Lock the budget

After adding the original budget amount for all line items with cost values of different cost types, allotting line items to the contractors, and finalizing the saved project budget, you can lock and publish it. This sets the budget as the baseline. You can allot the amounts from each budget line item to related tasks, activities, deliverables, etc., in the project's master schedule from the locked budget. These values are used for various financial operations and controls like SOV calculations, monitoring project performance, etc. Once locked, the budget cannot be altered in any way, hence protected from accidental changes. You cannot:

• Edit the original budget values.
• Add sub-line items
• Change the assignee
• Delete any line items. 

Any further modifications to the budget can only be done through change orders which carry respective estimates.

To lock a budget

• Ensure that you are in the Budget Upload screen. if it is not already opened:
  • Click the app launcher and select 'Finance.'
  • Click 'Budget' on the top.
• Select 'Original Bid' from the options on the left

Search and Filter Options:
Use the 'Search' box located at the top left to find a change order using any value from the table as search criteria
Right-click the column header and customize the display and order of the columns as you wish 
The options at the top right allow you to filter the entries, create nested groups of entries, and manage personalized and customized views of the table. 
Use the links below to learn more about these:
Customize Columns in List Views
Filter Options in List Views
Group and Organize Items in a List View
Manage Custom List Views.

• Review the project budget and ensure it exhaustively covers all planned work
• Ensure that all line items are assigned to respective subcontractors
• Click 'Lock Budget' on the top right

Note: The 'Lock' button appears only for saved budget. If you haven't done so, click 'Submit' to save the budget.

• Click 'Lock' in the confirmation dialog.

Chat with a contractor

The collaboration feature in the budget module lets you have a context-based conversation to chat with the contractors involved in the project. The conversation helps you have real-time communication with the other project managers of the subcontractors in the project to clarify your doubts, get opinions, etc on the allocation of the budget before locking it. This ensures that any sensitive information, data, and digital assets are shared only between the entitled people involved in the specific context. You have control over who gets which information.

• Click the chat icon at the left of a line item to start a group chat with the involved contractors.