
• Option 2: Enter budgets manually on the Apperio platform

This article covers both options, including a step-by-step guide for firms that store budgets outside their Practice Management System (PMS) and need to bring them into the datafile via a User Defined Field (UDF) approach.

Option 1 (Recommended): Budgets in the Datafile

Including budgets in the datafile means they are refreshed automatically every time a new file is uploaded — no manual intervention is needed after initial setup. Clients will see budget data in Apperio as soon as the file is processed.

What to include in the datafile

The datafile supports two budget columns:

• Matter Budget — the agreed fee budget for the matter, in the Matter Currency
• Matter Expense Budget — the budget for disbursements and expenses, in the Matter Currency

Both fields are optional but strongly recommended where budgets exist.

If your PMS does not store budgets

If budgets are not held as a field in your Practice Management System, the recommended approach is to use a User Defined Field (UDF) — a custom field you create in your system or manage externally (e.g. in a spreadsheet) and then join into your SQL export query.

Follow the steps below to set this up.

Setting Up Budgets via UDF (Step-by-Step)

Use this approach when budgets are stored externally and cannot be pulled directly from a field in your PMS database.

Save your budget data as a CSV file (e.g. budgets.csv). The file should include at minimum a Matter ID, a budget amount, and a currency. For example:

MatterID,BudgetAmount,Currency
MAT001,50000,USD
MAT002,75000,USD
MAT003,20000,GBP

Example budget CSV file

You will need to load the budget data into a SQL table so it can be joined to your existing query. There are two options:

CREATE TABLE BudgetData (
    MatterID      VARCHAR(50),
    BudgetAmount  DECIMAL(18, 2),
    Currency      VARCHAR(10)
);

BULK INSERT BudgetData
FROM 'C:\path\to\budgets.csv'
WITH (
    FIELDTERMINATOR = ',',
    ROWTERMINATOR   = '\n',
    FIRSTROW        = 2  -- Skip header row
);

Extend your existing Apperio export query to include a LEFT JOIN to the BudgetData table. This adds the budget columns alongside your existing matter and fee data.

For example, if your current query looks like this:

SELECT
    m.MatterID,
    m.ClientName,
    m.MatterDescription,
    m.FeesIncurred
FROM Matters m

Extend it to include the budget join:

SELECT
    m.MatterID,
    m.ClientName,
    m.MatterDescription,
    m.FeesIncurred,
    b.BudgetAmount,
    b.Currency
FROM Matters m
LEFT JOIN BudgetData b ON m.MatterID = b.MatterID

Using a LEFT JOIN ensures matters without a budget entry are still included in the export

Once the query returns the correct dataset with budget data included, export it as a CSV file in the standard Apperio datafile format and upload it as normal.

Export options include:

• In SSMS: right-click the results grid → Save Results As… → CSV
• Using a scheduled script (PowerShell, Python, or an SSIS package) to automate the export and upload

Automating the process

If budgets are updated regularly, consider automating the import and export steps to avoid manual work each time. Options include:

• A SQL Agent Job or SSIS package (SQL Server Integration Services) to schedule the import and export on a recurring basis
• A Python script using pyodbc or pandas.to_sql to push the CSV into SQL and trigger the export
• A PowerShell script with a Windows Scheduled Task

Contact Apperio Support if you would like guidance on setting up automation for your environment.

Option 2: Entering Budgets Manually on the Platform

It is also possible to enter budgets directly on the Apperio platform, without including them in the datafile.

• Static data: Budgets entered manually are fixed at the point of entry and do not update automatically. Any changes must be made by hand.
• Outside the datafile process: Unlike the datafile method, manually entered budgets will not be refreshed or corrected by subsequent uploads. They sit entirely outside the datafile process.
• Best suited to: Fixed or one-off engagements where the budget is unlikely to change and including it in the datafile is not straightforward.

Summary

The table below summarises the key differences between the two approaches:

For any questions about budget setup, contact support@apperio.com.