A conceptual diagram of the screens, tabs, and processes that either directly support or are impacted by compatible units features is shown below:
Compatible units features have been embedded into the existing Project module of HxGN EAM. To support use of these features, users will observe that a Compatible Units sub-level is available for the existing Projects sub-level of the Work menu. Within this menu, users can access the screens which support compatible units; including the compatible units library, CU estimates, and other related data setup screens. The existing Projects screen (record view) includes a "CU Design Project Details" section, in which a user may designate a project record to be used exclusively for compatible units functionality. Compatible units feature also extend toward the existing Work Order screen in that work order activities, parts (and material lists), plan labor records, and plan tools records may be generated from an approved CU estimate, though no specific enhancements or updates have been made to the work order screen and tabs directly to accommodate compatible units in this release.
HxGN EAM supports one-to-many relationships between projects and CU estimates - that is, a project which has been designated for use for compatible units functionality (a ‘CU Design project’) may have multiple associated CU estimates. There is currently no limit to the number of CU estimates that may be associated to a CU design project, and it is expected that there may be CU estimates of different types (i.e. cost only, design, as built, template) associated to the same CU design project, as these types are used for different purposes (i.e. determining cost details, generation of work order activities, reconciling actual work performed vs. work planned, etc.).
Since the 11.7 release of HxGN EAM, the ability to designate wo work order (the ‘CU Design WO’) has occurred at the CU estimate level. This functionality provides support for long-term or ‘blanket’ CU design projects, for which multiple work orders may be required over the duration of the project.
In practice, a CU estimate is expected to begin with a design - often the design is a graphical or schematic representation of the work to be performed, representing one ‘version’ of how the work might be completed. The compatible units themselves (as ‘compatible units library records’) are associated to CU estimates for cost estimation via work points; that is, locations at which specified work is to be performed, which may be represented by very specific point locations or lengths/distances.