Add tasks from estimates

Contractors prepare estimates for the work items that they are responsible for executing. The estimate contains the list of task items/work packages, with details like the task code, amount of work done/quantity, manhours required, and the cost involved under various cost types like labor, material, etc. The estimate can also have consolidated items for similar work falling under the same cost codes and to be executed at different locations, different times, etc. Each consolidated item contains cumulative values for work done, manhours, and cost details. Consolidated items can be distributed for different parent tasks, sub-tasks, or activities, sharing the manhours, cost, and quantity appropriately. The task code helps effectively track the progress and the cost incurred for each work item. 

Once an estimate is uploaded to a project, the project managers can use its line items to add tasks, sub-tasks/field tasks/activities into their schedule. This enables tracking manpower, equipment expenses, and cost incurred for the tasks under various heads like labor, material, equipment, and more.  See Estimates – An Overview to read more about estimates. The estimates can also be added to the project using change orders if there is a change in the estimated values from the initially quoted estimate or when a work emerges deviating from the scope of the contract.

You can import task items from the project estimate in three ways:

1. Add new tasks from scratch

2. Add subtasks to existing parent tasks

3. Link an estimate item to a schedule line item

Add Tasks from the estimate

You can add task items at any level to the schedule.

• Creates new line items with the task item chosen from the estimate at the same hierarchy level as the previous line item. 
• The values for the task code, planned effort hours, and the unit of work are auto-populated from the estimate. 
• You can edit the values as required for the currently added task.

To add tasks from the estimate

• Navigate to the schedule page of the project
• Ensure that you are in the Grid view
• Identify the task under which you want to add new tasks
• Right-click on the row and choose 'Add' > 'Add Estimate task' from the options

The 'Estimate List' pop-up shows the line items in the estimate. Each line item contains the task name, the relevant task code, the planned effort hours, available effort hours, and planned production quantity assigned to each. The list contains the items from the estimate you uploaded for the project and the estimates you submitted for the change orders assigned/approved to you.

• Select the item(s) you want to add to the schedule 
• Click 'Add.'

The selected item from the estimate adds as a task in your schedule, with the task code, task name as in the estimate, default duration as two days, and the current date as the start date.

• Edit the task name, and specify the dependencies, manhours, planned quantity, and start date for the task in the respective columns as required.

Once you specify the manhours for a task, the value is subtracted from the total manhours of that item in the estimate. The remaining hours will be available for distribution to other tasks that require the same work item. See the illustration given below to learn more.

• Repeat the process to add more tasks from the estimate.
• Enter further details like color code, dependencies, and planned production quantities for the tasks as required. See this page for more details.

The task is auto-assigned to your company. You can publish the tasks to push to the field. See Publish a task for more details.

Add Subtasks from the estimate

You can add items as subtasks to existing tasks at any level in the schedule.

• Creates sub-line items for the chosen parent task
• Fetches the values for the task code, planned effort hours, and the unit of work from the estimate. 
• You can edit those values as required for the currently added subtask.

To add Subtasks from the estimate

• Navigate to the schedule page of the project
• Ensure that you are in the Grid view
• Identify the task to which you want to add sub-tasks/field tasks
• Right-click on the parent row and choose 'Add' > 'Add Estimate Sub Task' from the options

The 'Estimate List' pop-up shows the line items in the estimate. Each line item contains the task name, the relevant task code, the planned effort hours, available effort hours, and planned production quantity assigned to each. The list contains the items from the estimate you uploaded for the project and the estimates you submitted for the change orders assigned/approved to you.

• Select the item(s) you want to add to the schedule as the child task by clicking its serial number.
• Click 'Add.'

The items from the estimate are added as subtasks in your schedule, with the task code, task name, planned quantity as in the estimate, default duration as two days, and the start date inherited from the parent task. 

• Edit the task name, and specify the dependencies, manhours, planned quantity, and start date for the task in the respective columns as required.

Once you specify the manhours for a task, the value is subtracted from the total manhours of that item in the estimate. The remaining hours will be available for distribution to other tasks that require the same work item. See the illustration below, for more details.

Once you specify the manhours for a task, the value is subtracted from the total manhours of that item in the estimate. The remaining hours will be available for distribution to other tasks that require the same work item. See the illustration given below to learn more.

You can further split the task item as subtasks if required and divide the manhours appropriately.

• Repeat the process to add more subtasks from the estimate.
• Enter further details like color code, dependencies, and planned production quantities for the tasks as required. See this page for more details.

The task is auto-assigned to your company. You can publish the tasks to push to the field. See Publish a task for more details.

Link an estimate item to a schedule item

Linking an item from the estimate to an existing item in the schedule fetches the values for the task code, planned effort hours, and the unit of work from the estimate to the schedule line item. 

• You can edit those values as required for the currently added subtask.

To link an estimate item 

• Navigate to the schedule page of the project
• Ensure that you are in the Grid view
• Identify the task to which you want to link values from the estimate
• Right-click on the row and choose 'Link Estimate' from the options

The 'Estimate List' pop-up shows the line items in the estimate. Each line item contains the task name, the relevant task code, the planned effort hours, available effort hours, and planned production quantity assigned to each. The list contains the items from the estimate you uploaded for the project and the estimates you submitted for the change orders assigned/approved to you.

• Choose the item you want to fetch the values from by clicking its serial number.
• Click 'Link.'

The schedule line item is replaced with the entry from the chosen estimate item. It includes task code, task name, and planned quantity as in the estimate. The default duration is set as two days, and the start date inherited from the parent task. 

• Edit the task name, and specify the dependencies, manhours, planned quantity, and start date for the task in the respective columns as required.

Once you specify the manhours for a task, the value is subtracted from the total manhours of that item in the estimate. The remaining hours will be available for distribution to other tasks that require the same work item. See the illustration given below to learn more.

• Enter further details like color code, dependencies, and planned production quantities for the tasks as required. See this page for more details.

The task is auto-assigned to your company. You can publish the tasks to push to the field. See Publish a task for more details.

Illustration:

In the example below, the task 'Excavation' is assigned 525 manhours in the estimate, in total. When you add it as a task item for the first time, the available (unused) hours will be the full 525 hours.

If you have allotted 240 manhours of 'Excavation' for the task added/linked from the estimate, then 240 manhours are subtracted from the total 525 manhours. The remaining 285 manhours will be available for allotment when you are adding/linking the same item next time, to other similar work items, for example, excavation for the basement and so on.  

The unused hours get subtracted on every inclusion of the item from the estimate to the schedule as per the hours allotted to the item in that instance.