How Primavera Unifier Impacts Contract Manager Customizations
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The document compares PCM and Unifier, two project management tools, focusing on their capabilities in managing capital projects. It highlights Unifier's flexibility and out-of-the-box solutions for budgeting, funding, commitments, and actual costs, which can be cumbersome in PCM. The conclusion emphasizes that Unifier provides better customization options and addresses previous limitations found in PCM.
How Primavera Unifier Impacts Contract Manager Customizations
- 1. #C15LV REMINDER Check in on the COLLABORATE mobile app How Unifier Affects PCM Customization Prepared by: Daniel Williams Director of Integration and Development Calance What we have been forced to do in the past, and what we will need to do in the future Session ID#: 200150 @dlwiii
- 2. #C15LV 2 Outline: ● The Two Products ● Business Needs ○ Cost Worksheet ○ Payment Requests ○ Master Contracts ● Unifier Customization Configuration Overview
- 3. #C15LV PCM and Unifier PCM ■ Grew up from DOS ■ Designed around GCs ■ Focused on Construction 3 Unifier ■ Always web-based ■ Used in many industries ■ Flexible, not focused ▪ Pre-configured product — Project Cost Controls — Project Delivery Management — Capital Planning While Unifier has been criticized for its flexibility, Oracle has created out of the box sets of processes for specific use cases, and is working to create more as needed.
- 4. #C15LV The Business - what do you do? ■ Project-based ■ Capital Projects ▪ Commercial eg restaurants ▪ Residential eg apartments, houses ▪ Industrial eg hospitals, schools, pipelines ▪ Transportation eg rail lines, roads ■ Who are you? ▪ Owner - school district, developer, hospital ▪ Construction Management Firm ▪ General Contractor 4
- 5. #C15LV ■ Scope - what will you do? ■ Schedule - when will it be done? ■ Cost ▪ Where does the money come from? ▪ How is it spent? ▪ Do we need more? ▪ Will we make a profit or a loss? The Business - what matters to you? 5
- 6. #C15LV Budget How much will this will cost? Funding Where will our money come from? Commitments What are we purchasing? Actual Cost What did we spend? Before: Will we have enough money to do this project? During: Do we have enough money to finish this project? After: Have we spent the “right” amount? The Colors of Money 6
- 7. #C15LV Colors of Money - Budgets 7 PCM ■ Budget Contracts behave similarly to all other contract types ■ Change Management does not allow different workflows for different Change types ■ Time component / cash flow does not exist ▪ Need workarounds such a one line per year, different budget contracts
- 8. #C15LV Colors of Money - Budgets Unifier (Project Cost Controls) ■ Budget Changes and Transfers are distinct ▪ Workflows for each can be modified as needed ■ Linked to Fund Appropriations ■ Cash flow built into Capital Planning 8
- 9. #C15LV Colors of Money - Funding PCM ■ Virtually identical to Budget or Contract ■ Fund dollars not tracked to other costs except by cost code ■ No cash flow, workarounds similar to Budget Linking Funding Codes to CSI-type cost codes often makes the cost codes long and difficult to use. 9
- 10. #C15LV Colors of Money - Funding Unifier (Project Cost Controls) ■ First-class citizen, not modified type ▪ Workflows for each can be modified as needed ■ Fund Appropriations link to other costs ■ Track multiple fund sources - do not need to “mangle” cost codes 10
- 11. #C15LV Colors of Money - Commitments PCM ■ Subcontracts and POs very similar ■ No concept of Master Contracts, Blanket POs, Long & Short POs &c. ■ Only entity* which can hold Actual costs ■ Not tied to Vendor Qualifications ▪ Cannot put payments on hold * Trends do not count! 11
- 12. #C15LV Unifier (Project Cost Controls) ■ Unified under “Procurement” ■ Many types allowed, many out of the box ■ Blanket PO/Master Contract allocates work authorizations across multiple projects ■ New! RFIs can generate Commitment Change ■ New! RFBs can award contracts Colors of Money - Commitments 12
- 13. #C15LV Colors of Money - Actuals PCM ■ Only exist within Committed Contracts ■ Split into Invoices and Requisitions ▪ Checks not strongly tied, not on cost worksheet ■ Only entity* which can hold Actual costs ■ Not tied to Vendor Qualifications ■ New! Mention of a new cost worksheet column... * Trends do not count! 13
- 14. #C15LV Unifier (Project Cost Controls) ■ Has Invoices, Pay Requests, and Journals ▪ Pay Requests can be customized and secured ■ Timesheets built in ■ Payments/Checks are first-class citizens Colors of Money - Actuals 14
- 15. #C15LV 15 Work Arounds ● Estimate to Complete ● Payment Requests ● Master Contracts Bolt-ons to PCM to get it to work “right”
- 16. #C15LV Estimate to Complete - Quick Entry 16 PCM ■ Many users need to easily adjust the expected estimate to complete in PCM. ■ This is usually done using Trends, but the entry process nis cumbersome. ■ The web-based application above emulates an interactive Cost Report ■ In this case, we are creating Trends to Budget Adjustments Unifier ■ Use Forecast BP and/or create new BP
- 17. #C15LV Estimate to Complete - Quick Entry 17 Unifier ■ Add a logical column to the cost worksheet with manual, direct entry
- 18. #C15LV Incurred Costs - Quick Entry 18 PCM ■ Many users need to easily adjust the expected estimate to complete in PCM. ■ In this case, we emulate a mixture of the Cost Worksheet organized by AFE and by PO ■ These trends are to commitment adjustments
- 19. #C15LV Payment Entry 19 PCM ■ Limit screen elements and security for outside users ■ Require Invoice backup ■ Complex Entry Rules for Unilateral and Allowance Change Orders Unifier ■ Create dedicated entry screen
- 20. #C15LV Master Contracts 20 PCM ■ A number of strategies have been used over the years ■ Special Project to hold Master Contracts ▪ Use non-standard links to “work orders” in real projects ■ Special Contract Numbering to relate Master and Work Orders ▪ eg A123-C1 ties to A123-C1-WO1 ▪ Muddies the cost worksheet and reports ■ Behind the scenes database links ■ Funding Contracts ▪ Does not tie well across projects Unifier ■ Vendor-level Blanket POs plus Work Authorizations
- 21. #C15LV 21 Unifier Solutions ● Customize Views ● Modified Workflows Built-in functionality to get what you need
- 22. #C15LV Custom Views 22 Unifier ■ OOTB workflows similar ■ Conditionals can be added ■ As complicated as you like ■ Separate forms for different stages of workflow ■ Add or remove items as needed ■ Limit View access as needed
- 23. #C15LV Workflows 23 ■ OOTB Workflows cover basic approval routing ■ Conditional Routing can be added as needed
- 24. #C15LV Conclusion ■ Both PCM and Unifier are designed to manage Capital Projects ▪ Unifier allows customization of access, approvals, and views ▪ Unifier PC “base configuration” gets much of PCM’s functionality ▪ Unifier is more easily configured to handle situations where PCM required awkward customization and bolt-on applications 24
- 25. #C15LV Please complete the session evaluation We appreciate your feedback and insight You may complete the session evaluation either on paper or online via the mobile app