Estimating and Project Control Complete Overview

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Estimating

and
Project Control

Product Overview

November 2014

Construction Computer Software has specialised in the development of software for the
construction industry for the past 35 years. Our expertise is in estimating and financial
control of site operations, planning, measurement and project management systems, and
site systems such as materials and document control.

Construction Computer Software


Castle Mews, 16a Newmarket Street, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

South Africa: Centurion +27 (0)12 684 6000 Cape Town +27 (0)21 465 2637
UK: Glasgow +44 (0)1505 506 118 Bournemouth +44 (0)1202 892795
Portugal: +351 (21) 486 6441 Australia: +61 8 61444 819 New Zealand +64 (212) 833 822
Dubai: +971 4 388 4663 India: +91 (484) 411 4111
Canada: 0800 890096 Germany: 0800 1825 873 Hong Kong: 800 963 426
Singapore: 800 2700 007 Thailand: 1800 271 1804
Contents
Introduction to Construction Computer Software ................................................... 5

Major users ........................................................................................................... 7

Training Courses .................................................................................................. 12

Estimating ........................................................................................................... 15
Underlying Concepts ............................................................................................... 15
Interface with the Estimator ................................................................................... 15
Libraries ................................................................................................................... 15
Rounding ................................................................................................................. 16
Candy Environment ................................................................................................. 16
Limits ....................................................................................................................... 16
The Estimating Environment ................................................................................... 17
Worksheet drilldown sequence .............................................................................. 18
Macro Bill Items ...................................................................................................... 19
Split Rates and Combinations ................................................................................. 20
Dual Currency Bills .................................................................................................. 21
Indirect Costs .......................................................................................................... 22
Manage Indirects Post contract .............................................................................. 22
Master Library ......................................................................................................... 24
Estimating Definitions and Settings ........................................................................ 25
Subcontract Adjudicator ......................................................................................... 26
Trade Totals Display ................................................................................................ 28
Plant, Labour and Steel Calculation Tables ............................................................. 29
Estimating Reports .................................................................................................. 30

QTO Quantity take-off ...................................................................................... 31


Measurement.......................................................................................................... 31
Templates................................................................................................................ 31
Drawings.................................................................................................................. 31
BIM .......................................................................................................................... 32
Bill of Quantities ...................................................................................................... 32
Reports .................................................................................................................... 33
Export ...................................................................................................................... 33

Valuations ........................................................................................................... 35
Job modelling .......................................................................................................... 35
Monthly valuations ................................................................................................. 35
Analytical pricing of variations ................................................................................ 35
Allowable cost reconciliation .................................................................................. 35
Reporting................................................................................................................. 35
Subcontract Payment .............................................................................................. 35
Forecast to completion ........................................................................................... 35
Engineering information ......................................................................................... 35
Feedback to Estimating ........................................................................................... 35
Monthly Valuations ................................................................................................. 36
Multiple progress quantities ................................................................................... 36
Analytical pricing of variations ................................................................................ 36
Report Writer .......................................................................................................... 37
Budgeting & Cost Coding ........................................................................................ 37
Job Modelling .......................................................................................................... 37
Detailed coding structures and analysis ................................................................. 38
Final and remaining values forecast ....................................................................... 38
Allowance reconciliation and engineering information ......................................... 38
Resource Project Codes .......................................................................................... 39
Cost rates and worksheets...................................................................................... 40
Subcontract Payment.............................................................................................. 44
Valuations Reports .................................................................................................. 47

Planning ............................................................................................................. 49
Flexibility ................................................................................................................. 49
Accuracy .................................................................................................................. 49
Detail ....................................................................................................................... 49
Resourcing............................................................................................................... 49
Organising ............................................................................................................... 49
Progress................................................................................................................... 49
Information schedules ............................................................................................ 49
Integrating the Estimate and Program ................................................................... 49
Time/location .......................................................................................................... 49
The Standard Bar Chart ........................................................................................... 50
Program Manager ................................................................................................... 50
Calendars ................................................................................................................ 51
Facilities and features on the bar chart .................................................................. 52
Importing from the Bill of Quantities...................................................................... 54
Filtering the Program .............................................................................................. 54
The Contract Program ............................................................................................. 56
Recording the As-built Program.............................................................................. 56
Managing Information Requirements .................................................................... 57
Resource Allocation ................................................................................................ 59
Resource Cross-Reference ...................................................................................... 60
Resources and Production ...................................................................................... 60
Resource Histograms and Optimisation ................................................................. 61
Resources and Progress .......................................................................................... 62
Resource Cross-Reference Histogram .................................................................... 62
Time Location editor ............................................................................................... 63
Report Manager ...................................................................................................... 64
Planning Reports ..................................................................................................... 65

Forecasting ......................................................................................................... 67
Integrating the Estimate with the Program ............................................................ 67
Program view of the Bill of Quantities .................................................................... 68
Bill of Quantities with Forecast ............................................................................... 68
Forecasting using the Estimate Link........................................................................ 69
Cost loaded program .............................................................................................. 70
Estimating by Pricing the Program.......................................................................... 71
Project Cash flow .................................................................................................... 72
Forecasting Reports ................................................................................................ 73

Cash Flow ............................................................................................................ 75


How it operates ....................................................................................................... 75
Using linked data from the Program and Estimate ................................................. 76
Cash Flow analysis ................................................................................................... 77

Earned Value ....................................................................................................... 79


Terminology ............................................................................................................ 79
Underlying Concepts ............................................................................................... 80
The Baseline budget ................................................................................................ 80
Schedule performance ............................................................................................ 80
Cost to-date and forecast ....................................................................................... 80
Cost performance.................................................................................................... 80
Candy Overview Company Details

Introduction to Construction Computer Software


Background
Construction Computer Software (CCS) was started by a group of engineers and contractors in 1978. The
directors and shareholders of the company are all working members and are actively involved in the business.

The company is conservatively financed, has always been profitable and has no borrowings. All the company's
activities, including on-going research and development, are internally financed. Our current balance sheet
and other financial information is available for inspection if necessary.

Product
We produce a modern software suite called Candy, focused on project control in the construction industry, a
field in which we have gained enormous experience. We have specifically targeted the contractor's software
requirements, from taking-off, pricing and planning a project, controlling at site level, through to the final
certificate. We have a wide international client base which exposes us to a variety of local requirements and
new techniques. These are continually included into the software.

Candy is a ruggedised product, built for construction site conditions and unsympathetic treatment by
construction personnel. It is a 32-bit Windows application and runs on all modern Windows operating systems,
either stand-alone or networked, and on Windows Terminal Services.

Location
We are primarily based in South Africa. Most of the technical work and all software development of Candy is
conducted from our head office in Cape Town.

Our Centurion office is the sales and support centre for Africa, the Far East and Pacific region. This office also
supports our distributors in the U.K., Portugal, India and New Zealand. We also have an office in Dubai to
handle sales and support in that region, and have established a presence in India through a local distributor.
We have recently opened a sales and support office in Perth, Australia.

Personnel
We have a focused and motivated team with a well-proven background. Collectively, our technical staff have
over 200 years of experience in the construction industry of which more than 50% has been spent working for
major construction companies. CCS is well staffed with almost 40 people dealing with development and
support. Because of the complex nature of modern software we also have IT specialists as part of our
development team.

Support
Our distributors provide support and training in their host countries and also handle installation and
implementation of the system. They are backed-up by the support staff from South Africa who conduct
frequent visits to the distributors. When the installation or training load requires, South African support staff
will step in and assist the local distributor.

5
Candy Overview Company Details

Support personnel are constantly available to provide help or resolve problems and our world-wide contact
numbers are published with the system to ensure that there is always help a telephone call away. Users have
direct access to the relevant programmers of the software to discuss changes or new requirements. This keeps
us constantly in touch with our clients and ensures that we supply the appropriate product. The latest version
of the software is always available from our web site.

Training
We undertake regular training courses in many countries, covering all aspects of Candy. Instructors are
experienced both in the construction industry and the operation of the software.

CCS offers a full training programme of one- and two-day courses to acclimatise new users and to introduce
existing users to new techniques and facilities. Students are encouraged to explore those features outside of
their usual domain, so that integration with colleagues becomes easier.

Certain core courses are available to students from any company and are given in a central training facility.
First-time users of Candy would typically require a two-day core course. In-house courses are arranged with
and given to employees of a single company, in which case, courses are usually given at the companys
premises.

Details of our normal training programmes are included in this overview.

Renting the software


Candy is rented on a monthly basis. The Candy rental agreement includes all software upgrades, all new
versions and all support and any reasonable changes to suit specific user requirements. There are no other
charges.

Software rental has the advantage of avoiding high initial capital costs and allows for immediate tax recovery
on the monthly costs. Systems can be taken off rental at a months notice and additional systems can be
rented for short periods at peak times.

Licenses
The operation of Candy is protected by a software licence that can be installed on stand-alone machines or can
be located centrally on a network. In the latter case, fewer licenses may be installed, since it is unlikely that all
users are logged onto the system simultaneously.

6
Candy Overview Major users

Major users
Candy is installed in the offices of thousands of users around the world, among them large multinationals,
small contractors and consultants, and across the entire range of the industry. Offices, distributors and call-
centres in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, New Zealand, Thailand, United
Arab Emirates (Dubai) and the UK and India service these installations.

This provisional client list changes regularly. The list is weighted by global distribution, rather than number of
installations.
Algeria Tecnovia Angola Azores
Lena Construes Teixeira Duarte Edior
Opway Terponte Eng. Lus Gomes
Zagope (Andrade Gutierrez) Zagope (Andrade Gutierrez) Marques, Lda.

Australia Bahrain
Angola Acciona
ALDO Aradous /3D International
AJ Lucas Contrack International Inc.
Angolaca Ammjohn
Anteros Angola Nass Contracting Co
Ampcontrol
ARC Angola Aurecon
Certave Bellerive Homes Brazil
CFRL BHP Billiton Alves Ribeiro
CLEAR Brookfield Multiplex EMPA
Coeng Bouygues Monteadriano
Concreta Built Environs Mota-Engil
Conduril Decmil Sadesul
Construes ARC Downer EDI Engineering Somague MPH (Sacyr)
Construes Gabriel Couto Electrix Tiner Brasil
DCE Fairfield Services VSL Systems
Edifer Angola GHD Ytoara
Elan Hatch
Empreiteiros Casais Abengoa Australia Bulgaria
Engpower John Holland Glavbolgarstroy
Entek Laing ORourke
Griner Lend Lease Engineering
Hagen Canada
Mainland Civil
Imovias Hatch
MACA Civil
MCAVias Mcore Services
MCSA Monford Group Cape Verde
Monteadriano NOVO Rail Armando Cunha
Mota-Engil Probuild Civil CVC
Norfrica Rail Corp Empreitel Figueiredo
Omatapalo RUC Mining MonteAdriano
Palama SEMPAC Mota-Engil
Ramalho Rosa Cobetar Thiess Sogei
Rial Angola Tiltcorp
S Machado & Filhos Turner & Townsend Caribbean
Siccal UGL Carillion
Sines Water Infrastructure Bouygues Jamaica
Soares da Costa WBHO Civil Johnston International
Somague / Habitar Xstrata
7
Candy Overview References

Czech Republic Hong Kong Japan


Mota-Engil Central Europe AMEC Construction Kajima Corp.
Cheng Tak Wai Taisei
Chile Chun Wo
Hochtief Chile Dragages HK Jordan
Gammon Construction Al Wajih Contracting
Hong Kong Constr.
China Hsin Chong Constr.
Mid Contracting
Dragages Kumagai Gumi Kenya
Colombia Lam Construction Brolaz East Africa
Mota-Engil Colombia Leader Construction Mugoya
Cinterex NECSO Entracanale
Paul Y Kuwait
Congo Penta Ocean Al Ahlia Contracting Group
Zagope (Andrade Gutierrez) Sun Fook Kong Burhan Int. Construction
Kharafi National
Denmark Hungary Mushrif Trading and
MT Hojgaard Mota-Engil Contracting
Magyarorszg Rt United Building Company
Egypt
Duna Aszfalt Kft.
Orascom
Swietelsky Vasttechnika Kft. Lebanon
The Arab Contractors
MAN Enterprises Limited
India Qualco S.a.l
France
AFCONS
Bouygues Travaux Publics
ASCON Mauritius
CEC BCE
Gambia Desai Construction Cogir
MA Kharafi Envirox Ireko Design
Gana Geodesic Techniques M&R Gamma
Mota-Engil Kunnel Engineers Cons. Sotravic
Larson & Toubro
Germany Nagarjuna Constructions
Bilfinger + Berger Patel Engg Mexico
Hochtief International Punj Lloyd Mota-Engil Mexico
Strabag Voltas
Morocco
Ghana Indonesia Lena Construes
Mota-Engil Balfour Beatty Sakti S Machado & Filhos
PW Ghana Ltd
Taysec Ireland Nigeria
Ascon Bouygues
Greece Bennett Construction Dys Trocca Valses
CCC Consolid. Contract. Int. Howley Civil Eng. Orascom

Italy
Salini Costuttori
Saipem (ENI Group)

8
Candy Overview References

Mozambique Oman Construes Pragosa


CETA Al Ansari Trading Enterprises Construtorres
Conduril Al Turki Enterprises Contacto
Emocil Bahwan (BEC) COPI
Empreiteiros Casais Carillion Alawi Correcta
Gabriel Couto Douglas OHI Costa & Carvalho
Irmos Moreiras Habtoor Leighton Group Costeira
Lcio da Silva Azevedo & Filhos Larsen and Toubro Oman Different View
M. Couto Alves Target Domingos da Silva Teixeira
Mota-Engil Taylor Woodrow (DST)
OPCA/Opway Ecociaf
Edior (Azores)
Soares da Costa Peru
TEC Edifer
Cosapi Empreiteiros Casais
Tovisi GYM (Graa y Montero Group)
Zagope Etermar
Mota-Engil Per FCM Grupo
PyC Ferreira
Netherlands San Martin (ICA Group) Fitonovo
BAM International Fonseca & Fonseca
Poland Futurbuild
New Zealand M&I Garcia, Garcia
AECOM Mota-Engil Polska Gabriel A.S. Couto
Blacktop Construction MSF Polska Graviner
Brian Perry Civil Grupo DG
Brightwater Engineering Portugal Grupo SUMA
City Care Christchurch 2GM HCI
Downer EDI ABB IGC
Delta AFAvias Irmos Cavaco
Dempsey Wood Alberto Couto Alves Irmos Moreiras
Dominion Constructors Alves Ribeiro ISEP Instituto Superior de
Doug Hood Mining Amndio Carvalho Engenharia do Porto
Electrix Ambigua IST - Instituto Superior Tcnico
Fletcher Construction Anorte Joaquim ngelo da Silva
Fulton Hogan Anteros Joaquim Fernandes Marques &
Harker Underground Cons Antnio Alves Ribeiro & Filhos Filhos
HEB Construction Antnio da Silva Campos Joaquim Ferreira dos Santos
Hick Bros AOC (Grupo Oliveira Cristina) Jos Avelino Pinto
JFC Armando Cunha Lena Construes
McConnell Dowell Avanconstri LS&JM
Stronger Christchurch Bemposta Lcio da Silva Azevedo & Filhos
Infrastructure Rebuild Team Boaventura & Boaventura M. Couto Alves
Parfitt Construction Brumatlntica Manuel Rodrigues Gouveia
Pipeworks Bysteel Marques, Lda. (Azores)
Carpincasais Marsilop
Casimiro Ribeiro & Filhos Matriz
CCAD MonteAdriano
CICCOPN Montiviga
Clear Mota-Engil
Cobelba Multinordeste
Conduril Nicolau de Macedo
Constarte Norasil
Constrope Obrecol
OFM
9
Candy Overview References

Oliveiras International Trading Roshcon Construction


OPWAY Contracting RUC Mining
Pinetree Marbu Contracting Ruwacon
Planirest Midmac Stefanutti Stocks
Politrmica Petroserv Limited WBHO
Ramalho Rosa - Cobetar Qatar Building Company WK Construction
Ramos Catarino QD-SBG Construction
Restradas QDVC Spain
Rodrigues & Camacho Redco International Trading CETI
Rosas Construtores and Contracting Dragados
S Machado & Filhos Urbacon General Contracting ACCIONA
Santana & Cia. Voltas CETI
Soares da Costa Yuksel Insaat A.S. Dragados
Socopul Ferrovial-Agromn
Somague Sacyr
SPIE Batignolles Romania
STAP Mota-Engil
Submerci Sweden
NCC (Solna)
Tecnovia Saudi Arabia
Teixeira Duarte Skanska
Abdullah A.M. Al Khodari &
Toms de Oliveira Sons
Transjet Al Arrab Contracting Company Tanzania
Undel Al Mabani General Contractors Caspian Construction
Universidade do Algarve (UAL) Al Yamama G5 & Italframe
Universidade da Beira Interior El Seif Engineering Contracting NCC Tanzania/Zambia
(UBI) Energy and Power Contracting Noremco
Universidade Nova de Lisboa Modern Arab Construction
(UNL) Mohammed Bin Ladin Thailand
VSL Sistemas Portugal Company Bilfinger+Berger
Zagope (Andrade Gutierrez) Olayan Voltas Contracting Bougyes
Saudi Oger Ltd Christiani & Nielsen
Qatar Toledo Arabia (ACWA)
Al Huda Engineering Works
Al Jaber Engineering Co Turkey
Singapore STFA Deniz Insaati Insaat San.
Al Jaber Trading & Contracting
Who Hup Ve Tic.
Al Nakheel Agriculture and
Trading Yuksel Insaat
Boom Construction Company South Africa Uganda
Brookfield Multiplex Medgulf Basil Read Mota-Engil
Construction Development Bophelong Construction
Contracting and Trading Concor Engineering
Contraco Cycad Pipelines
Contrack Fraser Alexander
Domopan Qatar Giuricich Bros.
Galfar Al Misnad Engineering Grinaker LTA
and Contracting Group Five Construction
Gulf Contracting Co Isipani Construction
Habtoor Leighton Group Murray & Roberts Construction
HBK Contracting Co NMC Construction Group
Hochtief Solutions Middle East Power Construction
Imperial Trading and Transnet Lta t/a Protekon
Contracting PTH Construction
Rainbow Construction
10
Candy Overview References

United Arab Emirates Trojan/National Projects


Al Futtaim Carillion Construction
Al Habtoor Engineering UNEC
Enterprises Co. Voltas
Al Jaber L.E.G.T. Contracting Wade Adams Contracting
(ALEC) Zener Steward
Al Naboodah Contracting
Al Naboodah Laing O Rourke United Kingdom
Al Nasr Contracting Co. Amey Group
Al Nekhreh Contracting Babcock Rail
Company Balfour Beatty Group
Al Sahel Contracting Co. BAM Nuttall
Al Shafar General Contracting Barhale Construction
Al Tayer Stocks Bechtel
Amana Pipeline Construction Carillion Construction
AMB Building Costain
Arabian Construction Co. Galliford-Try-Morrison
Ascon Kier Group
Civil Power General Lagan Construction
Contracting Laing ORourke
Consolidated Contractors Morgan Sindall
Company (CCC) Network Rail
Convrgnt Value Engineering Skanska
Dutco Balfour Beatty United Utilities
Gammon and Billimoria
Kier Dubai
USA
Khansaheb Civil Engineering
Cinterex
Leighton Contracting Abu
Dhabi
Lootah
Macair
Manser Saxon
Murray and Roberts
Contractors M E
NSCC International
Obayashi Corporation
Oger Abu Dhabi
Overseas AST
Pivot Engineering and General
Contracting
Punj Lloyd Limited
Samsung Engineering and
Construction
Seidco General Contracting
Sun Engineering and
Contracting
System Construct
Target Engineering
Construction
Taylor Woodrow International
Limited

11
Candy Overview Courses and training

Training Courses
One- and two-day courses on getting the best results from the software are offered. These courses bring
new users up to speed and encourage existing users to take advantage of the powerful features of Candy.
New and better ways of using Candy are encouraged and users will be shown how to be more productive in
their work. Users will be encouraged to explore those features outside of their usual domain, so that
integration with colleagues becomes easier.

The Core courses are given to students from any company and so are usually run in our training facilities;
the In-house courses are arranged with and given to employees of a single company, in which case the
course may be run at the companys premises.

Essential core courses


C103 Principles of Planning
A one day course suitable for Planners, Site Engineers, Site agents, Contract Managers and
Estimators
The course cover definitions, objectives and philosophy of planning and programming, tender and project
planning, shortterm programmes, precedence networks. Practically, students will learn to draw and calculate
a network, plot a bar chart, allocate resources, and plat resource histograms. They will also develop a good
understanding of the principles upon which Candy Planning is based.

C201 Construction Estimating & Valuations


A two-day course suitable for Estimators and Quantity Surveyors new to Candy.
The course covers all aspects of the estimating system, including bill creation, worksheets and resources. By
the end of the course the student will have learned and applied subcontract adjudication, pricing, mark up,
valuations, subcontract liability, material adjudication, generating certificates and allowable control.

C202 Construction Planning and Programming


A two-day course suitable for Planners, Site Engineers, Site agents, Contract Managers and
Estimators new to Candy.
Detailed instruction will be given to produce a working program. Students then continue with planning and
controlling the project, and recording the as-built program as well as managing the information from the
design teams as required by the program. Effective reporting on the project status across all levels of
management will be taught.

Students cover bar charts and the linking of activities, activity types and allocating resources. The information
and long lead schedules are covered as well as monitoring progress and update reports. By the courses end,
students should be able to produce complete programmes to control a project.

C301 Integration of Estimating and Planning


A one-day course suitable for Estimators, Planners, Site Engineers, Contract Managers and Quantity
Surveyors who are familiar with Candy and SitePlan.
The course concentrates on the integration of Estimating and Planning to create forecasts, budgets and a more
detailed cash flow analysis.

12
Candy Overview Courses and training

Specialised in-house training


C101 Bill Preparation
A one day course suitable for Estimators and Estimators assistants who are involved with entering and
importing ASCII files from other packages, as well as compiling bills of quantities using Candy. Overprinting of
the clients bill for tender submission will also be covered.

C102 Materials Received


A one day course suitable for site clerks involved in capturing delivery notes and other site costs.

Reconciling the materials received to the head office ledger, generating reports for cost and bulk material
reconciliation are covered in detail.

C104 Principles of Estimating


Suitable for Estimators, Site Engineers, Site agents, Contract Managers.

The course covers objectives, preparation, planning, analysing, finalising and submission of a tender.
Candidates will learn to do a tender summary, kick-off meeting agenda and draft P & Gs. Practically,
candidates will calculate basic rates, worksheet calculations and splitting rates into resource groups. They will
also develop a good understanding of the principles upon which Candy Estimating is based.

C203 Contract Allowables & Cost Analysis


Suitable for Quantity Surveyors, Site Engineers, Site agents, Contract Managers and Commercial Managers.
This course is designed to help the post-tender commercial team use Candy Valuations effectively to generate
monthly valuations, price variations, and to manage their contracts To-date, Remaining and At-completion
Costs & Allowables.

C302 Quantity Surveyor Workshop


A one day course suitable for Quantity Surveyors and Project Managers who submit the Client certificate and
generate the monthly cost report.

Aspects of checking the original tender, re-modelling, entering accounting codes for cost reconciliation, as well
as generating engineering and production information for site control are discussed.

C303 Planning Workshop


A one day course suitable for Planners, Site Engineers, Contract Managers who are familiar with the Candy
Planning but are not using its full potential.

This course concentrates on controlling the project, managing the information required by the program,
integration of the program with the estimate to provide forecasts and reporting on the state of the project.
Filtering, recording as-built programs, information schedules, resource histograms, resource optimisation and
pricing the program are covered in detail.

C401 Post-tender Advanced Course


A two day course suitable for Quantity Surveyors who are not using the full potential of Candy for the post-
tender control of their construction projects.

Topics covered include job re-modelling, valuations, implementation of resource-based, locational and
functional project control, integration of Estimating and Planning to create forecasts, budgets and a more
detailed cash flow analysis.

13
Candy Overview Courses and training

Management seminars
C402 Analysis & interpretation
A half day seminar for executives and managers who require an understanding of the information that can be
generated by Candy, but do not necessarily require hands-on training.

14
Estimating
The Contractors Estimating System
Estimating is the major component of Candy and it exchanges data with all other components of the system.
It is a resource and production based analytical estimating system that divides naturally into pre-tender and
post-tender, and includes:

Take-off and bill preparation


Electronic bill importing
Estimating
Subcontract enquiry and adjudication
Material adjudication and enquiry
Project analysis
Valuations
Cost reconciliation
Subcontract control and liability

Underlying Concepts
Candy Estimating is based on a schedule of project using the Candy Valuation post-tender
quantities to be priced (the Bill of Quantities). This facilities.
schedule is either supplied by the client or created
by the contractor. Interface with the Estimator
One of the fundamental design considerations in
Each item is priced on a standard Candy make-up Candy is the user interface and making screen
sheet known as a worksheet. The worksheet is a objects easily recognisable to the user. Once the
free format document on which the estimator underlying concepts have been understood Candy is
expresses his ideas and calculations in a manner easy to use.
very similar to manual methods. This is done by
applying production calculations to resources. A The ability to set up pricing structures so that a
resource in its simplest form is a bought-out item of single change is reflected in many places speeds up
material, labour, equipment, etc., that has a unit the pricing process and helps to prevent errors of
rate. Resources themselves can be assembled on omission. It is particularly suited to the principle
worksheets to price compound resources, known as that 80% of the value is contributed by 20% of the
complex resources, e.g. concrete, which is made up items. For effective tendering these are the items
of simple resources such as cement, sand, stone, on which the estimator should concentrate his
etc. efforts.

Composite bill items, such as concrete including Candy is essentially a toolbox providing a variety of
formwork are priced using a compound bill item tools to get the job done. In many cases the user
known as a macro item. A macro represents a sub- has a choice of methods to achieve the same result
bill, which may contain other macros or standard and selects the one appropriate to his needs or
items. This approach of using basic building blocks preference.
enables virtually any data to be extracted, analysed
Libraries
and reported. Tender preparation is speeded up considerably by
All the relevant data produced by the estimator is the use of pricing libraries. Any estimate can refer
immediately available for use on site to control the to any other estimate as its source of Master data.

15
Candy Overview Estimating

Data is automatically copied from the current not an exact science, rounding errors have been left
Master as required and not imported in bulk. This exposed. However, in certain cases, where data
ensures that the estimate is not cluttered with breakdowns may be submitted to clients (e.g.
unused data and minimises the size of the files. Grossed up breakdowns), the numbers are balanced
Data in the Master can be viewed from the estimate by adjusting one of the broken-down components.
and a different Master or previous job can be
selected at any stage. Candy Environment
The software has been designed so that the user
Libraries are simply estimates containing standard need never leave the Candy environment to
data and corporate information which complies perform everyday chores such as backing up, bill
with company procedures and methods. Libraries importation, deletion and copying of files,
can be established to suit different disciplines, types preparation of external files for data transfer etc.
of work and clients.
Limits
Libraries are usually created and enhanced by There is no practical limit to the numbers of the
copying selected data from current estimates. It is, major elements, (pages, bill items, resources) that
of course, extremely important that this data is can be defined. For example the maximum number
checked carefully and documented for use in future of Price codes, Resources, Cost codes etc. is in
tenders. excess of 65000. However, limits are imposed on
minor elements such as Trades (52), Resource Types
Rounding
(9), Currencies (16), Global Variables (200) etc.
The bill is extended and totalled accurately to the
Restrictions to numeric values are generally
decimalisation set by the user. Changing the
imposed by field size rather than the magnitude of
decimalisation of the rates and/or amounts can
the number. Quantities cannot exceed 2.1 billion
have an appreciable effect on the tender total, but
while rates and amounts are limited to 18 digits.
will still be arithmetically correct.

While there are no errors due to computation, Estimating Screen Shots


discrepancies may be noted on internal split rate The following pages are annotated screen shots
reports, which are caused by rounding. When a which illustrate various aspects of Candy Estimating.
number is broken down into its components it is Although the screens have been filled with
impossible to eradicate rounding errors without documents to show as much data as possible in a
tampering with the figures. Since estimating itself is few pages, the Candy approach to the user
interface is clearly demonstrated.

16
Candy Overview Estimating

The Estimating Environment


Estimators spend most of their time working with the documents in this screen shot. They are positioned on the
screen and sized to suit the task at hand. Candy documents are laid out in columns and the user selects the
columns required and arranges them in a convenient order. Several different views of the same information can
be set up for different purposes.

On the left of the screen are the estimators working documents and on the right his reference documents:

Estimate Nett Bill Master Price code Listing


The bill is used to enter bill items and edit This document on the right in blue displays pre-
descriptions. This example is in multi-page mode, priced items in the Master sorted in trade order. It is
which treats the bill as a continuous document so zoomed to one line per item. Items can be dragged
that it is not necessary to jump from page to page. It from here and dropped on the bill to copy the
can be zoomed to show multi-line descriptions, one pricing from the Master to the estimate.
line per item, or just section totals.
Estimate Resource List
E20021 Price code worksheet The Resource list displays both simple and complex
The build-up of the rate for a bill item or a complex resources, sorted by code. Resources can be dragged
resource is entered on a worksheet. This worksheet from a resource list and dropped on a worksheet.
shows the build-up for Price code E20021 which is The Estimate Resource List document shows the
used to price item B on page 3 of the bill. final rate, the usage of each resource in the estimate
and the date when the resources rate was last
updated.

17
Candy Overview Estimating

Worksheet drilldown sequence


The series of worksheets shown here highlights the hierarchical structure of complex resources.

F301 Price code worksheet 2385 Complex worksheet


This is the build-up for Price code F301, used to price This is a level 9 complex resource showing the build-
both item B on bill page 4 and item J on page 7. up of On Costs for artisans.

24416 Complex worksheet Estimate Resource List


This is a level 7 complex resource, used in the build- This resource list shows the resources available in
up of F301 and describes the make-up of the the estimate. On the right of the document is the
formwork gang. attribute column in which resources can be tagged
with various attributes. For example the R attribute
2225 Complex worksheet indicates a root complex. Many analysis reports have
This is a level 8 complex resource which details the an option to stop further analysis at root complexes
rate build up for a Carpenter. (e.g. the number of Carpenter days is usually more
important than the amount contributed to the
Holiday Fund).

18
Candy Overview Estimating

Macro Bill Items


Macros have a hierarchical structure 9 levels deep. The simplest type, level 9, is priced with Price codes only,
whereas more complex macros (levels 8 1) may be priced with Price codes or any other simpler macro level.

A macro has a pricing quantity which is the quantity priced on its build up. The macros rate, as used in the Bill
or higher-level macros, is its priced value divided by its pricing quantity. The pricing quantity is entered in the
header area of the mini-bill.

Item F on page 5 of the bill is priced using Macro With its use of quantities calculated by Formulae
mini-bill 9L8372. using Variables, Macro 9L8372 could serve as a
template for pricing similar manholes where the
The quantity entered against each Price code in a
dimensions differ simply by adjusting the Variables.
mini-bill is the quantity required to determine the
Macros pricing quantity. It may be entered in one of In contrast to item Fs Macro, item E on page 5 is
the following ways: priced with a single very involved Price code
worksheet which includes all the complex and simple
As a formula, entered in the header area of
resources normally used to build up rates for Price
the mini-bill, as shown for item B. The
codes in several trades.
formula for each item may use the Variables
displayed on the line above the formula or it
may be a stand-alone expression.
On a multi-line Quantity Calc sheet
document, as shown for item D.
Directly in the Quantity column as shown for
item J which is independent of the
controlling variables.
19
Candy Overview Estimating

Split Rates and Combinations


Resource combinations provide a mechanism for splitting the rate of a Price code where the client requires a
breakdown of the rate, which does not correspond to the Resource types. This screen shot shows two views of
bill page 3 with grossed up rates.

Gross Split Rate Bill


This has been zoomed to show multiple description Resource Combination columns, each with its own
lines and is set to single page mode, which shows column heading, for presentation to the client.
page totals for all Amount columns. The Split Rates
columns show each rate split into the resource types Estimating definitions and settings
defined for this estimate. The rightmost two This dialog shows the settings of combination
columns show the mark-up percentage applied to column headings and the allocation of resource
the rate, and whether the Price code has its own types for combination columns. Resource Types
individual mark-up or uses the percentage applied to themselves are defined on dialogue 1.2.
its trade.

Gross Combo Bill


This has been zoomed to show one line per item. In
this estimate the seven resource types are reduced
to four by allocating them to

20
Candy Overview Estimating

Dual Currency Bills


Candy employs dual currency bills, and an estimate may define up to 16 currencies. Currency allocation is
determined at resource level a Currency Code may be entered for each simple resource.

A dual currency bill splits each rate and amount into Local and Foreign components. Assuming that this tender
is for a client in Hong Kong, the Local component comprises all resources priced in Hong Kong dollars and the
Foreign component comprises those resources priced in all other currencies, including the Pricing currency (e.g.
NZ dollars).

Upper Gross Dual Currency Bill conversion factor and any taxes or duties. Only the
The upper Gross Dual Currency Bill document shows Final Rate is shown on worksheets so that the
the Local and Foreign split expressed in Hong Kong estimator works in a familiar currency even if the
dollars as it would be submitted to the client. tenders local currency is different.

Lower Gross Dual Currency Bill Estimating definitions and settings


The lower copy of the same document expresses the The Definitions and Settings dialog shows Currency
split in New Zealand dollars suitable for codes, foreign currencies and their exchange rates.
management review. Amending an exchange rate causes a complete
recalculation.
Estimate Resources: Currencies
The Tax codes definitions define the taxes and duties
Resources bought in a foreign currency have a Base
which may be levied on resources. Amending a tax
Rate in the currency indicated by the Currency Code.
percentage on this document affects all resources to
The Base Rate is converted to the Final Rate which is
which the tax code was applied.
expressed in the estimates Pricing currency (in this
case New Zealand dollars) by applying the currency

21
Candy Overview Estimating

Indirect Costs
The Indirect Costs Bill is a second bill in the estimate. It is completely separate from the Clients bill and can be
controlled by its own simplified version of the construction program. It can be priced using any Price codes or
Macro in the estimate. Many reports have the choice of either including or excluding Indirect Costs.

Indirect Costs Bill


Priced items in the Indirect Costs Bill are either time- considered a value item. The table also provides a
related (bars with red and white stripes) or value conversion from the Price code unit to a day the
items (bars with blue and white stripes). The rate for base unit of the bars, e.g. Week is defined as a 5-day
time-related items is applied per time-unit of the week.
item (e.g. Day or Month). Value items spread their
Spreading Indirects over the bill items
total value over their duration.
If you require the Indirect costs to be included in bill
The members of a team required during a particular items, they can be spread over bill items in a
phase of the work can be tied to a bar in the controlled manner. What has to be spread and where
summary program so that the time on site for the is set-up by the User early in the bid process. At
team can be adjusted by changing the duration of a finalisation the spread can be re-done at the last
single bar. minute with confidence.

Time-unit Definitions Spreading Indirects can be done on specific bill items


Units listed in this table identify Price codes with a or trades and gives the flexibility to block any bill
time-related unit. Any unit not in the table is items that must not receive the spread.

22
Candy Overview Estimating

Manage Indirects Post contract


For each valuation the Indirects will update to reflect allocations and month end adjustments and the time
the previous, period, current and remaining based activities can be extended or reduced as
allowables based upon the based indirects, the values required. This will achieve an accurate allowable and
can be updated to take into account variations, re- cost to completion.

23
Candy Overview Estimating

Master Library
The estimator can refer to a library, or any previous job as a source of information for pricing the current
estimate. The current source is called the Master.

Estimate Nett Bill Change Master


Pricing an item on a bill page is as easy as selecting a The six most recently used Master jobs are listed by
priced build up from the Master Price code listing, the Browse Recent Masters button. Alternatively,
dragging it to the item on the bill page and dropping the Browse Companies/Jobs button runs the
it. A new item can be created between adjacent Company/Job Manager dialog.
items by dropping the Price code on a blank line
From this tree-view any job in any company may be
between the items. If the bill items are numbered
selected as a Master to the current job.
according to one of several standard schemes, Candy
can re-number the page items as often as required.

Master Price code Listing


This lists the Price codes in the current Master. The
first character of a Price code denotes its Trade, so
Price code documents show the Price codes sorted
by Trade and Price code. There are several ways to
jump to a particular section in a document with
thousands of entries.

24
Candy Overview Estimating

Estimating Definitions and Settings


One container gives access to all secondary code definitions (for analysis and summary report and all settings
controlling the behaviour of Candy Estimating.

Essential definitions
Secondary codes are optional except for
Trades and Resource types, which are
copied from the Master when the estimate
is set up. The order of Trades is followed by
all trade related reports while the order of
Resource types dictates the headings of
Split Rate columns.

Price code related definitions


Task codes and Work codes may be
allocated to Price codes. The table of Unit
shortcuts serves as a typing aid and ensures
consistency when manually entering a bill.
The Global variables are used in the
production calculations on Price code
worksheets when a single, centrally defined
value is applicable throughout the pricing.

BOQ related definitions


A Bill code may be allocated to bill items to
group related bill items for summary or
analysis reports, and is independent from
codes associated with the Price code. Local settings
Location codes are used on Quantity Calc-sheets The General settings, Decimalisation and Printing
which may be used to derive the quantity for a bill options dialogues establish settings applicable to the
item. current job only and may well vary from one job to
Resource related definitions another.
Cost codes and Group codes are used for sorting and Global settings
totalling resources in analysis reports. Production The Financial radix and Column width settings apply
Codes and Man-hour codes identify and provide unit to Candy as a whole and control the behaviour of all
conversion factors for resources involved in jobs.
production reports. Tax codes and Currency codes
are used to calculate the final rate of a simple Notes and recovery
resource from its base rate. Resource combinations The Note pad and Tender details dialog provide
provide a mechanism for splitting the rate of a Price means for the estimator to note details of the
code where the client requires a breakdown of a tender. The Recovery bin is a safety-net to preserve
rate not corresponding to the Resource types. complex elements which may have been deleted in
error.

25
Candy Overview Estimating

Subcontract Adjudicator
Subcontract packages are defined on Subcontract Adjudicator documents. An estimate can have any number of
subcontracts.

A Subcontract Adjudicator document collects items of work, which comprise a subcontract, and compares rates
submitted by subcontractors to undertake the work. The estimator can either import blocks of items from the
bill or enter individual items directly on the adjudicator document. The rates from the preferred subcontractor
can be sent back to the estimate to update resource rates.

Subcontract Package Manager Subcontract Package: Earthworks


The Subcontract Package Manager shows the six The OWN RATES column on the Earthworks
sub-contract packages in this estimate. adjudicator shows the rates imported from the bill
as a benchmark. The quantity of 9500m3 for item B
from page 3 is tagged with a Q to indicate that the
estimator has amended the adjudicator quantity, so
it no longer agrees with the billed quantity. This may
be due to an over or undermeasure detected in the
bill, which could affect the adjudication and prove
advantageous. A factor may be applied to all the
rates in a column (a discount of 5% has been taken
on Diggers and 10% extra for risk allowed on
Burrows). A currency code can be allocated to a
column if a subcontractor submits his prices in a
foreign currency.

26
Candy Overview Estimating

Subcontract Adjudication (of Earthworks) on a preferred column can also be shown. A dubious
Where a subcontractor has not priced an item, the rate submitted by John Hole, which is shown tagged
highest and lowest rates of the others are used to with a P is the cause of the Total Provisional
make up the range. If required, a third total based amount.

27
Candy Overview Estimating

Trade Totals Display


The Trade Totals Display shows the estimates total value broken down by trade and resource type. Several
options are available, for example, Nett or Gross Totals can be displayed, and indirect costs can be included or
excluded. If the estimate needs recalculation, this is done automatically. Pie-graphs showing columns broken
down by trade or trades broken down by resource type can be plotted from the Trade Totals Display.

Estimate Job Size Confidence Check


This quickly gives the measure of an estimate. The This may be run at any stage but should certainly be
Price codes and resources reported are the number done before finalisation of the tender. It highlights a
of entries in the databases; they may not all be used. any possible errors which will need investigation or
justification. It also performs checks on the integrity
of the estimates databases and reports any
detected discrepancies.

28
Candy Overview Estimating

Plant, Labour and Steel Calculation Tables


Candy includes a spreadsheet utility which exchanges data with the estimating system. Sample template
spreadsheets for building off-line calculators for equipment and labour rates are supplied. The user may add
additional columns to these spreadsheets and formulae for calculations can be changed.

The spreadsheets are particularly useful when rates are to be built up in more detail than is appropriate on a
standard worksheet, or where the utilisation calculation on a worksheet line depends upon the value of
previous lines, for example the insurance on a machine may be 2% of its value.

Plant Calculator LOCAL have


The resource code and descriptions are imported been calculated on a spreadsheet like this one.
from the estimate. Once the rate calculations are Updating the spreadsheet with utilisation values
finalised, rates are sent back to the estimate. As the would allow the values for all component costs to be
pricing is completed the spreadsheet is updated to shown on the spreadsheet.
fetch utilisation values from the estimate. These
values can then be further manipulated on the
Structural Steel Tables
This is a template lookup table. Other Candy
spreadsheet.
spreadsheets refer to it to fetch relevant data.
Directly Employed Labour
The labour rates in this estimate were in fact built up
using complex resources, but could alternatively

29
Candy Overview Estimating

Estimating Reports
Dedicated reports
Bill reports Wastage reports Miscellaneous listings
Bill of Quantities Wastage Analysis Trade Listing in Bill Order
Trade Spreadsheets Price Code Wastage Allocation Resource Listings
Complex Wastage Allocation Buying Schedule
Worksheet reports Section Index
Print Worksheets Project Code reports List Mark-up
Individual Worksheets Project Codes Report List Selling Rates
Worksheets in Bill Order Project Codes Resource Analysis Resource Employed by Trade
Indirect Costs Worksheets Project Codes Quantity Analysis Engineering Work Code Summary
Price code Worksheets by Value Project Codes Production Rates Dual Currency Bill Listing
Worksheets used only in Macros Project Codes Quantity Summary Bill Percentage Listing
Macro Worksheets Worksheets by Project Code Print Quantity Calculation Sheets
Macro Bills Unallocated Project Codes List
Print Worksheet Chains Undefined Code Allocations Check and Review reports
Allocations for Specified Code Page/item Checksum Report
Resource Analysis reports Pricing Check Report
Bill Resource Analysis Analysis reports Provisional Listings
Indirect Costs Resource Analysis Value Analysis Gross/Selling Balance
Bill+Indirect Resource Analysis Currency Analysis Cross Reference List
Analysis by Group/Class Tax Analysis Page Total Report
Resources by Bill Item Macro Spreadsheet Analysis Price Code Quantity Analysis
Bill Items by Resource Trade Currency Analysis Rate Discrepancy Report
Bill Production Rates Resource Type Currency Analysis Bill Tracers
Resource Percentage Report Resource Percentage Analysis Worksheet Calculation Line Check
Resource Group/Class Summary Cost Factor Analysis
Group/Class Analysis
Complex Resource Analysis

Presentation reports
Bill of Quantities Specialised Bills Price code Lists
Nett BOQ - Carried fwd / Brought Currency Analysis Bill Nett Price code list
fwd
Nett Bill of Quantities - Collection Indirect Costs Resource Lists
pages Indirect Costs Report Resource List
Nett Bill of Quantities - Page totals Indirect Costs Bar chart
Compact Nett Bill Listing Indirect Costs Bar chart with Trade totals
Nett Bill Listing with Worksheets Histogram Trade Total Graph
Simple Indirect Costs
Indirect Costs Monthly Forecast

30
Candy Overview Quantity Take-off

Quantity take-off (QTO)


The fundamental goal of Candy Quantity take-off is to add or extract quantity information from construction
design drawings or models. Quantities measured in the take-off items are fully referenced and auditable in
the Candy Bill of quantities.

Candy QTO is unique, as multiple bill items can be measured and have a live link to the Candy bill with all the
functionality of the Candy Project software.

Measurement
The length, number, arc, and area measurement These measurements, along with formulae,
tools allow the user to create quantities from variables, and mathematical functions enable the
working drawings. user to create, re-measure and progress Bills of
Quantities.
The drawing area has simple navigation with pan,
zoom, rotate, and the measurement tools snap to
lines, intersections and points on PDF or DWG files.

Templates
User customised templates can be created for fast, items to shared measurement which include
accurate and efficient measurements for repetitive variables, bill items and formulae.
type measures. Save time by linking multiple bill
Drawings
QTO supports 2D mark-up and 3D model take-off are managed within QTO and text annotation tools
and can manage multiple files types i.e. tiff, pdf, are provided.
dwg, dxf or dwfx in one package. Drawing layers

31
Candy Overview Quantity Take-off

BIM
QTO extracts quantities directly using the model collaboration on BIM projects. Any 3D object can
tree, manages live Revit files and integrates be isolated to identify the 3D object in the model
directly with AutoDesk Navisworks for real time tree.

Bill of Quantities
There is a live link between the take-off items and auditable link between the take-off and bill
the items in the Estimate and Valuations with the document. QTO supports measures for bill
full functionality of the Candy project software. creation, progress or final quantities.
The QTO reference columns provide a fully

32
Candy Overview Quantity Take-off

Reports
Customised reports of the detailed take-off together with the marked up and annotated drawings are
available.

Export
QTO data can be exported to Excel.

33
Candy Overview Valuations

Valuations
The Contractors Post-tender Control
Candy Valuations provides continuity between Estimating and the post-tender commercial control. All the
information used to price the tender is immediately available at post-award. All post-tender commercial
functions can be carried out by site staff using the facilities within the Candy Valuations module.

Job modelling Reporting


The tender information can be rapidly remodelled Presentation-quality reports are available for
to reflect situations that have arisen since the external use and a wide range of standard reports
tender was submitted. Buying savings, production provide detailed analyses for internal use.
adjustments and subcontract revisions can be
incorporated into the project. Accurate new
Subcontract Payment
Items can be copied from both the Subcontract
budgets and forecasts can be prepared rapidly.
Adjudicator and the Valuation Bill to the
Monthly valuations Subcontract Payment module. For management
Monthly applications for payment are produced by and payment of domestic and labour only sub-
entering either a progress quantity or a percentage contractors.
complete against progressed bill items. The
progress quantity build up can be recorded using Forecast to completion
The integration of Candy Estimating and Planning
measurement sheets. The available progress
enables monthly forecasts of both cost and value
quantities are Claimed, Paid and Actual, and a
to completion to be generated using the link
number of derived quantities, such as Quantity to
between time and money.
Completion, are also available.

Analytical pricing of variations Engineering information


In addition to catering for financial control of the
Adding variation items to the original contract
construction project the Valuations module
document is simple. They can either be priced
provides essential engineering information as a by-
using free-format analytical worksheets from the
product of the valuation process. Full analytic
estimate and modified as necessary or built up
detail of the budgeted use of resources for any
from first principles. Alternatively, a split rate can
part of the project or code structure can be
be entered if the full breakdown is not required. All
produced. This type of information is particularly
items can have both internal and external rates.
useful when working in conjunction with a client
Allowable cost reconciliation on a Partnership or Open Book type project when
Bill items can be collected under one or more the method of carrying out the work is a joint
Project Codes to produce summaries for resource decision and all details are to be declared.
based, locational and task-orientated cost,
production and quantity analyses. The information
Feedback to Estimating
Using Candy Valuations initiates valuable
can be produced in a format compatible with the
interaction between the site commercial team and
site costing system. Alternatively it can be
the estimating department. Accurate and regular
exported to a spreadsheet or accounting system
feedback provides a competitive advantage to
for the preparation of the monthly operating
many enterprises involved in estimating and the
statement.
management of construction projects.

35
Candy Overview Valuations

Monthly Valuations
Candy Valuations provides continuity between the On projects where the design evolves during the
pre-tender and post-tender functions. All the contract it is essential that site staff are able to
information used to price a tender is immediately evaluate the works as the scope and content change.
available after award. The Valuation System is an In partnership arrangements the estimating
extension of the Estimating System and capabilities provide clients with clear and precise
consequently all the latter's facilities are available budgetary information on the value of work to be
for contract control. executed. Without full estimating capabilities it
would not be possible to produce detailed
The re-measurement of the project can be carried
engineering information for the benefit of both
out using straightforward quantity take off sheets
client and project staff
for each bill item. Full details of the measurement
sheets can be printed to substantiate the final
measurement.

Multiple progress quantities Analytical pricing of variations


Entering either a cumulative progress quantity or a Adding variation items to the original contract
percentage complete against bill items that have document is simple. They can be priced using the
changed produces monthly applications for free-format analytical worksheets from the original
payment. The progress quantities available are: estimate, or existing worksheets copied and
Claimed, Paid and Actual with current and previous modified as necessary, or built up from first
values for each. A number of derived quantities, principles. Alternatively, a split rate can be entered if
such as Months Quantity and Quantity to the full breakdown is not required. All items can
Completion, are also available. have both internal and external rates.

36
Candy Overview Valuations

Report Writer
The Valuation Report Manager produces wide range of standard reports provide detailed
presentation-quality reports for external use, and a analyses for internal use.

Budgeting & Cost Coding

Job Modelling
Tender information can be re-modelled rapidly to incorporated into the project to prepare new
reflect situations arising since the tender submission. budgets and accurate forecasts.
Buying savings and subcontract revisions are quickly

37
Candy Overview Valuations

Detailed coding structures and analysis


Bill items can be collected using Project Reporting Resource Based: Coding of bill items via a Group or
codes to analyse the bill, either in combination or Cost code allocated to the resources used on the
singly. Reports show full analytical detail or worksheet of the Price code which prices the item,
summaries into resource types such as labour, plant, collects the value of resources of a similar nature.
material, etc.
The three independent coding structures can be
The three industry standard approaches to combined to produce such information as "the
controlling a construction project are catered for: resource code breakdown for a particular task in a
specific area".
Locational: Coding of bill items collects the value of
work executed in a particular location or section of a This information can be formatted for export to a
project. spreadsheet or an accounting system for the
preparation of the monthly operating statement.
Task Orientated: Coding of bill items via a Task or
Cost information can be imported to generate a
Work code allocated to the bill items Price code
monthly cost reconciliation.
collects the value of work executed to perform a
particular task. The analysis of the current value into the users cost
code structure is the basic building block for the
forecasting facility in Candy Planning.

Final and remaining values forecast


The integration of Candy Valuations and Planning completion to be generated using the unique linking
allows monthly forecasts of both cost and value to of time and money.

Allowance reconciliation and engineering information


Site based commercial staff can work in conjunction produced. This type of information is essential when
with the engineering staff to produce critical working in conjunction with a client on a Partnership
engineering information. or Open Book project when the method of carrying
out the work is jointly decided and all details are
Full analytic detail of the budgeted use of resources
declared.
for any part of the project or code structure can be

38
Candy Overview Valuations

Resource Project Codes


The screenshot below shows the resource list for the the number of man-hours that should have been
project and the Project codes that can be applied to expended for the work done to date and the rates of
resources to analyse their value by cost code. The production that should have been achieved for the
Production codes are used to produce useful tasks performed.
engineering information about the project, such as

39
Candy Overview Valuations

Cost rates and worksheets


At estimate stage, bill items are priced in Candy using Price code worksheets. The worksheets use resources to
calculate their net rates. These net rates are multiplied by the billed quantity to provide, what is referred to in
Candy, as the Allowable.

At post-tender stage, cost rates can be entered against resources where rates have changed, and Price code
Cost worksheets, can be created to derive the cost to completion for items using the resource cost rates and/or
where the method of construction or production has changed.

Bill items can therefore have Allowable rates (the net rates) as well as Cost rates. The Allowable rates together
with the anticipated Final quantity calculate the Baseline budget while the Cost rates together with the
Remaining quantity calculate the Cost to Completion.

Cost rates When resource rates change, the new rate is


Cost rates can only be used at post-tender stage entered in the Cost rate column of the resource list
and are only available once the Valuation process see the rate for diesel and for OPC Bulk shown
has commenced. below. Any complex resources or Price code
worksheets that use these resources will change
It is only necessary to enter Cost rates for automatically as well.
resources that have new rates. If no Cost rate is
entered for a resource, the Allowable (net) rate is If there is no cost rate against a resource it will
used. Similarly, it is only necessary to create Cost simply use the Allowable rate (Final rate in the
worksheets for Price codes where the method or resource list), so blank Cost rates in the resource
production has changed if there is no Cost list quickly identify those resources that have not
worksheet, the net worksheet is used with changed.
resource Cost rates when calculating costs. Complex resource worksheets always have a Cost
rate displayed against them as they are calculated
using the resource Cost rates on their worksheets.

40
Candy Overview Valuations

Cost worksheets
If the method or production of a Pricing code If the method or production has changed, then a
Allowable worksheet has not changed then there is Price code Cost worksheet should be used to
no need to make a Cost worksheet. To determine estimate the costs to completion. In the example
the cost of the Price code the Allowable worksheet below, the production on the Cost worksheet has
will simply be used and resource Cost rates will be been increased resulting in a lower overall rate.
substituted during the calculation.

Valuation documents and reports have access to


the cost data for bill items allowing each item to
display its Cost to Completion as shown here:

41
Candy Overview Valuations

Costs: Previous, To Date, Remaining and Final


The Cost to date can be imported electronically against Cost (or expense) codes and, if available,
from a job costing or accounting system or from Task codes for activity based costing.
any ASCII file. Costs should always be captured

When the next valuation is set up, To-Date costs in method and/or production multiplied by the
become Previous costs. Costs-To-Complete are remaining quantity. The cost at completion is
calculated from the Cost rates entered against calculated by adding the cost to date and the cost
resources and Cost worksheets recording changes to complete based on Final quantities.

42
Candy Overview Valuations

Allowable vs. Costs Analysis Previous, To Date, Remaining and Final


The allowable to date becomes the previous calculated using the allowable rates based on the
allowable when the next valuation period is set up. remaining quantity (final less actual), while the
The allowable to date is based on the actual total allowable is calculated from the allowable
quantity of work done multiplied by the net (or rates multiplied by the final quantity.
allowable) rates. The allowable to complete is

43
Candy Overview Valuations

Subcontract Payment
Progress measurements, payments and liabilities to domestic and labour-only subcontractors constitute a
major part of the commercial control of a construction project.

Labour-only subcontractors often have a many to one relationship with bill items whereas domestic and
nominated subcontractors usually have a one to one relationship. In other words, many labour-only
subcontractors may work on the same bill items whereas domestic subcontractors tend to be specialists who
handle their bill items exclusively.

Labour-only subcontractors are often paid on a weekly or bi-weekly basis with measurement assistance from
the main contractor, whereas domestic subcontractors are paid monthly after submitting detailed progress
claims.

The Candy Subcontract Payment system provides individual subcontract bills for each subcontractor. These
items form a sub-set of the main bill and are intrinsically tied back to the main bill items. Each subcontractor
has their own individual rates and awarded quantities against these bill items making up the subcontractors
awarded or contract value.

Allocating bill items to a subcontract


Subcontracts already setup and priced in the New subcontracts can be entered in the
Subcontract Adjudication system can be brought Subcontract Manager and the bills populated by
directly into the Subcontract Manager including dragging items from the main BOQ. Once a new
rates from a chosen subcontractor. subcontract and its bill are established, it is
awarded to a Subcontractor and his rates are
entered into the subcontract bill.

44
Candy Overview Valuations

Many subcontractors to a bill item


Many subcontractors can be allocated to a bill Over/Under Qty column highlights bill items that
item, each with his own quantity and rate. The have not been fully allocated to subcontractors.

Not fully allocated

The main contractors actual valuation calculated from the measurement of work done to
date (due quantity) multiplied by the
quantity
subcontractors rates for the items of work done.
The Due Quantity on the subcontractor bills
Due Quantities accrue to the Actual Quantity in the
determines the Actual Quantity in the main bill
main bill and reflect any liability created by under-
valuation document. Once a subcontractor has
payment to the subcontractor. Additional work
been assigned to a bill item, the Actual Quantity
such as day works, variations and repairs carried
should no longer be entered manually but come
out by a sub-contractor are recorded under Extras,
from the Due Quantities of the subcontract bills.
while contra charges are recorded as Charges.
Generation of the Subcontractor Payment Materials on site, escalation and advance
Certificate payments for each subcontractor are recorded for
Weekly, bi-weekly and/or monthly payment the current period. These together with the
certificates can be generated from the Subcontract subcontractors certificate from the bill for the
Manager. The subcontractors paid amount is current period are assembled as a payment
certificate or advice.

45
Candy Overview Valuations

Subcontract Liability
The Due Quantity is an assessment of the real Quantity and the difference is regarded as the
quantity that has been completed by the liability.
subcontractor and contributes to the Actual
From the Subcontractor selector, a button
Quantity in the main bill. However, the quantity
produces the current state of the subcontract
Paid to the subcontractor may differ from the Due
liability as shown below:

46
Candy Overview Valuations

Valuations Reports
Dedicated reports
Bill Reports Project Codes Reports Housekeeping Reports
Interim Payment Claim Project Codes Report Page Checksums
Valuation Listings Project Codes Resource Analysis Tracers
Trade Spreadsheets Worksheets by Project Code Location Code Check
Dual Currency Listing Project Codes Production Rates
Value Analysis Project Codes Quantity Analysis Worksheet Reports
Turn-about Document Project Codes Quantity Summary Print Worksheets
Individual Worksheets
Resource Analysis Reports Wastage Reports Worksheets in Bill Order
Valuation Resource Analysis Wastage Analysis Indirect Costs Worksheets
Resources by Bill Item Price Code Worksheets by Value
Analysis by Group/Class Worksheets used only in Macros
Valuation Production Rates Macro Worksheets
Resource Percentage Report Macro Bills
Resource Group/Class Summary
Group/Class Analysis
Complex Resource Analysis

Presentation reports
Bill of Quantities Indirect Costs
Nett BOQ - Carried fwd / Brought Indirect Costs Report
fwd Indirect Costs Bar chart
Nett Bill of Quantities - Collection Indirect Costs Bar chart with
pages Histogram
Nett Bill of Quantities - Page totals Simple Indirect Costs
Compact Nett Bill Listing Indirect Costs Monthly Forecast
Nett Bill Listing with Worksheets Price code Lists
Nett Price code list
Specialised Bills
Currency Analysis Bill Resource Lists
Resource List
Trade totals
Trade Total Graph

47
Candy Overview Planning

Planning
The Contractors Planning System
Candy Planning provides a powerful critical path network system designed specifically for the construction
industry. It can be used effectively by a non-planner, but has the features and functionality required by the
professional. Above all, it is straightforward to use and helps to plan a better project.

It has four primary objectives:

Planning and controlling the project and recording the as-built program
Managing the information from the design teams as required by the program
Effective reporting on the project status across all levels of management
Integration with the estimate to provide cost/value forecasts and cash flow analysis
Flexibility Progress
Drawing a bar chart, maintaining a detailed Progress can be recorded to provide an as-built
precedence network or a combination of these two record of a project, while the original network is
methods are possible. The network can be entered kept as a base program to be used for comparison
in a precedence fashion or as a linked bar chart that against actual progress.
automatically creates the precedence network.
Information schedules
Accuracy Auxiliary Long Lead and Information Schedules are
Network loops and activity duplication is checked as provided for tracking and recording off-network
activities are entered, reducing input errors and operations such as client decisions, design work and
timeous manual checking. lengthy delivery items. The predicted consequences
of late information delivery can be imported into the
Detail program to show the effect on the overall program.
Activities may have notes and comments for
annotating program reports or recording site Integrating the Estimate and Program
conditions. Networks can be split into any number of Items from the bill of quantities can be allocated to
sub-networks, which can in turn be sub-networked the program activities. This allows resource or
across nine levels. Information can then be financial information from the estimate to be
summarised into logical sections and hidden or reflected against the time frame calculated in the
displayed as required. program.

Resourcing The resources used in the bill of quantities can also


Resources are categorised into simple and gang be plotted as histograms. Any changes to either the
resources. Resources are effortlessly allocated to program or the estimate will immediately be
activities in the program in order to assess and reflected in the forecast and the histogram.
manage the resource requirements for the project.
Time/location
Resources are analysed using on-screen and report
Time/Location is a method of summarising and
histograms.
graphically representing a program against axes of
Organising time and location. This facility is suitable for linear
Powerful filtering mechanisms are provided for activities typically found in programs of hi-rise
regrouping activities by code, description, float or buildings, roads and rail lines. Changing durations in
any user specified data. the Time/Location chart editor is immediately
reflected in the bar chart.

49
Candy Overview Planning

The Standard Bar Chart

Program Manager
New programs are created in the Program Manager, Programs can be created, copied, and backed up in
and it is the entry point for starting up existing the Program Manager.
programs.
There are also facilities for exporting and importing
Programs can be organised into groups under Candy Planning programs to and from other
meaningful headings. Each program can have planning software.
additional information stored against it as shown on
the bottom right hand panel.

50
Candy Overview Planning

Calendars
The calendar is used to specify non-working days in calendar have been set up in addition to the Project
the project. The Project Calendar (PC) is provided Calendar in the screen below.
automatically when a new program is created. The
Comprehensive notes can be kept about each day in
number of working days in a typical week can be set
the calendar, both as a remark in the Daily Diary
and holidays can be marked to represent the
column or on the notepad provided for each day.
contract calendar.
The calendar can also be viewed in year planner
Additional calendars can be set up to handle holiday
format as shown in the background.
patterns required for unusual activities or trades
for example a six day week and weekend only

51
Candy Overview Planning

Facilities and features on the bar chart


Creating a program is easy just draw the activity with its activity number, duration, codes and
bars on the screen using the mouse. As an activity is predecessor/successor information. If no activity
made it is given the name New Activity which can number is supplied, Candy Planning will number it
be edited on the bar chart. Bars can be linked automatically. Links from activities can be put into
together by stretching a logic link between activities the Link Anchor Box for later connection to the
(as shown below). Alternatively, the activity name appropriate successor or they can be entered
can be entered in the description column together manually in the successor column.

Where necessary the duration for an activity can be be used to jump to anywhere in the program with a
calculated and documented as shown below in the single click. The right click menu offers several other
Duration Calc sheet for A060. The Birds Eye view facilities for managing and documenting the
provides an overall picture of the network, and can program, such as the activity note pad shown below.

52
Candy Overview Planning

53
Candy Overview Planning

Importing from the Bill of Quantities


Where a well-structured Bill of Quantities is foundation for the time/money model of the
available, the program can be imported from the project.
Candy Estimating module. This is often a good
The program shown here has been imported from
platform from which to build the program. Bill
the bill of quantities and some of the activities have
section headings are imported as activities and
been adjusted and linked to represent the duration
adjusted to suit the program, adding activities as
and sequence of work.
required and removing those that are not relevant.
Unlinked bars are activities that have not yet been
During the import, the bill items are linked to the
adjusted and are still as they were when imported
activities as they are created providing a good
from the BOQ five days long starting at day 5.

Filtering the Program


Filtering is a powerful feature in Candy Planning. This excavation activities or highlighting them in the
filter example has found all activities that include the context of the whole program.
word excavate. The other activities are shown in a
A large selection of standard filters is supplied,
dull grey, or can be hidden to display only the items
including filters to help debug logic errors in the
found by the filter.
network. Alternatively, any of the Planning module
For example, this could be used to print a report of columns of data can be used to filter the program.
excavation subcontract items, showing only the Filters can be applied to reports as well.

54
Candy Overview Planning

55
Candy Overview Planning

The Contract Program


The original program is automatically saved when Here the base program bars are shown in blue
progress is first recorded. This is the base program behind the current bars. Progress and dates for Long
and reflects the contractual situation. It is always Lead information are recorded against the base
available for comparison to the current program. program. Slip relative to the base program is used as
a measure of performance against the original plan.

Recording the As-built Program


At regular intervals, every two weeks, monthly or When activities are put on hold, the progress
before site meetings, etc, the actual progress restraint system will record the stop-start dates and
achieved can be recorded against the program. their knock-on effects. This information is built up
Where comments are required to record events that over the contract and when viewed against the base
affected progress, the progress notepad or keyword program, shows the as-built progress on the
facilities can be used. background of the original program.

56
Candy Overview Planning

Managing Information Requirements


Getting the information required to build a project is A parallel system, the Information Schedule, is used
one of the major problems in construction. Owners to manage information required to construct the
decisions are delayed as late as possible, design activities on the program. For example, the
teams are often under-resourced and tenant structural engineer is prompted for bending
requirements are not forthcoming. SitePlan includes schedules early enough to get the rebar cut, bent
a Long Lead item control system for planning and and to site on time for the individual concreting
managing off-site design, procurement and activities.
nominated sub-contract events.
An extensive reporting facility is available for the
These items are tied to the program and their drop- Long Lead and Information Schedule systems to
dead dates reflect the current program provide the owner and professional teams with clear
requirements. Delays from the Long Leads are reports of their decision and design obligations.
recorded and the impact is reflected in the program.
The screens below show the Long Lead control
All delays and their knock-on effects are kept by the
system.
system and are available as backup to settlement
claims.

The document above describes a series of Long The start and finish dates shown for each item in the
Leads. The cursor is on a program activity that is sequence must be adhered to or the activity, Fan
dependent on a chain of offsite operations. These base, will be delayed past its start on 22/04/02. In
are listed below the activity, with the duration that this example, the owner is away and will not
each requires and the responsible partys code. approve the design until 28/04/02, delaying the Fan
base by 20 days.
57
Candy Overview Planning

The effect of the delay is transferred to the program The End Slip column shows how the affected
and the results are shown in the next example activities are slipping relative to the original base
where for simplicity only one long lead delay is program and the float columns show how the
shown. The leftmost column shows the delay while activities have become critical compared to the
the second column shows the knock-on effect on the original program. The worst float is 20, i.e. the
rest of the program. project is currently forecast as 20 days behind the
required completion date.

58
Candy Overview Planning

Resource Allocation
Candy Planning has access to two kinds of resources: those from a priced Candy Estimate and the planners
resources. The latter are discussed here while the analysis using Estimate resources is mentioned in the section
under the link between Planning and Estimate

An unlimited number of resources may be defined in In the screen below, activities are shown on the left
the program or copied over from a library program. with the resources allocated to them. An activitys
There are two types of resource, simple and gang. bar is drawn as many times as there are resources
The simple resources can be grouped together to allocated to it. The black bars show how the
form gang resources. For example, a bricklaying gang resources are spread over portions of the bars,
can be made up of a bricklayer and half a labourer. accurately positioning the resource duration on the
Both gang and simple resources can be allocated to activity duration.
activities. In an analysis of resources, the bricklayer
and labourer would be extracted from the gang
resources for their respective histograms.

59
Candy Overview Planning

Resource Cross-Reference
This screen shows the resources and identifies the and allows the planner to consider the flow of a
activities that use each resource as well as the resource through the activities. In this view it is very
quantity and position of the resource usage on the easy to optimise and level the use of a resource.
bar. This is the inverse view of the previous screen

Resources and Production


Calculating the duration of an activity depends on A quantity take-off sheet is provided for every
the quantity of the dominant resource, the team activity to calculate its quantities. The take-off is in a
size, the number of teams and the production free-format and can be annotated to identify the
output from a team. Candy Planning handles these measurements.
calculations and will produce a suggested duration
that can be used or modified. Columns that control
the calculation are shown below.

60
Candy Overview Planning

Resource Histograms and Optimisation


Resource histograms can be calculated and Moving an activity to level a histogram peak puts a
displayed against the bar chart. Activities that do not resource restraint against the activity and re-
use the resource being analysed can be filtered out. schedules it at the date indicated. This gives the
These rejected activities can either be shown in a planner an immediate feedback on the effect of
light grey or hidden altogether. The screen below manually sequencing the resource usage and its
shows the rejected activities greyed out so that the impact on the end dates.
other activities can be seen in context.

61
Candy Overview Planning

Resources and Progress


As the project progresses, and the actual starts and the program has been delayed and activities using
ends of the activities are recorded, the histograms of the REBAR resource now overlap, causing an
resources against the original plan reveal the effects increased production as can be seen by the steeper
of delays. The screen below shows the original green histogram. Even so, at the middle of May, the
cumulative histogram for REBAR in blue and the shortfall in production against the original program
current situation in green. Due to information delays, will amount to some 60% of the resource total.

Resource Cross-Reference Histogram


An alternative view to analysing the screen above is these curves. In this case there is not much latitude
to isolate a particular resource and display the as the activities that cause the steep production are
activities that use it. The cumulative histograms all critical and cannot be moved without adversely
below clearly identify the activities that contribute to affecting the end date.

62
Candy Overview Planning

Time Location editor


Time / location charts are known by various names of time and location. They are suitable for projects
such as Line of Balance, Time / Chainage, March of a linear nature, for example railways, motorways,
Charts, Sloping Barcharts etc. pipelines, tunnels, mine shafts and high rise
buildings. They are also useful for mass housing
The Time/Location chart is a method of summarising
projects and production control such as hotel room
and graphically representing a program against axes
fit-outs.

63
Candy Overview Planning

Report Manager
All reports in Candy Planning are managed through activities may be coloured by resource, area,
the Report Manager. Numerous standard template responsibility etc. The reports can be easily tailored
reports are provided covering all aspects of to match corporate fonts, logos and colours where
construction planning. These can be copied and presentation quality is required.
altered as required. Company standard reports can
Reports can be printed individually or grouped into a
be set up and stored as My Reports.
binder that can be printed as a book. Printing
Reports can be annotated with textual comments, Resource Histograms, below, would print all reports
scanned digital photographs and outline drawings in that set with a contents page and continuous page
such as site layouts. Speech bubbles can be used to numbering.
refer to specific points on the bar chart, and

64
Candy Overview Planning

Planning Reports
Presentation reports
Activity Lists Resources Information/Long Leads
Standard Activity List Bar chart with Resource Information Required Bar Chart
Activity Logic Allocations Detailed Long Leads Bar Chart
Resource List with Bar chart Bar chart with Long Lead symbols
Bar charts
Standard Bar chart Management Reports Networks
Current and Base Program Bar Contract and Target Dates Precedence Network Report
Chart Contract Dates
Target Dates Calendars
Resource Histograms Progress Diagnosis Calendar Listing
Resource Histogram Year Planner
Histogram - Monetary Values
Histogram - Current vs. Base Time/Location
Program Time/Location Report
Numeric Resource Histogram
Activity Density Histogram

65
Candy Overview

Forecasting
Forecasting value, quantity and resource
Monthly forecasts of bill amounts, resources and quantities generated from a dynamic link between the
estimate and program provides invaluable information for feasibility and progress monitoring of a
construction project.

Dynamic integration of bill items and program activities


Forecast monthly budget and quantity of bill items
Forecast monthly revenues per bill item or activity
Forecast and schedule monthly resource usage and value
Produce graphical and numeric histograms for budget and resource forecasts
Produce s-curves of budget and revenue
Provide source data for cash flow preparation and modelling

Integrating the Estimate with the Program


Items from a bill of quantities in Estimating can be amounts, resources and quantities are spread
allocated to the activities of a program. A bill item accordingly.
can be allocated to many activities, specifying the
The result of this linking process is a Bill of Quantities
quantity allocated to each activity and where in the
with a program attached as shown below. The first
activity it is to be spread. If a bill item is not
three columns are the bill of quantities as it exists in
completely allocated, the unallocated quantity is
the estimate. The next columns specify the activities
highlighted.
with the bill quantity to be spread over the activity.
Alternatively, the bill items and/or headings can be The last two columns hold the start and end
imported from the estimate to create program positions of the spread over the bar.
activities. As the activities are extended, the bill item

67
Candy Overview

Program view of the Bill of Quantities


This screen shows the program with the bill items The user controls the text shown on either side of
that are allocated against each activity (the inverse the bars. In this screen the bill quantity that is
of the previous screen). allocated to a bar is shown before the bar.

For clarity the activity bars are drawn as many times When an activity is progressed, the quantity of the
as there are bill items allocated to them. The dark bill items allocated to the bar that should have been
bar within each activity is the position where the bill completed is calculated. This is the measurement of
item is to be spread. The allocation can be done on the internal quantity completed to date and can be
either this view or the one above, depending on the used as the basis for the monthly valuation.
users preference.

Bill of Quantities with Forecast


The bill item knows how it is priced and the program money to be spent on each bill item per month. The
knows the time over which the bill item is being screenshot below shows this forecast expenditure as
spread as well as the quantity involved. Candy a budget for the bill of quantities.
Forecasting can therefore calculate the amount of

68
Candy Overview Forecasting

Forecasting using the Estimate Link


Candy can break a bill items pricing down to The resources used in the estimate can be plotted as
individual resources, and then further to cost codes. histograms using the programs knowledge of when
Knowing the time frame of the bill item spreads, the bill items will be performed. These histograms
forecasts at cost code level are automatically usually take the form of reports and are not shown
generated. here.

This process depends only on the link that is built Any changes to either the program or the estimate
between the Planning and Estimating and requires will be immediately reflected in the forecast or
no further effort from the user. histograms.

Construction Computer Software Vent shaft and Substation Contract


Estimate-linked Histogram
Selection: Whole program Aggregated Histogram: Candy resource values, Current early start, Daily Values

2007
January February March April May June July August September October November Dec
Resource monetary values 19 26 2 9 16 23 2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 31 7 14 21 28 5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 30 7 14
Labourer
2211
Early Start
Max 16,588 Total 1,128,122
Euros
18,000
All resources

Early Start
Max 16,588 Total 1,128,122
16,000

14,000

12,000
Daily Values

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000
122

122

2008

2008

2312

2478

592

673

506

7386

7568

8217

8848

2205

2594

5042

4257

10162

12898

13871

15727

10403

8822

8198

8533

3319

6597

9370

9406

7040

7040

7040

670

633

6544

6544

6544

6544

Weekly Averages

Printed 16:27:12 {LDATE} Page 1a of 2


Candy1.09p15 IPH 69

69
Candy Overview Forecasting

Cost loaded program


Program activities can be displayed with the forecast The planned cost or revenue at a particular stage of
cost or revenue amounts. Bill items, contributing the the job can easily be quantified and compared
value, have been linked to the activities which allow against.
for the costs to be loaded against the activities.

70
Candy Overview Forecasting

Estimating by Pricing the Program


If there is no bill of quantities, the program can be quantity dependent, identified by T and Q in the
priced using Candy Estimating. Activities use Type column.
standard Price codes in their pricing. The Price codes
The full power of the estimating module is available
can be either Time dependent, Quantity dependent
for pricing the program, including access to library
or simply an Amount. Time dependent items use the
Masters and previous estimates. An estimating
activity duration multiplied by the LocalQty to
worksheet and resource list that have been used to
derive the PricingQty, while Quantity dependant
price this example are shown below.
items use the activity quantity multiplied by the
LocalQty and Amount type items only use the local Once the pricing of the program is complete, it can
quantity. be exported to Estimating to create a bill of
quantities. This process uses the activity names to
Many Price codes can be applied to a single activity.
create section headings in the bill, and the Price
The document at the top of the screen shown here is
codes that were used to price the activities become
a program with Price codes applied to the activities.
the bill items. The resultant bill of quantities is
The activity under the yellow cursor, for example,
shown at the bottom of the screen.
has two items priced against it: one time and one

71
Candy Overview Forecasting

While exporting the priced activities to the bill of Once the bill is in the Estimating module, alterations
quantities, the bill items are automatically linked to and additions can be made to the bill and the pricing
the originating activities. This gives the bill of can be fine-tuned. Sub-contract adjudication, mark-
quantities the ability to display a bar chart of the up etc., can be applied as for any standard estimate.
activities to which the bill items have been allocated. At any stage, the bill/program data can be
transferred to the Project Cash flow module for
Immediately this is done, all the program/bill-linked
detailed cash flow analysis. This will ensure that any
facilities, such as the budget forecasts and
changes made to the bill of quantities or to the
histograms of the estimate resources are available to
program are included in the cash flow.
the project.

Project Cash flow


The aim of the Cash Flow program is to model the and payment leads and lags. The Cash Flow deals
cash flow for a construction project so that the with multiple currencies when used in the estimate,
effect of interest rates, currency fluctuations, as well as escalation restrictions.
payment lags and other criteria can be understood
This is a generalised model that will describe most
and handled in the most optimum manner.
situations and provide a quick analysis with a
The Cash Flow program uses combined data from minimal amount of input. It will assist in assessing
the Estimating and Planning modules to perform a the effect of changes to the project financing and
full cash flow taking into account pre-payments, help to focus on the important issues.
loans, retention, interest on borrowings and savings,

72
Candy Overview Forecasting

Forecasting Reports
Estimate-linked Histograms Forecasting with BOQ Links
Estimate-linked Histogram BOQ with Resource Usage Forecast
Numeric Estimate-linked Histogram Bill Code Budget by Class Code
Class Code Budget
Linking to Bill of Quantities Currency Analysis
BOQ with Activity Progress Valuation/SitePlan Discrepancies
Bar chart with BOQ
Program Pricing
Priced Activity List

73
Candy Overview Cash Flow

Cash Flow
Project Cash Flow Analysis
Interest and inflation determine the future value of money and should be accounted for at an early stage as
they can have an adverse impact on the viability of a project. The aim of the Cash Flow module is to build a
financial model of the construction project so that these factors can be understood and handled in the most
effective manner.

An enormous amount of raw data is required to do an effective cash flow analysis. To make this task simpler
and to reduce input errors, Candy Cash Flow can draw information from both the estimate and the project
program. This allows variations to be tested easily and the latest bid figures to be included as they are made
available.

How it operates
The Cash flow module needs the start and duration These parameters are vital to the modelling of the
of the activities to be analysed, as well as their anticipated project conditions, although only a few
selling value and the costs broken down into labour, have major impact on the results. Parameters can
material, plant etc. This is the activity information. then be varied to understand their influence on the
bank balance during the project and the resulting
The activity information can be entered manually,
profit at the end.
but for anything but a trivial estimate this is a huge
task. Trade or section summaries can be imported The following parameters can be entered by the user
directly from the estimate in which case the start to control the cash flow calculation:
and duration for each section must be entered
Interest rates on saving and borrowing
manually from the program. This usually produces a
surprisingly accurate cash flow, but on larger more Retention on main contract and on
complex projects it is often necessary to go into subcontractors
greater detail. Pre-payments and loans
Valuation payment plans and restrictions
The manner in which the cash flow calculation Payment lags on suppliers & subcontractors
handles lags on payments, retention, NPV, interest Inflation and escalation conditions
rates, and all the other factors that must be NPV factors for contractor and client
accounted for must also be entered by the user.

75
Candy Overview Cash Flow

Using linked data from the Program


and Estimate
Once the program and estimate have been linked, When multiple currencies are present in the
detailed information from these two systems can be estimate, these are imported as well. The exchange
imported by the cash flow program. This ensures rates between the currencies and the tender
that no items are omitted and that the figures close currency are imported from the estimate, and the
with the estimate. This integration of estimate, user can stipulate future movement of the exchange
program and cash flow provides a very effective tool rates over the project duration. The cash flow can be
for modelling the anticipated outcome of a project. viewed in any of the currencies.

76
Candy Overview Cash Flow

Cash Flow analysis


This screenshot shows the two primary documents no value - the values were spread into the bill items
from the Cash flow module - the cash flow input in the estimate.
document in the foreground and the results
The Results Document contains the results of the
document in the background.
cash flow calculation. The columns from left to right
The input here was imported directly from the are: week ending date (time runs down the page),
estimating system, bringing in the cost and value of week number, % complete of cost and value, and
the sections defined in the bill of quantities. The the Bank Balance. The latter is made up of the Inflow
starts and durations for each item have been and Outflow of money, derived from interest
entered manually. The line cursor is over the item charges (or gains), payments from the client (less
Concrete, which is programmed to start in week five retention) and payments of costs. The retention
and continue for eight weeks. The value of the work column shows amounts held and released, and the
is 301,831 and the costs are 37,236 for labour, capital in/out column reflects pre-payments, loans
78,262 for plant and 122,823 for material. etc. The breakdown of escalated costs column splits
escalated cost into resource types, Labour, Plant,
Parameters such as retention conditions, lags on
Material etc.
payments etc. were also entered. So the labour cost
column, for example, knows how to spread its costs The Cash Flow Analysis Summary table half way
over time and when the actual payment will be down summarises the cash flow - in this case the
made to the labour force - in this case every seven tender profit was 16.46%, but taking escalation into
days. The document menus access these parameter account drops it to 15.62% and if NPV is applied, it
settings. The Calc Cash flow button uses the input drops further to 14.70%. Maximum funding required
document and the parameters to perform the cash for this model is 628,120 and the financing cost is
flow calculation and produce the Results Document. 3,340.

Note the items Supervision and Plant & Transport at


the top of the Input Document, which have cost but

77
Candy Overview

Earned Value
The Contractors Performance system
Earned Value Management refers to an entire family of curves and their derivatives used for the control and
measurement of a contracts performance. The principle of Earned Value is to forecast and track Allowable
and Cost against a Baseline budget.

Forecast generated from bill linked to Monthly cost and schedule performance
program trends
Forecast stored as baseline Graphical analysis
External application cost import Re-basing due to scope changes and
Cost performance variance and index variations
Schedule performance variance and index Variation and change management
Cost to and at completion forecasting

700000
TimeNow

650000

600000

550000
Baseline adjusted by scope change
500000

Original Contract end

Contract extension
450000

400000

350000
Forecast allowable
300000
Baseline Forecast cost
250000

200000
SPI = Allowable/Baseline

150000
CPI = Allowable/Cost
100000

BCWS ACWP BCWP Allowable to date


50000
Cost to date
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Terminology
Candy identifies a few more terms and uses different terms from the original Earned Value (DoD) definitions.
These have better meaning from a contractors perspective.

Candy terms Conventional terms


Baseline budget Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS)
Allowable Forecast
Allowable to-date Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP)
Cost to-date Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP)
Variance to completion
Cost to Completion
Cost at Completion Estimate at Completion (EAC)
Variance at completion Variance at completion (VAC)

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Candy Overview Earned Value

Underlying Concepts curve emerges and the Forecast Allowable, which


The Baseline is established at the start of the project uses the Remaining quantities, will also change.
and should not be changed except to reflect changes
As changes in the scope of the project are entered in
in scope. There are two parts to the Allowable and
Candy Valuations, they will immediately be reflected
Cost curves, namely to-date and forecast.
in the Forecast Allowable curve as will any extension
Earned Value in its fullest extent requires monthly to the end date. It is essential that these scope
forecasts of the three curves (base, allowable and changes are reflected in an adjusted Baseline to
cost) over time. In Candy this is easily achieved by keep the Allowable and the Baseline information in
linking the bill of quantities to a program. However, synch.
even if the program link is not available or not
practical, very useful control information can be Schedule performance
The Schedule Performance Index (SPI) is defined as
derived by keeping the past history of Allowable and
the Allowable to-date divided by the Baseline at time
Cost to-date and forecasting these values to project
now. If the project is behind progress the index will
completion.
be less than one and if ahead of progress greater
The Baseline budget that one. This SPI is a good indicator of progress and
During bid stage, the estimators would have linked by recording the indexes to-date and calculating the
the bill of quantities to the program to get a sense of forecast indexes, trends can be assessed well in time
the cash flow requirements. Even if the program is a to take corrective action.
coarse summary of the detailed schedule it is usually
The SPI, however, is objective and takes no account
sufficient to identify important issues related to the
of the critical path and does not indicate if critical
cash flow.
activities are lagging and good progress is being
When the bid is awarded, the estimators would achieved by completing non-critical activities.
normally clean up the estimate and formally hand it
The Schedule Variance (SV) is the difference
over to the project team with the contractual Selling
between the amount earned (Earned Value) and the
rates established. It is the responsibility of the
baseline amount that should have been earned to
project team to re-investigate the material and
date.
subcontract prices, assess buying savings and finalise
the construction methods in order to finalise the Cost to-date and forecast
nett rates and establish the Baseline budget. Candy does not cater for actual costs these have to
be acquired from the enterprise accounting system.
Where possible this should be done in conjunction
Using compatible coding between the two systems
with the construction program to set the Baseline
(or via lookup tables) the latest costs can be
over the project duration. Candy has all the facilities
imported electronically into Candy. This will allow
needed to link the bill of quantities to a program.
Candy to plot the Cost to-date curve. If this data is
Recording the Baseline is then simply a button press.
not immediately available from the accounting
However, linking the program and the bill is a non-
system and lags the time now date, then Candy will
trivial task and is often over complicated when using
use the Cost Rates to estimate the cost history until
a program that is far too detailed. Allowable to-date
such time as the updated information is available.
and forecast
Cost forecasting is done at grass roots level with the
The Allowable curve starts off as a replica of the
adjustment of resource cost rates and Price code
Baseline. However, it will inevitably change as soon
worksheets for the remainder of the contract.
as the project starts and the actual progress varies
from the original budget. Cost performance
As the monthly Actual quantities are updated in the The Cost Performance Index (CPI) is defined as the
Valuation bill of quantities, so the Allowable to-date Allowable to-date divided by the Actual Costs to-
date. If the job is costing more than the Allowable

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Candy Overview Earned Value

the index will be less than one and if it is making The Cost Variance (CV) is the difference between the
money, the index will be greater that one. This index amount earned (Earned Value) or allowable and the
is a good indicator of the cost situation and by Actual Cost amount incurred to date.
recording the indexes to-date and calculating the
Like the SPI, the CPI also takes no account of the
forecast indexes, trends can be assessed well in time
critical path. However, the float status of the
to take corrective action.
activities has no effect on this index and can be
ignored.

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