Revenue and Contract Balances

12 Months Ended

Oct. 03, 2021

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Revenue and Contract Balances

Revenue and Contract Balances

We recognize revenue over time as the related performance obligation is satisfied by transferring control of a promised good or service to our customers. Progress toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation is primarily measured using a cost-to-cost measure of progress method. The cost input is based primarily on contract cost incurred to date compared to total estimated contract cost. This measure includes forecasts based on the best information available and reflects our judgement to faithfully depict the value of the services transferred to the customer. For certain on-call engineering or consulting and similar contracts, we recognize revenue in the amount which we have the right to invoice the customer if that amount corresponds directly with the value of our performance completed to date.

Due to uncertainties inherent in the estimation process, it is possible that estimates of costs to complete a performance obligation will be revised in the near-term. For those performance obligations for which revenue is recognized using a cost-to-cost measure of progress method, changes in total estimated costs, and related progress towards complete satisfaction of the performance obligation, are recognized on a cumulative catch-up basis in the period in which the revisions to the estimates are made. When the current estimate of total costs indicates a loss, a provision for the entire estimated loss on the contract is made in the period in which the loss becomes evident.

Disaggregation of Revenue

We disaggregate revenue by client sector and contract type, as we believe it best depicts how the nature, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors. The following tables present revenue disaggregated by client sector and contract type:

	Fiscal Year Ended
	October 3, 2021		September 27, 2020		September 29, 2019
	(in thousands)
Client Sector:
U.S. state and local government	$	536,309	$	439,019	$	587,364
U.S. federal government (1)	1,081,608		993,835		941,102
U.S. commercial	638,169		674,605		719,314
International (2)	957,427		887,432		859,568
Total	$	3,213,513	$	2,994,891	$	3,107,348
Contract Type:
Fixed-price	$	1,191,244	$	1,078,432	$	1,048,158
Time-and-materials	1,492,813		1,391,592		1,509,900
Cost-plus	529,456		524,867		549,290
Total	$	3,213,513	$	2,994,891	$	3,107,348

(1) Includes revenue generated under U.S. federal government contracts performed outside the United States.

(2) Includes revenue generated from foreign operations, primarily in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and revenue generated from non-U.S. clients.

Other than the U.S. federal government, no single client accounted for more than 10% of our revenue for fiscal 2021 and 2020.

Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities

We invoice customers based on the contractual terms of each contract. However, the timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoice issuance.

Contract assets represent revenue recognized in excess of the amounts for which we have the contractual right to bill our customers. Such amounts are recoverable from customers based upon various measures of performance, including achievement of certain milestones or completion of a contract. In addition, many of our time and materials arrangements are billed in arrears pursuant to contract terms that are standard within the industry, resulting in contract assets and/or unbilled receivables being recorded, as revenue is recognized in advance of billings. Contract retentions, included in contract assets, represent amounts withheld by clients until certain conditions are met or the project is completed, which may extend beyond one year.

Contract liabilities consist of billings in excess of revenue recognized. Contract liabilities decrease as we recognize revenue from the satisfaction of the related performance obligation and increase as billings in advance of revenue recognition occur. Contract assets and liabilities are reported in a net position on a contract-by-contract basis at the end of each reporting period. There were no substantial non-current contract assets or liabilities for the periods presented. Net contract liabilities consisted of the following:

	Balance at
	October 3, 2021		September 27, 2020
	(in thousands)
Contract assets (1)	$	103,784	$	92,632
Contract liabilities	190,403		171,905
Net contract liabilities	$	(86,619)	$	(79,273)

(1) Includes $12.2 million and $12.3 million of contract retentions as of October 3, 2021 and September 27, 2020, respectively.

In fiscal 2021, we recognized revenue of approximately $119 million from amounts included in the contract liability balance at the end of fiscal 2020, compared to approximately $118 million for the comparative prior-year period.

We recognize revenue primarily using the cost-to-cost measure of progress method, which involves the estimates of progress towards completion. Changes in those estimates could result in the recognition of cumulative catch-up adjustments to the contract’s inception-to-date revenue, costs and profit in the period in which such changes are made. As a result, we recognized net favorable operating income adjustments of $0.7 million and $0.8 million for fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively, exclusive of the amounts related to claims described below. Changes in revenue and cost estimates could also result in a projected loss, determined at the contract level, which would be recorded immediately in earnings. As of October 3, 2021 and September 27, 2020, our consolidated balance sheets included liabilities for anticipated losses of $12.7 million and $13.2 million, respectively. The estimated cost to complete these related contracts as of October 3, 2021 and September 27, 2020 was approximately $104 million and $118 million, respectively.

Accounts Receivable, Net

Net accounts receivable consisted of the following:

	Balance at
	October 3, 2021		September 27, 2020
	(in thousands)
Billed	$	432,814	$	402,818
Unbilled	240,536		253,364
Total accounts receivable	673,350		656,182
Allowance for doubtful accounts	(4,352)		(7,147)
Total accounts receivable, net	$	668,998	$	649,035

Billed accounts receivable represent amounts billed to clients that have not been collected. Unbilled accounts receivable, which represent an unconditional right to payment subject only to the passage of time, include unbilled amounts typically resulting from revenue recognized but not yet billed pursuant to contract terms or billed after the period end date. Most

of our unbilled receivables at October 3, 2021 are expected to be billed and collected within 12 months. The allowance for doubtful accounts represents amounts that are expected to become uncollectible or unrealizable in the future. We determine an estimated allowance for uncollectible accounts based on management's consideration of trends in the actual and forecasted credit quality of our clients, including delinquency and payment history; type of client, such as a government agency or a commercial sector client; and general economic and industry conditions, including the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, that may affect our clients' ability to pay.

Total accounts receivable at October 3, 2021 and September 27, 2020 included approximately $11 million and $14 million, respectively, related to claims, including requests for equitable adjustment, on contracts that provide for price redetermination. Claims are amounts in excess of agreed contract prices that we seek to collect from our clients or other third parties for delays, errors in specifications and designs, contract terminations, change orders in dispute or unapproved as to both scope and price, or other causes of unanticipated additional costs. Factors considered in determining whether revenue associated with claims (including change orders in dispute and unapproved change orders in regards to both scope and price) should be recognized include the following: (a) the contract or other evidence provides a legal basis for the claim, (b) additional costs were caused by circumstances that were unforeseen at the contract date and not the result of deficiencies in our performance, (c) claim-related costs are identifiable and considered reasonable in view of the work performed, and (d) evidence supporting the claim is objective and verifiable. This can lead to a situation in which costs are recognized in one period and revenue is recognized in a subsequent period when a client agreement is obtained, or a claims resolution occurs.

We regularly evaluate all unsettled claim amounts and record appropriate adjustments to operating earnings when it is probable that the claim will result in a different contract value than the amount previously estimated. In fiscal 2021 (all in the second quarter), we recognized increases to revenue and related gains of $2.8 million in our Commercial/International Services Group ("CIG"). In fiscal 2020, we recorded net losses in operating income related to claims of $4.4 million in our CIG segment.

No single client accounted for more than 10% of our accounts receivable at October 3, 2021 and September 27, 2020.

Remaining Unsatisfied Performance Obligations (“RUPOs”)

Our RUPOs represent a measure of the total dollar value of work to be performed on contracts awarded and in progress. We had $3.5 billion of RUPOs as of October 3, 2021. RUPOs increase with awards from new contracts or additions on existing contracts and decrease as work is performed and revenue is recognized on existing contracts. RUPOs may also decrease when projects are canceled or modified in scope. We include a contract within our RUPOs when the contract is awarded and an agreement on contract terms has been reached.

We expect to satisfy our RUPOs as of October 3, 2021 over the following periods:

	Amount
	(in thousands)
Within 12 months	$	2,031,377
Beyond	1,436,456
Total	$	3,467,833

Although RUPOs reflect business that is considered to be firm, cancellations, deferrals or scope adjustments may occur. RUPOs are adjusted to reflect any known project cancellations, revisions to project scope and cost, foreign currency exchange fluctuations and project deferrals, as appropriate. Our operations and maintenance contracts can generally be terminated by the clients without a substantive financial penalty. Therefore, the remaining performance obligations on such contracts are limited to the notice period required for the termination (usually 30, 60, or 90 days).