Subcontractor Adjudication

The Subcontractor Adjudication feature in the estimating app streamlines the entire process of managing and comparing subcontractor rates, making it easier to ensure you get the most competitive pricing for your projects.

Key Features

1. Efficient Rate Comparison
   Users can seamlessly compare rate lists from multiple subcontractors. The system imports rates from subcontractor worksheets and automatically integrates them into your estimate. This feature eliminates the need for manual data entry, saving time and reducing the potential for errors.
2. Worksheet Management
   Manage subcontractor worksheets with ease, allowing for better organization and tracking. The feature supports the importation of rates directly from subcontractor documents, ensuring consistency and accuracy across all entries.
3. Quote Integration
   Once rates are imported, the platform automatically integrates subcontractor pricing into your Bill of Quantities (BoQ). This streamlined approach ensures that all subcontractor pricing is accurately reflected in the overall project costs without the hassle of manually entering or updating numbers.
4. Powerful Comparison Tools
   The app offers advanced comparison tools that enable users to evaluate multiple subcontractor quotes side by side. This makes it simple to spot discrepancies, compare pricing strategies, and determine the most cost-effective subcontractor for specific tasks. Users can also filter or group quotes based on specific criteria such as service type, location, or trade specialty, enabling a more focused analysis.
5. Export for Analysis
   All data can be easily exported for further analysis. Whether you want to run a deeper analysis or share the information with stakeholders, the export feature allows for smooth data transfer into other platforms like Excel or project management software.

Benefits

• Improved Efficiency: Automate the comparison and integration process, reducing the time spent managing subcontractor bids.
• Accurate Pricing: Ensure that all pricing from subcontractors is accurately captured and reflected in your project’s estimates.
• Data Transparency: Get a clear, comprehensive overview of subcontractor pricing, empowering you to make well-informed decisions.
• Easy Collaboration: Share subcontractor data with your team or clients in an organized format, improving communication and decision-making.

This feature is designed to help project managers, estimators, and procurement teams simplify the process of subcontractor management, ensuring you get the best rates and maintain control over your project costs from start to finish.

Accessing the Subcontractor Adjudication Feature

1. Navigate to the Application Toolbar and click on the Subcontractor Adjudication  .
2. This will open a window displaying a list of Subcontractor Trade Categories. To start working with subcontractors, you first need to add a new Subcontractor Trade Category to the list.

Adding a New Subcontractor Trade Category

1. Click the New button to create a new Subcontract trade category.
2. The system will generate a default Category (e.g., "Trade 1"). You can rename it by double-clicking on the name.
3. Select the newly created Subcontract Trade Category to open the Subcontract Adjudication form where you’ll add and manage subcontractors.

Adding Tasks to the Subcontract Adjudication Form

1. In the Subcontract Adjudication form you'll first need to add tasks that subcontractors will be quoting against.
2. On the right side of the panel, you’ll find the Import Bill Item from the BoQ option. Click this to open a side panel.
3. From the side panel, drag and drop the relevant tasks into the Subcontract Adjudication form to create the Subcontractors Schedule Of Quantities. These tasks will form the basis for the subcontractor's pricing.

Managing Subcontractors

1. To add subcontractors to your subcontract adjudication form, click on the Manage Subcontractor  in the right side of Application Toolbar.
2. In the window that opens, click Add New to create a row for a new subcontractor (e.g., "Subcontractor 1").
3. You can now see the subcontractor details, including:
   • Subcontractor Name, Attribute, and Company which you can edit as to your liking.
   • In the Factor field you can adjust the formula and percentage for this subcontractor's rate list.
   • In the Currency details define the currency code and it’ll show the conversion rate.
   • Rate Modifier, Total Columns and Total Unlinked tasks are also displayed
   • Status of Spread/Used will display information on unlinked tasks and if the subcontractor is in use.
   • An action column provides a Delete icon for subcontractor removal.
4. Once you've added a subcontractor, click the close button. This will update the list of subcontractors in the Subcontractor Adjudication form.

Importing and Managing Multiple Subcontractors

• You can add multiple subcontractors to compare their rate lists side by side.
• Each subcontractor will have a separate column, allowing you to evaluate different rate lists across the tasks you’ve added to the worksheet.

Adding Subcontractor Rate Lists

Once the subcontractors are added in the subcontractor adjudication form next to the subcontractors schedule of quantities , Access the Rate List Options from the columns heading dropdown,

1. Import from Excel: Allows you to click or drag-and-drop an Excel file containing the rate list.
2. Import Cost Rates: Use this option to import cost rates directly from the pricing tasks.
3. By Resource Type: Selecting this option will open a list of resources within your project. From here, you can browse and select specific resources and their corresponding rates to be applied to the subcontractor's column. You may choose materials, labor, or equipment resources that are directly relevant to the tasks assigned. This is beneficial when subcontractors can only provide specific services.
4. From Subcontractors: When you select this option, it opens up a dropdown with several options like,
   • Copy and Replace: This option allows you to either copy or replace rates from another subcontractor. It’s useful when you need to quickly apply rates from a different subcontractor to the current one.
   • Copy Unpriced: If the selected subcontractor has unpriced tasks, this option provides further choices for handling those unpriced items,
     • Add Highest Rate: Automatically assigns the highest rate available from the subcontractors to the unpriced tasks.
     • Add Lowest Rate: Assigns the lowest rate from the subcontractors to the unpriced tasks.
     • Add Average Rate: Calculates the average rate of all available rates from the subcontractors and applies it to the unpriced tasks.
     • Add Unpriced of selected Subcontractor: Copy the rates of selected subcontractor’s priced tasks and insert them in the current subcontractors unpriced line items.
   • Add Rates: This option allows you to add rates from the chosen subcontractor to the current subcontractor’s list 
   • Subtract Rates: This option subtracts rates from another subcontractor’s rate list from the current one. This feature is particularly helpful when subcontractors are only providing specific services, and you need to remove any unrelated rates from the subcontractor’s rate list, leaving only the relevant rates.

 

Unprice Subcontractor

The Unprice Subcontractor option in the column heading dropdown allows you to remove the pricing for the selected subcontractor. This can be useful if you need to clear out the rates for a specific subcontractor without affecting other subcontractors. Once this option is selected, all rates from the subcontractor will be unpriced, leaving the column empty for further adjustments or updates.

Managing Unlinked Items

Unlinked items are subcontractor-provided items that are not in the Subcontractors Schedule of Quantities. To handle these you can access the following options in the column heading dropdown,

1. Spread Unlinked Items: Spreads the rate of the unlinked item across the existing bill items, without showing the unlinked item.

The status of the subcontractor will show as “SPREAD” when the spread unlinked item option is used

2. Remove Spread Items: Displays the unlinked item separately from the rest of the bill items, providing transparency for these additional tasks. 

Rates to Bill (Send Rates to BoQ)

The Rates to Bill option, also accessible from the column heading dropdown, allows you to add subcontractor rates directly to the pricing worksheets. When you click this option, a window opens containing resource selection options, worksheet options and transfer options. These include,

Resource selection options

1. Description: Where you select the resource you want to use in worksheets. 
2. Unit
3. Rate
4. Currency

⚠️Resource have to have a rate of 1 to be eligible as a resource to be used to import the subcontractor rates into the the Bill worksheets

Worksheet Options

1. Add/Update: This will simply add the selected subcontractor's rate to the existing worksheet. If the resource is already present, the subcontractor rate will be updated. 
2. Suspend Existing: This option will suspend all the other existing line item rates in the worksheet, displaying only the subcontractor's rate in the cost amount for the task. Other rates will be retained but will not affect the cost calculation.
3. Clear Existing: Checking this box will delete all the existing line items in the worksheet and add only the subcontractor’s rate. This is useful when you want to ensure only the subcontractor’s rate is used for a specific task. 
4. Replace Resource Type: This option suspends the selected resource types eg. Labour, Plant, Material or Subcontractor  in the worksheet and adds the subcontractor's rate. 

Transfer Options

1. Copy Subcontractor Name to Resource Remarks: Adds the subcontractor’s name in the Remarks column in front of the selected resource.
2. Mark Worksheet Provisional for Provision S/C. Rate: Marks the worksheet as provisional, indicating the subcontractor’s rate is provisional.
3. Clear provisional worksheet markers: Deletes any worksheets that have been marked as provisional.

Comparing Subcontractor Quotes

Use the Compare Quotes option to view the details of subcontractor pricing. This includes details of the,

• Column Amounts
• Maximum, Minimum, Preferred Makeups
• Pricing Totals etc

This comparison makes it easy to evaluate which subcontractor offers the best value for specific tasks.

Export to Excel

The Export to Excel option allows you to generate and download an Excel file containing the subcontractor rate details. This feature offers two choices:

1. Export Subcontract: This option exports all the tasks in the subcontractor schedule of quantities.
2. Export Selected Subcontractor: This option exports only the rate list and details of the subcontractor you have currently selected, allowing for a focused analysis of specific subcontractor data.