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Arquimedes and Job Control

Filter to measure duct, pipe, tube...subtypes

Quantities of “Ducts”, “Pipes”, “Tubes”, etc., categories can be measured more easily using the subtype filter.

As of the 2019.d version, users can define a subtype by indicating a discriminating parameter, to link its contents by grouping them in groups that share the same value for that parameter.

To add a subtype, users must tell the BIM model that is linked to the Revit project, which Subtypes are to be measured. This can be done by pressing the button and selecting the “Quantity filters” option. In the “Subtypes” column (implemented in this version), the program, by default, predefines filters for “Ducts”, “Flexible ducts”, “Pipes” and “Tubes” categories, if the Revit model contains them. Users can select other subtypes to filter.

Once the “subtype filters” have been established for the types of categories to be measured, a discriminating parameter must be added in the category by pressing on the New subtype button . The list will show the parameters of the category and only those with more than one value are included.

Once a parameter is selected, having pressed the Accept button, a subtype will become associated to a parameter, which can then be linked to a job item of the bill of quantities to carry out the quantity extraction.

If a type already contains links to several job items of the bill of quantities, these links can be reused, as long as they use the same filter based on the same parameter. To do so, simply press the Add new subtype button. Otherwise, if the type is linked to a single job item, all the links to job items must first be eliminated to be able to define a subtype.

Export information to the BIM model

As of the 2019.b version, “Arquimedes” and “Arquimedes and job control” can be connected to a BIM model that is located on the BIMserver.center platform to export the following project information, if it is included in the program:

Quality control program
Construction and demolition waste analysis
Life cycle analysis
Project specifications
Quantities
Bill of quantities

This information can be imported by the CYPE Memorias CTE program, which will use it to complete the corresponding section of the project documentation.

To do so, a new option has been included in "Arquimedes", and "Arquimedes and Job control": "Export documents to BIMserver.center" (File > Export), which opens a panel with the same name. In this panel, the user can choose the BIM project to which the information is to be exported (from amongst the projects in which the user participates) or to create a new BIM project.

In the start screen of Arquimedes (implemented in version 2019.a), there is also a new section that allows users to connect or disconnect from the BIMserver.center platform or access it using the Web browser used by users.

More options in the Job Control toolbar

To help with the introduction and visualisation of job control data, the following buttons have been provided in the Job control toolbar:

Purchase groups
Allows users to create or access supplier groups. Using this tool, users can more easily offer requests, price offers, and hence, elect contracts to be carried out.
Job supplies
Displays a list with all the unit items that have been used in the projects and allows users to organise them into purchase groups to be able to generate purchase comparatives and contracts more easily.
Contract supplies
Allows users to select the job supplies that are to be contracted and to prepare the required comparatives to decide which supplier the purchase is to be assigned.
Purchase comparatives
Shows all the price comparatives that have been defined in the project and allows users to generate the contracts of the supplies that have yet to be contracted.
Generate contracts
Allows the program to run through all the purchase comparatives to locate all the supplies that have yet to be contracted and have an assigned supplier, to propose which contracts have to be generated.
Job contracts
Displays a list containing all the existing contracts of the current project.

Window viewing system

In the 2019.a version of Arquimedes, users can choose between two window view systems (Classic system and System based on tabs). Either system can be activated using the “Windows systems” option of the “Window” menu:

Classic system
This is the window viewing system that was available as of previous versions. Users can organise the views and windows of the open databases in “Cascade”, “Horizontal mosaic” and “Vertical mosaic”.
System based on tabs
If this option is activated, a window with several tabs, which correspond to the views of the databases that are open, is displayed.

Different groups of windows can be organised (“Vertical groups”, “Horizontal groups” or “Floating widows) with one or several tabs. This organisation can be done from:
- The “Window” menu
- The contextual menu of each tab
  This menu drops down by pressing the arrow that appears when the mouse cursor is placed on a tab.
- Manually
  By dragging each tab to the desired position. Whilst the tab is being dragged, it is translucent and displays a blurred diagram so users can place the new tab in a new window, next to the one from which it came from (above, below to the left or to the right).

The view system based on tabs is helpful for users to organise the views and windows of the open databases. Furthermore, the floating windows of the view system can be moved freely, even to other monitors user may have for the same machine.

Presentation dialogue or start

As of the 2019.a version, when Arquimedes is launched, a presentation window is displayed where users can select the bill of quantities, price bank, work area or example that is to be opened. This way, databases (bill of quantities or price banks) are more easily opened, or work areas more easily loaded.

The presentation window appears if no databases were open when Arquimedes was closed in the previous session.

This window shows the sections, which display the information of the bills of quantities, price banks, work areas or examples that are available.

Several databases can be selected at the same time from the same section. To open the selected databases or work areas, simply click the “Enter” key of the keyboard.

Quantity comparative

To be able to compare the measured quantities more easily (Quant, SalesQuant, StudyQuant, ExecQuant, OrigCertQuant or PartCertQuant), depending on the quantities of the selected job item at that moment, a new drop-down menu has been added in the quantity comparative zone for the "Decomposition tree" window and "Quantities/Certifications" window. This drop-down menu appears when situated at any of the quantity columns of a job item. Hence, users can compare the quantities in the zone displaying the differences.

The new option allows users to choose, via the drop-down menu, a quantity type to compare with the edited quantity at that moment. This way, the differences between the quantities compared in each job item can be displayed.

The chosen configuration to compare quantities in these windows is saved with the configuration of the database.

Job item analysis report

A new report "Analysis by nature" has been implemented in the 2015.i. This report is located in the "Analysis" report types (File > Print > Print report). This report analyses the decompositions of the job unit items: labour, materials, machinery and other unit concepts to value the total or percentage unit amounts.

Delete a supplier in a purchase comparative

As of the 2015.i version, Arquimedes allows users to eliminate a supplier from a purchase comparative whilst all the supplies in the comparative have not yet been contracted. To do so a new button has been included in the program: "Delete selected element of the list" (Job control > Purchase management > Purchase comparatives > select a comparative whose supplies have not all yet been contracted), which deletes a supplier from the suppliers list.

The option is useful because as offers are introduced, suppliers are directly discarded. If the discarded suppliers are not eliminated, the data will continue to appear in the reports.

Materials pending receipt and stock

The materials pending receipt and stock can be seen in the job control stage using the new option: Pending receipt materials and stock (Job control > View).

Once contracts have been created using the Generate contracts option (Job control > Purchase management) or after creating general orders using contracts from the Orders option (Job control > Edit documents), the new window: Pending receipt materials and stock, displays a list of the material unit type concepts or unjustified job items with the ordered or requested quantities (depending on each case), the quantities in the delivery and the quantities pending receipt.

Furthermore, if the concepts that have been received have been charged to their respective cost centres, the charged amount and quantities in stock can be seen.

If a delivery note is created or if a concept is directly charged without being in the reference price structure, it will not appear in the concept list. For these unforeseen concepts to appear in the list, they must appear in the estimate or have been ordered previously.

Copy allocated prices in purchase comparatives to the job control reference price structure

If the Purchase management module is used in the cost analysis preparation stage or in the cost estimate stage, the prices that are allocated in the purchase comparatives can become part of the job control reference price structure.

This option is interesting given that in many occasions an estimate of the expenses is required by the Project manager (having carried out the cost analysis to provide an offer or if the cost analysis was incomplete). At this point, it is recommended the Purchase management module be used to carry out purchase comparatives, at the job execution phase, to close contracts. The prices which are allocated in the purchase process should substitute those analysed in the initial phase. These, almost definitive, prices offered by suppliers will be the ones in the contracts between them and the Project manager for the supply of the materials and services of the job.

To work this way, activate the option: “Copy allocated prices to the reference structure” (Job control > Configuration). The same option can be activated in the “Purchase comparatives” dialogue box (Job control > Purchase management > Purchase comparatives).

Upon selecting this option, each time a supply price is allocated to a supplier in a purchase comparative, the price will be copied in the reference price structure of the concept representing the supply. This way, when prices are allocated in the purchase comparatives, the prices of the supplies and subcontracted material which should, initially, be definitive with only the contracts left to be completed, are obtained. Therefore, the prices analysed initially are substituted by the allocated prices in the purchase comparatives in the job control reference price structure (in other words in the cost analysis and estimate stages). This way the most probable unit and/or decomposed price is obtained (ProbablePrice column) and is closer to the real price.

The unit execution price (ExecPrice column) will display the probable price whilst no expenses have been incurred due to charges applied to the cost centre of the job item. In this latter case, the unit execution price will be the same as the price of the unit concept in the charge.

Remember, the “Most probable price” is:

In a job item or job unit
Estimated cost based on the probable price of its unit prices.
In a chapter
The sum of the most probable prices of all its job items.
In a unit item
The mean weighted price of all the contracted supplies of this concept in the cost centre if it has been ordered, or the estimated price (price in the job control reference structure).

Create invoices emitted from closed certifications

In the Emitted invoices window (Job control > Edit documents > Emitted invoices) users can create emitted invoices by importing closed certifications. To do so, the “Emit new invoice, corresponding to the certification” button , has been added, which allows users to select closed certifications (from the window that appears after the button has been clicked on) to then change them into emitted invoices.

The gross amount is the sum of the certified amount plus the general expenses and the industrial benefit, both defined in the contract price structure.

Include a new supplier in an existing purchase comparative

As of the 2015.h version, Arquimedes allows users to add new unforeseen suppliers to a comparative, when the comparative does not yet have all its supplies ordered.

To do so click on the “Add” button (Job control > Purchase management > Purchase comparatives > select a comparative that does not have all its supplies ordered).