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User manual

Construction & Contracting

From the bill of quantities to the interim payment claim, retentions and the site diary in one system, so a contractor knows each project's profit while still on site.

Know each project's profit while it's being built, issue your payment claim accurately, and never forget a retention or a guarantee.

16 tasks 5 FAQs

What the system does

  • Projects
  • Bill of quantities
  • Variation orders
  • Payment claims
  • Subcontractors
  • Costs and budget
  • From site on a phone (even offline)
  • Retentions and guarantees

Tasks

How do I create a new contracting project and assign the client, site, and supervising engineer?

  1. From the side navigation, go to Construction and select Projects.
  2. Click the New project button (or Created).
  3. Enter Project name, automated project code, and select the Client (Owner) from the client list.
  4. Specify the Supervising engineer / project manager, and job location in Site.
  5. Set Start date, Contractual handover date, total contract sum, advance payment deduction percentage, and performance retention percentage (e.g., 10%).
  6. Click the Save button.
Screen
Construction › Projects · Create
Permission needed
Construction - Projects / Add

How do I upload and import the Bill of Quantities (BOQ) from an Excel file?

  1. From the side navigation, open Bill of quantities (BOQ).
  2. Select the desired project, then click the Import from Excel button above the table.
  3. Download the approved BOQ template and enter items: item number, Arabic/English description, unit (m3, m2, ton, point), contract quantity, and unit rate.
  4. Upload the file and click Confirm import to insert all tender line items into the project schedule in batch.
Screen
Construction › Bill Of Quantities
Permission needed
Construction - Bill of quantities / Import from Excel

How do I configure project cost budgets and cost codes?

  1. From the side navigation, open Cost budgets.
  2. Click the New budget button to open the budget creation modal.
  3. Select the project, and choose the appropriate Cost code (Concrete, Rebar, Finishes, Electrical, Labor, Equipment, Subcontractors).
  4. Enter the Planned estimated cost figure for the project.
  5. Click Save; the system links all site expenses and purchase invoices to these cost codes to compare actual against planned figures in real time.
Screen
Construction › Cost Budgets
Permission needed
Construction - Budgets and cost codes / Add

How do I issue a variation order and approve it?

  1. From the side navigation, open Variation orders.
  2. Click the New variation order button to open the registration modal.
  3. Choose the project, enter the order title, and technical/engineering justifications.
  4. Specify added or modified work lines, quantities, price variance, and proposed time extension days for the project.
  5. Following approval from the client's consultant, click Approve; new items and quantities are automatically added to the project BOQ and contract value is adjusted.
Screen
Construction › Variation Orders
Permission needed
Construction - Variation orders / Add

How do I prepare a periodic client payment certificate (IPC) using cumulative progress percentages?

  1. From the side navigation, go to Client certificates.
  2. Click the New certificate button to open certificate creation; select the project and set certificate number and billing period.
  3. On the certificate drafting screen, the system displays BOQ items alongside previously executed quantities.
  4. Enter the Current cumulative quantity executed to date (or completion percentage) for each item based on site measurements.
  5. The system automatically computes the value of works executed during this month.
  6. Click the Save certificate button.
Screen
Construction › Client Certificates
Permission needed
Construction - Client certificates / Add

How are advance payment amortizations and retentions calculated in the certificate?

  1. When generating a client certificate, the system automatically calculates:
  • Advance recovery percentage: deducts the designated percentage from current work value until the advance payment is fully recovered.
  • Retention percentage (performance bond): withholds the approved contractual percentage (e.g., 5% or 10%) from each certificate to guarantee defects liability.
  1. The net amount payable by the client appears clearly in the certificate summary.
Screen
Construction › Client Certificates · Edit
Permission needed
Construction - Client certificates / Edit

How do I approve a client certificate and generate a sales invoice in accounting with one click?

  1. In the Client certificates table, open the reviewed certificate.
  2. Click the Approve certificate action button; status changes to Approved.
  3. Click the Issue invoice button on the certificate page.
  4. The system automatically creates a sales invoice in the accounting module referencing the client, debiting client receivables and crediting construction revenues while accounting for retention and advance deduction lines.
Screen
Construction › Client Certificates · Edit
Permission needed
Construction - Client certificates / Issue invoice from certificate

How do I add subcontractors, subcontracts, and subcontract BOQs?

  1. From the side navigation, open Subcontracts.
  2. Click the New subcontract button.
  3. Select the project, choose the Subcontractor, and define scope of work (e.g., Skeleton works, Electrical contracting, HVAC).
  4. Enter the subcontract value, advance recovery terms, and retention percentage.
  5. Add subcontract BOQ line items with agreed unit rates, then click Save.
Screen
Construction › Subcontracts · Create
Permission needed
Construction - Subcontractors and their contracts / Add

How do I prepare a subcontractor payment certificate and issue their purchase bill?

  1. Navigate to Subcontractor certificates.
  2. Click the New subcontractor certificate button and select the subcontract.
  3. Record cumulative quantities executed by the subcontractor during the period based on site verification.
  4. The system calculates net payable after deducting retentions and material advances.
  5. Click Approve, then click Issue purchase bill to generate an accounts payable bill in the accounting module.
Screen
Construction › Subcontractor Certificates · Edit
Permission needed
Construction - Subcontractor certificates / Issue invoice from certificate

How do I log site daily reports, weather conditions, and machinery usage?

  1. From the side navigation, go to Site diary.
  2. Click the New daily report button.
  3. Select the project and date, record Weather conditions (Clear, Dusty, Rainy, Temp), and working conditions.
  4. Enter executed tasks, machinery operating hours, idle hours, and material deliveries.
  5. Click Save; the log is archived as legal proof in case of delay claims.
Screen
Construction › Site Diary
Permission needed
Construction - Site diary / Add

How do I log daily casual labor attendance on site and calculate wages?

  1. Open the Worker attendance menu.
  2. Select the project and working day, then click Record attendance.
  3. Record attending daily workers, trades (mason, carpenter, steel fixer, laborer), working hours, and overtime.
  4. Click Save; daily wages are aggregated and charged directly to project labor cost codes.
Screen
Construction › Worker Attendance
Permission needed
Construction - Worker attendance / Record worker attendance

How do I track bank guarantees (advance payment, performance) and expiration alerts?

  1. From the side navigation, go to Guarantees.
  2. Click the New guarantee button.
  3. Select the project, guarantee type (Tender Bond, Advance Payment Guarantee, Performance Bond, Retention Bond), issuing bank, value, and Expiry date.
  4. Click Save; the system monitors expiry dates and displays alerts 30 days prior to expiration.
Screen
Construction › Guarantees
Permission needed
Construction - Guarantees / Add

How do I release retention sums after the defects liability period expires?

  1. In the Retention screen.
  2. Filter retentions by project; the system lists withheld amounts from client and subcontractor certificates.
  3. After issuing the final completion certificate, click the Release retention action.
  4. Enter released amount and settlement date, then click Confirm to post reversing accounting entries.
Screen
Construction › Retention
Permission needed
Construction - Retention / Release retention

How do I track collections from clients and subcontractor payouts?

  1. From the side navigation, go to Collections and payments.
  2. Click New payout to log:
  • Receipt from client: links payment to an approved client certificate.
  • Payout to subcontractor: records settlement of an approved subcontractor certificate.
  1. The system updates outstanding balances across projects and updates cash flow ledgers.
Screen
Construction › Collections And Payments
Permission needed
Construction - Collections and payments / Add

How do I view cost reports, budget variance, and project profit margins?

  1. Open the Projects dashboard or Construction reports.
  2. Review project financial and construction KPIs:
  • Actual progress percentage versus planned progress.
  • Cumulative actual cost categorized by cost codes (Materials, Labor, Subcontractors, Equipment).
  • Cost vs estimated budget comparison to identify budget overruns early.
  • Achieved operating profit margin per project with Excel export capability.
Screen
Construction › Projects dashboard
Permission needed
Construction - Reports and financial figures / View

How do I record substantial completion and final handover of a project?

  1. Open the project profile in the Projects screen.
  2. After completing all works and conducting the joint inspection with the client's consultant.
  3. Click the Hand over project to the client action button.
  4. Select handover type: Initial (commencement of maintenance defects liability period) or Final (completion of contractual obligations).
  5. Upload signed handover minutes and click Confirm; project status updates and guarantee release options unlock.
Screen
Construction › Projects
Permission needed
Construction - Projects / Hand over project to the client

Frequently asked questions

Why does the message "Cumulative quantity exceeds BOQ quantity" appear?

To protect contracts from exceeding project allocations, the system prevents entering a completed quantity in a certificate exceeding approved BOQ quantities. If excess work is structurally required, a Variation order must be issued and approved first to increase authorized quantities or enable "Allow over-measurement" in project settings.

Screen
Construction › Client Certificates · Edit
Permission needed
Construction - Client certificates / Edit
Why does the system refuse to create a new certificate showing "An open certificate exists"?

Engineering and financial principles in contracting enforce strict sequencing; a subsequent certificate cannot be initiated while the prior certificate remains in "Draft" or "Submitted" status without being approved or voided. The open certificate must be approved or cancelled before opening the next certificate.

Screen
Construction › Client Certificates
Permission needed
Construction - Client certificates / Add
Why does the system prevent deleting an item from the Bill of Quantities?

If a line item appeared in any previously approved certificate with disbursed payments, it is locked accounting-wise and engineering-wise to protect ledger credibility and prevent distortion of cumulative accounts. The official procedure to cancel future work on an item is issuing a variation order reducing the remaining quantity.

Screen
Construction › Bill Of Quantities
Permission needed
Construction - Bill of quantities / Delete
Why does the message "Cumulative quantity for item is less than previous quantity" appear?

Construction certificates are inherently cumulative from project inception; the system requires that cumulative quantities entered in the current certificate cannot be less than cumulative quantities approved in the preceding certificate, as a decrease indicates a measurement error.

Screen
Construction › Client Certificates · Edit
Permission needed
Construction - Client certificates / Edit
Why can an engineer only see projects they are assigned to?

Under site governance and security settings, an engineer or supervisor only sees projects assigned to them as project manager or site engineer to preserve cost confidentiality across projects. Viewing all enterprise projects requires the general contracting viewing permission (construction.projects.view_all).

Screen
Construction › Projects
Permission needed
Construction - Projects / View all projects (not only their own)

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