Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

NOTICE
This documentation and the Timberline Software programs may be used only in accordance with the accompanying Timberline Software Program License. You may not use, copy, modify or transfer the Timberline Software programs or this documentation except as expressly provided in the Timberline Software Program License.

TIMBERLINE and the Timberline Software logo as it appears in this manual are registered Marks of Timberline Software Corporation. Precision Collection Corporation.

is a registered trademark of Timberline Software

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1997 - 2000, Timberline Software Corporation. All rights reserved. Copyright includes accompanying software and screens generated by the software.

300070.4

Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommendations for a trouble-free interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terms you should recognize. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Note to Precision Estimating Standard users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Precision Estimating to Gold Job Cost overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 2 2 3 4

Setting up Gold Job Cost & Estimating

............................ 5 Setting up Gold Job Cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Setting up Precision Estimating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 17 18 21 23 24

Generating estimate information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Review the estimate for missing or incorrect job cost phases (Precision Extended Users only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enter information about the transaction file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Decide how to handle item quantities and addons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Generate the transaction file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Importing estimate transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

25 Create the job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Import the transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Post entries to the Gold Job Cost Master file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Contents

ii

Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

Introduction
This booklet introduces you to the steps you need to complete to transfer estimate information from Precision Estimating to Gold Job Cost. More than likely your company has already developed cost codes for accounting and phase codes for estimating. If so, this is a good time to review the coding schemes and make any changes that are appropriate. You will need to decide on a coding scheme before you can set up Precision Estimating and Gold Job Cost.

Recommendations for a trouble-free interface

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If you are creating a database from scratch, we recommend that you use the same numerical coding for phases in Precision Estimating and cost codes in Gold. When you follow this guideline, you do not need to worry about which Precision Estimating phases match which Gold cost codes. Keep in mind that multiple Estimating phases can reference the same Gold cost code. If your company uses different coding for the two applications, you should specify a Gold cost code for each phase in Precision Estimating. Following this guideline minimizes data entry as you create database items.

Introduction

Terms you should recognize

Precision Estimating and Gold Job Cost may use different terms to describe how costs are tracked. Gold Job Cost also allows you to label the custom descriptions however you like. To avoid confusion, we will use the terms in the table below for each application.
Gold Job Cost Division (user-defined) Cost code (user-defined) Category Precision Estimating Phase Job cost phase Category

Note to Precision Estimating Standard users

The concepts in this booklet apply to both Precision Extended and Precision Standard users. However, we want to make you aware that if you are a Precision Standard user, youll find that some of the software screens in this booklet will look slightly different than those in your Precision Standard software. In addition, there is information included in this booklet that only applies to Precision Extended users.

Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

Technical support
If you have questions or issues not covered by this booklet or the Help system, you can contact Timberline Software Support by telephone, fax, or e-mail. Support lines are open from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
For support in... U.S. or Canada Australia Asia-Pacific Call... Fax... Or e-mail... pesupport@timberline.com austrest@timberline.com austrest@timberline.com pesupport@timberline.com

1-800-551-8307 503-439-5940 1800 120 369 +503 439 5178 +503 439 5178 +503 439 5940 +503 439 5940 +503 439 5940

Other international areas +503 533 2181

When calling, have your customer number handy and be at your computer.
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If you are not on a support and maintenance plan, you can call on a charge-per-call basis. Please be prepared to give the number of a major credit card when you call. If you are using the trial software, please contact your local Solution Provider.

Introduction

Precision Estimating to Gold Job Cost overview

Review this diagram to become familiar with the steps youll need to take to successfully import estimate information into Gold Job Cost.

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Set up standard categories and standard cost codes.

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Assign Gold standard categories and standard cost codes to items and addons.

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Create JC transaction from the estimate.

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Create Assign a standard new jobcategories and importand the estimate. standard cost codes to items and addons

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Look at import journal for rejected entries and fix errors.

Post entries.

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Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

Setting up Gold Job Cost & Estimating

To successfully import estimate information from Precision Estimating to Gold Job Cost, youll need to prepare Gold Job Cost and Precision Estimating by following the guidelines in this section. There are three areas in Gold Job Cost that require attention before you can import estimate transactions from Precision Estimating.
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Specifying a cost code format. Setting up standard categories (required to import from Precision Estimating). Setting up standard cost codes (optional).

Before Precision Estimating can send estimate information to Gold Job Cost, you need to:
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Print and review the Standard Cost Code Report and the Standard Category Report from Gold Job Cost. Set up the database. Enter job cost information for the phases, items, and addons that you want to track.

Setting up Gold Job Cost & Estimating

Setting up Gold Job Cost

Specify a cost code format
Before entering the cost codes, you need to set up the sections and separators in the format.

Place you cursor on the JC Cost Code Size column.

Click Set Up Sections.

Enter the description and size of each section. The maximum size is eight characters for Gold Standard and 12 characters for Gold Extended.

If the separator is a hyphen (-), the job cost phase suffix in Precision Estimating must be 0.
6
Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

Set up standard categories

If you are using categories, Gold Job Cost requires you to set up the standard categories used from one job to the next.

Enter the category ID (up to three characters), description, and other information. Click the [Help] button if you want more detailed information about the fields in this window.

Setting up Gold Job Cost & Estimating

Set up standard cost codes

If your company uses a common set of accounting cost codes from one job to the next, we recommend setting up standard cost codes.

Enter the standard cost code ID (up to six characters), description, and other information. Click the [Help] button if you want more detailed information about the fields in this window.

You can attach standard categories often used with each standard cost code. For example, for the standard cost code 2-075 Concrete Removal, the standard categories are E (Equipment), L (Labor), and LB (Labor Burden). If you plan to track takeoff and/or order units in Gold Job Cost, leave the Cost Unit Desc field blank.

Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

Setting up Precision Estimating

Print the Standard Cost Code Report and the Standard Category Report from Gold Job Cost
1 Start Gold Job Cost. 2 From the Reports menu, choose Lists - Standard Cost Codes List. 3 Print the report. 4 From the Reports menu, choose Lists - Standard Categories List. 5 Print the report.

You will use these lists to refer to when you are setting up the Precision database.

Setting up Gold Job Cost & Estimating

Set up the database

Before Precision Estimating can send estimate information to Gold Job Cost, you need to set up the database and enter job cost information for the phases, items, and addons that you want to track. Youll either need to make changes to an existing database to send estimate information to Gold Job Cost using Precision Tools, or, create a new database using the Database Setup Wizard (New Database command on the Setup menu) and select the appropriate Gold Job Cost options.
Make Changes to an existing database using Precision Tools

If you want your Precision Estimating phase code suffix to match your Gold JC cost code sections, youll need to use Precision Tools. Note that this is an optional step.
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Open Precision Tools by clicking the Start menu and then choosing Programs, Precision Estimating - Precision Tools.

Select the database you want to change and click Open.

Change the new suffix to match the last segment of your JC Cost Code sections. When you are finished entering the suffix click OK.

10 Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

If you want to change job cost information using Precision Tools, follow these guidelines.

Choose the Gold job cost interface type. If you want Precision Tools to format job cost phase codes like Precision Estimatings phase codes, mark this box. Job cost phase codes are then formatted as nine characters long with an optional suffix (from zero to three characters), e.g., 2.220. We recommend leaving this box unmarked. If the formats are different, mark this box to have Estimating complete the suffixes automatically. To change all of the Job Cost cost category codes on all the items to the default codes specified in Gold JC cost categories, mark this box. Enter the Gold standard categories that correspond to the five Estimating categories (Labor, Material, Subcontractor, Equipment, and Other).

Note that existing estimates remain unchanged.

Setting up Gold Job Cost & Estimating 11

Set up a new database in Precision Estimating

If you are starting a new database, it is easy to set up Precision Estimating to be compatible with Gold Job Cost.
Enter the appropriate information for Steps 1 through 3. Click the Help button if you have questions about the type of information to enter or options to select for each of these steps.

Enter the corresponding information for steps 5 and 6.

Specify the format for phase codes. Your choice determines how many digits are to the right of the decimal.

Mark Yes to transfer information from Precision Estimating into Gold Job Cost. Mark Gold as the job cost software.

12 Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

This option determines the format of job cost phase codes in Precision Estimating.
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If you mark this box, Precision Estimating-style codes are used (9 characters including the optional suffix). If you leave this box unmarked, free form codes are used (up to 15 characters).

The number of digits (0,1,2, or 3) to the right of the decimal point in job cost phase codes. Specify the folder where you want to Estimating to generate transactions to Gold.

Complete the New Database Wizard by reviewing the information on the Step 9 tab. Once you are satisfied the information is complete, click the Create Database button.

Now you are ready to begin entering phases, items, assemblies, and other information into the new database. Before you begin you should decide on numbering schemes and collect the information to be entered. Once the database contains phases and addons, you cannot change the phase code format or Gold Job Cost interface from Precision Estimating. If you need to change either option, use Precision Tools.

Setting up Gold Job Cost & Estimating 13

Assign Gold cost codes to Precision Estimating phases

Precision Estimating lets you control how you want to track estimate information in Gold Job Cost. You have the option of specifying the Gold cost code which receives the quantities for each phase. Keep in mind that there may be more phases in Precision Estimating than cost codes in Gold. Also, the job cost phase on the phase or item must match Gold cost codes.

Enter the Gold cost code to receive the quantity entered for this job cost phase in the spreadsheet. Your entry is used to prefill the job cost code for items within this phase. The hyphen in the job cost phase is optional. For example, enter 3310 instead of 3-310.
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If the coding is the same in both applications, you can leave this field blank. If the coding is different, enter the Gold cost code provided by your Accounting department. For example, the Precision Estimating phase code for concrete slabs is 3310.01 and the code in Gold Job Cost is 3-310.

14 Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

Assign Gold cost codes and categories to items

You also control how you want to track estimate information for items. For every item in Precision Estimating, you have the option of specifying three things:
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which Gold cost code receives the cost which Gold category receives the cost whether to send the takeoff quantity, order quantity, or neither

Keep in mind that multiple Precision Estimating items can go to the same Gold cost code and category.
The cost code in Gold Job Cost to receive the cost and units for each category of an item. The field prefills with either the Precision Estimating phase code or Gold cost code previously entered for the phase.
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To use the same phase in Gold Job Cost and Precision Estimating, make sure this entry matches the phase code for the item. To use different phases in Gold Job Cost and Precision Estimating, enter the appropriate Gold cost code. When you click OK to save the item, Precision Estimating removes spaces and completes the suffix based on the format of the job cost phase code.

Choose the quantity to be sent to job cost.

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None - (default) transfers the dollars for item quantities. Takeoff qty - transfers the takeoff quantities for categories. Order qty - transfers the order quantities for categories.

Click here to change the Gold job cost category.

Setting up Gold Job Cost & Estimating 15

Assign Gold cost codes and categories to addons

If you want to send addon costs to Gold Job Cost, you need to enter the job cost information. You have two ways of handling the addon costs:
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Allocate addon costs to the Gold cost code and category of the items used as the basis for that addon. Send the addon to a specified cost code and category in Gold.

If you want to allocate the addon when generating transactions to Gold Job Cost, mark the Allocatable box.

Click here to enter the job cost phase and category for the addon.

Job Cost Phase - The cost code in Gold Job Cost that receives the addon cost. The number of characters and the suffix length depend on the job cost interface specified for the database. Category - The category in Gold Job Cost to receive the addon cost.

16 Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

Generating estimate information

Once an estimate is complete, you are ready to generate estimate information for Gold Job Cost. Precision Estimating provides an easy-to-use wizard to guide you through the following steps:
1 Review the estimate for missing or incorrect job cost phases (Precision Extended users

only).
2 Enter information about the transaction file. 3 Decide on how to handle the rounding of item quantities and allocation of addons. 4 Generate the transaction file.

The wizard creates a file containing a transaction for:

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each phase for which you have entered a phase quantity in the spreadsheet. each item category with an amount. Depending on how you have set up your items, the transaction includes the takeoff quantity or order quantity. each nonallocated addon.The cost of allocated addons is buried in the items used to calculate those addons.

Generating estimate information 17

Review the estimate for missing or incorrect job cost phases (Precision Extended users only)
If you have Precision Estimating Extended Edition, you should review your estimate for missing or incorrect job cost phases before you run the Job Cost Transfer Wizard.

Click the Spreadsheet Sequences tab.

Select the Job cost phase spreadsheet sequence to sort the estimate in Job cost phase order.

18 Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

Review the estimate for incorrect job cost phases.

Scroll to the bottom of the estimate. If items fall under the heading Unassigned then they do not have job cost phases assigned to them.

Generating estimate information 19

To fix unassigned items, Open the Detail window for the item and click the Unit Costs tab and enter a job cost phase for the item. Note that this fix only applies to the estimate you are currently working with.

Enter the Job cost phase for the unassigned item here.

You can permanently fix the item in the database for future estimates by:

Selecting the appropriate item from the Item List and clicking the Job Cost tab.

Entering the Job cost phase, Job cost category, and selecting the appropriate Qty to job cost option.

20 Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

Enter information about the transaction file

Youll enter information about the transaction file by running the Job Cost Transfer Wizard. Step 1 involves setting up the transaction file. The wizard prefills most of these fields for you, but you can change the information before generating the transactions.

This field prefills with the estimate filename with a .JCE extension.

This field prefills with todays date. This field prefills with the corresponding field on the MWBE & Misc tab in the Estimate Information window. You can enter up to 12 digits for Gold Job Cost.

The full path of the folder or directory where Precision Estimating will generate the transaction file. If you leave this field is blank, Estimating creates the transaction file in the current database folder specified in the Precision Estimating Options window (Folders tab).

Generating estimate information 21

Precision Estimating allows you to preset the job number (up to 12 characters) that is used whenever you generate this estimate to job cost. The size of this field is set by the job cost interface type on the Job Cost tab of the General Information and Database Setup window.

Enter the job cost number for the estimate here.

22 Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

Decide how to handle item quantities and addons

Step 2 includes options for allocating addons and rounding item quantities based on the rounding method set up for each item.

This option lets you round the accumulated item quantities based on the rounding method set up for each item.

This option controls how addon costs appear in the transaction file. This gives you the ability to bury the cost of some addons.
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To prorate the allocatable addons, answer Yes. Only addons set up as allocatable in the database are distributed to the appropriate items. To include every addon as a separate transaction, answer No.

Generating estimate information 23

Generate the transaction file

Step 3 tells Precision Estimating when to start processing and whether to produce a report with a list of job cost phases, units, and amounts sent to Gold Job Cost.

Decide what you want to do with the report.

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Printer - sends the report to a default printer. Preview - displays the report on the screen without generating transactions. File - sends the report to a text file. None - generates the transaction file without producing a report.

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Click here to change the font or page setup for the report.

Click here to generate the transaction file.

Importing

24 Precision Estimating Gold Job Cost Interface

Importing estimate transactions

Once youve generated estimate transactions from the estimate, you are ready to bring transactions into Gold Job Cost. The estimate costs are distributed to the specified cost codes and categories in Gold. The import procedure involves the following steps:
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Create a job for the estimate (optional). Import the Estimating transactions. Post the entries to the Job Cost Master file (master.jcm).

Importing estimate transactions 25

Create the job

As part of the import process, Gold sets up a job record in the Job Cost Master file (master.jcm) if you have not done so already. You can edit the information about the job at any time.

Gold creates the job with the job number and description from the transaction file. Enter any other pertinent information.

26 Precision Estimating to Gold Job Cost Interface

Import the transactions

The next step is to import the transactions generated by Precision Estimating. The import process transfers estimate transactions into the new.jct file and produces an import journal showing the status of the import.The journal also lists any transactions that were rejected and why.
Specify the transaction file to be imported. Specify the file where you want rejected transactions to be stored.

This option allows Gold to import estimate transactions for cost codes that are not set up as Standard Cost Codes.

If you are tracking extras and this estimate is associated with an extra, enter the extra ID. If the extra does not exist, the import process will automatically create it.

Change the print options as necessary, then click [Start] to begin the import process.

Importing estimate transactions 27

Review the import journal for a list of estimates imported and errors encountered. If errors exist in the rejected file, correct them and use the corrected reject file as an import file. For additional help on how to correct the rejected file and for a description of the Import Estimate file, choose Help Topics from the Help menu in Gold Job Cost. Click the Index tab and enter correcting errors, import estimates and then click [Display].

Post entries to the Gold Job Cost Master file

Once you have verified the import journal is free of errors, the final step is to post the imported entries to the specified job in the Gold Job Cost Master file (master.jcm). This process updates estimate information for the job, extra, phases, and categories.

After you have reviewed the information shown click [Start] to post the entries to the Job Cost Master file.

28 Precision Estimating to Gold Job Cost Interface