How to use Externals

Editions: AEC Only

Plans: All 

The Spring 2022 release brings a new way to add and manage Externals within the Expenses & Externals Schedule. This includes the ability to apply them across multiple Stages in one fell swoop and a new way to view them in the Schedule itself. This is a huge leap forward in usability and practicality, so read on to find out more. 

In this article, we'll look at:

• Adding Externals
• The ability to add Externals across multiple Stages
• How to auto-populate your External Cost and Sale values
• External grouping & ordering
• How to move scheduled costs

Adding Externals

Instead of adding Externals on the bottom row of the Expenses & Externals Schedule, you will now see an Add External button at the bottom of this section. 

This loads the new menu where you have the ability to create Externals across multiple Stages in one fell swoop, or just on a single Stage as per the previous method.

Here, you have familiar looking fields like External Name, Calc. Type, Billing Type and Cost & Sale value shown in the top half of the new menu.

Project Cost and Sale Values

This section is where the overall Cost and Sale value for the External is to be entered.

Depending on the Calc. Type set above, the way you enter these values will differ.

• If Fixed Fee is selected: Simply enter the Externals Cost and Sale figure on the Value row.

• For the % of CC option: Type the Cost and Sale percentages into the % of Construction Cost row, which will calculate the monetary value below.

NOTE: These all function in the same way except for the new Billing Type option named Fee Inclusive. Click to learn more about Fee Inclusive here.  

External by Stage

The Stages set in this Project's Fee Estimator are listed where you can assign the required Cost & Sales values per Stages.

In this example, you’ll see the full External value applied to a single Stage. Before you can save the External, the subtotal of the Stage Cost and Sale values must match the overall value set in the Project Cost and Sale Values.

NOTE: If you are over/under the overall value, the Stage subtotals will show in red. 

Auto-Populate

You will also find an Auto-Populate function that weighs the overall Cost & Sale value of this External across each Stage.

NOTE: The weighing is based on the Fee of each Stage in comparison to the Projects overall Fee. 

Once you are happy with all details of the External and all subtotals match the overall External value, selecting Save will create the External.

As you can see, the External has now been added to the Expenses and Externals Section with the details specified via the new Add External tool.

External Grouping

Each External is now grouped within the Expenses & Externals Schedule with the ability to visualise them across your Stages.

Default view by External

This lists each External, then the Stages it is associated to underneath.

New view by Stage

This lists all Stages and the associated Externals by selecting the expand/collapse toggle.

External Ordering

When in the by External view, you now have the ability to re-order your Externals by dragging them into the desired order. Simply select and hold onto the drag icon below, then position it to the desired order.

NOTE: This is not achievable when in the by Stage view.

Move Cost Schedule

Within the Expenses and External Section, you now have the ability to move your scheduled External costs. To action this, please select Move Cost Schedule.

This will load the below window for you to select the Externals you wish to move, which month you wish to move from, and by how many months you wish to move the schedule.

NOTE: You can move your External Schedule backwards by entering a negative figure, however, this cannot result in the scheduled figures being moved to a date prior to the Project's start date. 

Hopefully, you now know how to add and manage Externals within the Expenses & Externals Schedule. The ability to apply them across multiple Stages and the new way of viewing them in the Schedule itself will enable you to manage them with ease. 

Want to learn more? Watch a short video here.