Variations

The Variations area lists all Variations in the system across all Sites, providing an overview that allows users to view and manage Variations in a centralised view.

When the user enters the Variations area from the side menu, the table is initially filtered to display only Unapproved Variations for Sites where they are assigned as the Project Surveyor, as defined in the Project Surveyor dropdown on the Site’s Details page.

The Variations table contains multiple columns which each display key information for each Variation, as described below.

• Reference – The Reference column displays the Variation Reference Number for each Variation, which is automatically generated by the system when the Variation is internally approved. Until it has been internally approved, the Variation Reference displays as **New Variation**.
• Name – The Name column displays the name of each Variation, which is derived from the Name field on the Variation Details page.
• Operative – The Operative column displays the Operative assigned to each Variation, which is taken from the Operative dropdown on the Variation Details page. If no Operative has been selected, it displays Unknown User.
• Created Date – The Created Date column displays the date the Variation was created.
• Site – The Site column displays the Site that the Variation relates to.
• Plot – The Plot column displays the Plot that the Variation relates to, which is derived from the Plot dropdown on the Variation Details page.
• Builder – The Builder column displays a checkbox for each Variation, with its status determined by the Builder Variation checkbox in the Variation Details page.
• Standing Cost? – This column contains a checkbox for each Variation. The status of the checkbox is determined by whether the Variation is classed as a standing cost, as defined by the Internal Charge checkbox in the Variation Details page.
• Description of Works – The Description of Works column displays the Description for each Variation, which is derived from the Description field in the Variation Details page.
• Status – The Status column displays the status for each Variation, which can be one of the following three statuses:
  • Awaiting Internal Approval – The Awaiting Internal Approval status is displayed when the Variation has been created but has not yet been internally approved.
  • Awaiting Client Approval – The Awaiting Client Approval status is displayed when the Variation has been created and internally approved but has not yet been approved by the client.
  • Approved – The Approved status is displayed when the Variation has been both internally approved and client approved.
• Rate – The Rate column displays the Rate for each Variation, which is derived from the Rate field in the Variation Details page.
• Cost – The Cost column displays the Cost for each Variation, which is derived from the Costs w/ Charges figure in the Variation Details page.

When a Variation is created for a Site where the user is assigned as Project Surveyor and it has not yet been Client Approved, the user’s WebSocket Alert count for Variations is increased. This count is reduced once the Variation is marked as Client Approved.

Variations Filters

The Variations filters allow users to refine and narrow down results to quickly locate specific Variations based on key criteria.

The Surveyor filter lists all non-deleted Standard Users in the system. When a user is selected, the table is filtered to display only Variations related to the Site(s) where the selected user is assigned as Project Surveyor, as defined in the Project Surveyor dropdown on the Site’s Details page.

The Surveyor filter defaults to the user currently signed in, so when the Variations area is first accessed it displays all Variations for the Site(s) where the user is assigned as Project Surveyor.

The Operative filter lists all non-deleted Operatives, Contract Managers, and Customer Care Engineers in the system. When a user is selected, the table is filtered to display only the Variations assigned to that Operative.

The Status filter contains four fixed options: Unapproved, Awaiting Internal Approval, Awaiting Client Approval, and Approved.

When Unapproved is selected, the table is filtered to display Variations that have not yet been approved internally.

When Awaiting Internal Approval is selected, the table is filtered to display Variations with the status Awaiting Internal Approval.

When Awaiting Client Approval is selected, the table is filtered to display Variations with the status Awaiting Client Approval.

When Approved is selected, the table is filtered to display Variations with the status Approved.

The Status filter defaults to Unapproved when the user initially enters the area, showing all Variations that still require approval.

Viewing Variations

The user can select the desired Variation from the table and the system will open a new tab which directs the user to the Variation Details page for the selected Variation.

Variation Details

The Variation Details page allows users to capture and manage the key information required for a Variation. The fields available on this page are described below:

• Plot – The Plot dropdown lists all non-deleted Plots associated with the Site, displayed by their Plot Numbers. When an Operative orders materials or submits work against a Variation, they must select the Plot assigned to that Variation for it to be available.
• Operative – The Operative dropdown lists all Operatives assigned to the Site for which the Variation is being created for. Standard User Types are excluded, as Variations cannot be assigned to Standard Users. If a Variation is assigned to an Operative, only that Operative can order or submit work against it. If no Operative is assigned, any Operative can order or submit work against the variation through the Operative Portal.
• Builder Variation – The Builder Variation checkbox determines whether the Variation appears on Sales Applications. It cannot be selected alongside the Internal Charge checkbox; selecting one will automatically deselect the other. The Send To Client functionality is only available when the Builder Variation checkbox is selected.
• Internal Charge – The Internal Charge checkbox determines whether the Variation includes charges that should be applied to an internal Operative. It cannot be selected alongside the Builder Variation checkbox; selecting one will automatically deselect the other. When the Internal Charge checkbox is selected, an additional multi-select field named Chargeable Users is displayed. Once the Variation is saved with this option enabled, an additional sub-tab titled Chargeable Operatives becomes available.
• Chargeable Users – The Chargeable Users multi-select only appears when the Internal Charge checkbox is selected. This lists all Operatives assigned to the Site for which the Variation is being created for. Standard User Types are excluded, as Internal Charges cannot be applied to them.

Users can select one or more Chargeable Users for the Variation. Once the record is saved, the selected users will appear in the Chargeable Operatives section.

• Name – This is an editable free-text field that allows the user to manually enter a Name for the Variation.
• Description – This is an editable free-text field that allows the user to manually enter a Description for the Variation.
• Supplier – The Supplier dropdown lists all Suppliers assigned to the Client through the Client’s Suppliers area. Once a Supplier has been selected, an additional dropdown named Supplier Branch is displayed below the Supplier dropdown.The selected Supplier’s Costs are used to calculate the Material Costs for the Variation. When an Operative orders materials from the Variation, the system automatically applies the Supplier selected within the Variation.
• Supplier Branch – The Supplier Branch dropdown lists all non-deleted branches assigned to the selected Supplier through the Supplier Branches area.
• Quantity – The Quantity field accepts any numeric value. It is used to calculate Material and Labour Costs and determines how many Material and Labour Items can be ordered or submitted against the Variation.
• Rate – The Rate field accepts any numeric value. This is manually entered by the user and is the Sales Price for the entire Variation.
• Send To Client – The Send To Client button is only available when the Builder Variation checkbox is selected. When clicked, a popup is displayed containing a multi-select field listing all Contacts associated with the Site via the Site Contacts area. The email sent is generated using the Variation Client Email template from the Email Templates area. It is sent to the selected Contacts as well as the user who initiated the action.

• Charge Notification – The Charge Notification button is only available when the Internal Charge checkbox is selected. When clicked, a confirmation popup is displayed prompting the user to confirm that they want to send a Variation Charge Notification. The email is generated using the Variation Internal Charge Notification template from the Email Templates area and is sent to the Email Addresses of the Operatives selected in the Chargeable Users multi-select.

The Variation Details page also contains key financial information for the Variation, as described below:

• Material Costs – This represents the Total Cost of all Materials associated with the Variation. It is calculated by taking each Material’s Unit Cost, multiplying it by its Quantity from the Variation Materials page, and then scaling the result by the overall Variation Quantity specified in the Details page. The combined values for all Materials are then summed to produce the Total Material Costs.
• Labour Costs – This represents the Total Cost of all Labour Items associated with the Variation. It is calculated by taking each Labour Item’s Unit Cost, applying the Labour Item Uplift (as defined in the Settings Details page), and multiplying the adjusted Cost by the Labour Quantity from the Variation Labour Items page. The result is then scaled by the overall Variation Quantity specified in the Details page, and all Labour Item Costs are summed to produce the Total Labour Costs.
• Deductions – This represents the total amount charged to Operatives for the Variation. Deductions are defined within the Chargeable Operatives section and are applied when a Purchase Order is sent or a Work Submission is accepted against the Variation. Deductions are reflected in the Operatives Payment View section and within the Additions & Deductions popup.
• Total Costs – This represents the Total Cost of the Variation, calculated by combining the Material and Labour Costs and then subtracting any Deductions.
• Costs w/ Charges – This represents the Total Cost of the Variation excluding Deductions, calculated by combining the Material and Labour Costs.

In the section to the right of the financial information, the Variation Details page provides the functionality used for the approval process.

Initially, this section displays the Created Date and Created By read-only fields, indicating when the Variation was created and which user created it. When the user enters Edit mode, a Mark Approved button becomes available. Selecting this button will mark the Variation as Internally Approved.

Once a Variation has been Internally Approved, read-only Approved Date and Approved By fields are displayed, indicating the date of approval and the user who performed it.

Once a Variation has been Internally Approved, the Mark Client Approved and Revoke Approval buttons become available.

When the Mark Client Approved button is selected, the system marks the Variation as Client Approved. At this point, the Variation becomes read-only and non-editable, and it is available for selection throughout the system and within the Operative Portal when creating Purchase Orders and Work Submissions.

After the Variation has been marked as Client Approved, read-only Client Appr. Date and Client Appr. By fields are displayed, indicating the date it was marked as Client Approved and the user who performed the action.

The Revoke Approval button becomes available after Internal Approval. When selected, it revokes the Variation’s Approval, returning it to a state as if it has not been Internally Approved. This button remains available after both Internal and Client Approval, allowing a fully approved Variation to be reset to an editable state. However, the Revoke Approval button is hidden if a Purchase Orders or Work Submissions has been created against the Variation.

Once a Variation has been revoked, it will no longer be available for selection throughout the system or within the Operative Portal. It must be Client Approved again before it becomes available.

Variation Materials

The Variation Materials section allows users to Add, Edit, and Remove Materials from the Variation.

This section includes a Quick Search feature that searches across the Name, Make, Code, and Category columns, enabling users to easily locate specific Materials.

The table on the left displays the Materials available for selection, including their Name, Make, Unit, Code, and Category. These Materials are sourced from the Client’s Materials list. The table on the right displays the Materials that have been selected for the Variation, including an additional Quantity column to indicate the Quantity assigned to each Material.

To add a Material to the Variation, the user can enter Edit mode, which will display a + icon next to each Material. Selecting the + icon for a desired Material will add it to the table on the right, where an editable Quantity field will be available, allowing the user to adjust the Quantity as required.

To remove a Material from the Variation, the user must enter Edit mode, which will display a – icon next to each Material. Selecting the – icon for a desired Material will remove it from the table on the right and return it to the table on the left, making it available for selection again.

The Materials added to the Variation are those that will be available for selection when creating a Purchase Order against the Variation.

Materials are read-only for Client Approved Variations and cannot be edited. If changes are required after Client Approval, the user must Revoke Approval within the Variation Details page before making any amendments.

Variation Labour Items

The Variation Labour Items section allows users to Add, Edit, and Remove Labour Items from the Variation.

This section includes a Quick Search feature that searches across the Name column, enabling users to easily locate specific Labour Items.

The table on the left displays the Labour Items available for selection, including their Name and Cost, excluding Labour Item Uplift. These Labour Items are sourced from the Labour Items area. The table on the right displays the Labour Items that have been selected for the Variation, including additional Quantity and Total (including Uplift) columns, which show the Quantity assigned to each Labour Item along with the Total Cost including Labour Item Uplift, which is applied in the Settings Details page.

To add a Labour Item to the Variation, the user must enter Edit mode, which will display a + icon next to each Labour Item. Selecting the + icon for a desired Labour Item will add it to the table on the right, where an editable Quantity field will be available. The user can adjust the Quantity as required, which will update the Total (including Uplift) accordingly.

To remove a Labour Item from the Variation, the user must enter Edit mode, which will display a – icon next to each Labour Item. Selecting the – icon for a desired Labour Item will remove it from the table on the right and return it to the table on the left, making it available for selection again.

The Labour Items added to the Variation are those that will be available for selection when creating a Work Submission against the Variation.

Labour Items are read-only for Client Approved Variations and cannot be edited. If changes are required after Client Approval, the user must Revoke Approval within the Variation Details page before making any amendments.

Variation Images

The Variation Images section allows users to Add, Edit, and Remove Images associated with the Variation.

This section includes a Quick Search feature that targets the Image Name column.

If a Variation has been created via the Operative Portal by a Contract Manager, this section may already contain Images uploaded during the creation process.

An Image Name is required to proceed with an upload. If a user attempts to upload an image without providing an Image Name, the system will prevent the upload and display an error prompting the user to enter an Image Name.

To upload an image to the Variation, the user can enter Edit mode and populate the Image Name and Revision Reference fields with the desired details. The user can then select the UPLOAD button, which will open the File Explorer to allow a file to be selected. Once a file is chosen, it will be uploaded to the Variation and displayed in the table.

To Upload a new Version, the user must enter Edit mode and select the icon in the Upload column. The system will open a popup containing two editable fields: Document Name and Revision Reference, which the user can update as required to align with the new Version.

The popup also includes an Upload button; when selected, the system opens the File Explorer, allowing the user to choose a file to upload. Once the upload is complete, the Documents list table is updated to reflect the revised Document Name, Revision Reference, Upload Date & Upload Time for the latest version.

To View an existing Document, the user can select the icon in the Current column for the desired Document, which will open a new browser tab displaying the most recent version.

Alternatively, the user can select the icon in the Versions column to view a table containing all Versions of the Document. From this table, the user can select the icon in the View column to open a new browser tab displaying the selected version of the file.

To Download a Document, the user can select the icon in the Download column for the desired Document. The system will immediately begin downloading the selected file, which can then be accessed locally on the user’s device.

Alternatively, the user can select the icon in the Versions column to open the Versions popup. Within this popup, a Download icon is available for each Version of the Document; selecting this icon will initiate an immediate download of the chosen Version to the user’s device.

When a file is downloaded, it retains the Document Name that was assigned at the time of upload.

To Delete an existing Document, the user must enter Edit mode and select the icon in the Delete column. The system will display a confirmation dialog warning that deleting the document and all its versions is permanent. Once Yes is selected, the Document is deleted and cannot be recovered.

Deleted Documents are permanently removed from the Variation Images table and cannot be viewed or accessed in any way.

Variation Chargeable Operatives

The Variation Chargeable Operatives area allows users to add deductions for Operatives.

This section includes a Quick Search feature that targets the Name column.

The Operatives listed in the Chargeable Operatives table are those selected in the Chargeable Users multi-select within the Variation Details page.

To add a charge to an Operative, the user can select an Operative from the table, which will open the Chargeable Items popup. This popup displays all Materials and Labour Items associated with the variation.

Each item includes an editable Quantity field, allowing the user to specify the Quantity to be charged against the Operative. The user cannot enter a Quantity that exceeds the overall Quantity defined for that item on the Variation. As Quantities are updated, the Value column is automatically recalculated to reflect the amount being charged to the Operative.

Deductions are applied when a Purchase Order is sent or a Work Submission is accepted against the Variation.

Deductions are reflected in the Operatives Payment View section and within the Additions & Deductions popup.