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Managing PM Approved Change Orders

PM Approved Change Orders creates and maintains approved change orders (ACOs). An ACO is either a pending change order approved in Vista, or a change approved outside the application and entered here manually.

Before you start​

  • Select the Project (F4). Soft/hard-closed jobs block new ACOs unless JC Company Parameters allow posting to soft- or hard-closed jobs; otherwise ACO items are view-only.
  • For PCO-sourced ACOs: approve via PM Approve PCOs (PCO Type / PCO / PCO Item and estimates lock). Manual ACOs leave those PCO keys blank.
  • Contract items and phases/cost types for Generate Detail must exist (PM Project Phases / PM Contract Items).
  • Interface uses PM Interface, only when header Ready for Accounting is checked (and detail lines have their interface/send flag checked).

ACO status (header)​

StatusMeaning
No Detail RecordsNo items yet
ApprovedHas items; not on a CCO — add to a CCO on PM Contract Change Orders
Pending Contract Change OrderOn an unapproved CCO (Ready for Accounting cleared when added to CCO)
Approved Contract Change OrderCCO approved (Ready for Accounting rechecked)
Approved and InterfacedInterfaced via PM Interface

You can recheck Ready for Accounting and interface before the CCO is approved; status stays Pending Contract Change Order until the CCO is approved.

Ready for Accounting defaults checked on create; clears when added to a CCO; rechecks when that CCO is approved; clears on interface; rechecks when items are added to an already-interfaced ACO. F3 cannot force it off after items exist.

Steps — create and maintain​

  1. Open PM Approved Change Orders. New ACO: New Record (next number), or type a new number / + / n / N / New then Tab. Alphanumeric ACO numbers are skipped when computing the next number.
  2. Complete header (document type for Create and Send, dates, Approved By, Int/Ext, ACO Seq, New Completion Date, and so on).
  3. Add items in the lower grid (up to 10 characters, or +). Or Tasks → Load ACO Item Costs (PM CO Items Initialize) from contract items.
  4. For each item: description, contract item, status, units, UM, unit price, amount, change in days. LS UM zeros units. Non-LS amount = Units × Unit Price. Header Int/Ext = Internal forces item amount to 0.
  5. Estimate detail: from approved PCO estimates, or Tasks → Generate Detail (every phase/CT on the contract item). Edit or delete as needed. Set Active / Interface (form text may say Send) so lines are ready for PM Interface.
  6. When Ready for Accounting is checked, run Using the PM Interface to update Job Cost (and related SL/material detail when cost types match PM Company Parameters).

Generate Detail math (summary)​

  • Same UM as contract item → same units.
  • Different UM, not LS: (CO Item Units / Curr Contract Item Units) × Curr Phase/CT Units.
  • PCO item, different UM, LS → amounts stay 0 (including add-on phases — leave 0 or delete).
  • ACO item, different UM, LS: (CO Item Amt / Curr Contract Item Amt) × Curr Phase/CT Amt.

Force Phase (at interface): phases whose contract item does not match the ACO item are rewritten to the item’s contract item. Does not run on Active auto-update — you still must interface.

Lock-down and hard rules​

  • Lock down ACO Items after Interface (PM Company Parameters → Info): if checked, cannot add items to an interfaced ACO here. (Also related: Lock down ACO Items after Interface on company parameters from earlier PM setup.)
  • Cannot unapprove an item that has interfaced subcontract and/or material detail. If interfaced to JC, delete that ACO in Job Cost first. Unapprove removes the item from the ACO and re-enables it on PM Pending Change Orders.
  • UM mismatch warning: only dollars may update the contract item in JC, not units, if ignored.
  • Item Approved checkbox sets date/user but does not gate PM Interface.
  • Distinct phases (e.g. 04210- - 3) help track CO cost separately from the original phase.

Notes​