Set up the PM Cost Projections Process

There are certain setup requirements that must be met before you can begin using the Cost Projections feature in Projection Management.

The following guides you through the steps needed to implement the use of cost projections in Project Management.
  1. Admin: The users entering projections will need access to several forms in the application. Use VA Form Security to grant access to these forms.
    List of new forms:

    • PM Cost Projections

    • PM Cost Projection Editor

    • PM Projection Codes

    • Create Proj Code from Item

    • Create ProjCodes from CT

    • Create ProjCodes from Phase

    • Create ProjCodes from PhaseCT

    • JC Projection Code Assign

  2. Admin: Use VA Inquiry Security to give users access to the PMCostProjectionHistory and PMCostProjectionHistoryCodeLevel inquiries.

    The PM Cost Projection History option on the standard PM Work Center allows users to view previously posted projections. For example open a projection that you posted 3 months ago to review the past numbers and look at the progression of your projections over time.

    The PM Cost Projection History option on the PM Work Center uses the PMCostProjectionHistory and PMCostProjectionHistoryCodeLevel inquiries.

    If you do not grant a user access to these inquiries, they will be able to access the PM Cost Projection History option on a standard PM Work Center that they added after upgrading to version 6.8.X or higher, but they will not be able to add the PM Cost Projection History option to an existing PM Work Center.

  3. Configure the projection options on the Projections tab on the PM Company Parameters form. Most of these fields are on both the JC Company Parameters and PM Company Parameters forms. Changing an option in the PM Company Parameters form will not change the same option on the JC Company Parameters form. This allows you to maintain separate configurations for JC Cost Projections and PM Cost Projections.
  4. Configure the projection options of the pending change order document types in the PM module.

    Check the Include in JC Projections box (PM Document Types ) if pending change orders of that document type in the PM module should be included cost projections. The pending change orders will display on the JC Projection Future CO form on the JC Cost Projections form. For more information, see Include in Cost Projections.

  5. Configure status codes using PM Status IDs, Projections Option drop-down. The status of a pending change order item determines if it will be included in projections. For more information about this option, see Projections Option.
  6. Configure the projection options on the project.
  7. Optional: Set up linked cost types.
  8. Create the projection codes. You have to repeat this step each time you want to enter projections on a new project.

    Use the PM Projection Codes form to create the projection codes for a project. The projection codes determine the level of detail that you can use when creating the cost projections in the PM Cost Projections form.

    There are a few ways to create the projection codes.

    • Automatically create all of the projection codes for a job - You can automatically create all of the projection codes for a job based on the phases, cost types, phases and cost types, or contract items on that job.

    • Quickly add/remove phases and cost types on a projection code - Use the icon to quickly add or remove phase/cost types to an existing projection code.

    • Copy the projection codes on another project - Copy the projection codes that have already been set up from one job to another.

    • Copy projection codes when copying a project - When using the PM Copy Project form to create a new project, check the Projection Codes box. The projection codes on the source project will be copied to the new project.

    • Manually - You can also manually add or remove the phase/cost types on a projection code using the Phase/Cost Type tab on the PM Projection Codes form.

Now you're ready to enter cost projections using the PM Cost Projections form.