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FAQ
Q.   During a Recalc of a job, a message asks if I want to update modified incomplete items and verify the master database. Can you explain the consequences to answering these queries?

A.   The items listed in the Incomplete Items dialog have their Prompt check box set with a value of 'Yes'. If you make changes to the values of the items in the Incomplete Items screen, those items become 'Modified Incomplete Items'. The option to Update Modified Incomplete Items allows you to update those items with the value in the item database or to leave the modified value as it is. In other words, if you made changes to Incomplete Items and you select Yes for this option, IntelliBid is going to replace any changes you made with the current value in the item database. If you select No, those modified values will not be changed.

Note: Version 4.01.30 changes this processing. When you modify Material or Labor unit for an item in Takeoff, Summary or on the Incomplete Items dialog, that item is classified as a User Defined item. The Material and Labor Unit values will be displayed in red. On a recalc, a Yes response is going to replace all User Defined items Material and Labor units with the current values in the Item database. A No response will leave those values unchanged.

The Verify Master Database makes sure the items in your takeoff match the items in the database. It is specifically for imported jobs that used a different database to build the original takeoff, for example a job built with IntelliBid version 3 and imported into version 4 with the new database. The items in the Takeoff will not match the new database 100%.


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Q.   If I enter a vendor price, the program automatically calculates the discount. What happens to these values when I run a price update?

A.   When you run a price update, the Vendor Price gets updated according to the discount that you have preset. If you want your vendor price to remain the same, you can uncheck the ‘Update Vendor’ box for that item. This will leave the Vendor Price as is and update the discount to match.

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Q.   How can I account for Labor Escalation when bidding with the BASIC & CHANGE ORDER V4.01 Bid Template?

A:   The BASIC Template is intended as a simplified Template, which is why it does not include a Labor Escalation tab (as the STANDARD and SHORT Templates do). However, Escalation can be added to the Final Price tab with a simple modification. This modification will allow you to enter Escalation as a percentage of Direct Labor, or as a straight dollar value, or as a combination of the two.

Perform the following steps:
(Note: This information is in your online Help. See Labor Escalation in the Index.)
  1. Click the Maintenance section of the Access bar on the left side of your screen, then click on the Bid Templates icon. Answer Yes when prompted to backup your database.
  2. In the upper left corner, confirm that the correct template is displayed in the Bid Template Selection dropdown.
  3. In the Template grid, scroll down to line 67. You need to enter formulas into five (5) cells on this line in columns A, C, D, E and G. Highlight each cell in turn, starting with the A column, and make the following changes:
    A67: In the Cell Formula box directly above the grid, type LABOR ESCALATION. Click back on the cell to apply the change. (This is how you will enter the formulas in each of the following cells as well.)

    C67: In the Cell Formula box, type a zero (the number 0). In the toolbar at the top of the screen, you will see a button that looks like a color palette with the letter T on it. Click that button and select red. This will color the text in that cell red -- we use red in the Bid Templates to indicate a value that can be changed in the Bid Recap. Lastly, uncheck the Lock Edit box located directly above the grid.

    D67: In the Cell Formula box, type a zero. Set the text for this cell to red as well, and uncheck the Lock Edit box.

    E67: In the Cell Formula box, type: (C67%E65)+D67

    G67: In the Cell Formula box, type: (E67/E87)*100

  4. The last thing you need to do is edit your Labor Tax formula so that tax will be applied to the escalation portion of your labor as well as the standard Direct Labor. Click in cell E68 and edit the formula to read as follows: F65%(E65+E66+E67)
  5. Close Bid Template Maintenance. Your BASIC & CHANGE ORDER Bid Template is now set up to apply Labor Escalation. If you create a new Bid and go to your Final Price tab, you will see Escalation on line 8. Here's how it works:
    • Typing a value into the cell in column C will give you Escalation as a percentage of Direct Labor. For example, if you type in 10, you will get 10% of the Direct Labor total in Escalation.
    • Typing a value into the cell in column D will give you Escalation as a straight dollar value.
    • Typing values in BOTH cells will give you the percentage of Direct Labor, PLUS the straight dollar value.


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Q.   If a cell with formulas in Bid Templates is accidentally erased, how do you undo the erasure?

A:   You can only fix this kind of mistake if you catch it right away. If you have not yet clicked off the cell, you can place your cursor in the Cell Formula box and press Ctrl-Z on your keyboard. That will restore whatever was in the cell to begin with. Once you click off the cell, you have lost the contents. If the cell is one from a shipped Bid Template and you made a copy of the original template as recommended in the Help topics, you can copy the contents of the cell from the original template and paste them into the erased cell in your working template.

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Q:   We find it necessary to use Special Items quite often for our takeoffs. Is there a procedure or method where once a count is completed from Special Items to Takeoff the cursor will return to Special Items ready for the next Item to count?

A:   IntelliBid v4 has a 'Pin' option for both special items and catalog headers to return you to where you were after taking off an item. When you want to return just click on the 'Pin' icon in the window and after taking off an item you'll be right back in the same screen again.

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Q.   In BidTrac, if you are bidding a project as a prime contractor and the other ECs are doing the same, how do you record this? As it is now, you need to place the EC name in competition and under company. This way you get for the job report but not for the EC history report.

A:   Even if you're acting as the prime contractor, you are still bidding a price to a company or government agency. In this case, the company or government agency you are bidding to would be listed as the 'Bidding Contractor' and your company and all the other electrical contractors would still be listed under Competitors. In the same way you're bidding to a GC, you are still all competing for the same job.


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Q:   The settings and phase totals are missing from my Takeoff screen.

A:   Go to Preferences > Select Takeoff Level > Display All.

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Q:   Every time I close IntelliBid it asks me to save the Untitled job under a new name.

A:   From the menu bar select Preferences and uncheck Save Untitled. If you change this Preference setting, IntelliBid will display a reminder message but will let you exit IntelliBid without saving the Untitled job.

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