Before Starting (typically two weeks prior the issuing of the Building Permit)

1. Retrieve the following files before commencing;
   • Customer signed copy of the Contract,
   • Customer signed copy of the Specifications,
   • Customer signed copy of Color Selection,
   • Customer signed copies of all Job Change Orders (if applicable),
   • Final construction architectural plans,
   • Final construction engineers / structural plans,
   • Soil classification report and geotechnical reports (if applicable),
   • Final contour / identification survey plan or site plan,
   • Final drainage, erosion and sediment control plan.
2. Review all the Job information.
3. Compare information on the various documents for clarity and consistency.
4. Review all Unconfirmed Change Orders (an unconfirmed Change Order is either a Quote Change from a Completed Sale or an approved Job Change Order);
   • Click the black / white text and number button at the top right corner of the Job Estimate page (where each unconfirmed Change Orders will be displayed in cost center and code order).

Pay particular attention to, if any, the text contained in the Component Memo and/or the Item Memo fields, as this is what the client will have seen detailed on either a Sales Quotation or a Change Order (check that the component or item is suitably matched to the description of the component or item that has been described to the client).

Unconfirmed Change Orders are marked in a Job Estimate in the “CO” column with an “!” in a circle symbol for a Quote Change or an “!” in a triangle symbol for a Job Change Order.

5. Bring all errors or discrepancies to the attention of the Franchise Owner / Operations Manager.
6. Export to Google Drive the Job Bill of Materials Report – Summary.
7. Export to Google Drive the Job Bill of Materials Report – Detail.
8. Export to Google Drive the Job Bill of Materials Report – Take off Parameters.
9. Obtain all necessary supplier / subcontractor quotations.

Create groups in Google Contacts for use in distributing information via Gmail, send out quote requests to suppliers/subcontractors (vendors) for Job-specific quotations.

Preparing the Job Estimate (typically when Building Permit issued)

1. Log in to the Builder Portal.
2. Choose Jobs > Job List, search for the Job and click the ‘$’ icon to the right on the row of the searched Job to open the Job Estimate.
3. Determine, if any, Cost Centers that require repricing, if so;
   • Select File > Lock All,

4. Click the Cost Centers that require repricing and unselect the ‘Lkd’ column checkboxes of each Item and/or Component that requires repricing,

4. Select File > Reprice,

4. Click Recalculate to get actual data (check and make changes , if required),

– OR –

4. Click Process (saves the actual data).

4. Review and amend and/or change cost center of all Unconfirmed Change Orders.

If Change Order costs require the adding of items to multiple cost centers (change cost center cannot be utilized), remember to amend the original Change Order item cost amount to $0.00 and ensure the item is locked from re-pricing (do not zero out quantity, as the quantity may need to be referred to later for budget to actuals analysis).

Remember to double click the “!” in a circle or triangle symbol to “Confirm” the Change Order, this will reduce the number of unconfirmed Change Orders noted in the black/white text and number button at the top right corner of the Job Estimate until the button disappears when there are no remaining unconfirmed Change Orders.

5. Check and amend, as required, all Items and Components, being sure to add and/or remove any Items and/or Components as necessary.
6. Check and amend, as required, any Formulas attributed to Items and/or Components as necessary.
7. Import plans via the Graphic Takeoff Import Plan Image function.

8. Measure all Take Off Parameters (ToPs), either by using the Graphic Take Off function or by manually editing the values of the ToPs.

If the ToPs were measured by an Estimator / Franchisee or if the construction plans were used in the Sales Quotation, the ToPs may not require re-measuring.

9. Create any additional ToPs required via the Add ToP function in Graphic Take Off.

A one-off job-specific ToP may be useful to quantify those unusual items such as driveways/paths, floorcoverings, wallpaper, stacked stone, etc.

10. Print / Export to Google Drive, the Job Bill of Materials Report – Take off Parameters;
    • This report can be used to record any specific information that may be relevant to the particular office, their unique practices, and as an Estimator checklist.

Review ALL Cost Centers

1. Click each Cost Center and review every Item and Component.

If errors in Components are encountered (incorrect Items, Items in incorrect Cost Centers and incorrect Item quantities), it may be more efficient in the long-term to amend any such Components in Setup > Estimating > Components, search for the required Component and click on the Row of the selected Component, and amend existing Item Cost Centers and/or Quantities, and Add or Remove any required Items.

If any significant errors/discrepancies are encountered that are relevant to the original House Plan & Estimate, now is the time to take note/record the issue and set aside some time ASAP to correct the House Plan & Estimate in question.

2. If an Item or Component has a zero quantity;
   • Check for Formula and ToP accuracy;
     • If Formula and ToP are ok, decide if Item and/or Component is still required;
       • If so, add a manual quantity or add a Cutting List line (Unit of Measure must be setup to allow pieces),
       • If not, Remove the unnecessary Item and/or Component.
3. If an Item is not in the correct Cost Center use the Change Cost Center function to move to the correct Cost Center.

4. Check and amend, if required, all Items for the correct unit Cost;
   • Single click the Cost, $ column item, this will display the dotted-line box around the selected data box, which can be amended by typing to over type (a double click of the Cost, $ column item will highlight text, which can be amended by typing to over type or once text is highlighted, the cursor can be placed to amend text),

The data box will be underlined while remaining in the data box, then when another selection is clicked, the entire row will be highlighted and an ‘*’ displayed to the left of the row to signify that data has been changed and requires processing or recalculating.

5. Click Process.

5. Check and amend, if required, all Items and Components Description;
   • Single click the Description column item, this will display the dotted-line box around the selected data box, which can be amended by typing to over type (a double click of the Description column item will highlight text, which can be amended by typing to over type or once text is highlighted, the cursor can be placed to amend text),

The data box will be underlined while remaining in the data box, then when another selection is clicked, the entire row will be highlighted and an ‘*’ displayed to the left of the row to signify that data has been changed and requires processing or recalculating.

6. Click Process.

6. Check, add and/or amend, if required, any supplier and/or subcontractor quotations.
7. Check the Color Selection information for correctness and consistency, if incorrect, advise the Color Consultant to make the required corrections.

The Color Selection MUST have the Signed Off by Client checkbox selected and the Signed Off by Office checkbox selected for the Color Selection information to be produced on a Purchase Order (the Color Selection information will appear on the Job Estimate page, though will only be produced on a purchase order once both ‘Signed Off by’ check boxes have been selected).

8. Check, assign and/or amend, if required, the Creditor/Supplier information, including Delivery (as per Schedule or Entered date) and Send By (Email or Printer);
   • Click on the required Cost Center Row,
   • Click Orders,
   • Click Order # Row or click the pencil icon at the right hand end of the Order # Row to open the Edit Order page,

9. Click the ⠇three vertical dots beside Creditor/Supplier name,

9. Click View Contact Info which will open Edit Contact page, where email address etc. can be checked,
10. Click Process,

9. Select required Delivery option from dropdown list Schedule or Entered,

9. Select required Send By option from dropdown list Email or Printer,

9. Attach any Cost Center specific files from Job Docs in Google Drive;
   • Click Select Files,
   • Select the required files,
   • Click Select,
   • Click Save.

Existing Attachments in other Cost Centers can be Cloned, type the Cost Center # and Order # of the existing attachment in another cost center and select Clone Files.

Preferred Suppliers can be nominated in Setup > Estimating > Cost Centers, scroll / click through pages to find the required Cost Center and click on the Row of the selected Cost Center, and amend existing Suppliers, Find (Add Selected) / Create New Contact or Remove as required.

Create a Construction Schedule

1. Choose Jobs > Job List, search for the Job and click on the Row of the selected Job, click Dates and check the Authority to Commence checkbox is selected and the correct date is displaying (if the checkbox is not selected and/or the date is incorrect, bring to the attention of the Franchise Owner / Operations Manager to correct ASAP).
2. Choose Schedules > Construction, click Create New Schedule, select Job from dropdown menu (if a Construction Schedule has already been created or the Authority to Commence checkbox not been selected, the Job will NOT appear in the dropdown list), and select a Construction Template from the dropdown list, click Create.
3. Click Process, click Gantt Chart (bottom left of the Construction Schedule page).
4. Click Start Date on the row of the Task Name “Start”, and click on the dropdown arrow to display the Calendar, select the correct construction start date, and click Process.
5. Return back to the Job Estimate and review the delivery dates for accuracy and appropriateness.

The Construction Templates must be established by the Franchise Owner / Operations Manager / Supervisor to provide an accurate starting point for the Estimator, otherwise, the Estimator will be required to rely on the Franchise Owner / Operations Manager / Supervisor to create the Job Schedule on each occasion, which is inefficient.

Authorize the Job Estimate

1. Choose Jobs > Job List, search for the Job and click the ‘$’ icon to the right on the row of the searched Job to open the Job Estimate.
2. Select Authorize.

3. Click Yes to Authorize the Job Estimate.

The authorization of a Job Estimate helps to protect the data (quantities, costs, suppliers etc.) from unauthorized changes that may have a significant impact on future cost analysis.

Producing Purchase Orders

1. Choose Jobs > Job Orders.
2. Click the 🔍  icon to open the Job List and type any identifiable part thereof, of the required Jobs’ job number, client name or site address in Look for, press Enter or click the 🔍  icon, this will refine the list of jobs to select from, once located, select the required Job by clicking on the Row of the required Job (the option button will highlight), click Add Selected.

Depending on the Order Criteria in Setup > System Variables > Estimating > Orders, a Warning message may be displayed in the top right corner of the page, which can be clicked on to expand, defining any limitations that may be imposed on the production of purchase orders.

3. Select the required To Process option from the dropdown list (bottom left corner of the Job Orders page);

4. Selected (the default option), where the user decides which Cost Center Orders are to be produced by selecting the required checkboxes (Order Criteria conditions apply and previously produced purchase orders cannot be selected again),
5. All, where all Cost Center Order checkboxes are selected (Order Criteria conditions apply and previously produced purchase orders cannot be selected again),
6. Cost Centers, where a range of Cost Center Orders may be nominated, select from the dropdown list under From, and select from the dropdown list under To, click Apply and corresponding checkboxes are selected (Order Criteria conditions apply and previously produced purchase orders cannot be selected again),
7. Order #, where a user requires specific order numbers to be selected (“0” is the default, however, subsequent order numbers may have been created, “1”, “2”, “3” etc. and produced from individual cost centers for either successive purchase orders from already produced Cost Center Orders, or different suppliers from the same Cost Center) a specific Cost Center Order may be nominated, select from the dropdown list, click Apply and corresponding checkboxes are selected (Order Criteria conditions apply and previously produced purchase orders cannot be selected again).

The Job Orders page can also be accessed by selecting File > Orders while in the Job Estimate.

4. Add any Attachments to be produced with each selected Cost Center Order, select the Printed and/or Emailed checkboxes at the bottom on the Job Orders page, click Select (0), click Attach Files, search and select the required files from Google Drive, My Drive or Upload from local device, click Select, check files for accuracy and appropriateness (remove and re-add, if required), once confirmed click Ok.

If required, all selected Cost Center Orders may have their Send By changed from Email (if currently set to email, either by default or manual override in Job Estimate) to Print, select the checkbox Print Instead of Emailing and all selected Cost Center Orders and any Attachments will be produced via printing rather than emailing.

If required, any one or multiple Cost Center Orders may be previewed on screen via the 👁  icon, at the right on the Job Orders page, a Preview Only link will be generated, click the Preview Only link, where the Cost Center Order may be scrutinized for accuracy and appropriateness. Alternatively, ALL Cost Center Orders may be printed, choose File > Print All for Estimator, which regardless of Order Criteria conditions, whether previously produced and whether a Cost Center has a zero dollar value, ALL Cost Center Orders will be printed, which is inefficient, though it does allow for ALL Cost Center Orders to be scrutinised for accuracy and appropriateness, while allowing further editing and valid production without extra steps, such as Allow Reprint, this function also allows ALL Cost Center Orders to be hard copy archived.

5. Finally, once all Cost Center Orders have been checked, amended if required, and are ready to officially produce, click Process, which will create and send a task to the Bulk Update Tasks Log, where the Builder Portal will validate the task, and;
   • If successful will execute the task (email or print cost center order and any attachments) and will display Completed in the Status column of the Bulk Update Tasks Log,
   • If unsuccessful will display either Error or Completed with Issues in the Status column of the Bulk Update Tasks Log and a message detailing the error or issue will be displayed in the Last Message column, which will help and direct in the rectification of the offending error or issue (click once in the Last Message column on the applicable row to expand message).

If producing multiple Cost Center Orders, and only some have an error or an issue, the message in the Bulk Update Tasks Log will define which orders were successful and which orders were unsuccessful, including details.

The User that produced an error or an issue with a Cost Center Order will also receive a To-Do Task detailing the error or issue, the User will be notified of a new To-Do Task by a red dot/badge next to the bell symbol located in the top right corner of the User’s Builder Portal login.