One of the shared functions in ProjStream’s BOEMax proposal software and MaxTeam project cost management software is the ability to create structure and other project templates for the proposal or project control teams to quickly create a new project in the tool sets. Or, you can create a set of global structures for common calendar, rate, and resource structure core data they can use when they create a new project. The teams also have the flexibility to create project specific structures from the project templates or global structures when they encounter unique management or contractual requirements.
Depending on your environment, you may want to establish project templates, shared global structures, or a combination of both. Either way, project templates and global structures create a common foundation that:
It is always faster and easier for people to copy an existing template or use a set of global structures as the basis for a new project. With established project templates or global structures, you know the teams are using the approved set of core data to set up their projects instead of ad-hoc, incomplete, or inaccurate data.
Templates are useful when you want to maintain a more robust set of core or base data for the teams in addition to common calendar, rate, and resource structures. For example, you may want to create:
In our bidding software, BOEMax, you can also establish and maintain a Process Library of repeatable process templates using historical performance and actual cost data. The Process Library templates include a defined set of tasks and assigned labor, material, or other resources along with labor hours or direct costs needed to complete the tasks. Our estimate software provides estimators with a reliable and consistent basis of estimate to produce their cost estimates using credible source data.
The teams simply copy the template data for use in their project or create a new project from a project template. Once the source template data are copied into the project, they can modify the data to fit their project specific needs leaving the source template data unchanged. For example, they may want to add project specific user defined fields to the work packages or resource structure. When they copy a Process Library template into their project, they can apply multipliers to the source data to fit the proposal requirements.
In our proposal writing and project cost management software, global structures are a set of linked calendar, rates, and resource structures. The rate structure requires the calendar information to determine the rate effective dates. The resource structure requires the rate structure to determine the applicable rates that apply.
As an option, you may want to establish a named set of shared global structures that teams can use when they create their projects in BOEMax and MaxTeam. You can create a single set of global structures or create additional sets for different needs. For example, you may have one set for proposal projects and another for projects in the planning and execution phases. A shared set of structures makes it easy to maintain this core set of data – you only have to update data in one set of structures. Options in the software then control when and how updated rates are applied to the time phased values in the tools.
When needed, teams can create project specific calendar, rate, and resource structures using the global structures. They simply create a copy of the global structures. For example, at contract award, they may want to lock in the rates used to produce the budget plan. Going forward, they would maintain the forecast rates with the current approved rates on a regular basis.
Templates and global structures can be a huge time saver. To make the most of them, plan ahead for how you would like to implement them in your basis of estimate or project cost management software. Here are some things to consider when using BOEMax and MaxTeam.
Want to see BOEMax or MaxTeam in action? Call us today to see how ProjStream’s proposal and cost management software tools can help your teams create quality cost estimate or project cost management data easier and faster.