Manage production codes
Use production codes to group similar items together within estimating jobs. If necessary, you can then override the hours of all items in that production code.
Production codes also allow you to link estimating items to production control job items. This way, the estimate information can be more specifically applied to the production control items. Production codes also allow you to plan production more accurately.
Production codes can be as broad or as specific as you like. For example, you can use one production code for the entire estimating job to add the labor estimates to the production control job. The hours will then be calculated based on all the work that must be done for the entire job. However, you can also set every piece mark to have its own production code, so that hours in the estimating job and in the production control job match for each item.
You can also create a report that lists all production codes used in an estimating job. The report is called Production Code Summary. For more information on creating reports, see Estimating reports.
Access the Production Codes dialog box
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On the menu, select Production Codes.
The Production Codes dialog box opens.
Show Production Codes: Select an option to filter the production codes that are displayed:
- Global: Production codes that can be used in all jobs in both Production Control and Estimating
- Estimate-Specific: Production codes that can only be used within a specific estimating job and the linked production control job. These are the production codes that you can create in the current dialog box.
- In Use: Production codes that are in use
Production Code: An abbreviation for the production code
Description: A description for the production code. For example, you can use B1 for beams or C1 for columns.
Override Hours: Select if you want to use aggregate units for the planned hours instead of the original estimated hours. Then type the hours in the field.
However, if the manual override is used, the labor information does not include labor group percentages. Therefore, the labor group percentages cannot be applied to any production control stations.
Further, the information cannot be applied to tasks in the project schedule and to resources that feed information to the production schedule.
Manually overriding hours can also prevent you from comparing the linked production control job with the estimating job.
Aggregate Units: Select the suitable units in the drop-down menu.
The planned hours that you define here are automatically used in the project schedule. However, if you link the production control to a matching estimate, the estimated hours are automatically used in the project schedule.
The hours associated with the production codes are only used in Production Control. Production codes do not affect or apply labor to estimating items. The purpose of the hours is to pull labor information from the estimate in the form of hours per ton and labor percentages by labor group.
Create a production code
When you create production codes within the Estimating module, they only apply to the current estimating job. Globally available production codes are created in .
The new production code is added.
Modify a production code
- Select the production code that you want to modify.
- Modify the properties.
- To update the production code properties, click Save.
Delete a production code
- Select the production code that you want to delete.
- Click Delete.
- In the confirmation dialog box, click Yes to permanently delete the production code.