Consolidation Tab

For some business processes, uDesigner displays a Consolidation tab, where you can consolidate the line items from multiple records into a single record. When you consolidate line items, you can also opt to copy the line item attachments. In addition, you can consolidate line items according to their status so that you can exclude those line items that are not necessary, such as line items that are closed or rejected.

For example, over a period of time, a project might incur 15 change order requests for a cost estimate that could change the scope of the contract. Ultimately, management might want to issue a change order that encompasses the scope of all 15 change order requests. Using the consolidation feature, the final change order would copy the line items from the change order requests and would encompass the scope and costs of all 15.

Company and project/shell level BPs are distinct. At the company level, you can consolidate line items only from other company-level BPs. At the project/shell level, you can consolidate line items only from other project/shell level BPs. The following table shows the consolidation relationship between business process types.

The Consolidation tab will only appear for the following business process types:

Cost (except for General Spends, Payment Applications and Summary Payment Applications)
For the Consolidation of Base Commits and Change Commits BPs:
- The user is able to consolidate into the Summary Payment Applications SOV type BP.
- The Summary Payment Applications SOV type BP can be selected as source of consolidation into other BPs. In this case, at runtime, the Summary line item is consolidated without the Costed amount and Quantity breakdown details.
Advanced Document
RFB (Request for Bid)
Line Item
Notes:
- To consolidate line items, you must allow the user to add, remove, and copy line items on every form you want to include in the consolidation. To do this, see the instructions on completing the Options tab for an Upper form.
- At runtime, Unifier uses the new Standard Data Element "uuu_li_consolidated" (Field Label: Consolidated), to automatically capture whether a line item has been consolidated on the source record.
- The Line Item BP remains in draft mode, and the application prevents the user from consolidating the Line Item BP, if the user does not either:
- Save the consolidated Line Item BP
- Send the consolidated Line Item BP to the next Workflow step

On the Edit Studio window, click the Consolidation tab.
The Consolidation tab displays any business processes that have already been selected for consolidation.
In the Line Item Consolidation area of the window, use the information in the following table to complete the fields.

In this field:	Do this:
Do not allow consolidation from [business process]	This field will display the name of the business process you are designing. Select this check this box if you do NOT want users to consolidate line items from this business process. If you select this check box, the business process will not appear in the list of BPs from which users can choose line items to consolidate.
Previously consolidated lines are available when terminal status equals	By default, after a user copies a line item for consolidation, that line item is no longer available for other consolidations. Use this field to override the default and specify that, after the consolidated business process reaches a terminal status, the line items from the source BP(s) will be available again. For example, if a Change Order that has contributed line items to a consolidated BP reaches a "rejected" status, then all the line items on the Change Order will be available so you can consolidate them again in another business process. Click Select and choose the BP status at which the line items can again be available for consolidation. You can select one or more statuses marked "terminal." (The list of statuses on this window shows a blank first line. You can use this blank line to clear any previous status selections.) Note: Line items will also be available again for consolidation if the line item is deleted from the consolidated business process or is terminated.

In this field:

Do this:

Do not allow consolidation from [business process]

This field will display the name of the business process you are designing.

Select this check this box if you do NOT want users to consolidate line items from this business process. If you select this check box, the business process will not appear in the list of BPs from which users can choose line items to consolidate.

Previously consolidated lines are available when terminal status equals

By default, after a user copies a line item for consolidation, that line item is no longer available for other consolidations.

Use this field to override the default and specify that, after the consolidated business process reaches a terminal status, the line items from the source BP(s) will be available again. For example, if a Change Order that has contributed line items to a consolidated BP reaches a "rejected" status, then all the line items on the Change Order will be available so you can consolidate them again in another business process.

Click Select and choose the BP status at which the line items can again be available for consolidation. You can select one or more statuses marked "terminal." (The list of statuses on this window shows a blank first line. You can use this blank line to clear any previous status selections.)

Note: Line items will also be available again for consolidation if the line item is deleted from the consolidated business process or is terminated.

In the Consolidation Setup area of the window, click the Add button. The Select Business Process window opens.
Select the business process that contains the line item(s) you want to consolidate and click OK. uDesigner displays the business process in the list.
Highlight the business process that contains the line item(s) you want to set up for consolidation.
Use the information in the following table to complete the fields and click OK when finished.

In this field:	Do this:
Exclude records with status	(Optional) Use this field to exclude line items from the consolidation according to their status. Click Select and choose the status or statuses you want to omit from the consolidation. (The list of statuses on this window shows a blank first line. You can use this blank line to clear any previous status selections.)
Data element to show consolidated line source	Use this field to specify a data picker (if the BP form includes one). At runtime the data picker will be populated with information from the record from which the line item originated. This data picker will make it easier for the user to see exactly which record the consolidated line item comes from.
Prevent consolidating the same line item across multiple records	Select this check box to prevent a user from consolidating line items that have already been consolidated. Unifier will ensure that line items can be consolidated only once across all the business process records (and under all shells). Note: If this option is selected, the line Items cannot be edited, later. Unifier ensures that the line items can be consolidated only once, across all the business.
Auto-update consolidated line items	This option is available only if you check the Prevent consolidating the same line item across multiple records option. Select this check box if you want the destination line item (the one on the consolidated BP) to be updated whenever the source line item changes. Exception: Even if this auto-update option is checked, the line item on the consolidated BP will not be updated with any new attachments that have been added to the original line item. Line items on the consolidated BP will be read-only if you choose this option. Updates will not occur if the consolidated line item BP reaches a terminal status or if the line item is deleted on the source (the originating) business process. You cannot use this auto-update option if a cost line item contains a YTB (Yet to Buy) data source, or an AFC (Allow for Change) data source. Unifier will not update fund codes and amounts on line items consolidated from Cost business process sub-types of Line Items with Fund Code or Line Items with Both CBS and Fund Code.

Last Published Monday, June 3, 2024