Smart Contractor

Definition Of Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

AIA

American Institute of Architects. The AIA has designed a variety of forms for various uses in construction. Two of them, the G702 and G703, are used to submit draw requests to banks for payment draws on construction loans.

Smart Contractor can print information for G702 and G703 forms automatically. (Smart Contractor cannot print the actual forms because they are copyrighted by the AIA.) In Smart Contractor, this is called a "Draw Request". To print a draw request, first create an invoice. Then you can print the invoice as a draw request using the Print Draw Request menu option.

Allowance Item

Allowance items are items whose cost is not known until the items have been selected by the customer. Examples include floor covering, cabinets, counters, appliances, electrical fixtures, plumbing fixtures, etc.

To designate an item as an allowance item, check the prompt for Allowance Item: in the Item Info tab of the Edit Job Estimate form.

You can print an Allowance Schedule to provide the customer with a list of allowance items with their allowance amounts and the item order date - the date on which the items must be ordered to be received by their scheduled installation date. The item order date is based on the item lead time (which is set in the Edit Job Estimate form, and the item's scheduled installation.

When you enter the actual cost of the allowance items in the Job Progress entry, or Enter Purchases form, the program automatically invoices the actual cost of allowance items in the Create Invoices form, and automatically tracks the allowance variations. Print the Allowance Variance Change Order to list allowance variances.

Allowance Schedule

A merge document that includes a listing of job allowance items.

You can edit the allowance schedule merge document in the Contract entry form, and you can print the allowance schedule using the print allowance schedule menu option.

Alternative Item

An alternative to a job item. Alternative items are not added to the job total, but the net difference for the alternative item(s) are displayed at the bottom of the job listing. The net difference is the difference between the cost of the original item and the alternative item.

Alternative items are listed with regular items in the Job Listing report, except that their item amounts are displayed in the "Options" column.

See How Do I... Use Options And Alternatives for information about how to use alternative items.

Batch Update

When you use QuickBooks integration, QuickBooks data can be updated in either real time, or in batch update mode. In batch update mode, QuickBooks data is updated when you run the Update QuickBooks Data utility. See the QuickBooks integration topic for more information.

Boilerplate Text

Text that can be merged into merge documents. Beside merging customer and job data into merge documents, you can also merge boilerplate text. Define any number of boilerplate texts in the Setup Boilerplate Text form. Boilerplate texts appear prefixed by "<<(BP)" in the merge field list in the Setup Merge Document form. Boilerplate text can also contain customer and job data merge fields.

Cancelled Item

An item that has been removed from a job as part of a change order. The items cancelled for a change order are designated by checking the "C.O. Cancel" check box in the Edit Job Estimate form, and entering or selecting a Change Order Name ("C/O").

See the Change Order topic for information about how to create and print change orders.

Change Order

Used to document changes to the original job estimate, and to allow the customer to acknowledge those changes.

To create a change order in Smart Contractor, the original items are not removed or changed, they are marked as cancelled, and new items are added to replace them. This provides a record of the changed items, and what they are being changed to.

See the Change Order topic for information about how to create and print change orders.

Change Order Item

An item that is added to a job as part of a change order.

To create a change order in Smart Contractor, the C.O. Cancel check box is checked on the original item(s), and new items are added with the C.O.Add check box checked to replace them.

See the Change Order topic for information about how to create and print change orders.

Change Order Name

Used to associate multiple job items into one change order.

A change order can consist of any number of job items added or cancelled. The Change Order Name is used to group the added or cancelled items into a single change order.

See the Change Order topic for information about how to create and print change orders.

Company File

In the QuickBooks world, a "company file" is the term used for "database file". QuickBooks allows you to create and use any number of separate databases (but you can only work on one at time). You use more than one database file if you are running more than one company - you would have a separate database file for each company. So QuickBooks calls the database files "company files".

When you create a company in QuickBooks, it creates a "company file". When you create the company file, you give it a name, and specify where it should be located on your computer or network. To access a QuickBooks company file from Smart Contractor, the QuickBooks company file needs to be in a shared folder somewhere on the network. The QuickBooks setup form in Smart Contractor prompts you to select the QuickBooks company file. So put the QuickBooks company file in a shared folder on the network (on a computer that will always be running) and navigate to it using the "Browse" button in the QuickBooks setup form.

Contract Type

The job contract type is set in the Edit Job form. The contract type can be either "Fixed Sum", "Cost Plus", or "Time and Materials". The contract type determines whether the Create Invoices form uses the estimated item cost or the actual item cost.

Actual item costs are entered in the Enter Purchase and the Enter Labor Hours forms, or in the Enter Job Progress form. The estimated or actual item costs represent the sum of item materials, labor, equipment, subcontract, and other costs, and includes all markups.

Cost Category

One of 5 categories in which costs for a job item can been assigned and tracked. Smart Contractor allows you to estimate and track costs in 5 categories:

See How Do I... Track Job Costs? for more information.

Cost Per Unit

The cost of a single unit of a product in a job item. Note: This is the cost to you, the contractor. The cost to your customer includes the item markup.

Count Calculator

A form used to calculate the count, in count units, of products necessary for a job item. Click the Count Calculator button to the right of the prompt for "Item Count:" in the Edit Job Estimate form to display the count calculator.

See the Count Calculator topic for complete information on using the count calculator.

CPM

See the Critical Path Method topic for more information.

Credit Memo

A Credit Memo is basically a "negative invoice". A Credit Memo is used to provide a document to your customer to note the fact that you have reduced the amount the customer owes.

See the How Do I... Create A Credit Memo? topic for more information.

Critical Path Item

A schedule item that must be started and completed on schedule in order for items that follow it, and the entire job, to stay on schedule.

Critical Path Method

See Critical Path Method topic.

CSI Division, CSI Code

Construction Specification Institute code. CSI codes are defined in the Setup CSI Code form. You assign CSI codes to items in the Setup Job Phase form. The Job Listing report can be printed either by Smart Contractor Job Phase, or by CSI code.

Customer Selections

Customer Selections are job items that are selected and specified by the customer. Customer Selection items are designated by checking the "Customer Sel. Item:" check box in the Edit Estimate form.

The Customer Selection Listing form allows you to print the list of customer selection items for your use.

The Customer Selections document in the Documents menu allows you to print the list of customer selections for your customer.

Dashboard

The "Dashbaord" is the information that is displayed on the screen in the Smart Contractor main window.

Deposit

A deposit is an amount of money that the customer pays to the contractor before the job is started. You enter the deposit amount in the Estimate tab panel of the Edit Job form. Please see the How Do I... Enter A Deposit? topic for full information.

Deposit Apply

A deposit apply is a portion of the deposit that you apply to an invoice in the Invoice Entry form. You can apply any portion of the deposit balance to any invoice. When you do, Smart Contractor adds an additional line item in the invoice for the deposit apply amount. Please see the How Do I... Enter A Deposit? topic for full information.

Drag

Hold down the mouse button while moving the mouse. Used to re-size or move objects in windows. .

Draw Request

A merged document based on an invoice, used to request a customer payment for work completed.

You must create an invoice before printing a draw request.

You can edit the draw request merge document in the Merge Document entry form, and you can print the draw request using the print draw request option in the print documents menu.

Draw Schedule

Used to document the schedule on which the customer is expected to make payments for work completed on a job. The draw schedule is based on the job schedule. Items that have a cost and which have not been scheduled (do not appear on the schedule), will be added to the first payment period of the draw schedule.

You can edit the draw schedule merge document in the Merge Document entry form, and you can print the draw schedule using the print draw schedule option in the print documents menu.

External Document Attachment

An attachment to any kind of document stored on your computer, or on any computer on your network.

Smart Contractor allows you to attach to any number of external documents. These can be accessed from the Attachments tab of the Edit Job form, or the Attachments tab of the Edit Job Estimate form, or from the Add Attachment button in other forms.

Note: Files must be located in a "network share folder" in order to be accessible from all computers on a network! Please consult your network administrator for assistance with setting up network share folders.

General Markup

A markup that is applied to all jobs. The general markup is calculated after all other markups and sales tax. You set the general markup percent, and you can define a name to be used for the general markup, in the Job Options form.

Group Item

An estimate item that consists of one or more sub-items. A group item is also known as an "item assembly".

Hourly Labor Schedule

An hourly labor schedule is a schedule of the time of day that each job item with estimated labor should begin.

You can view or print hourly labor schedules by checking the Hourly Labor Schedule option in the Print Schedule Calendar form.

Invoice

A printed form you give to your customer to indicate amounts due. The invoice lists and totals job items that have been completed and are payable. Use the create invoice form to create invoices, and use the Print Invoice menu option to print invoices.

Invoices are used as the basis for draw requests. You must enter an invoice before you can print a draw request.

You can use the Job Summary menu option to print a summary of all invoices (paid and outstanding) for a job, or all jobs.

Item Count

The number of products being purchased and used for a particular job item. The estimated item count is entered in the Edit Job Estimate form; the actual item count is entered in the Job Progress entry form.

Item Markup

A markup added to the cost of an individual job item. Defaults for item markups are taken from the Job Markups entered in the Edit Job form. Individual item markups are entered in the Edit Job Estimate form.

Item Note

A note that you enter in the Item Note prompt in the Information tab of the Edit Job Estimate form. Item notes are used to document details about job items. The Display Item Notes prompt that appears when you print customer documents allows you to determine whether item notes appear in the customer documents.

Item Structure

The sequence and grouping in which items are displayed in the Edit Job Estimate form. Group items have a "+" next to them, and sub-items are indented under group items. Items can also be listed by item structure in the job listing report, and in the job estimate grid.

Item Unit

The unit of measure or count used to purchase a product for a job item.

Job

All information pertaining to the construction of something, including:

Job Item

An item entered in the Edit Job Estimate form to define part of a job. A job estimate can consist of any number of job items. Each job item can be group item or a sub-item.

Please read How Do I... Structure Job Items? for information on how to break down an estimate into job items.

Job Markup

A markup added to the cost of all job items in a particular cost category (materials, labor, subcontract, equipment, or other). Defaults for job markups are entered in the Estimate tab of the Job Options form. Individual item markups are entered in the Misc tab of the Edit Job Estimate form.

Job Note

A note that was entered in the Job Notes tab of the Edit Job form. Job notes can be used to simply record notes about a job, and can be used as a reminder. Reminders appear in the top of the Dashboard.

Job Phase

A means of grouping or categorizing job items. Each job item can have an Job Phase. Job items are grouped by Job Phase in the job listing report, the job contracts, and in the job cost analysis report.

Schedule models assign the sequence and duration of job items based on their Job Phase; the duration and sequence of activities defined in a schedule model is by Job Phase.

Note: The Job Phase of an item is not to be confused with "Schedule Phase", or "Job Section". Please click those links for more information.

Job Section

A portion of a job; for example, a room. Job Sections are used to group and total subsets of job items. This allows you to view the costs for job sections separately in the job listing report. Please see the How Do I... Use Job Sections topic for more information.

Job Template

A sample job that comes with Smart Contractor that can be used as a template to create new jobs. The Job Template contains examples of jobs you might encounter. The Job Template appears in the list of jobs available to copy from in the create estimate items form, and in the Copy From tab in the Edit Job Estimate form.

Job Type

Type of job: Remodel, New Construction, Addition.

Journal Note

A note that you enter in the Journal Note prompt in the Miscellaneous tab of the Edit Job Estimate form. Journal notes are for internal use in documenting details about job items.

The Display Journal Notes prompt that appears when you print job listing reports allows you to determine whether item notes appear in the reports. Journal notes do not appear in customer documents.

Loan Type

Type of loan: Adjustable, or Fixed Amount. See How Do I... Manage Construction Loans? for information.

Manufacturer

The name of the company that manufactures a product. You enter the list of Manufacturers in the Enter Product Manufacturers form, and you assign Manufacturers to Products in the Enter Products form.

You can also import Product Manufactures with Products when you Import data.

Markup

An amount that is added to the cost of job items for overhead and profit.

The markup percent is set individually for each job item in the Edit Job Estimate form, but you can set default values for the item markups in the Edit Job form. You can set different markup percents for each cost category: Materials, Labor, Equipment, Subcontract, and Other Charge.

You can also enter a separate overall (general) markup percent to be used to cover things such as credit finance charges, goods and services tax, value added tax, liability insurance, etc. Enter the general markup percent in the Job Options Setup form.

Smart Contractor provides two different means of computing markups:

  1. As a percent of cost. In accounting terminology, this is called a "markup", since the markup amount is based on the cost. Example: If an item cost = $100.00, then a 20% markup would result in the price = $120.00, which is calculated as $100.00 + ($100.00 * .20).
  2. As a percent of price. This is called the "margin", since the markup amount is based on the price (after adding the markup). Example: If an item cost = $100.00, then a 20% margin would result in the price = $125.00, which is calculated as $100.00 + ($125.00 * .20).

Select the method used to compute markups in the Job Options Setup form.

Note: The General Markup is calculated after adding item markups.

Merge Document

A document that contains database information that is inserted when the document is printed. All contracts and customer documents generated by Smart Contractor are merge documents. Vendor and Subcontractor quote requests are merge documents.

Use the Setup Merge Documents form to create or modify merge documents.

Click on the Documents button to print customer contracts and documents. Use the Create Quote Request form to print quote requests.

Optional Item

An optional job item. Optional items are not added to the job total, but separate totals that include the optional item(s) are displayed at the bottom of the job listing to show the customer what the estimate amount would be if the optional item(s) were included in the job.

Optional items are listed with regular items in the Job Listing report, except that their costs are displayed in the "Options" column.

See How Do I... Use Options And Alternatives for information about how to use alternative items.

Payment Balance

The Payment Balance is the job contract amount minus all payments received (deposits + payment receipts). It is the amount of a job that is left to be paid.

Important: For computing the job payment balance, the "contract amount" varies depending on the type of contract for the job (selected in the Contract Type prompt in the Edit Job form).

The job payment balance is displayed at the bottom of the job recap report, and the bottom of the main window.

Payment Terms

The terms under which invoices are to be paid. Smart Contractor comes with the following two payment terms pre-defined:

Parent Item

The group item that contains the item concerned.

Partial Invoice

Smart Contractor Create Invoice form allows you to invoice less than the total cost for any job item. You may want to do this when you have completed some portion of a job item and you need to draw a portion of the cost of the item before it is completed. This is known as a "partial invoice".

Preferred Vendor

The Vendor you specify to be used for the purchase of a particular product. You specify the preferred vendor on the product entry form.

When you specify a preferred vendor for a product, then the product will appear on the purchase order for that vendor when you print a purchase order for a job.

Prevailing Wage Job

A job that requires employees to be paid pre-determined wage rates for specific types of work. To designate a job as Prevailing Wage, check the Prevailing Wage Job prompt in the Edit Job form. See How Do I... Use Prevailing Wage Rates? for more information.

Product

A material or object that will be purchased for a job item. You enter the list of products in the Product entry form, and assign Products to estimate items in the prompt for Product the Edit Estimate form.

The Product list is a separate "database" of products and prices that can be used in multiple jobs. You can import Product Codes using the Import Data form. Once you have entered or imported products and prices in the product list, the program will automatically plug information about the product into the estimate when you select the product in the Edit Estimate form.

Using products also allows you to track inventory for products that you may keep in a warehouse. See How Do I... Track Inventory? for more information.

Also, products allow you to update the estimated costs of job items automatically. You can use the Product entry form to update costs of individual products, or you can use the import prices form to import product price quotes from vendors in response to quote requests.

Product Code

The manufacturer or vendor's code for a product. You enter Product Codes for Products in the Enter Products form. You can also import Product Codes using the Import Data form.

Product Group

A means of breaking large numbers of products into smaller groups. You enter the list of Product Groups in the Enter Product Groups form, and you assign Product Groups to Products in the Enter Products form.

You can also import Product Groups (and place imported Products into Product Groups) using the Import Data form.

Product Manufacturer

A product's manufacturer. You enter Manufactuters for Products in the Enter Products form. You can also import Product Manufacturers using the Import Data form.

Product Repository

A database within Smart Contractor that contains lists of products (and prices) that you import into Smart Contractor. You can import product/price data into Smart Contractor using the Import Data form. See How Do I... Import Data? for more information.

Project

A group of jobs. Smart Contractor allows you to group jobs into projects. You assign jobs to projects using the prompt for Project in the Edit Job form.

You can define any number of projects, and each project can have any number of jobs. Each job can belong to one project.

Projects are used for reporting jobs by project, and for entering Purchases by project (for more than one job).

Punch List Item

A job (estimate) item that has the Punch List Item check box checked in the Edit Estimate form.

Punch list items appear in the Punch List report.

Purchase Order

A printed form you give to your vendor that has a list of products, quantities, and quoted prices that you want to purchase for a particular job and the address of the job site at which the products should be delivered. Use the Print Vendor Purchase Order menu option to print purchase orders.

Real Time Update

When you use QuickBooks integration, QuickBooks data can be updated in either real time, or in batch update mode. In real time update mode, QuickBooks data is updated as you enter it in Smart Contractor. See the QuickBooks integration topic for more information.

Reminder Notes

A Reminder Note is a Job Note that has a Alert Reminder Status. You assign Reminder Status' to job notes in the Job Notes tab of the Edit Job form.

Reminder Status

You define Reminder Status' in the Setup Reminder Status form, and you assign Reminder Status' to job notes in the Job Notes tab of the Edit Job form. If you define a Reminder Status with the Alert Reminder checked, then job notes with that status will appear in the Reminder Notes on the Dashboard.

Resource

An employee, crew, piece of equipment, vendor, or subcontractor that is assigned to a job item.

You enter resources in the Resource form.

Resources are used in scheduling job activities. When you schedule a job item in the Edit Estimate form, you assign a resource to it. This allows you to print a work order to list work items that resources are assigned to.

Vendors can also be scheduled for job items. This is so that job items for materials can appear with a resource (the vendor) in the schedule. Also, this allows you to use vendors as "typical resources" for materials that you purchase regularly, like lumber, windows, doors, etc.

You can define typical resources for each Job Phase in the Job Phase entry form. If you do, then the typical resources will be automatically assigned to job items when you create the job estimate. The typical resource will also be assigned to the vendor/sub if the resource is a vendor or a sub.

Each resource can only be scheduled to work on one job on a particular date. If you schedule a resource to work on more than one job on the same date, the program will display a "C" (for Conflict) for that date in the Edit Schedule form.

You can change an item resource in the Item Resource form, which appears when you right-click on an item in the Edit Schedule form

See the How Do I... Correct Schedule Errors topic for information about resolving schedule conflicts.

See the Resource Entry form topic for information on creating Resources.

See the Edit Schedule form for information on editing a job schedule.

See the How Do I... Use Typical Resources topic for information on how to use typical resources.

Job Schedule

A document of when each job item is expected to begin, and how many days it is expected to take. Use the job schedule entry form to create the schedule for a job.

Schedule Error

A problem in a job schedule.

There are two types of schedule errors:

See the How Do I... Correct Schedule Errors topic for information on how to detect and correct schedule errors.

Schedule Model

A template used to automatically create job schedules. Schedule models define the duration and sequence of job activities by Job Phase. Smart Contractor creates job schedules automatically based on the job start date, and the schedule model.

Smart Contractor comes with a couple of schedule models, but you can modify those, or create more using the Schedule Model entry form.

Each job can use a different schedule model. You set the schedule model for a job in the job entry form, or in the schedule setup form. You set the job start date in the schedule setup form.

Schedule Phase

Sometimes it is necessary to perform work on various parts of a job in separate steps. For example, when remodeling a house while it is occupied, it may be necessary to complete one bathroom before starting work on the other bathroom, so that there will always be one available for use. In a situation like this, Smart Contractor allows you to schedule jobs in phases. See the How Do I... Schedule Job Phases topic for complete information.

Note: Schedule Phase is not to be confused with "Job Phase", and "Job Section". Please click on those links for more information.

Scroll Bar

A bar along the right side of a window which has an up arrow button at the top, and a down arrow button at the bottom, and a "slider" in the middle. Drag the slider up or down to scroll the contents of the window. Click the up arrow button to move up one line. Click the scroll bar above the slider to move up one page. Click the down arrow button to move down one line. Click the scroll bar below the slider to move down one page.

Section

See job section.

Subcontractor

A person or company (outside of your company) who performs the work for a job item.

Sub-Item

An estimate item that is a member of a Group Item.

Taxable Item

A job item which is taxable by state or local sales taxation. Use the "Taxable:" check box in the Edit Job Estimate form to indicate whether an item is taxable. This prompt will only appear if an amount is entered in the prompt for Sales Tax Percent: in the Edit Job form.

Template Job

A job that you create to use as a template for the creation of other jobs. Any job can be used as a template to create new jobs, so, other than the items that you put in it, a template job is no different from any other job.

Typical Resource

A typical resource is a resource (employee, equipment, subcontractor, or vendor) that you typically use for certain types of work, or as a source for particular materials.

For example, if you use the same employees to do framing, then you could define them as typical resources for the Job Phase "Framing". Or, if you use the same subcontractors for plumbing and electrical, then you could define them as typical resources.

If you do, then those employees or subcontractors will be automatically scheduled for the appropriate items the next time you create a job estimate. The typical resource will also be selected as the item's vendor/sub if the resource is a vendor or sub.

Unit

The means by which a job item is counted. Count units are assigned to items in the Edit Job Estimate form. Smart Contractor comes with a number of units pre-defined, and you can create any other units in the Unit entry form

User

Anyone who uses the Smart Contractor program.

You can configure Smart Contractor to require users to log in with a password before being able to use the program. Use the Require Login To Smart Contractor option in the Security Options entry form.

Before you check the "Require Login To Smart Contractor" option, you must create users (and passwords) in the User entry form.

Vendor

The company or organization from which you purchase products used in a construction job: a supplier.

Quote Request

A merge document used to reqest a price quotes from a vendor or subcontract quotes from a subcontractor.

You can edit the vendor quote request merge document in the Setup Merge Document form, and you can print or email vendor quote requests using the Create Quote Request form.

Vendor/Sub

The vendor or a subcontractor assigned to a job item. The Job Edit Job Estimate form has one prompt to assign either a vendor or subcontractor to a job item. A job item can never have both a vendor and a subcontractor, just one or the other.

The prompt for Vendor/Sub is used to associate a vendor or subcontractor with a job item so that Smart Contractor can automatically generate purchase orders, and enter Purchases.


Work Balance

The job work balance is the total job contract amount minus all invoices (draw requests). It is the amount of the job that has not been invoiced, in dollars - after markup. Note that this is different than the job Payment Balance.

Important: For computing the job work balance, the "contract amount" varies depending on the type of contract for the job (selected in the Contract Type prompt in the Edit Job form).

The job work balance is listed at the bottom of the job recap report, and the bottom of the draw request listing.

Work Order

A printed form that shows when a particular Resource (employee) is scheduled for work on jobs.

The work order form also has columns in which the employee can write their time spent on each item, and the item completed status, so it can be used as an employee time sheet, and as a means of reporting job progress.

You can print Work Orders with the Print Work Order form.

You can assign employees to scheduled job items in the Edit Job Estimate form, or in the Edit Schedule form.

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