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Arquimedes and Job Control

Executed quantity and Executed amount columns with data at job unit level

The ExecQuant and ExecPrice columns contain new data at unit price level.

ExecQuant
The yield can be obtained, at unit price level, based on the direct charges to job items and on the charge repercussions to chapters. Now, the yield can be obtained of the execution of a unit of a corresponding job item (by adding all the supplied quantities charged to a job item and dividing by the executed quantity of the job item).
ExecPrice
At unit level, the price of the supply is displayed in the charge, or if there is no charge, the probable price in the ProbablePrice column. This way, the price of the root chapter will reflect the foreseen cost at the end of the job as a result of the current execution and the weighted average price of all the supplies that have been contracted of that concept by the cost centre, if it has been contracted, or otherwise, the foreseen price (price in the reference budget of the job control).

Import from CSV format

The tool used to import concepts in CSV format to Arquimedes has been improved (Decomposition tree menu > Tree > Import from CSV format). In previous versions, this option was called “Import decomposition from CSV format” and allowed for a CSV file to be imported to be added as the decomposition of a chapter.

As of the 2013.k version, this option is now called Import from CSV format and allows for information to be imported from:

CSV format files
The clipboard of the operating system, where the user has copied information from Excel spreadsheets

The option, Import from CSV format, has also been included in the contextual menu that appears when users click, using the right mouse button, on a “Chapter” or “Job item” type concept (with or without decomposition) in the “Decomposition tree” window of Arquimedes.

Additionally, the program offers several import possibilities, depending on the concept that has been selected in the Decomposition tree window of Arquimedes. These possibilities are displayed in a dialogue box before importing, when the option to Import from CSV format is selected. These are:

Chapter tree and its decomposition
This option must be used when the information to be imported contains one or more chapter levels, including job items with their decomposition and, optionally, their quantity details. For the information to be extracted appropriately, each decomposed element, be it a chapter or job item, must have a line referred to as the “decomposition footer” that indicates which is the last element of its decomposition, and so be able to interpret the nested decompositions correctly. The files produced when the jobs are exported to Excel belong to this type of format.

This option can be activated in the “Import from CSV format” dialogue box if the concept that has been selected previously is of the “Chapter” type (including the root chapter).
Job items tree and its decomposition
This type of import should be used when the information to be imported only contains job items with their corresponding decompositions and details. This format is a subgroup of the previous format, and so the same rules are applicable concerning the “decomposition footer”.

As in the previous option, it is only active when the selected concept is of the “Chapter” type.
Concept list with its decomposition
The information imported using this option requires a more simple format. A “decomposition footer” is not required. In this case, the different column arrangement is used to distinguish the decomposed concepts (do not have a price or amount) from the unit items they are composed of (contain quantity and price).

It is active with the “Chapter” and “Job item” concept types.
Simple concept list
The information imported using this option requires the most simple format. It consists of a list of concepts that may or may not contain a quantity or yield, which will be added to the decomposition of the current concept.

It is active with the “Chapter” and “Job item” concept types.

Once the option has been chosen, the program opens another dialogue box to edit the data import process.

Customised column names in the Decomposition tree window

Users can now provide a customised name to the columns in the “Decomposition tree” window, by accessing the Visible columns of the decomposition tree dialogue box (double click with the left mouse button on any part of the Decomposition tree window header). The customised name must be indicated in the Personalised column in the Available columns section within the dialogue box.

The columns, located in the top part of the Decomposition tree window, which have been assigned a customised name, are displayed with a small red triangle in the bottom right hand corner of the cell in which the customised name appears.

The customised names of the columns are stored as user data, and therefore, are saved in the computer in which the names have been introduced and not together with the job that is under edition.

New columns with partial payments in the Decomposition tree window

New columns have been implemented in the Decomposition tree window to display partial payments at chapter, job unit or auxiliary price level. Users can activate these columns, and include them in customised column presentations, by accessing the Visible columns of the decomposition tree dialogue box (double click with the left mouse button on any part of the Decomposition tree window header).

The information displayed in these new columns is the same as that displayed on the bottom part of the screen when a cell of the Amount column, that belongs to a chapter, job unit or auxiliary price, is selected.

New report templates

Three new reports have been implemented in the Bill of quantities group (File > Print > Print report > Bill of quantities):

Bill of study quantities
Provides the bill of quantities with the study price structure carried out by the contractor, so it may be used to prepare the offer.
Price offer closure
Provides the closed status of the offer. It displays the study and sale price structures, so they may be compared.
Bill of sale quantities
Provides the bill of quantities with the sale price structure.

Export a bill of quantities to FIEBDC-3 as a blind bill of quantities

A new option has been included when exporting to FIEBDC-3 format (File > Export > Export to FIEBDC-3). This new option exports the bill of quantities as a Blind bill of quantities (only quantities). Once this option has been activated, another can be activated which allows to Include the complete decomposition of the job items.

Connection with ArchiCAD® 16 (32-bit)

Arquimedes has been updated to adapt changes introduced in ArhiCAD 16 (32-bit) and maintain the connection between both applications.

Report template editor

A new option: Used price structures, has been included in the Data menu of the Report template editor (File > Edit report templates > select a template). This option opens a dialogue box that contains a series of configuration options. If the template uses a specific price structure and users wish for the deactivated or cancelled information for that price structure to not be printed in the report, it can be done using these configuration options without the need of having to use scripts.

Adaptation of the Quantities/Certifications window to consider the new price structures

Two options: Sale quantity and Study quantity have been implemented in the drop-down menu that appears in the quantity and certification detail zones.

New options in the List menu within the Concept list window

The following options have been implemented in the List menu of the Concept list window:

Other concepts
This option includes two new concept selection possibilities:
- Decomposed concepts with fixed price
  Opens a dialogue box in which a list can be included of all the decomposed concepts for which the price has been fixed in the price structures selected within it. How to fix a price and what this implies are explained in the New options in contextual menus section and Modification of the budget price, sale price and study price in job items or auxiliary prices with decomposition section of this web-page. Prices can also be fixed in the Concept list window using the new option: Fix decomposed concept price, details of which are provided in this section.
- Decomposed concepts with blocked updating
  This option includes all the concepts whose data updating process has been blocked using the new option: Block data update, details of which are provided in this section.
Fix decomposed concept price
This option opens a dialogue box in which the price can be fixed of all the decomposed concepts contained in the list belonging to price structures selected within it. Fixed prices will not be recalculated even if their decomposition is modified. The effects of fixing a price are explained in the New options in contextual menus section and Modification of the budget price, sale price and study price in job items or auxiliary prices with decomposition section of this web-page.
Unblock fixed price of decomposed concepts
This option opens a dialogue box in which users can unblock the fixed prices of all the decomposed concepts contained in the list belonging to price structures selected within it. This way, the prices will be recalculated in accordance with their decompositions.
Block data update
This option will mark all the concepts contained in the list so they are not updated during any data update processes from other databases or from the Price Generator.
Unblock data update
This option unblocks all the concepts in the list whose data update is blocked.

Creating or adapting other options or dialogue boxes of the Decomposition tree window to view the new price structures

Create a new bill of quantities (File menu)

A new section: Price structure for the Job Execution Contract has been created in the Project type tab of the Data of new bill of quantities dialogue box (File >New > select Bill of quantities > Accept), where users can choose between two options: Budget structure and Sale structure. The selected option allows to:

Establish the type of price structure for the Job Execution Contract (JEC)
Adapt the new column presentation
Define the price which should be used in the job certifications

The section: Price Structure for the Job Execution Contract has also been implemented in the Project type dialogue box (Menu > Configuration > Project type).

Export to FIEBDC-3 (File menu)

New options have been implemented in the Export to FIEBDC-3 (File > Export > Export to FIEBDC-3) option, whereby users can select the information to be exported in the following sections:

In the Quantity details section, users can select the price structure to which the quantity details to be exported belong to:
- Budget
- Sale
- Study (new implementation)
- Execution
- Certification to origin
- Closed certification (to origin or partial)
In the section: Price column to export, users choose the Price column to which the price structure to export belongs to:
- Price
- SalePrice
- StudyPrice (new implementation)
- CertPrice (new implementation)
- ExecPrice (new implementation)

Delete job item decomposition (Processes menu)

Now, when users select the Delete job item decomposition option (Processes menu), a new dialogue, with the same name, appears, where users can choose amongst the following options:

Delete decomposition lines
Has the same effect as the Delete job item decomposition option in previous versions. In other words, deletes all the decomposition lines of all the job items.
Cancel quantities in the decomposition
This option allows for any of the three complete price structures to be selected (Budget, Sale and Study), even all three at the same time, so the quantities of the job items of the selected price structures are deactivated (not deleted; they take a value of zero).

Copy job item quantities or prices between columns (Processes menu)

The Copy job item quantities or prices between columns (Processes menu) option includes the new columns containing quantities, prices and expenses of the 2013.e version:

StudyQuant (Study quantity)
StudyPrice (Study price)
StudyCost (Cost of the concept study)
CertPrice (Certification price)
ProbablePrice (Most probable price)

Price modifications (Processes menu)

The following options: Increase prices, budget adjustment and Partial adjustment (Processes > Price modifications) allow for users to select the complete price structure which is going to be modified (Budget, Sale or Study).

Type of project (Show menu)

A new option, Price Structure for the Job Execution Contract has been created in the Project type dialogue box (Menu > Configuration > Project type), where users can choose the Budget structure and Sale structure. The selected option allows users to:

Establish the price structure type for the Job Execution Contract (JEC)
Adapt the new column presentations
Define the price that is to be used in the job certifications

The section: Price Structure for the Job Execution Contract has also been implemented in the Project type dialogue box (Menu > Configuration > Project type).

Percentages menu (Show menu)

The option: Indirect expenses, contained in the Percentages dialogue box (Show > Configuration > Percentages) has been substituted by the following options:

Indirect budget expenses
Indirect sale expenses
Indirect study expenses

This way, different indirect expenses can be defined for the three price structures.

Rules for marking incorrect prices (Show menu)

The options of the Rules for marking incorrect prices dialogue have been grouped into two sections:

Price structure’s particular rules
Within this option are the rules which can be activated in a different manner for the Budget, Sale and Study price.
Price structure’s independent rules
Includes the rules which can be activated to mark incorrect prices regardless of which existing price structures are present.

Job control option configuration (Job control menu)

The Values to use as reference, which are defined in the Edit job options dialogue box (Job control > Configuration) have been adapted to be able to control and follow-up the job bearing in mind that the study has been carried out based on the Study or Budget price structure.

New options in contextual menus

The contextual menus appear on-screen when a field, containing a contextual menu, is clicked on using the right mouse button. Within the Decomposition tree window, new options have been implemented in the contextual menus of some concepts to contemplate the three complete price structures (Budget, Sale and Study), that exist in the 2013.e version. The implemented options are:

Fix price
This option is located in the contextual menu that appears when the right mouse button is clicked on the (budget, sale or study) price or cost field of a job item with decomposition. The price of the selected concept becomes editable data, and so no longer depends on its decomposition. At the same time, all its decomposition lines are deactivated (not deleted), including those which can be added later on to the concept. The concept will not be considered in the same way as one that does not have a decomposition for when calculating the indirect expenses (unjustified job items), in reports and when exporting to other formats.
If a price is fixed using this option, a mark will appear next to the price of the job item or auxiliary item that has been modified, and another next to the quantities of the unit items of its decomposition. If the cursor is placed on the price of the job item or auxiliary item, a text tag will appear "Fixed price (does not depend on its decomposition)". If it is placed on the quantities of the unit items, a text tag will appear indicating "Deactivated quantity".
The fixed price can be unblocked using the Unblock price option, located in the contextual menu that appears on screen after having fixed the price, and is detailed in the following point.
This option is the same option that appears in the dialogue box when the Price field is modified, and has been explained in detail in the Modification of the budget price, sale price and study price in job items or auxiliary prices with decomposition section of this webpage.
Unblock fixed price
This option is located in the contextual menu that appears when the right mouse button is clicked on the (budget, sale or study) price or cost field of a job item with a fixed price. This option unblocks the fixed price so it can be recalculated in accordance with the decomposition contained in the price structure to which it belongs.
Job item revision marks
This option is located in the contextual menu that appears when the right mouse button is clicked on any field of any job item. This option already existed in previous versions. When selected, the Change of data revision marks of a job item dialogue box opens. The 2013.e version includes two new revision marks for job items: With sale quantity pending revision and With study quantity pending revision.

Price structure comparisons (budget, sale, study, certification and execution)

The Comparative bill of quantities tool (Processes > Comparative bills of quantities > New comparative bill of quantities) has been modified to allow for the following price structures (complete or incomplete) of the same bill of quantities:

Budget
Sale
Study
Certification
Execution

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