Spec ID

(Required) The Spec ID is a shorthand code used to identify an item's particular specification. It is very import to follow this rule in assigning Spec IDs: Each unique specification must have its own Spec ID. 

By "unique specification", we mean any combination of attributes which would require treating the item separately from other items when ordering it. Although this is fairly obvious for most instances (a love seat is hard to confuse with a wall sconce), there are some situations where this is not so obvious, such as existing vs. proposed items (a difference in cost) or variations of color or material which are not covered by a separate catalog number.

Each unique specification is entered in the Specifications List once. Later it may be used many times in different objects. Each time it is used in an object, the Spec ID points back to the single record you create here, extracting the information about that specification. If you make changes to a specification, they are changed for all occurrences of the Spec ID. There is no need to find each occurrence to "make sure that they were all changed." 

If you are syncing your primary specifications ID the object Tag in which it is used and need to change both, always change the object tag first. You will be offered the option of automatically changing the Spec ID to match (if they matched before). 

Spec ID generator: This button next to the "Spec ID" field appears when you use the Add or Clone command. It automatically assigns the next highest Spec ID in a sequence using the existing pattern you enter in the "Spec ID" field. This only applies to ID schemes that end in a number.

You can enter the pattern manually into the "Spec ID" field first, or you can right-click the button and it will use the pattern from the last highlighted specification.

For instance, if you are creating a new paint specification and enter "PNT" as the ID, clicking this button will return "PNT45" if the highest existing Tag is "PNT44."

You must manually create and save the first Spec ID in a pattern (i.e., "PNT01") in order to establish the number of digits to use in the format. If your pattern includes a separator, be sure to include it.

Once you use a pattern, you can use the generator button on each new spec of the same type to assign the next sequential Spec ID without entering anything in the "Spec ID" field. To change to a new pattern, enter the new pattern in the "Spec ID" field before using the button. You can create a non-pattern Spec ID at any time by simply entering it in the usual way.

If your pattern uses a trailing space as a separator, surround the pattern with double-quote marks: "PNT " instead of just PNT. This only applies when you are entering a pattern to use with the Spec ID  generator button.

Be sure to include any separators in the pattern, since it only works on exact matches.

Image only

This special flag indicates that the current specification is meant for adding additional images to those with another specification and is not intended to be a product that will be ordered. When you check this option, most of the other descriptive fields will be disabled (and cleared if they contain costs or prices that might cause confusion later).

Use this field when you have created an object that only needs a single specification but for which more than one image is needed. This might be the case when a vendor will supply COM for a chair as part of a single purchase order. Adding a second, "image only" specification allows you to attach an image of the fabric to the object while including everything about the fabric in the main product specification.  For more about how this works, see "Attaching multiple images for a single product specification."

The order in which "image only" specs appear is determined by the order in which you arrange them on the Object List screen's Component List, meaning that you can add multiple images fpr more than one "real" spec in the same object, simply by using the controls on that list to move them up or down as needed.  Here are two examples of a simple and a more complex arrangement:

If the two objects in the examples above were converted to orders in the Design/Purchasing version, it would produce three orders: one for the chair using spec CHR-001, one for the bar using spec CASE-001 and one for the service sink using spec SINK-03. Note that the Spec IDs used here are just samples in which the "a" suffix has the purpose of organizing related specs. However, the Spec IDs can be anything, related or not. It is the order of the components that matters when the illustration sheet is printed and the use of the "Image only" flag that determines which will actually produce orders.

Type/Product

(Required) This field is used to briefly describe the items being specified, including the vendor's style name or other specific information. Because this field is sometimes used in sorting, you should always observe a "general-to-specific" approach to your entry, such as 

 Chair, "Hacienda" dining 

Although it is usually best not to repeat data from other fields within a single specification, you may find it useful (as specs are finalized) to summarize important features in the "Type" field, since it appears on most if not all reports. 

Unit of Meas.

(Required) The unit of measure for this item. This might be "SQ YD" or "LIN FT" or "Each." Entering just an "E" or "e" will auto-fill the field with "EACH" or "Each." 

Unit of Measure is not the quantity of product. Quantities are entered on the FF&E Worksheet to denote the number of objects used in a room. Other quantities are entered on the Room Screen (to define the number of rooms of a certain type, and on the Object Screen (to define the amount of a product used in an object).

Code

This is a general-purpose field for use in further classifying the item being specified. You may wish to classify the item according to a budget group, or use the field as an even more generic "Type" field. Note: Predefined custom code lists are an option. Please contact technical support for more information.

Spec'l Item #

(Special Item Number) Use this field to classify the item according to the appropriate government item class, if this is required for the current project. This field can be used for other purposes, such as special codes or alternate Spec IDs such as Item IDs from existing purchasing systems. 

Material / Finish spec

Selecting this checkbox flags a spec as being a "material" or "finish" spec, making it eligible for the "Materials Reference" report that lists these type of specs and their images and the objects on which they are used. Note that unless the associated report option is changed, the report normally includes material specs that do not have an image attached (these can be suppressed).

Note: This is a general flag to denote any specification that might appear as a material or finish on something like a color board. It does not designate it as a "room finish." For room finishes (which may still include this type of spec), you must flag the object with the class of "FIN" on the Object Screen.

Size

Enter any dimensions important to the specification in this field.

Repeat

Use this field to record the "pattern repeat" dimension in a material or surface.

Weight

This field is typically used to record shipping weight for the item.

Color

The nature of the information recorded here may vary, but is generally going to deal with the look or color of an item's finish, as opposed to the content, although this is sometimes the same thing. 

Mat'l/Finish

This field should be used to describe the material from which the item is constructed or covered (such as "Oak solids" or "100% Wool"). 

Note: Dimensions, Finish, Color and Material data may occasionally be too complex to record in the space provided in the above fields. If so, you can leave these fields blank and use the "Other Description" field. Blank descriptive fields will not print on reports (except some internal review reports). If you enter these properties directly into the description in a "paragraph" format instead of stacking them, use a format like this: "Dimensions: xxxxxxx; Finish: xxxxxxxx;" separating the entries with semi-colons to match the format used to assemble the full descriptions in reports. We recommend that you use these fields if possible, since some reports may have an "intermediate" level of detail as an option, and this level uses these fields. 

Other Descr

This is a free-form text field, with a virtually unlimited maximum size. This is the field into which you will enter all information that does not have a specific field set up for it, including product-specific boilerplate information.

Image

This section is used to link to an optional image file that can be used to illustrate a specification. Since an object is considered to be defined primarily by component #1 on its component list, the image you save here will also be used on the "single-image" version of the Illustration Sheet report if the specification is component #1. More about this can be found in the Procedures section. 

The Select... button beneath the image is used to actually link the image to the specification, although you can also start this process by dragging an image file onto the empty image space while you are editing. 

When you select this button (or drag an image), you will see a dialog box that allows you to point to an image file (and preview it if desired):        

When you select an image, it will be copied to the IMAGES folder (unless you select an image from that folder). If the image file being copied already exists in the IMAGES folder, you will be asked if you wish to replace it. See "Working with Images." 

Once an image is selected, the Select... button will change to a Clear button. This allow you to delete the link to the image file and, optionally, to delete the file itself from the IMAGES folder. 

Note that with a little planning, you can attach all or most of your images in a single operation using the Auto-Image Utility available under the Utilities option on this screen.

Large image

Use this option to mark a specification that you want to print as large as possible on the "Illustration Sheet" (project book) reports. In order to use this option, the specification must also be the primary component for any objects in which it is used. See "Working with Images." 

Locate...

This button locates the currently attached image in the FF&EZ image library. It does so by opening a Windows File Explorer window with the image highlighted. You can use this to edit the image with an image editor (but see next). 

Important: If you edit an image and change its proportions (such as cropping it), the specification must be saved so that FF&EZ can update information about the image as part of saving the spec. If you don't, the image may display smaller than expected on reports. For this reason, invoking this function or the Edit... function below will set a flag to remind you to save the spec.

Edit...

This button calls the standard Microsoft Paint program with the currently attached image loaded. This allows you to edit the image with a simple editor and save it. 

Important: Editing an image in the FF&EZ image library affects all specifications where the image is used, in any project. This also applies to editing via the Locate... command above.

Last save

This field records the date and time that the specification was last saved (whether a change was made or not). It is automatically set to the current date when you select Add or Edit. If you use Revert to exit the record without saving it, the previous value is left unchanged. When used in a query, only the date portion is used, and this can be useful to produce a list of all specs that were added or edited during a specific period.

Note: This is not the "Revision Date" (see the "Specification Status" section below). 

Vendor ID

(Required) Enter the ID for this item's vendor or manufacturer, as listed in the Vendor file. By clicking on the drop-down button, the system will display a pick list of the current vendors from which you can select one. If the nature of a project requires full specifications, but no designated vendor, you can use a generic Vendor ID for all items (the default installation includes "TBD" for "To Be Determined"). Also, keep in mind that printing of the vendor can be suppressed on most of the presentation reports. 

If the vendor you want to select does not exist, use the New button next to the vendor selector to add it. When you use this button and save the new vendor, FF&EZ will return to the Specification screen.

The "info dot" is a quick way to see more detail about the item next to it. Here, you can see more information about the vendor simply by placing the mouse pointer over the dot. The pop-up that appears will include live links to email and web pages if you have entered them on the Vendor screen. (Note: the email link may not work when using FF&EZ in a terminal server configuration, since it will call the email program on the server, not your own PC.)

Catalog/Model #

Enter the catalog number or model number for this product. Be sure to include any sub-codes or suffixes for special finishes or features. For custom items, enter "CUSTOM" or similar (we do not recommend that you leave this field blank). 

Note that if you intend to attach an image for a "custom" item, the word "CUSTOM" is one of several key words or key phrases that act as a special flag, triggering an image name that satisfies FF&EZ's system of uniquely naming images for use across multiple projects. Therefore, using "CUSTOM" as the model # (anywhere in this field) is highly recommended for those types of products. See "Working with Images" for more about how the Vendor ID and Catalog/Model # are used in image names.

Supplier, Item #

If the item you are specifying is actually being ordered from a supply firm different from the manufacturer, you can indicate both the manufacturer (using the Vendor ID above) and a separate supplier. 

A "supplier" is any vendor in the Vendor List that has been marked with the special "Supplier" flag on that screen. To make data entry easier, only supplier vendors will appear in the drop down list here. 

If the supplier has a different item number or item ID from the primary catalog number for a product, you can enter it here (this field is disabled unless a supplier has been selected).

Use of a supplier changes the way ordering-oriented reports (and of course, the ordering system itself) display purchasing information, since orders that would normally be addressed to a primary vendor are instead addressed to the supplier, and if the supplier has their own supplier item #, that will be used to order the item. In this case, the original source vendor is automatically included in the item description as a cross-reference.

You do not have to select a supplier vendor on a spec if the item is supplied by the main vendor. 

You don't need to select the same vendor as both the primary and supplier vendors—it only needs to be selected once on the "Vendor ID" field).

In addition to selecting a supplier with this field, you can also assign a supplier to many specs at one time with the Assign Supplier utility on this screen (under the Utilities button).

Catalog Cost

This is the cost as listed in the vendor's catalog or quoted by the vendor. You should verify that the "Net Cost" percentage field (discussed below) has the correct value for this project. The cost entered here is the basis for all succeeding calculations which produce the final cost for the item. If no discounts or additional option costs are entered in the following fields, this field will be highlighted in boldface.

If the cost you entered is from an "official" vendor quote, you can record the vendor's quote # or ID and the date it expires (if any) in the "Spec Status" section (see below).  

Adjustments

This field fills automatically with the result of subtracting a vendor discount and adding or subtracting optional cost adjustments related to special finishes for the current product. To enter a discount or adjustment for a specific spec or to reset the amount back to the default, click on the [=] button next to this number. See the "Cost Adjustments" section below for more information.

No PO VAT

If you are a user subject to a VAT on both order costs and sell prices, you can now set an order item's cost to be non-taxable when an otherwise VAT-applicable order or vendor provides a product for which a VAT does not apply. This is controlled by the "No PO VAT" checkbox on this screen. The value set here will transfer to the order item created from the specification. This field will not appear on projects that are not subject to a VAT.

When printing an "Ordering Worksheet" report with the option to display estimated taxes enabled, the total cost of this item will not be included in the VAT calculation. However, the sell price of the item will be included in any VAT paid by your client (this is why you can't simply set the product tax rate to zero).

Due to the nature of the "estimated freight" calculation, if a project has the "Tax?" option set for freight, the estimated project freight tax will still include the estimated freight tax for an item marked "No PO VAT."

Total Cost

This is the final total for the net cost of the item (if you resell FF&E, this is "your" cost). If this field differs from the Catalog Cost, it will be highlighted in boldface.  If a vendor quote ID, date and expiration period has been entered for this product, an expiration date will appear next to this field.

Markup

(Billing type 1 only) This is the amount added to the base cost as markup (or profit). It is calculated using the "Markup %" field to the right, which is copied from the "General Markup" in the project file. You can change the markup for any item, if necessary, by either changing the percentage entered in the percent field or by entering a fixed amount in the "Markup" field. Markup is applied to the Catalog Cost after any discount is subtracted and any "Add'l Opts" value is added. 

You can enter a negative markup if you are selling an item at a loss or including it as a "freebie" so that the cost is still retained. However, see the note about rolling prices into an object's main component under "Price" below.

Price

(Billing type 1 only) The price of the item to the client before taxes and shipping. If you are not a reseller and are not using a markup, this will be the same as the "Net Cost." If you manually enter a price here, the system will back-calculate the markup to match it.

Prices can also be set with the Pricing Tool found under the Utilities button on this screen.

If you have the Purchasing module, you have the option to have the unit price of supporting items automatically rolled into the price of the primary specification when orders are created.  More information about this can be found on the Project List - Purchasing page.

Lock

(Billing type 1 only) This option is set automatically if you enter a price instead of allowing it to be calculated based on the cost and markup. It prevents any further change from automatic recalculations by the software (you can change the price at any time, however, by simply entering a new one). 
You can also lock (and unlock) whole groups of specifications at one time, using one of the settings of the Pricing Tool.

Tax %

You can override the project tax % here if certain items have a special rate (or none). 

This is applied to the cost in purchasing management projects (billing type 2 or 3) and to the "Sell" amount in resale projects. It is applied to both the cost and the sell price in billing type 1 projects where the "Apply as VAT" option is enabled on the project screen.

Puch'g Fee

(Billing type 2 and 3 only) If this is a purchasing management project with a purchasing fee percentage set on the Project Screen, you can override the fee rate for a particular specification by entering it here.

The fields in this section are displayed when you display the "Adjustments" calculation tool, which is accessed by clicking on the small [=] button next to the "Adjustments" field on the spec screen. This pop-up tool is used to enter less-common adjustments to the vendor's base cost so that they can be noted without cluttering the spec screen layout.

Catalog Cost

This is the vendor's base cost as shown on the main spec screen, and is copied to this pop-up automatically. 

% of Catalog

This is a percentage of a vendor's base or catalog cost after applying a discount. It is copied automatically from the vendor record, but you can override it here. See "Discount Amount" next. A 15% discount is entered here as "85%" while a vendor who has no discount would show 100% of catalog here.

If you have overridden the vendor's discount, you can reset this number back to the default for the vendor by clicking on the Reset button to the right.

Discount Amount

The discount amount is the amount to be subtracted from the "Catalog Cost" and is the result of multiplying Catalog Cost X (1 - % of Catalog) from the Vendor Screen. Since this is an editable field, you can also enter the discount amount directly and the system will back-calculate the associated "% of Catalog" rate.

You can also apply a discount to a group of specifications (typically a single vendor), using the "Apply a vendor discount" option on the Pricing Tool.

Net Cost

This field fills automatically with the result of subtracting the Discount amount from the "Catalog Cost" value. If the Net Cost is 100% of catalog, this field will be the same as the Catalog Cost (no discount). 

Add'l Options

Use this optional field for any cost attributed to extra cost options from the same vendor, such as an upcharge for a special finish. If a discount should be applied to the catalog price for options, you will need to calculate the amount and enter the appropriate figure. This field is provided so that, if you desire to do so, these additional costs can be separated from the base cost, but there is no requirement to use it.

Total Cost

This is the final total for the net cost of the item (if you resell FF&E, this is "your" cost). If this field differs from the Catalog Cost, it will be highlighted in boldface.

Note that if you have entered a "Vendor Quote #," "Quote Date" and "Expires after" value (see the "Status" section below), an expiration date for the cost will appear next to the "Total Cost" field.

Total Adjustments

This is the value that will be transferred to the main spec screen, consisting of the total of the "Discount Amount" and "Add'l Options" and will be applied to the base cost shown there.

Shipping Note

This is a general purpose field that can be used to qualify the shipping date or for an expression such as "ASAP." If you enter only the shortcuts of either "A", "D", "N" or "S" the system will replace them with "ASAP," "Deliver by," "Not before" or "Ship by."

Date

Use this field for a shipping date. The meaning of the date (such as "ship by" or "deliver by" should be clarified with the "Shipping Note" field. If no Shipping Note is entered, the date is assumed to be the requested delivery date.

Note: There are a number of very useful shortcut keys available when editing a date field. These can make date entry much faster and easier, so be sure to check them out!

Est. Freight

The estimated freight percentage is copied from the "Estimated Freight" percentage on the Project Form. It is applied to the total price amount as a way of estimating the overall shipping cost to the client. 

Amount

This is the calculated freight amount, based on the "Est. Freight" percentage above. You can enter a specific amount if needed. If you are using the Purchasing version of FF&EZ, you will generally not use this field for shipping amounts, although you can. This is because the actual shipping costs are usually entered on the actual orders later.

Caution: The amount shown here is a per item estimate, not a "freight quote" for a whole order. This number will be multiplied times the total quantity needed to be ordered when estimated freight costs are shown on reports. If you have the Design/Purchasing version, there is a "Freight Quote" field on the Orders List screen that applies to the entire order. If you wish, note the total quoted amount on the spec's Status Note for later use.

Lead time

If desired, enter the number of weeks it will take the vendor to deliver this item after receiving an order. The lead time will be compared to the "Target Date" entered in the Project Data Screen (if any) to determine an approximate "Order By" date. The Lead Time Status Report can be used to monitor project lead times

General

This section lets you confirm or change the shipping address for this product. As noted in the "Working with Addresses" section, each product will automatically be shipped to the project address unless you specify otherwise. 

To ship to another vendor, simply select that option and select the vendor to which the product should be shipped. When you do this, the vendor's shipping address will appear and you can verify that is valid and complete. You can set up any address as a "vendor," so warehouses or even another of your own locations can be set up for this purpose.

If you need to create a new shipping destination "vendor" or correct an incomplete address, you can use the New and Edit buttons next to the vendor selector in this section. Note: Whenever you edit a vendor, your changes are reflected in all specifications (and if applicable, orders) that reference it. 

If a product is used in more than one object (such as the same fabric  on different upholstered items), the "Ship-to Exceptions" option may be useful (below).

Important! It is a "best practice" to avoid creating a single order for items with separate shipping destinations. FF&EZ-Design/Purchasing creates orders based on the source vendor and the shipping address. Therefore, if you know that a product is going to multiple vendors, it is important to set this up as described before you create orders that include that product. Otherwise you will have to clone and split the order so that the addresses can be set for each. This can be painful. The order creation process includes a way to check this before you create orders. If this situation is unavoidable, see the next section. 

Ship-to Exceptions

In addition to the choice of shipping to the project address or to a vendor, you can also ship to multiple vendors if the product is used in more than one object and those objects are from different vendors.  This information is displayed on the Usage Table in this same part  of the screen. You can set the first destination vendor with the "General" option above, but then select one or more additional usages of the product and select a different vendor as the destination for each.

If you must create a single order for a single product that will be shipped to different locations, you can also create a special dummy vendor to which the product will be "shipped" (not ordered) in which the "address" gives instructions to the vendor. For example, You might create vendor "TBD-SHIP" and set its four line shipping address to:

       VENDOR MUST CALL BEFORE SHIPPING
       FOR QUANTITY AND ADDRESS
       Contact: Jane Smith, 123.456.7890
       Email: JSmith@MyCompany.com

This short-circuits accidental shipping since no shipping address exists on the order. Note: be sure the project's "Location" field on the Project List screen does not contain a street address.

Reset

The Reset button clears the shipping address information and sets the product's shipping destination to unselected. This allows you to correct situations where a shipping address was selected prematurely or when a vendor change makes the current entries invalid but you have not confirmed a new address.

Usage

The Usage table lists all objects in which the current specification has been used, including unused alternates. For more informatonk, see the linked section.

Design approved

This date field is used to indicate that this product specification has passed your own internal design review process.  The usual shortcuts for date fields apply. The "DA" column in the grid shows a check mark if this field has an entry.

Client approved

If applicable, this field can be used to flag specs that have been approved by the client (using a date).  This status is shown in the "CA" column of the list grid.

Process Status

Allows you to track more detailed milestones in the process leading up to releasing a product for ordering. In addition to the standalone fields for "Design Approved" and "Owner Approved," you can optionally set a numerical process status value from 0 to 5:

0-Not applicable
1-Approved for pricing
2-Pricing requested
3-Price quote received
4-Pricing approved
5-Approved for ordering

Status 0 simply leaves this feature deactivated for that specification and is the default value. Status 1 would typically be used after the product selection has been approved by the designer and/or owner.

When you change a specification's status, the associated date will be updated to the current date (you can override this if needed).

If a specification has a 1 or 2 status and you enter a "Vendor Quote ID," the status will be automatically set to 3.

Vendor Quote Documentation

Vndr Quote #, Date

These two fields can be used to record the vendor's Quote # or Quote ID given when pricing a product, along with the date of the quote.  These two fields appear on the order items created from the quoted specification. 

You can then use the date shortcut keys to add or subtract days from a date or double-click the date to pop up a calendar. 

The "Quote" column in the list grid displays a symbol showing the status of a price quote based on the "Expires after" field. 

Shortcut: If you have a quote that covers multiple specifications, you can repeat the last Quote ID and Quote Date that you entered by simply entering a quote (') or double-quote (the "ditto" symbol) into the Quote ID field. When you move off of the field, the system will paste in the last quote ID, date and expiration period that you entered (as long as you don't close the Specifications screen).

Expires after

The number of days from the quote date until the quote expires. This is used to display the quote "status" column in the list area, as well as to display the expiration date next to the total cost in the "Source, Pricing" section of the screen.

Auto-copying quote information: After you have entered the documentation information for a vendor's quote, you can automatically duplicate that information on specs that were included in the same quote. To do so, simply enter a double-quote (the common symbol for "ditto") with no other characters in the "Vendor Quote #" field. When you move off of the field, FF&EZ will insert the Quote #, date and expiration period from the last quote you entered. Since each change in quote resets this feature, it works best if you sort your specs by vendor and enter all the prices from that quote at the same time.

Submittals

Total submittals required

The number shown is the total count of submittals required for this specification (product). It is updated automatically as you update the Submittals Status in the Submittal Tracking section of the screen.

Total submittals approved

This displays the number of required submittals that have been approved by the designer. As above, it is updated automatically.

Revisions and Notes

Revision Group, Date

Used to mark specifications as part of a specific set of revisions. The code you enter is entirely up to you, but the idea is to code each specification that has been revised (and needs to be reprinted) with a code that lets you quickly query for all the specs with the same code. The code could be as simple as "A" for all specs in the first revision set, "B" for the second and so on, or it could be the date on which you intend to issue revisions or anything like that. This is covered in a little more detail in the section "Managing Design Revisions and Spec Status."

The revision date is an optional date that can be used to mark a spec. The "Spec Status" reports on this screen will show both the revision group code and the revision date. Also, the "Object Status" and "Spec Status" reports on the FF&E Worksheet can be used as a client-friendly report to show the revision status of both objects and specs. In the case of objects, the revision date is that of the attached spec with the latest revision date.

Status notes

This is a free-form notes field into which you can enter any internal notes further documenting the issues and status of the design process. Although you can enter information in any way desired, if you take advantage of the Add Note button above this field, the system will enter your user name and date at the top of the notes field, pushing older notes down to create a list that shows the most recent entries at the top where they can be easily seen.

Web Link

This field allows you to paste a link to a web page containing information about the product being specified. If a link is pasted into this field, the field label turns into a button that will launch your browser and display the page.

To paste a link, highlight the desired page's address in your browser and use Right-click + Copy or Ctrl-C to put the address into your clipboard. Then click in the "Web link" field and either use Right-click+ Paste or simply press Ctrl-V to paste the address. The link button will appear as soon as you move off the field or save the record. Some browsers may also let you copy the link by simply right-clicking at any "neutral" spot on the page.

Note that if you save a manufacturer's main web site link into the vendor record, the blue "Info" dot  in the "Source" section of the Spec screen will give you quick access to the vendor's web site.

Volts/Phase

Hot Water

Gas

Load

Cold Water

CFM/SP BTU Req's

Conn. Type

Waste

Add

Add> Import

Used to add a new specification to the system. Choosing this command will create a blank record on the screen. You will then need to fill in a Spec ID for the new specification. The system will check this ID to make sure it does not already exist. If the ID is valid, you can enter the rest of the information for the specification.

You can use the Import option while adding a record to import a specification from either the Library or another project, replacing the fields you are currently editing with the source fields. For detailed information, see "Importing Specifications." You can use the Template option to streamline the importing of prototype templates from the Library to prefill empty fields with standard entries or prompts for a product type as well as boilerplate text. More about templates can be found at "Importing Templates."

To cancel the Add command, press [Esc] or use the Cancel button. 

Once you have entered the desired information for the record, there are two methods of saving it. Although you can save by clicking on the Save button (or a shortcut like [Alt-S] or [Ctrl-Enter]), always click on the Save/Object button unless you have a reason not to use the spec in an object. The latter saves your entry and also brings up the "Create/Modify Object" tool (see the Object function section). This makes it easy to create a matching object from the new spec or link the spec to an existing object. 

Note: When you are adding a new spec as an optional "branch" in the main procedure for creating a new object, the Save/Object option is not applicable and will not appear.  This is because you are already creating an object to which this spec will be attached.

All new records will be indexed automatically so that they will appear in their proper place in the database. 

Edit

Edit> Import

Edit> Template

The Edit command is similar to the Add command, except that you are working with an existing record. The Edit command always acts on the record currently highlighted on the screen, so if you wish to edit some other record, use the up and down arrow keys or the Query command to highlight the desired record first.

Changes you make to a specification record will be reflected in any reports. If you change the spelling of the Spec ID, the system will change the spelling in all related reports as well.

You can use the Import option while editing a record to import a specification from either the Library or another project, replacing the fields you are currently editing with the source fields. See "Importing Specifications." You can use the Template option to streamline the importing of prototype templates from the Library to prefill empty fields and/or append boilerplate to a spec's "Add'l Descr" field. See "Importing Templates" for more information.

Once you have entered the desired changes for the record, you can either click on the Save button or press one of the shortcuts to save your work and leave the editing mode. Note: If you've already created an object for this spec, you do not need to create it again; your changes to the spec will update all objects that use it as soon as the changes are saved. 

If you are editing an existing specification, you will also have the option of using the Save as Revised command instead of just Save. This version of saving inserts the current date into the "Revision Group, Date" field to make it easier to manage revisions.

To cancel the Edit command, press [Esc] or use the Revert button. 

Clone

Use this command to create a new specification entry from a copy of the currently highlighted specification on the specification list, either a full specification or a prototype. Using this command, you can quickly create a specification that has similar values in its fields. When the command is chosen, you will see the Specification editing screen with all of the information copied, except the Specification ID (but see below). After supplying a new ID, you can change any information on the screen.

To cancel the Clone command, press [Esc] or use the Cancel button. 

Note that if you clone a specification that has values in the Specification Status fields, the system will allow you to choose which status fields to clear or keep before it displays the cloned spec:

One normally would want to start a new spec with these fields empty, but since this is a copy of an existing spec, you may wish to retain some status data. Items that are checked will be cleared and all other status data will be retained. Note: Some options are automatically selected when another option would require them to also be affected.

Delete

(Undelete)

The Delete command is used to permanently remove an unused specification from the system. You cannot delete a specification that is currently used in an object. If you choose this command, you will be asked to confirm your choice. While using the list at the top of the screen, the shortcut for the Delete command is the [Del] key (this key works on text as expected when you are actually editing text entries).

You can undelete a deleted specification by right-clicking on the Delete command. This will display a list of specifications from which you can pick a spec to restore. For more information, see the Undelete Specs section.

Object

This function is used to either create a new object or modify an existing one with the currently highlighted spec. It appears on the main Specifications menu as well as when you are adding a new specification when it appears as the Save / Object command. Covered in the Object function section.

Utilities

Displays a set of Specification Utilities designed to accomplish special tasks. The utilities are:

Status Check Utility Creates a special query to locate specifications that may be incomplete, have expired quotes or not marked as "approved." Other checks include a lack of a cost and price or a zero markup.

Auto-Images Utility Attaches a entire folder of images to their matching specs.

Pricing Tool This allows you to set prices for all specs or a subset of them in one operations, using any desired markup or profit margin and applying special pricing adjustments.

Import List This utility allows you to import preformatted text data generated from an external source, such as another database or a spreadsheet. There are specific requirements and restrictions that you will need to understand prior to importing data. This is covered in the "How To" section under Importing Data from External Sources.

Assign Supplier Utility Allows you to assign, replace or remove a 3rd-party supplier for a group of product specs for ordering purposes. This does not change the primary vendor (manufacturer).

Reassign Vendor Allows you to reassign all specs from one vendor in the current project to a different vendor. This works like the one in the Vendor List, except that it is restricted to specs in the current project and does not include the ability to delete the old vendor. This utility does not affect the assigned supplier if any have been selected (see the Assign Supplier utility above for how to change suppliers).

Query

When you choose this command, the system will display the Query Form. This command is used to limit the display (and subsequently, reporting) of specs that meet certain conditions. For more information, see the Query Form topic.

You can close the Query form by pressing [Esc]. 

Print

This function displays the Reports Form, on which you can select and print reports specific to this form. For more information, see the detailed descriptions and procedures about reporting elsewhere in this manual. 

Reports on the Specification Form show all specifications you've defined, not just those used in rooms. The reports here are meant for use in maintaining the data, not necessarily for presentations (they may show too much information). On the other hand, you may want to use them if you are just putting together a quick set of specifications for a client and are not setting up rooms or concerned about prices vs. cost.

Show Submittals

This option controls the display of the "Submittals" section in the middle right area of the Specifications Screen. You can also switch it on and off using the  [Alt-B] hot-key combination.

Show Spec Status

This option controls the display of the "Spec Status" section in the bottom right area of the Specifications Screen. You can also switch it on and off using the  [Alt-W] hot-key combination.

Equipment Fields

This option displays the equipment "Utilities" fields by shortening the displayed length of the "Add'l Description" field. These fields are used for common utility connection specifications. 

Auto-add

If enabled, when you add a new item and save it, this automatically continues the operation of adding new items without needing to use the Add command again. It is automatically canceled if you cancel a new item without saving it. 

Tips

The "Tips" option controls whether or not you need "fly-over" help or hints when your mouse cursor hovers over a control or a field. This can be extremely helpful for new users, since these explain the purpose of the item and may list shortcut keys that can speed up simple operations.