It is assumed that for the purpose of this example, you will be starting with a blank, imported, BoQ and that your data file will already contain a resource file – either a commercially available price book or one based on your own resource records.
An understanding of the basis of pricing using resources is assumed, but the following information may be of benefit to understanding the principles used in a Valesco resource file.
Basic Resources
Resources are the basic components for pricing any job. They are the basic elements that your prices will be based upon. Basic Resources are usually all the components that you purchase or consume on a job.
The resources used in your jobs generally fall into four main categories, or Cost Types i.e. Labour, Plant, Materials and Subcontractor. In fact, you can make up as many Cost Types as you wish to use in your project.
Cost Types
Cost Types can be added at any time, either during the process of editing resources, or as a separate operation.
Valesco provides an additional default Cost Type of “Unallocated” which will be used wherever a defined cost type has not been set. Cost Types can be considered as the heading for a list of Resources.
Each Cost Type may have any number of Resource Groups assigned to it. Resource Groups may have or “own” other Resource Groups in a Parent/Child relationship. Each Resource can then be assigned to a Resource Group. This allows Cost Type/Resource Group/Resource to be displayed and accessed in a tree structure similar to Windows Explorer.
Resources are the components described above. They typically comprise a basic cost, wastage and any other factors (multiplier or divider) that you wish to apply to the resource price.
Resource Sets
Resources can be combined in commonly used groupings called Resource Sets in Valesco.
Resource Sets are combinations of either basic resources or other resource sets or both. Each component resource within a resource set has a quantity or consumption of that resource for the item being priced. If the Resource Set prices a brickwork item, for example, the build-up would include labour quantity per m2; number of bricks per m2 and mortar used per m2.
Typical uses of resource sets would be for pricing mortar or concrete mixes or work item prices (such as a complete manhole cost, brickwork or drain laying item).
Set Groups
Resource Sets can be allocated to Set Groups that can be arranged in Parent/Child relationships exactly as for Resource Groups.
Set Groups may be the work groups and headings defined under SMM or CESMM, or some other formal arrangement of works.
There is no limit to the number of levels that Basic Resources and Resource Sets can be “nested” within another set when stored in the Resource File or building up a price. The only rules to be aware of is that a resource set cannot call upon itself (i.e. cause a circular reference) either directly or indirectly via other nested sets.
When using a resource file to price BoQ items, you can allocate one or more individual Resources, Sets or a combination of both to the Pricing Tab of a BoQ item.
Assigning Resources and/or Resource sets
Resource(s) or Resource Sets can be added to an existing item by selecting the Pricing Tab and viewing the Resources sub-screen. This screen contains its own toolbar…
The ‘Wheelbarrow’ icon on this sub screen toolbar is the ‘Add Resources’ button. Selecting this button will start the Assign Resources dialogue from where you can add a basic resource…
Once resources/Resource Sets have been allocated to an item, the default usage of the resources per unit of the BoQ item can be edited from within the Pricing Tab in Valesco.
Note:
This Resource Pricing window utilises Production Factors (e.g. Conv Factor) used for Materials
In the above example the JCB 3CX has a Resource Unit Cost of £25/hr
For this particular pit excavation item there is an output (Production) of 3 m3/hr
The Time per Unit is therefore 1/3 = 0.333 hrs per m3
The Item Unit Cost is therefore 0.333hrs/m3 x £25/hr = £8.33/m3