2025 News Archive - Revision history

BurnsD at 15:45, 19 December 2025

2025-12-19T15:45:31Z

BurnsD at 15:29, 19 December 2025

2025-12-19T15:29:48Z

BurnsD: /* September 26, 2025 */

2025-11-03T19:25:14Z

September 26, 2025

BurnsD at 13:47, 29 October 2025

2025-10-29T13:47:54Z

BurnsD at 12:13, 26 September 2025

2025-09-26T12:13:18Z

BurnsD at 13:53, 22 August 2025

2025-08-22T13:53:50Z

BurnsD at 17:36, 25 July 2025

2025-07-25T17:36:24Z

BurnsD at 12:29, 30 June 2025

2025-06-30T12:29:25Z

BurnsD at 11:39, 23 May 2025

2025-05-23T11:39:55Z

BurnsD at 19:06, 25 April 2025

2025-04-25T19:06:52Z

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-====November 3, 2025====
+=December 19, 2025=
 Hopefully we all survived National “How Do I Change the Clock on my Microwave” Day!
@@ Line 24: / Line 52: @@
 So, what should Office Technicians do with an auto-overridden exception from a double whammy? The auto-overridden exception is auto locked by the system and cannot be changed. The exception will show as overridden with a system populated comment and should be left alone. Do not change the status or comment. Process all other exceptions as you normally would, but there is no action needed on the auto-overridden exceptions.
 =September 26, 2025=

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:29, 19 December 2025
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	To view previous news articles, visit the [[Construction Technology News Archive]].		To view previous news articles, visit the [[Construction Technology News Archive]].
		+
		+	=September 26, 2025=
		+
		+	Fall is finally here!!! Hopefully everyone can experience some of Michigan’s beautiful color canvases as we move around the state, during these next few months. Just remember, leaves falling from trees may create slick road surfaces on our highways and local roads. We can also enjoy the latest updates we have been working on within APCM.
		+
		+	'''System Configurations'''
		+
		+	*'''''Hide Contract Level Estimates Adjustments ''''' – Once a pay estimate has been generated, users were able to make Contract level adjustments, which in turn caused issues with Sigma and other interfaces, when trying to process payment vouchers, etc. Therefore, the contract level pay estimates adjustments area has been removed from users. If a user needs to make an adjustment on a pay estimate, the adjustment will have to be done using the Item Adjustment tab.
		+
		+
		+	'''Did you know?...'''
		+
		+	Fiscal year-end directions have been issued by the Contractor Payments Unit. Please refer to these directions when preparing your year-end estimates.
		+
		+	[[Media:Year_End_Instructions_FY25_-_FieldManager.pdf\|Year End Instructions FY25 - FieldManager]]
		+
		+	[[Media:Year_End_Instructions_FY25_-_APCM.pdf\|Year End Instructions FY25 - APCM]]
		+
		+

	=September 10, 2025=		=September 10, 2025=

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-=September 26, 2025=
+====November 3, 2025====
 '''System Configurations'''
-*'''''Hide Contract Level Estimates Adjustments ''''' – Once a pay estimate has been generated, users were able to make Contract level adjustments, which in turn caused issues with Sigma and other interfaces, when trying to process payment vouchers, etc.  Therefore, the contract level pay estimates adjustments area has been removed from users. If a user needs to make an adjustment on a pay estimate, the adjustment will have to be done using the Item Adjustment tab.
+This Month, there were no System Configurations/ Updates, due in part to year end reporting and the DBE and Small Business Program updates that are required due to new federal rules. This has pulled resources that typically are allocated for system configurations/ updates.
-'''Did you know?...'''
+'''Other Announcements'''
-[[Media:Year_End_Instructions_FY25_-_FieldManager.pdf|Year End Instructions FY25 - FieldManager]]
+'''Did you know?...'''
-[[Media:Year_End_Instructions_FY25_-_APCM.pdf|Year End Instructions FY25 - APCM]]
+We often get the question 'Can I change a system generated pay estimate exception that is auto populated as overridden?' The answer is no. If a user changes the system generated override, an error will occur when trying to save the changes, which will then prohibit the user from processing the pay estimate. If this error occurs, the user will need to delete the pay estimate and regenerate a new estimate, in order to address the pay estimate exceptions correctly.
 =September 10, 2025=

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:47, 29 October 2025
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		+	=September 26, 2025=
		+
		+	Fall is finally here!!! Hopefully everyone can experience some of Michigan’s beautiful color canvases as we move around the state, during these next few months. Just remember, leaves falling from trees may create slick road surfaces on our highways and local roads. We can also enjoy the latest updates we have been working on within APCM.
		+
		+	'''System Configurations'''
		+
		+	*'''''Hide Contract Level Estimates Adjustments ''''' – Once a pay estimate has been generated, users were able to make Contract level adjustments, which in turn caused issues with Sigma and other interfaces, when trying to process payment vouchers, etc. Therefore, the contract level pay estimates adjustments area has been removed from users. If a user needs to make an adjustment on a pay estimate, the adjustment will have to be done using the Item Adjustment tab.
		+
		+
		+	'''Did you know?...'''
		+
		+	Fiscal year-end directions have been issued by the Contractor Payments Unit. Please refer to these directions when preparing your year-end estimates.
		+
		+	[[Media:Year_End_Instructions_FY25_-_FieldManager.pdf\|Year End Instructions FY25 - FieldManager]]
		+
		+	[[Media:Year_End_Instructions_FY25_-_APCM.pdf\|Year End Instructions FY25 - APCM]]
		+
		+
		+
		+
	=September 10, 2025=		=September 10, 2025=

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:13, 26 September 2025
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		+	=September 10, 2025=
		+
		+	Fiscal year-end directions have been issued by the Contractor Payments Unit. Please refer to these directions when preparing your year-end estimates.
		+
		+	[[Media:Year_End_Instructions_FY25_-_FieldManager.pdf\|Year End Instructions FY25 - FieldManager]]
		+
		+	[[Media:Year_End_Instructions_FY25_-_APCM.pdf\|Year End Instructions FY25 - APCM]]
		+
		+	=August 22, 2025=
		+
		+	We can finally say goodbye to the dog days of summer, traditionally spanning from July 3rd to August 11th. These days are often associated with the hottest and most humid weather of the year. So, let’s celebrate and enjoy the unofficial end of summer, that is just around the corner, Labor Day weekend! But wait!! Just before we celebrate, here are the latest updates our team has been working on within APCM.
		+
		+	'''System Configurations'''
		+
		+	*'''''Unattached Items ''''' – When adding an Unattached Item, the dropdown window when selecting the new item, now also includes the item units.
		+
		+	*'''''Contract User Role Authority ''''' – Updated logic to deactivate user when the expiration date field is populated with a date.
		+
		+	*'''''Mobile Inspector Error 403 ''''' – This error has been fixed and will no longer expire users when an auto expire process runs.
		+
		+	*'''''MDOT_CONSTRENGR Role Update ''''' – This role will now be able to access DWRs from the Contract Progress Summary Screen.
		+
		+
		+	'''Did you know?...'''
		+
		+	To fix an incorrect material posting on a locked DWR, the user will need to back-out the entire item and material posting by posting negative item quantity and negative material quantity postings for all materials with the same material sources that were originally used. Then create a new posting with the item with the positive item quantity and positive material quantities as well with the correct material sources. These steps will reset the system to accept the correct item / material /source posting.
		+
		+	Tip: When posting materials within a DWR, the materials that are not being posted to typically will have a 0.00 in the qty field. We advise deleting the 0.00 to clear the qty. field entirely. APCM does look at 0.00 as a legitimate qty. which in some cases creates exceptions when processing a pay estimate.
		+
		+
		+
	=July 25, 2025=		=July 25, 2025=

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:53, 22 August 2025
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		+	=July 25, 2025=
		+
		+	Navigating Michigan's roads in the summer can be particularly challenging due to road construction, traffic delays and extreme heat. Situations like this can raise a person’s anxiety and stress, thus affecting a person’s body's core temperature, sometimes causing it to rise. This phenomenon is often referred to as Psychological Stress-Induced Hyperthermia. So, let’s take a deep breath and practice some mindful breathing to help relax and stay calm knowing these system updates below will help save some time.
		+
		+	'''Report Updates'''
		+
		+	*'''''Materials by Item Report has been updated ''''' – The report will now generate results without erroring out, when all materials selected within a contract, rather than only 200 materials at a time.
		+
		+
		+	'''System Configurations'''
		+
		+	*'''''Allow Change Order New Item Negative Price ''''' – This update will allow a user to create a change order for a new item and post a Negative Price for that item.
		+
		+
		+	'''Did you know?...'''
		+
		+	Sometimes the system will automatically override payment exceptions to prevent underpayment to contractors. When an item has both an overrun and insufficient material exception on a payment estimate, the system determines which exception holds back the least amount of payment and auto overrides it, leaving the other exception in place. If both exceptions were left in place, the system would "double dip" from the contractor and sometimes hold back an amount greater than the item was worth. The help desk generally refers to this scenario as a “double whammy.”
		+
		+	So, what should Office Technicians do with an auto-overridden exception from a double whammy? The auto-overridden exception is auto locked by the system and cannot be changed. The exception will show as overridden with a system populated comment and should be left alone. Do not change the status or comment. Process all other exceptions as you normally would, but there is no action needed on the auto-overridden exceptions in a “double whammy” scenario.
		+
		+
		+
		+
	=June 30, 2025=		=June 30, 2025=

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:36, 25 July 2025
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		+	=June 30, 2025=
		+
		+	Summer is officially here, and Orange Barrel Season is in full swing! This means beautiful weather and maybe sneaking in a vacation or two all while navigating a few detours and delays. Realizing, this is a bit frustrating at times, all this road construction is a vital investment in the state's infrastructure, to ensure safer and more efficient travel for years to come. Which also is true as we continue to enrich our user experiences within APCM.
		+
		+	'''Report Updates'''
		+
		+	*'''''Material History to Date Report has been updated ''''' – The Reported Material Quantity field has been updated to reflect only the Approved and Pending DWR material posting quantities. Furthermore, the following fields have been temporally hidden - Approved & Available Material Quantity due to conflicting data results.
		+
		+	*'''''DWR Report has been updated to include all attachments within''''' – As a user, when generating a DWR report (pdf) the attachment summary area will now populate all of the attachments that have been attached to the DWR.
		+
		+
		+	'''Did you know?...'''
		+
		+	As a user, if you are having an issue deleting a draft pay estimate, this is likely caused by the system cache accumulating. Clearing the system cache will typically resolve this issue. To clear your system cache, simply use the following key sequence ( Control + Shift + Delete) you will then be prompted to select what cache/history files to clean up.
		+
		+	To view previous news articles, visit the [[Construction Technology News Archive]].
		+
		+
		+
	=May 22, 2025=		=May 22, 2025=

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:29, 30 June 2025
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		+	=May 22, 2025=
		+
		+	Promise and possibility define the next few summery months in Michigan, with the sun shining endlessly, making our Great Lakes glisten and sparkle, some of our best journeys are when we take unexpected detours. So switch over to a read only role within APCM, make a few new clicks, generate a few new reports, and see where the journey takes you.
		+
		+	'''System Configurations and Guidance Updates'''
		+
		+	*'''''New Home Dashboards for Estimate and Change Order Approvers ''''' – The home screen has been updated for roles that approve estimates and change orders. The home screen for these roles now show a section for Estimates and Change Orders needing approval that are ready for that role's approval (contractors should only see change orders ready for contractor approval, construction engineers see only ones ready for the construction engineer approval, etc.)
		+
		+	*'''''A New Role Established For MDOT LAP Designated Reps ''''' – A new role has been created for those MDOT users who are responsible for overseeing local agency contracts with APCM, the new role is: “MDOT_CONSTRDESGREP.” This role will allow the user to update certain aspects of the contract data, along with receive notifications when an LAP Change Order is submitted for Approval, an LAP Estimate is submitted for Approval, an LAP Change Order is submitted for Review (as part of review tracking). The user access request form has been update to include this new addition. Please follow the link [https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=h3D71Xc3rUKWaoku9HIl0TsTFVcjU7lJvehSkBH9U3JUNjlTT0pOOFFSVzdKRkI3RERHSk4yOFRKTy4u MDOT AASHTOWare Project Construction & Materials User Account Request Form] to request this role.
		+
		+
		+	'''Did you know?...'''
		+
		+	You now can easily, print the page you are viewing in APCM, by simply pressing the CTRL + P on your keyboard. This printing keyboard shortcut brings up the Print dialogue, where you can set how you want to print. In the past when trying to print the screen you were viewing within APCM the system would overlap text and data fields, which made it nearly impossible to read.
		+
		+
		+
		+
	=April 25, 2025=		=April 25, 2025=

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:39, 23 May 2025
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		+	=April 25, 2025=
		+
		+	Spring is in full bloom and with it comes warmer days, blossoming landscapes, and the unmistakable sounds of construction season kicking into high gear. As the world outside transforms, we are also rolling out some exciting updates to enhance your user experience.
		+
		+	'''Report Updates'''
		+
		+	*'''''Several Report Generation Errors ''''' – An issue was found after the 5.02 upgrade where several reports would not generate due to some coding issues. These have been resolved, and all reports should now be able to be generated without error.
		+
		+
		+	'''System Configurations and Guidance Updates'''
		+
		+	*'''''MDOT Approved Date on Subcontracts ''''' – The MDOT Approved Date is now a required field when entering subcontracts into the system. This date controlled the ability to post to items and was sometimes being left blank. We have made it required to reduce confusion.
		+
		+	*'''''Recovery Date for Stockpiles ''''' – When adding a stockpile to a contract, the Recovery Date field is now automatically populated with the Letting Date of the contract. There was confusion regarding this date. It is recommended that unless you specifically need to exclude certain DWRs from stockpile calculations, it is best to leave the field unchanged and set to the contract's letting date.
		+
		+
		+	'''Did you know?...'''
		+
		+	You can create a single pdf report of multiple DWRs, or other documents in the system. Simply follow the steps for [https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php/Running_Reports#Generating_A_Report Generating A Report], and in step 3, select the DWRs you want to be part of the report. You can even select all the DWRs if you want. This feature works for DWRs, Change Orders, Estimates, and several other types of reports.
		+
		+
	=March 20, 2025=		=March 20, 2025=

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:06, 25 April 2025
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		+	=March 20, 2025=
		+
		+	Happy first day of Spring! Below are the updates made as part of this month’s release train.
		+
		+	'''Report Updates'''
		+
		+	*'''''Contract Item Status Report XLS''''' – The authorized quantity field on the report has been corrected.
		+
		+
		+	'''System Configurations and Guidance Updates'''
		+
		+	*'''''Designating Major Items''''' – A new process has been created that when a new contract is let, the items of work will be designated correctly as major/minor items based on section 101.03 of the spec book.
		+
		+	*'''''Effective Dates on Person Qualifications''''' – When adding a qualification to a person record, the effective date is now required.
		+
		+
		+	'''Did you know?...'''
		+
		+	If you are an Office Tech, you may be able to save time by using the [https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php?title=Materials_Acceptance#Copying_Material_Approvals_.28Sample_Records.29 copy sample record feature.] If you need to make another sample record that is close to one of your existing sample records, use the copy feature and then edit what you need to without having to enter everything by hand.
		+
		+
		+
		+	To view previous news articles, visit the [[Construction Technology News Archive]].
		+
		+
	=February 15, 2025=		=February 15, 2025=