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Implementation of Construction Items (Base Contract Items)

Before You Start - System Tables that Must be Filled in:

Before you create Construction Items make sure have the following in place. Use our demo environment to give you suggestions about what to enter into each table.

Mandatory Setups

  • HomeBuilder Base Setup.
  • Workflow Template (minimum of one).
  • Workflow Template Task (minimum of one).
  • Construction Item Category (minimum of one).
    • Ensure you have an Item Category "House Area".
  • Search Measurement Types and ensure it is configured.
  • Search House Areas and verify that configuration exists.
    • In the House Areas subsection called House Area Measurement verify configuration exists.
    • Click Applicable Checklist Items (used for PDI).
Note

Measurement Types, House Areas and the House Area Measurement can be pre-populated from the default Configuration Packages we have available.

Optional Setups

Search and verify each:

  • Key Date Category.
  • Key Dates.
  • Key Date Templates.
  • Key Date Template Item.

Setup and The Basics

You should consider Construction Items as three different types of items. They share many elements however, the creation of each should be approached from a different angle.

Construction Item Type Purpose
Base Contract Used in the initial Home Construction process
Lot Selection Packages (Color Chart) For Lot Selection Packages (color chart)
After Sales To handle warranty claims and deficiencies

As with any data in Dynamics BC you can import Construction Items, however, there are labor-saving copy routines built right into Construction Items. In real terms, this means that it is often most efficient to create an initial item in its entirety, and then use the copy function to create similar items.

Once you have created the Items, you must push (with an automatic process) to Models and Phases. Once added to Models and Phases you control the vendors, contracts, pricing etc. These items eventually create the Lot Planning Lines from which all budgeting and scheduling are handled.

You do not need to do all these functions e.g., scheduling or even budgeting or setting up Vendor Contracts but it is still important to create Construction Items and push them through Models and Phases for the Lot functionality to work correctly.

The Construction Item represents a type of deliverable that should be constructed, installed, or completed on a Lot. It also represents a change or credit related to a Lot. Examples of Construction Items are Kitchen Cabinet, Countertop, Electrical Socket, Roof Tiling, and the After Sales Service Inspection.

Note

Technical note: Construction Items use the table “Item” from Business Central. The Item records used in Construction Items all have the Type “Service”. This is a local table, i.e., Construction Items are specific for a Company.

Start with the Base Contract Items (Construction Items)

There are two options available for creating Base Contract Items: Manual creation based on your business Operations OR using a default list we can provide as a template and then manually adjusting it if needed (The second option is recommended).

Option 1: Manual creation of Base Contract Items based on your business operations

Construction Items – What do I create?

Get hold of all the Vendor Contracts or previous invoices from vendors.

You will want to create one “Base Contract” “Construction Item” (also known as a “Base Contract Item”) per charge that you receive from your vendor/contractor that requires separate reporting. In practical terms you may have 10 lines from an electrician on a document, but only record against one Construction Item as you do not need to report at that level or granularity.

Items can be work (labor) or materials. Typical examples are “Lumber for Framing”, “Framing - First Floor” or “Footings – Concrete”.

Option 2: using a default list we can provide as a template and then manually adjusting it if needed

We provide you with the list of Base Contract Items that will work for most builders. It was tested and created based on our extensive experience in the industry. We can migrate the List to your system or provide you with instructions.

What is on the Construction Item and what is on the Phase and Model Items?

Note

  • This part contains detailed specification of Fields available for Base Contract Items, Models and Phases.

  • The Base Contract Items are generally much simpler than color chart items. If and when you build Color Chart items you may add to the setups that are suggested here. The list of suggestions below is just the minimum to get you started. Review the demo database for more suggestions.

  • In this Base Contract Item, you will setup the following things:

    • No. - We provide you with these numbers. Below are some guidelines (see the demo database for examples) and if you want to read more - Google-Search.

    • Name - use something that instantly lets you know what this is such as "Drywall Installation", "Electrical Rough-in" etc.

    • Item Category Code Construction Item Categories – keep this simple, it is just used to make listing items on the screen easier.

    • Cost Detail Code – Select from List (this is the basis for most reporting).

    • Base Unit of Measure – nearly always EACH (or PCS). Sq, Ft. or Sq. M. can be used on occasion.

    • Base Contract – Yes.

    • WF Template Code – Construction.

    • WF Template Task No. – All.

    • Cost Scope – Per Model (is the most commonly chosen, Universal is for when charges are the same irrespective of the model chosen).

    • Gen. Prod. Posting Group – Construction.

    • Tax Group Code – Taxable.

    • Take the defaults that the system gives for the following unless you are sure you want to change them:

      • Available – Yes.
      • Blocked – No.
      • Designation – Single Item.
      • Variants Required – No.
      • Deliverable – Yes.
      • Color Chart – No.
      • Unit Cost – zero (it is defined later).
      • Pricing Method – Item.
      • Costing Method – FIFO.
      • Revenue Detail Code – leave blank for Base Contract Items.

    • The Phase Items hold shared setups for all Models in this Phase. This includes the following:

      • Vendor No.
      • Vendor Contract No.
      • Unit Cost (for Cost Scope – “Universal”, otherwise per Model Item).

    • In the Model Item, you add the following things to the setup already done on the Base Contract Item – the following describes a standard “simple” setup. You can make this more complicated for full control, but most people keep it simple.

      • Unit Cost (for Cost Scope – “Per Model/HA”, otherwise per Phase Item). Automatically Create the Phase and Model Items from the Construction Item.
Tip

House Areas are automatically taken from the Construction Item Categories which is great if you have created a good list.

Don't worry about setting up too much when you are just starting out with Base Contract Construction Items. Many people just create and use a House Area called "ALL". The full list is only really useful when you get into Color Charts.

“Push” Base Contract Items to Phase and Models. (Automatically create the Phase and Model Items from the Construction Item)

Important

This part happens always, i.e. regardless whether using Option 1 (Creating Base Contract Items “manually”) or Option 2 (Using the default list we provide).

  • Once you have created these Base Contract Items you will select all the Items that belong on specific Models and click on “Actions” – “Push to Models”. A list of Models is presented to you, select the Model/s that you want and click on the button “Push Items”. This action will create both Model Items and Phase Items.
    • Notes:
      • There are other ways to create Model Items and Phase Items however the process described above is the recommended method, other methods may end up missing setup.
      • You can repeat this process as often as you like; the system will just overwrite the Phase and Model Items with the current Construction Item setup.

What is the end product of your Item implementation (Initial Setup)?

  • After the Item creation process – using Option 1 or Option 2 described above and “Pushing” Base Contract Items to Phase and Models - you will end up with the same item in three places:
    • Base Contract Item – for use with any Phase, Model, and eventually the Lot as you need.
      • Note: this is where all the manual setup is. The creation of the Model and Phase Items is largely automated.
    • Phase Item (for base contract items) – this is where you indicate which contractor will perform the work or supply the materials.
    • Model Item (for base contract items) – where you generally control the costs and is also a subset of the Items used to build the home – this is eventually used to create the Planning Lines on the Lot and is covered later in this document.
Note

To see the "big picture" interplay between Workflow Tasks, Construction or Selection Packages/Color Charts, Models, Planning Lines, and Purchase Invoices, visit Task-Item-Purchase Invoice Linking Help File article. You will find an informative diagram and links to areas you might want to explore in detail.