Estimate and Manage Your Government Contract

Features for the entire proposal creation process

1) Planning

Build the work breakdown structure (WBS): Create the WBS manually, import it from an Excel file, or import it from common scheduling tools. BOEMax uses the structure to automatically create the hierarchical estimate grid view ready for estimators to enter their cost data.

Import, parse, and map statement of work (SOW) requirements: BOEMax automatically parses the SOW paragraphs into a code structure the proposal team can use to map the SOW to the WBS elements. Eliminates time spent copying and pasting the SOW paragraphs. 

2) Integrated Estimating and Pricing

Central database: The entire proposal team can create their cost estimate data and enter rich text documentation all in one place.  No need to copy and paste or reassemble content, a huge time saver for the proposal team.  It also makes it easier for the proposal team to create quality cost estimates with data driven basis of estimate rationale.

Easy to use grid view: Estimators can quickly enter their data or view their data using a familiar user interface.  They can collapse or expand the WBS hierarchy as needed, change the order of the columns, hide or show columns, or sort and filter the data in the grid view just like they do in Excel.  

Full pricing capability: Build simple or complex rate structures to match proposal needs.  Use the rate structures to build cost rules into labor categories or resources to determine the calculated results from user entered values such as labor hours, bill of material quantities, or material cost.

Bi-directional integration with schedule tools: Estimate the duration of tasks and resource requirements in BOEMax, write the data out to the schedule tool, have schedulers build the network schedule task relationships to determine the proper time phasing, and pull the data back in to establish pricing in alignment with the schedule task dates.

Searchable library of historical cost estimates and actual costs: Quickly create accurate, credible proposals using historical data. Provides reliable source data estimators can use to substantiate their cost estimates.

Hierarchical bills of material (BOMs): Estimators can easily enter BOM quantities for a top assembly, automatically flow the quantity to the sub-assemblies, and price out the cost of materials.

Workflow queues and management: No more guessing who is doing what. With workflow queues, work items automatically show up in the estimator's queue until they take the required action. Then the item moves to the next responsible person.

3) Analyzing what-if scenarios

Proposal versioning: Create a “snapshot” of the proposal at any time and create as many versions as needed.  Proposal teams can easily compare versions or restore a version to be the live version.  

Perform global updates: Create shortcuts using filters and similar Excel type functions to quickly make batch data updates and analyze the results.

Project version reporting: Compare versions at any level of the proposal data structures.  For example, compare labor category by hours and total cost at the project level, as well as at a different WBS levels.

4) Creating reports

Custom report builder: Quickly construct customer reports. Easily drag and drop data items or reorder items. Proposal teams can easily produce the reports they need such as:

• Cost summary and cost volume reports to comply with FAR 15.408, Table 15-2 requirements with full top down and bottom up traceability to support internal and customer audits
• Subcontractor or supplier basis of estimate reports
• Ad hoc pivot table reports
• Rate reports by element of cost categories
• Combined time phased data and documentation reports

Rich text documentation and reporting: Create documents with or without rich text templates for repeatable use. This could include information such as basis of estimate rationale, risk, assumptions, statements of work, and more.

See all BOEMax features

How BOEMax integrates with earned value management (EVM) tools:

• Exports proposal data to the cost management software: Once you win the contract, the next step is to create the project’s performance measurement baseline (PMB) for the execution phase of the project.  The proposal team can easily hand off the proposal cost estimate developed in BOEMax to the project team at contract award so they can quickly establish the time phased budget data in EVMax. 
• Makes managing changes and rolling wave planning a cinch: As the project progresses and the budget changes, make updates in BOEMax and push them to EVMax for full traceability.

We can customize BOEMax to fit your proposal needs. We can help you to:

• Set up custom reports with user defined fields and codes based on the RFP. These fields and codes automatically show up in reporting options so cost volume and basis of estimate reporting is easy and flexible.
• Quickly create multiple pricing options by adjusting parent assembly quantities up or down through children assemblies.

Features for each stage of the project cycle

1) Planning

Build the work breakdown structure (WBS): Create the WBS manually, import it from an Excel file, or import it from common scheduling tools. EVMax uses the structure to automatically create the hierarchical grid view ready for entering time phased budget or estimate to complete (ETC) data.

Identify the WBS reporting levels or other WBS attributes: Add user defined fields to the WBS for sorting or filtering the data for different data views, role-based views, or reporting.

Produce WBS dictionary documents: Include rich text documentation with the WBS data structure to easily produce common reports government customers expect. 

Import, parse, and map statement of work (SOW) requirements: EVMax automatically parse the SOW paragraphs into a code structure the project team can use to map the SOW to the WBS elements.  Eliminates time spent copying and pasting the SOW paragraphs.

2) Budgeting

Central database: Project teams can create and maintain their time phased cost data (budget, earned value, actual cost, and ETC) as well as enter rich text documentation all in one place.

Easy to use grid view: Project personnel can quickly enter or view their data using a familiar user interface.  They can collapse or expand the WBS hierarchy as needed, change the order of the columns, hide or show columns, or sort and filter the data in the grid view just like they do in Excel.  Project teams can also create role-based views to fit management needs.

Import proposal data from BOEMax: Forget copying and pasting the proposal cost estimate data. Instead, transfer it directly from BOEMax to EVMax to begin the baseline setup. Then use BOEMax as an ongoing platform for managing changes and rolling wave planning.

Schedule Integration: Ensures the time phased budget data are always in alignment with the resource loaded activity data.  Eliminates common disconnects between the schedule and cost data.  Project teams can map the fields in the schedule tool to the fields required for the cost data such as the WBS, OBS, control account, work package, earned value technique, charge code, or other user defined codes.

Built-in contract budget log: The log is integrated into the workflow and change control process so it automatically tracks the contract budget base (CBB), management reserve (MR), undistributed budget (UB), and distributed budget for historical traceability and audits.  Significantly simplifies maintaining the log and eliminates common disconnects that occur when baseline changes are made.

Supports standard earned value techniques: These are assigned at the work package level.  Includes 0/100, 100/0, 50/50, user defined, percent complete, earning rules, milestones, level of effort (LOE), and apportioned effort.

3) Measuring and Analyzing Performance

Import schedule activity status: Project teams can use the schedule status as the basis for the work package earned value claimed. Eliminates common disconnects between the schedule and cost data. 

Enter quantifiable backup data to substantiate the earned value claimed: Project teams can include rich text documentation with the cost data – all in one database.

Import actual costs from the accounting system: Easily import actual costs from the accounting system.  Project teams can establish an actual cost import template to simplify the weekly or monthly import process. 

Enter and maintain estimated actuals: Project teams can define additional cost codes to enter, track, and replace estimated actual values when the actual costs are recorded in the accounting system. 

Built-in cost data validation analysis view and report: Helps project teams quickly identify and resolve common data errors such as earned value and no actual costs, actual costs and no earned value, or cumulative actual costs are greater than the estimate at completion (EAC).

Produce the time phased ETC data from the schedule data: Ensures the time phased ETC data are always in alignment with the resource loaded activity data for the remaining work. Eliminates common disconnects between the schedule and cost data.  

Define an unlimited number of ETC cost codes: Helps the project team track different categories of ETC values that are included or excluded from the total cost values (estimate at completion).  For example, the project team could define different cost codes to assess best case, most likely, worst case EAC scenarios.

Ability to enter or calculate an unlimited range of EACs: Project teams can use the set of standard independent EAC calculations or create their own to assess the credibility of an EAC.

Manage the change control workflow queues: No need to be a micromanager. Baseline change requests or work authorization documents that require approval show up in the user’s queue until they take the required action. Then the item moves to the next responsible person.

4) Reporting

Create common EVM reports and outputs: With easy-to-use wizards, project teams can produce:

• Pivot table and ad hoc reports
• Common earned value artifacts such as basis of estimate, baseline change request, and work authorization forms
• Traditional EVM reports such as Control Account Plans (CAPs) and Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)
• Combined time phased data and documentation reports such as variance analysis reports with WBS header data, summary cost values, calculated performance metrics, and narrative to describe the root cause of the variance, impact to the project, and action being taken to mitigate the variance
• Built-in standard line charts and graphics, dashboard view for performance metrics and variances
• Integrated Program Management Report (IPMR) Data Item Description (DID) Formats 1 to 5 and 7
• Built-in data export that complies with the IPMR DID UN/CEFACT XML (Formats 1 to 5 and 7) and JSON data encoding requirements
• Built-in data export that complies with the Cost and Software Data Report (CSDR) FlexFile DID JSON data encoding requirements

See all EVMax features

How EVMax integrates with BOEMax

• Quickly establish a budget baseline. Simply copy the proposal cost estimate data from BOEMax into EVMax as the basis to create the time phased budget data.
• Make managing changes and rolling wave planning a cinch. Project teams first model their changes in BOEMax and then merge the approved changes into EVMax.
• Shared workflow processes. Use BOEMax and EVMax together to maintain a complete audit trail of the changes to the budget baseline.

Easy, customized setup that aligns with your process and procedures. We can help you to quickly set up:

• Custom reports with user defined fields and codes to support cross-project reporting or project unique requirements.  These fields and codes show up in the reporting options so reporting is easy and flexible.  
• Data mapping for the schedule tool or other data interfaces you want to establish with the cost data in EVMax.
• The workflow roles, applicable forms, and approval levels to reflect your change control process and functional roles.