Grouping Improvements

[Les Lazareck]

How do I group improvements? For example, when replace an HVAC system, the ducts with replaced, seal along with a new right sized system(s).

[Andy Bardwell]

Les – my response really doesn’t belong in the “Modifying the Component Library” section, since the solution available doesn’t require changing the Component Library.

Instead, I’ve attached a modified Standard.bid (called TemplateName.bid) which includes a new item “Heating, Cooling and Delivery System” that combines all heating, cooling and delivery system improvements.  I also put an “X” in the selection column for the Seal Ducts, Heating and Cooling items, so they will not show (delete this X to have them show).

The same methods used to create this modified Proposal form can be used to create other custom Proposals.  You can create a Proposal where improvements are grouped and/or presented in any way you like.  After customizing the Proposal, you can save the file and use the customized proposal anytime.

To use the attached TemplateName.bid, just use these steps:

1. copy the file into the Modules directory in your OptiMiser installation
2. rename the file with the name of any Template you want to use it with, or, if you don’t use Templates, rename it with any name you choose
3. load OptiMiser
4. load the Template:
   • if you don’t use Templates, go to the Bid / Templates, and enter the name you gave the file in “New or Existing Template”.  For example, if you renamed the file “MyTemplate.bid”, type “MyTemplate” in “New or Existing Template”.    Click “Create Template”
5. go to Bid / Current Bid and select the Template for the .bid form (MyTemplate in the example above)
6. select the Heating, Cooling or Seal Duct improvement (so you can see the way they will show up on the new Proposal form); each improvement would be selected as usual
7. go to the Proposal form:
   • with “Rows: All” you will see the new “Heating, Cooling and Delivery System” item , as well as the original items for Heating, Cooling, and Seal Ducts
   • now pick “Rows:  Selected”, and you will only see the new “Heating, Cooling and Delivery System” item; this is because I put an “X” in the selection column for the Seal Ducts, Heating and Cooling items, so they will not show (delete this X to have them show).

When ever you want to use this special Proposal form, select that Template.   If you want to use it all the time, right-click on the Template control (Bid / Current Bid or Owner / Project / Auditor Agency Program / Template) and click “Save Value as Default”.

To make your own changes in the .bid file, you can open that file in Excel, and edit the Proposal sheet.  (Good idea to save the original, in case you need to go back!)  To open in Excel, open Excel first, change “File Type” to “All Files *.*”, and select the .bid file.   Alternatively, you can double click on the .bid file, and then select Excel as the program to use.  The file is Protected, but no password is required.

How to add a new item to the Proposal that groups together other improvements:

For example, to create a new improvement that combines the heating / cooling system and delivery system improvements, add a new item to the Proposal form by copying the rows for one of the other improvements, and using “Insert Copied Cells”.   Then change the formulas for Cost, Savings, etc., so they use a sum of the Cost, Savings, etc. for the System and Delivery improvements.  If SIR is needed, add a column for SIR, and calculated by:
                                      (System Savings + Delivery Savings) / (System Cost + Delivery Cost)

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