Create Estimated Payment

Description

During the Construction phase of the project, the Project Inspector creates estimated payments based on the work completed (as recorded by the Field Inspector). The frequency of estimated payments varies by District, but is generally once every two weeks or when the payment is estimated to be greater than $10,000.

Note: If the estimate is not paid within 45 days of the completion of the work, the contractor is due interest. Interest due is calculated by the Finals Unit using the Interest Calculation Worksheet and Interest Item screens in ECMS.

After creating and saving the Estimate, the user selects the specific items and funding that should be included in the Estimate from the Estimated Items list and enters the Estimated Quantity. The system automatically includes required Adjustments (including applicable Stored Material invoices) in the total estimate amount (i.e., the Amount Tendered) when the Estimate is saved. If this automated calculation would result in a negative Estimate amount, the system attempts to split out the Adjustments to reach a total of zero. The user may also choose not to have the negative amount applied to this estimate. The user can access a list of Adjustments associated with the project and include or exclude certain adjustment types. (For listing, see “How Do I Create Adjustments”.)

When the Inspector or Finals Unit creates and saves the Estimate, it is stored in Draft status as a ‘preliminary’ estimate. Once it is submitted, the status changes to DE/DA Review. If the Estimate includes Incidental Construction Items or Maintenance and Protection of Traffic items, an email is sent to users in an authorized user group, but their approval is not required in the workflow process. Whenever the Estimate is successfully submitted or approved, an email notification is generated by the system and sent to the next user in the workflow. Prior to allowing the submission or approval to be processed, the system checks the Estimate against predefined business rules and generates warnings or errors, if applicable. Warnings do not prohibit the estimate from being submitted or approved, but are displayed on a new screen where the user can view them. Errors on the other hand prevent processing of the submission or approval and must be corrected at the source before the system allows the processing to be done.

After the estimate is approved by the District Engineer, it is included in the next transmission to the Fiscal Management System (FMIS) for approval and payment. When the Treasury Department makes the payment, the Check Number, Check Amount, and Payment Date are returned to ECMS via the FMIS interface and are viewable on the Estimated Payments List.

The Create Estimate function is part of the Contractor Services subsystem and provides part of the Estimated Payments functionality. It is accessed from the Add links of the My Projects page (or the Construction Information screen) when the user selects the Project, chooses ‘Estimate’ from the Add links, and clicks the ADD button. This function can also be accessed when the user clicks the Add button on the project's Estimates list.

This function can only be accessed by the Inspector(s) (Construction and Post-Construction status) assigned to the Project Team and the Finals Unit (Post-Construction status only). This function is not available if there is an Estimate for the project in Draft status.

Quick Navigation

The following table provides an overview of the steps in this process. Detailed step-by-step directions are provided in the next section.

From this screen….	perform this action:
My Projects	Select Project by clicking in checkbox Select Estimate from Add links and click ADD button
Estimate screen	Enter Period Ending date Click SAVE button Select Estimate Items from Go links and click GO button
Estimate Items	Select view filter Enter Estimated Quantity for applicable items Click SAVE & EXIT button
Estimate screen	Note Amount Tendered Indicate whether any negative amount should be applied to next estimate Click SAVE button Select Adjustments from Go links and click GO button If applicable, create new adjustment to add to Estimate or exclude existing adjustments (See “How Do I Create Adjustment” or “How Do I Exclude Adjustment from Estimate”) Save Estimate
Estimated Payments Adjustments List	Select or deselect adjustments to be included in Estimate Click SAVE & EXIT button
Estimate Screen	Note Amount Tendered (updated based on Adjustments applied to this Estimate) Indicate whether any negative amount should be applied to this estimate* Click SAVE button (See "How Do I Submit Estimated Payment" for submission details)

Step-by-Step Directions

User Action	Result
Open your browser software and access the ECMS Welcome page.	The ECMS Welcome page is displayed with the navigation bar on the left.
Using the Registered Users Login fields at the top of the navigation bar, enter your user ID and password. Click GO or tap the Enter key.	The ECMS Welcome page appears. Your user name now appears at the top of the navigation bar, and the navigation bar options are tailored to your security group(s).
From the navigation bar, select the Contractor Services option.	The Contractor Services options available to your user group are displayed.
Select the My Projects option beneath Contractor Services on the navigation bar.	The My Projects page is displayed and lists the projects associated with your personalized search.
If desired, update your personalized search by clicking the Personalize Project Search link.	The search fields are displayed and open for entry.
If needed, enter search criteria to narrow the displayed listing of projects, then click the REFRESH button.	The My Projects page is updated based on the search criteria.
Locate the project for which you want to create an Estimate and select it by clicking in the checkbox to the left of the Project Number.	An ‘X’ appears in the selected checkbox.
Select "Estimate" from the Add links and click the ADD button.	The Estimate screen appears in create mode. Note: If any adjustments have been created since the last estimate, a message box is displayed informing you of the Adjustment number and type. Any such estimates are automatically included in the Estimate. Some adjustment types can be manually excluded. See "How Do I Exclude Adjustments from Estimate" under "Estimated Payments" in the Help system.
Enter the Period Ending date in mm/dd/yyyy format; or use the Calendar/clock icon to select the date from the calendar graphic.	The date you entered or selected appears in the field.
Click the SAVE button.	A ‘please wait’ message is displayed. When processing is complete, a ‘successful’ message is displayed. IMPORTANT: You must save this screen before proceeding. If you do not, you will receive an error on the Estimate Items List when you attempt to access that screen.
Click OK on the message box.	The message box closes, and you are returned to the Estimate screen.
To add estimate items, select Estimate Items from the Go links and click the GO button.	The Estimate Items list is displayed. By default this estimate’s items are displayed, meaning the screen is blank upon initial creation.
Select a filter by which to view the list, then click the REFRESH button.	The list is refreshed based on the filter you selected from the Type or Item-Type drop-down list. Valid values are: This Estimate – Default; displays only items associated with this estimate All – Displays all construction items Extra – Displays only extra construction items Fund Code Number – Displays only construction items associated with the specified fund code Work Order Number – Displays only construction items associated with the specified Work Order Number
For each item type/fund code you want to include in the estimate, enter the Estimate Quantity.	The quantity you entered appears in the field. This is a numeric field that accepts up to 6 decimal places. Note: At least one estimate item or one adjustment must be included in the Estimate before it can be submitted for review.
Click the SAVE & EXIT button.	A ‘please wait’ message is displayed. When processing is completed, a ‘successful’ message is displayed.
Click OK on the message box.	The message box closes, and you are returned to the Estimate screen. The following fields were updated: Estimate Items (This Estimate column) - Calculated by summing the result of the Estimated Quantity times the Unit Price for each estimate item Adjustments (This Estimate column) – System automatically includes certain required adjustments (including Stored Material Invoice adjustments). System may have split adjustments to avoid negative Amount Tendered Pay to Contractor/Due from Contractor – Same as Amount Tendered
If the Amount Tendered (this estimate) is negative, indicate whether the negative amount should be applied to this estimate by selecting Yes or No from the radio button group.	If you select No, an Adjustment is created and will automatically be included on the next Estimate. If you select Yes, a manual Account Receivable transaction must be entered into FMIS for the Due from Contractor amount. Note: If you select ‘Yes’, an email notification is generated and sent to the District Finals Unit Supervisor (and courtesy copy to ACE/M) when you save or submit the Estimate. The notification alerts the District Finals Unit that a manual Account Receivable transaction must be entered into FMIS as noted above. See "Tell Me About Estimate" under the "Estimated Payments" category of the Help system for a detailed explanation of how negative estimates are handled based on this indicator.
To save the Estimate without submitting it for review, click the SAVE button.	A ‘please wait’ message is displayed. When processing is completed, a ‘successful’ message is displayed.
Click OK on the message box.	The Estimate is saved in Draft mode, and you remain on the Estimate screen. See "How Do I Submit Estimated Payment" under "Estimated Payments" in the Help system for step-by-step directions for submitting the estimate.

Related Help Documents

Topic	Help Document
Estimate screen field definitions	Tell Me About Estimate
Update	How Do I Modify Estimate
Approve	How Do I Approve Estimate
Disapprove	How Do I Disapprove Estimate

Created by
Joseph D Howe/PennDOT on 03/16/2005 at 10:51:01 AM