Account Code
A company-level cost code that is associated with cost line-item transactions. You can roll up company-level BP, project, and asset related cost transactions into this account code.
Project and asset cost transactions are rolled up using mapping.
Accounts Sheet
An Accounts Sheet is a detailed accounting of the company’s budget and costs. An accounts sheet works like a spreadsheet in Unifier, calculating and maintaining the company cost information.
Cost information is either entered manually or rolls up into the company Cost Sheet when transactions occur in Unifier.
Action Form
The Action Form is the version of the business process form that opens when the recipient accepts the task implicit in the form. As a business process arrives at each step in a workflow, Unifier notifies the appropriate users if they are involved in the step.
When they open the notification, Unifier displays a view-only form of the step’s task.
If the user accepts the task, the form becomes an action form where the user can enter or edit information and attach additional documents. See also “View Form.”
Activity
A part of the work or event that must be completed on a schedule.
Acquisition Cost
The purchase price of an asset.
Acquisition Date
The date an asset was purchased or installed. This is the date from which the depreciation calculation will begin.
Actuals
The actual hours entered via time sheets and the costs calculated from the hours entered.
Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP)
The actual cost incurred for work performed. This cost is usually captured by invoices, Payment Applications, or Summary Payment Application. It is a key component for determining Earned Value. See also “Earned Value.”
Administration Mode
Administration Mode allows administrators to set up and configure Unifier and Primavera uDesigner functions.
Administrators
There are three types of administrators in Unifier: System Administrator (or Site Administrator), Company Administrator, and Project Administrator.
Although Unifier allows complete flexibility in assigning individual users permission to access Unifier features, the administrators typically perform certain administration functions. See “System Administrator”, “Company Administrator”, “Project Administrator.”
Allocation
The process of distributing available capacity, by role, to projects. Places constraints on how much resource capacity individual projects can utilize. Also, the process of distributing funds to projects. After you allocate the funds to the project, they are assigned for consumption.
Asset
Something of monetary value to a company, such as stock, fixtures, machinery, or property.
Asset Class
A grouping of similar assets, such as “buildings,” “IT equipment.” As a “business process,” Asset classes function like attribute forms in that they collect data and they are not attached to workflows.
Asset classes use business process-type detail forms to collect data about company assets and categorize them into classes. Once created in Unifier, an Asset class “BP” maps assets to company account codes, tracks asset costs and depreciation, and keeps the company account sheet updated with current asset values.
Asset Manager
The Asset Manager is where users can enter company assets into Unifier, set up depreciation schedules for them, and classify them into categories to make managing them more efficient. Ultimately, they can gather these assets onto a sheet to track asset depreciation in monthly, quarterly, or yearly increments.
The Asset Manager uses the three most common depreciation methods— straight line, double decline, or sum of year digits—as well as manual depreciation.
Asset Project
A Unifier project associated with an asset.
Assignees
The users or groups assigned to a business process workflow step, for review, approval, response, etc.
Attribute Form
An attribute form collects “meta data,” or additional information about a business process, manager, or other Unifier component; often referred to as the component’s “properties.” It is for collecting information that is not part of a workflow. For example, you can design a cost attribute form with fields that will track extended information about a CBS code. You can design a fund attribute form with fields to define segments, and reference fields for fund codes.
Typically, the information collected by attribute forms populates fields in many Unifier windows and dialogs.
Auto-creation
The process of automatically creating a business process record. There are three ways to auto-create a record:
From a workflow
In uDesigner, a business process form can be designed to automatically create a new BP record after the form reaches a specified step in the workflow. The new record will contain an exact duplicate of the information in the original record—all the information that was contained in that transaction, including forms, attachments, and comments. After being created, the new BP is sent automatically to the next step in the workflow. The original BP record can automatically populate the upper form and detail form on the new BP record, provided the data elements of the form fields are the same on both records.
From a form
In uDesigner, a business process form can be designed to automatically create a new BP record based on:
A condition, such as a dollar amount
A frequency, such as a daily or weekly time frame
Both a condition and a frequency
When the business process reaches the condition or frequency trigger(s) in the workflow, the form will automatically create a new business process record. After being created, new workflow BP records are sent to an initiation step (I step) before the beginning of the workflow. When the user accepts the task, he/she can choose a new workflow schema, BP owner, and workflow duration. For non-workflow BP records, the new record opens immediately to a view only form when the user accepts the task; there is no workflow schema to choose.
Using Scope Management
Scope Management creates a BP record from any activity on a schedule sheet that is set for scope management. Activities that use scope management are similar to BPs in that they move through a workflow in the Schedule Manager. Scope management defines the project deliverables, the responsible roles, the actual resource assignees and their schedules, and drives the coordinated production of the deliverables. It initiates the activities that produce the deliverables; routes the activities to the responsible person or group; monitors its completion; and updates the deliverables statuses automatically.
Auto-population
A Unifier feature that automatically populates the fields on a business process form with data from other business processes (called “Reference Process”). Auto population is supported for text boxes, text areas, drop-downs, checkboxes, radio buttons, and date pickers only. Before you can auto-populate a business process, you must design a reference process from which to draw the data. To auto-populate an element, the data definition of both the source and the destination element must match.
You can also auto-populate a Payment Application from a Base Commit BP. You can use this feature only on SOV type payment applications or SOV line item type individual commit line items. Although you can use the auto-populating method described in the paragraphs above, you can, alternatively, do this in one step when you create a Base Commit BP. To accomplish the auto-population in one step, use the Options tab to map the fields when you launch the Base Commit BP.
Base Currency
Currency under which a company is operating. Additional currencies can be added and made available for use within projects and shells, and even for individual transactions. These additional currencies will apply a defined exchange rate calculation based on the base currency.
Baseline
The original schedule produced at the beginning of a project and accepted as the contractual project schedule. This baseline is the schedule against which progress and payments are measured until the schedule is revised.
A baseline is essential for tracking progress. The original estimates it contains are permanent reference points against which you can compare the updated task information that you enter into your project plan as the project progresses.
In Unifier, you can create additional baselines for construction phases (up to 11 in a single project plan).
BP
See “Business Process (BP)”
Bid items
The line items of a Request for Bid (RFB) business process record.
Bid Package
The header and details of a bid request.
Bid tabulation
A comparative view of the bids submitted by the bidders on a project.
Bidder
A vendor or supplier who bids on a project.
Blanket Purchase Order (Blanket PO)
A blanket PO is a company-level sub-type of a cost business process. It is independent of a budget or cost sheet and is used for tracking non-CBS expenses across projects. Blanket PO records are stored in the Company Data Manager.
Block
A block is a grouping of cells on a BP form. uDesigner users can add blocks to Upper Forms and Detail Forms, customizing fields, order, size, positioning, number of columns and rows, etc. Once blocks are created, the user can insert fields (data elements) into the blocks.
Booking Process
The process of finding and committing resources (personnel) to fill project roles. Hard booking denotes a firm or approved commitment. Soft booking denotes a pending commitment.
Budget at Completion (BAC)
The sum of all the budget values established for the work to be performed on a project or a work breakdown structure component or a schedule activity. The total planned value for the project.
Budget Cost of Work Performed (BCWP)
Also known as earned value. This is the cost of the percentage of work completed with respect to the Budget Cost of Work Scheduled.
For example, a simple construction project has a budget of $1000. This budget is scheduled to be consumed over a period of five days. If construction activity is 60% complete on the third day, the BCWP is $600 (.60 x $1000). It is a key component for determining Earned Value. See also “Earned Value”.
Budget Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS)
This is a time-based budget that is assigned and scheduled by the Work Breakdown Schedule for an entire project.
For example, a simple construction project has a budget of $1000. This budget is scheduled to be consumed over a period of five days. The BCWS will be $200 per day. It is a key component for determining Earned Value. See also “Earned Value”.
Budget of an Activity
In terms of cost, the total expense that will be incurred to complete an activity. Contributors to this cost can be labor, material, equipment, or other costs.
In terms of units of measure, it is the total units that will be spent to complete an activity. These units can be hours, linear feet, or other units of measure, depending on the activity and the resources assigned to that activity.
Business Process (BP)
A business process (BP) is a set of coordinated tasks and activities that lead to the accomplishment of a specific business goal. For example, creating, routing, and approving a purchase order is a business process. BPs often include a workflow to specify how the business process should proceed, from start to finish. In Unifier, BP also refers to the forms that drive the business process. For most BPs, these BP forms will become attached to the steps in a workflow for the purpose of exchanging information. As part of the workflow, users will use these forms to collaborate as a team to complete the business process.
Business Process Types
Different business needs require different types of business processes. There are currently ten types of business processes that are used in Unifier, and can be created in uDesigner: Cost, Line Item, Text, Document, and Simple, RFB, Schedule, Resource, Planning, and Lease.
Cash Flow
The Cash Flow feature is a way to view a time-based record of income and expenditures, which can be presented in tabular or graphical format. It enables users to create a baseline for project expenditures, track actual costs, and calculate future expenditures based on a known forecast or calculate from trends compared to “Baseline” curves.
Commitment Summary
Works the same way a Schedule of Values works, except that it is used by a Generic Cost Manager in a shell. See “Schedule of Values (SOV)”
Company Administrator
Company administrators can (depending on permissions) create or modify projects and programs, create data definitions for custom attributes on BP forms, activate business process schemas and define record numbering schemas, create users and groups and grant their permissions, set up templates, and add currencies.
Company Dashboard
A dashboard that is accessible at the Company level and can be used to view company data across projects or shells.
Company Funding Sheet
The Company Funding Sheet tracks all sources of funding across all projects and programs. You can create only one sheet per company. Funding sources that are made available at project sheet level are rolled up to the company sheet, which maintains the overall fund information.
Conditional Routing
A divergence in the route of a business process, depending on a specific condition or situation.
BP workflows can be created to include a conditional step; that is, a step that must be resolved before the workflow can continue. Conditional steps entail separate (conditional) routing. This routing is triggered by a condition or situation that was set in uDesigner when the workflow was designed. An example of conditional routing is a purchase order that follows one workflow if the total amount is less than a certain amount, and follows another if it is equal to or greater than that amount. (These trigger values are assigned when the business process is set up in Unifier.)
Conditional Step
A step that must be resolved before the workflow can continue. Conditional steps entail separate (conditional) routing. This routing is triggered by a condition or situation. An example of conditional routing is a purchase order that follows one workflow if the total amount is less than a certain amount, and follows another if it is equal to or greater than that amount. These trigger values are assigned when the business process is set up in Unifier and can specify multiple data elements that must be satisfied to activate the trigger.
Configurable Manager
A configurable manager is a manager that has been especially created for your company. Up to 25 managers can be created consolidate and monitor any entities you want. Configurable managers differ from the managers that are shipped with Unifier in that configurable managers can roll up not only currency amounts, but also quantity amounts.
You can design two kinds of managers: Code-and-record-based and code-based.
A code-and-record-based manager employs both codes to create a tracking sheet and records of individual items.
A code-based manager employs only a sheet to keep track of the values it is monitoring.
From a code-and-record-based manager, you can drill down from the sheet to individual items; from a code-based manager, you cannot.
Consolidate Comments
Collect the comments from multiple business process records into a single record. When you consolidate comments, you can also opt to copy any attachments along with the comments.
Consolidate Line Items
Collect the line items from multiple business process records into a single record. When you consolidate line items, you can also opt to copy the line item attachments.
Consolidate Markups
Collect the markups from multiple document business process records into a single record. When you consolidate markups, you can also opt to copy any attachments along with the markups.
Contingency
Contingency is a data source on a cost sheet that represents the budget amount allocated to contingency spending for each CBS code. It is useful for users in forecasting their contingency spending.
Cost Codes
Displays the type of cost code (fields that define the structure of the Cost Codes) specified in uDesigner for the project. The type available for Projects (Standard) is CBS
Cost Performance Index
A measure of cost efficiency on a project. It is the ratio of earned value (EV) to actual cost of work performed (ACWP), or earned value divided by ACWP.
A value equal to or greater than one indicates a favorable condition; a value less than one indicates an unfavorable condition.
Cost Sheet
A Cost Sheet is a detailed accounting of the project's budget and costs. A cost sheet works like a spreadsheet within Unifier, calculating and maintaining the project cost information stored in the project. Cost information is either entered manually or rolls up into the Project Cost Sheet when transactions occur in Unifier.
Cost Type BP
BP forms that track and manage cost information. Unifier can be configured to show this information automatically on the cost sheet. Examples include change orders, base contracts, invoices and budget change requests.
uDesigner users can create custom BPs that have additional cost-related features, such as automatic generation of “Schedule of Values (SOV)” sheets for commit BPs, and funding allocations with spend BPs.
Cost Variance
Any difference between the estimated cost of an activity and the actual cost of that activity. It is usually the budgeted cost of work performed minus the actual cost of work performed. A negative variance means more money was spent for the work accomplished than was planned.
Critical Path
The series of tasks (or even a single task) that dictates the calculated finish date of a project. When the last task in the critical path is completed, the project is completed. By knowing and tracking the critical path for the project, as well as the resources assigned to critical tasks, you can determine which tasks can affect the project's finish date and whether or not the project will finish on time.
Specifically, the critical path takes the sequence of inter-dependent project network activities with the longest overall duration and determines the shortest possible time the project can be completed. The critical path algorithm calculates the starting and ending times for each activity, determines which activities are critical to the completion of a project (the critical path) and notes those activities that are less critical with “float time.” There is no float time on the critical path.
Critical Task
A task that must be completed on schedule for the project to finish on time. If a critical task is delayed, the project completion date might also be delayed. A series of critical tasks makes up a project's critical path.
Cumulative Depreciation
The total reduction of the value of an asset over a period of time.
Current Period Depreciation
The current reduction in the value of the asset.
Custom Dashboard
A custom dashboard displays Company-level information and uses data cubes as its data source. These are dashboards created externally (outside of Unifier) using third-party SWF file creation tools, and then can be configured for use in Unifier, at either the company or shell level. End users cannot modify these dashboards.
Custom Element
A data element you have created. See “Data Elements”
Data Cube Definition
A Data cube definition is a query tool you can use to extract data and display it on a block of a configurable dashboard.
Data Definitions
Data definitions describe how data is entered into Unifier and stored. The definition consists of the data type (whether it is an alphabetical string or a number), the data size (in number of characters for strings), and the input method (from a text box, pull-down menu, radio button, or checkbox). You must create data definitions before you specify the data elements for forms. The data definitions dictate how the data element will enter and store the information in Unifier. A data definition can belong to one of the following categories:
Basic: Predefined or user-defined Data Definitions that contain all Data Definitions except the Cost Code definitions.
Cost Codes: Displays the type of cost code (fields that define the structure of the Cost Codes) specified in uDesigner for the project. The type available for Projects (Standard) is CBS
Data Picker: Data pickers work with master business process logs, shells, and configurable managers that function across a shell hierarchy. The purpose of a data picker is to make it easier for users to choose records:
- From a master business process log
- From a class in a configurable manager that operates across shells
- For auto-creation across shells
A data picker usually displays an extra navigation structure that makes it easier for users to choose records to work with. In operation, a data picker navigates to a specific business process, shell, or configurable manager and then extracts the records to display on the list by using a query the Unifier Administrator sets up.
Access: Data Structure Setup node
Data Elements
Data elements combine a “Data Definitions” with a field label to become what users see on the forms in Unifier. The fields on the forms the users see are filled by data elements. A data element can be a text box, where the user types in information; a pull-down menu of choices (also known as a picker), such as dates or names; radio buttons, where the user must select one of the options presented; or a checkbox, where the user has the option of choosing something or not.
Data elements are the name and form label only—the element is essentially an empty “shell” that will not contain values until they are specified in Unifier.
Data Indexes
Allows the creation of user-defined database indexes that speed up the performance of large data sets. The database index name is constructed by a fixed prefix, UUU, plus internal row_id, followed by _ and a user-defined suffix and description.
Access: Data Structure Setup node
Data Pickers
Data pickers work with master business process logs, shells, and configurable managers that function across a shell hierarchy. The purpose of a data picker is to make it easier for users to choose records:
From a master business process log
From a class in a configurable manager that operates across shells
For auto-creation across shells
A data picker usually displays an extra navigation structure that makes it easier for users to choose records to work with.
In operation, a data picker navigates to a specific business process, shell, or configurable manager and then extracts the records to display on the list by using a query the Unifier Administrator sets up.
Access: Data Structure Setup node > Data Definitions
Data Source
A data source is the source from which you can extract data for any component of Unifier or Primavera uDesigner. For example, when creating a cost column on a cost sheet, the data source might be a cost BP transaction.
Data Views
Provides a view of Unifier data obtained via SQL query. It allows access to all Unifier database tables in a company registry (registry dependency ensures data security).
Data Views enable administrators to design and deploy custom reports (program- and shell-level), create user-defined reports (UDRs), and utilize data as a source for Data Cubes (used to display live, or cached data in a custom company or shell dashboards).
Access: Data Structure Setup node
Dependency
An activity or task that must occur before another activity or task. See “Predecessor.”
Depreciation
The reduction in the value of an asset. In Unifier, users can choose the method by which they want to depreciate an asset—straight line, double decline, sum of years, or manual.
Depreciation Period
The time over which an asset is depreciated; can be in years, months, or quarters.
Detail Form
The detail form is the form the Unifier user is presented with to add or modify a line item on certain business processes. The detail form contains the fields (data elements) that will be displayed on the line items list. See also “Upper Form”
DMS
See “Document Manager”
Document Manager
The Document Manager allows team members to manage and share project documents and organize them into folder structures. The manager ensures that project members are always using the most current versions of documents and makes accessing and distributing documents efficient.
Document Type BP
This is a BP form that can be used as an “envelope” to package a set of files, such as spreadsheets, drawings, and design documentation, that flow from one group to another. An example is a Transmittal.
Drafts (Drafts log)
A storage log where Unifier users can save a draft or copy of any BP they are creating or responding to.
Dynamic Data Element
Dynamic data elements are fields on BP forms that behave differently, depending on what the user chooses in a master element field. The master element dictates what the other fields in the set will show and how they will behave. For example, on a form that requires a state and city designation, the “city” field will show a different list of cities, depending on the state the user chooses. See Dynamic Data Set
Dynamic Data Set
Dynamic data sets control what other data elements display or how they behave. You can use data sets to dictate how pull-down lists, radio buttons, and checkboxes behave when the user has multiple-choice options. The data sets are considered “dynamic” because the data values change, depending on what the user chooses in the master element field. For example, on a form that requires a state and city designation, the list of cities changes, depending on the state the user chooses. The state and city elements become a dynamic data set, and the master element (state) dictates what cities will appear in the pull-down list.
Earned Progress
A quantitative measurement to indicate how much has been earned on an activity over the duration of the activity. Earned progress can be represented as an amount, a quantity, or a percentage. It is a key component for determining Earned Value.
See also “Earned Value”.
Earned Value
Earned value is a method for measuring project performance. It compares the amount of work that was planned with what was actually accomplished to determine if cost and schedule progress are as planned.
Earned value analysis is an industry standard used to measure a project's progress, forecast its completion date and final cost, and provide schedule and budget variances.
Element
See “Data Elements”
ER Views (Entity Reference Views)
Provides a tabular view of the database tables that exist for each of the entities.
For example, if you open the ER View for Business Processes, it shows you the tables that are available for existing business processes in the company.
When data views are defined, the ER Views feature becomes particularly helpful for users without access to back-end and allows the users to see information within the application.
Access: Data Structure Setup node
Escalation
A clause in a lease which provides for the rent to be increased to reflect changes in expenses paid by the landlord, such as real estate taxes, operating costs, etc. This may be accomplished by several means, such as fixed periodic increases, increases tied to the Consumer Price Index, or adjustments based on changes in expenses paid by the landlord in relation to a dollar or base year reference.
Estimate at Completion (EAC)
The final cost of any other key quantity (for example, hours, feet of material, or other quantity) based on provided estimates.
Estimate to Complete (ETC)
An estimate of cost or any other key quantity that a project can still incur based on estimates and the actual cost incurred so far by the project.
Exchange Rate
The price of currency of one country expressed in units of another currency. In Unifier, the exchange rate is used when converting transactions made in currencies other than the base currency.
Exchange Rate Set
Consists of all of the currencies and exchange rates currently available for transactions. When your company is first set up by the site administrator, the set contains only your company’s base currency. Any time you add additional currencies or modify exchange rates, a new set is created and replaces the last one.
Extrapolate
When users create a cash flow curve, they have the option of extrapolating the actual cost based on a provided data set. For example, they can estimate (extrapolate) the cash flow curve for this year based on last year’s data. They will need to specify which data from last year’s Cash Flow Sheet they want to base the extrapolation on.
See also “Interpolate”
Finish to Finish
Denotes that a task cannot end until another ends.
Finish to Start
Denotes that a task cannot start until another ends.
Float
The float (slack) value for each activity. This is calculated as a result of the critical path calculation.
Form Validation Rules
Form validation rules are created to validate form field values. Validation occurs at runtime when users click the Send or Save button. These rules apply to all forms, including BP forms and attribute forms.
Funding Appropriation (Automated)
Cost type commit BPs can be set up in uDesigner to allow Unifier users to allocate or consume funds. Funds are chosen from an available list using a fund picker. When the BP reaches its terminal status, the funds are allocated or consumed automatically. A button becomes available on the form allowing the user to access the funding sheet directly from the BP form.
Funding Manager/Funding Sheets
The Funding Manager tracks where project funding comes from, and how it is being spent. Funding is defined first at the company level, where individual funding sources are set up on the Company Funding Sheet. Project Funding Sheets track how funding is being spent on each project; individual transactions are rolled up to the Company Funding Sheet.
Gate
A set of conditions applied to a project phase which, when fulfilled, moves the project to the next phase.
Gate Elements
The criteria that define what the gate is. These are the conditions that a project phase must meet or complete before the project can progress to the next phase.
Generic Cost Manager
Generic cost managers monitor cost-related activities for shells in Unifier. Unlike the Standard Cost Manager in Unifier, the data analyzed by a generic cost manager comes from the cost sheets of shells and sub-shells, not standard projects. Generic cost managers are well-suited for projects/shells of an ongoing nature, such as a building shell, where you would typically want to collect and analyze operating and maintenance costs for a specific building over the life of that building.
To accommodate the on-going nature of shells, a generic cost manager reflects rolled up quantity amounts as well as currency amounts. In addition, it uses a “Commitments Summary” instead of an SOV, and employs a different, “commit” coding structure; it does not support CBS codes. Compare with “Standard Cost Manager.”