Project Estimator was developed to create an easy, consistent way to estimate project costs to replace the disparate methods being used across the lab. Project Estimator uses official SAP rates, so you know your estimate is accurate, and enables you to easily develop a simple schedule and estimate in one tool! It is also collaborative, so you can easily work on estimates with others at ORNL.
Learn how to use RESolution's estimator in these brief tutorials.
To view videos in full screen mode, double click the video once it is running.
Labor rates and overhead burden are pulled directly from SAP based on the individuals and Organizational Information provided; therefore, they should be the most current rates available.
The Stacked area graph shows the Fiscal Years (FYs) included on the Estimate along the X-Axis and the total estimated Cost on the Y-Axis with areas shaded to indicate the various elements of cost.
Any user with access to an Estimate, can copy the Estimate - making the User the Administrator of the new/copied Estimate.
There are two methods to copy an estimate.
1. A quick method is to copy an Estimate using the drop-down on the Estimate Card and select "Copy to new estimate." A notification will be provided that "Estimate has been copied" and a card for the new Estimate will be added to your Estimate list with the Title "Copy of [Previous Title]." User’s can also "Save copy" of an Estimate from within the Estimate.
2. Users can also save a copy from within an Estimate. When in an Estimate, select the "options" drop-down in the top right-hand part of the screen and select "Save copy." Users will be given the option to update the Title from the default "Copy of [Previous Title]." In addition, the user can decide if they want to copy the permissions from the sharing tab (to include members present from the original estimate as preferred).
You can use the Activity and Resource Reports to display Estimate summaries to print and/or export information to multiple formats, including: PDF, Excel, or Word.
Within the Report section of the Estimate, Users can create a report based on Activity or Resource by selecting the related tab. They can customize these reports further by selecting the level of detail they need from the drop-down menus on the left-hand side, and by expanding and selecting specific columns of interest from the “Select Column” drop-down on the top right-hand side and pressing the “Apply” button.
Yes, users can reorder Items and Activities on the Estimate tab. To reorder an Activity or Item, simply hover over the activity and press the up or down arrow that appear over the activity number to move up or down. The numbering will change accordingly.
Similarly, within an Activity, Items (resources tied to an activity), can be reordered using the arrows provided.
Users can define custom resources that can then be assigned to multiple activities for planning purposed.
To create a custom resource, first select the related resource type (Labor, Subcontracts, Materials, Other Direct Cost, or Internal Services), then use the drop-down on the right-hand side to “fill in resource detail”:
Users can then define the related custom name (optional), specify a Unit Cost and related Unit. If Users enter “hour” or “hr” as the unit, it will enable FTE calculations on the Estimate tab:
On the Estimate tab, users can then add the resource to an activity on the Estimate tab and enter a related number of units (i.e. each, hour, FTE, etc.) in order to calculate the related cost for the activity:
Entering “hour” or “hr” within the Unit field of a Resource (either under the Resource tab or in the Mini Resource Dictionary”) will enable FTE calculations in the Estimate section. Note that entering “hour” or “hr” within an Activity will NOT enable FTE calculations.
FTE is calculated for an activity based on the FTE % specified for the duration of the activity (rather than for the entire FY); therefore, Users should enter the %FTE they expect the individual to support the task during the activity period. For example, if you identify a resource as 50% FTE for an activity that lasts 3 months, the application will calculate the cost of 50% of their time (FTE) for the three-month period identified.
An Estimate Title must be present in order to save the Estimate. Users are given the ability to save or not save as they navigate between tabs; however, the Estimate Card, Sharing/Access Privileges, and Reports will not update to incorporate these changes until they have been saved. Therefore, if you want to view or print a report without saving the changes to the original Estimate, it is suggested that you make a copy of the Estimate.
When a user attempts to navigate away or discard changes without saving, they will be provided a confirmation message to verify the user is aware their changes will be lost. Note that as users can navigate between tabs without saving, keep in mind that there may be changes on other tabs as well that have not been saved.
Once a resource is assigned to a specific activity, it is considered an “Item.”
Yes, if a user marks an Activity for removal or removes an Activity, the items within the Activity will also be marked for removal or removed accordingly.
You can not currently import your Estimate directly into the Project Management Tool; however, RES plans to integrate these tools going forward. In the meantime, your Estimate can be used to populate your spend plan entered under the Financials Tab within the Project Management Tool.
No, Estimator takes into account material fees and overhead, but similar to SAP and ePlan, taxes are not automatically added to materials and subcontracts. Users should determine whether these resources are taxable and add the applicable sales tax to the cost accordingly.
Users should add this cost as a Lump Sum Wage Pool Cost (as the Rated Unit Cost x Number of Participants x Number of Months). This should account for the cost and correct the Org Burden Overhead rate being estimated.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle for the US Department of Energy