Variations

What Variations are

A Variation Order (VO) records a change to the contract scope. Variations can add or omit items from the schedule of rates, introduce free-type items, and carry their own markup percentages. They can be chargeable (billable to the client and reflected in budgets) or non-chargeable.

Viewing Variations

Open a project and click Variations in the sidebar under Contract Management. The table shows all Variations with their number, name, status, type (chargeable or non-chargeable), value, and who created them.

Filter by Status, Type (Chargeable / Non-Chargeable), or Created By.

Creating a Variation

1. 1

   Click Create Variation in the top-right corner.

2. 2

   Enter a Name for the Variation.

3. 3

   Optionally enter a Client Reference and Description.

4. 4

   The Chargeable checkbox is ticked by default. Untick it if this Variation is non-chargeable — it will not appear in budgets or client billing.

5. 5

   Optionally add Notes. Click the notes icon to select from predefined system notes for Variations.

6. 6

   Click Create. You are taken to the Variation detail page.

Adding items from the schedule of rates

From the Variation detail page, click Schedule of Rates in the header to open the adds/omits view.

1. 1

   The table shows the full schedule of rates in a tree structure. Expand sections to find items.

2. 2

   In the Add to Variation column, enter a positive quantity to add an item, or a negative quantity to omit it.

3. 3

   For eligible items, a Create Pro-Rata button appears. Click it to add the item as a pro-rata entry priced from its existing rate.

4. 4

   Once you have selected all items, click the bulk action button at the bottom — it shows a summary like "Add 3 Item(s), Omit 1 Item(s)".

Item types are indicated by icons:

• Green + — added quantity
• Red − — omitted quantity
• Blue P — pro-rata item
• Amber star — free-type item

Adding free-type items

Click New Free-Type Item to add an item that does not exist in the schedule of rates. Enter the description, costs, and quantities in the dialog.

Variation items table

The detail page shows all items added to the Variation in a grouped table with the following columns:

Status workflow

Change the status using the status dropdown in the header. Each transition requires the corresponding action permission (Submit, Approve, Void, or Cancel).

Applying to the project

Use the Apply To dropdown in the header to push the Variation's values into other parts of the project:

• Project — applies to Applications, budgets, and the buying list
• Applications — makes the Variation available for claiming in Applications
• Budgets — reflects the Variation in budget totals
• Buying List — adds Variation items to the procurement buying list

A checkmark appears next to each option that has already been applied.

Other actions

From the Actions dropdown you can:

• Generate Report — produce a detailed or simple PDF report
• Modify Variation — edit the name, description, client reference, budget, and agreed value
• Duplicate — create a copy of the Variation
• Revise — create a new revision (only available when the status is Approved and no value has been claimed)
• Link with Issue — associate the Variation with a project action/issue
• Cancel — cancel the Variation

Next steps

• Dayworks — track time-and-materials work.
• Applications — claim Variation values in payment Applications.