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==Construction Technology News==
 
==Construction Technology News==
  
August 29, 2024
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====May 22, 2025====
  
The construction team has been working with the Department of Technology Managment and Budget (DTMB) to develop a more orderly process for implementing system changes and configurations within the system and communicating those changes to the user community. We are still working on an overall communication plan, however we are pleased to announce the use of our very first Release Train.
+
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.
  
Release Trains are a feature within our DTMB call ticketing system that allows MDOT and DTMB to batch tickets together and set the specific day that those system changes will go into effect within the system. This allows MDOT more time to plan arounds specific dates and to be better prepared to let all of you know what changes have been made to the system in a timely manner.
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'''System Configurations and Guidance Updates'''
  
Currently release trains are being planned for each month. However, that may change as we become more familiar with their functionality.  
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*'''''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.)
  
The first release train contained several report updates along with some system configurations as described below.
+
*'''''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.
  
'''Report Updates'''
 
*'''''Weighted Average Item Price Report''''' - An error was identified that prevented this report from running when certain report parameters were chosen, this error has been fixed allowing the report to complete.
 
*'''''Change Order Report''''' - The report was updated to not display item balancing that resulted in a zero-quantity change. Showing the zero changes made the report long and difficult to review. The report now only shows item balancing that actually results in a quantity change.
 
*'''''Material History to Date Report''''' - Various column headers and data descriptions were updated to make the report data more user friendly. Sample record tests were also added to the report.
 
*'''''Material Set List Report XLS(*)''''' - A column has been added to the report to show the Spec Book the item corresponds to. This allows filtering as there are several Spec Books within the system and allows filtering of the report.
 
*'''''Cert and Qual Report''''' - An error was discovered in the report that was not properly populating the company column. The company column in the report now pulls from the correct data field in the system.
 
*'''''Item Posting by Contractor Report''''' - The report was duplicating item posting quantities, which has now been fixed.
 
*'''''Materials by Item Report''''' - Category and project line numbers were added to the report for ease of use.
 
*'''''Current Items by Project/Category Report''''' - This report was updated to accurately show items within the correct categories.
 
*'''''Pay Estimate Items Report''''' - A parameter was added to allow this report to show either all items, or just items that were paid on the current estimate.
 
*'''''Daily Personnel On Site Report''''' - An error was discovered and fixed. The report now shows the correct personnel for each day.
 
  
 +
'''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.
'''Reference Data Updates'''
 
*'''''2012 Materials Inactivation''''' - The materials from the 2012 Standards Specifications for Construction have been deactivated.
 
 
 
 
 
'''System Configurations and Guidance Updates'''
 
*'''I''tem Description added to Add Material Set Screen''''' - When adding a material set to an item, the pop-up screen now shows the item ID code and the item description to assist the user.
 
*'''''Updated Default Filtering on Change Order Screen''''' - The default screen filtering for the change order, Increase/Decrease Items tab has been updated to filter out quantity changes that are zero quantity changes. This is in line with the change order report updated listed above. The screen will now only show balancing that results in a non-zero quantity change.
 
*'''''Updated Guidance on Entering Trucking Subcontracts''''' - New guidance has been issued on how to properly enter trucking subcontracts in the system. Please reference the [https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php/Contract_Administration#Adding_Subcontracts Adding Subcontracts] section of the Contract Administration page for the updated guidance.
 
*'''''Contractor Notification of Approved Estimates''''' - Prime contractors who are associated to a contract with the CONTR_CONSTRMATRO_CO role now receive an email notification once an estimate is fully approved by finance.
 
*'''''Material Set Name Field''''' - To prevent issues with material quantities, the Material Set Name field on the Contract Materials and Acceptance Actions Summary was made non-editable. Existing material sets cannot be renamed. Material sets can still be modfied and created.
 
*'''''FieldManager Contractor Data Extract Scheduling''''' - The export process that creates a FieldManager Contractor file for contractors was rescheduled from Sunday at 1:05am to Wednesday 1:05am.
 
*'''''Contractor Performance Review Requirement''''' - The system requirment to have Contractor Performance Reviews (CPEs) completed before final estiamte creation has been turned off. CPEs are still required on some contracts, however the system will no longer require them for closeout.
 
  
  
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|-
 
|-
 
!Updated!! Page !! Summary !! What Changed
 
!Updated!! Page !! Summary !! What Changed
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|-
 +
|<center>3/20/2024</center>||[https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php?title=Materials_Acceptance#Copying_Material_Approvals_.28Sample_Records.29 Materials Acceptance]||Added content for how to Copy Material Approvals when working with Sample Records.
 +
||[https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php?title=Materials_Acceptance&type=revision&diff=379&oldid=359 See what changed here.]
 +
|-
 +
|<center>12/26/2024</center>||[https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php?title=Materials_Acceptance#Generating_Materials_and_Acceptance_Actions Generating Materials and Acceptance Actions]||Updated Generating Materials and Acceptance Actions.
 +
||[https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php?title=Materials_Acceptance&type=revision&diff=359&oldid=311 See what changed here.]
 +
|-
 +
|<center>09/12/2024</center>||[https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php?title=Main_Page Main Page]||Updated the Construction Technology News section for Fiscal Year-End updates.
 +
||[https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php?title=Main_Page&type=revision&diff=347&oldid=343 See Main Page changes here.]
 
|-
 
|-
 
|<center>08/29/2024</center>||[https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php?title=Main_Page Main Page]||Updated the Construction Technology News section for August system updates. Updated guidance on entering subcontracts for trucking.  
 
|<center>08/29/2024</center>||[https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php?title=Main_Page Main Page]||Updated the Construction Technology News section for August system updates. Updated guidance on entering subcontracts for trucking.  
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! Issue Number !! Area of Impact !! Description !! Date Identified !! Workaround !! Fix Plan !! Fix Status !! Manual Reference Link  
 
! Issue Number !! Area of Impact !! Description !! Date Identified !! Workaround !! Fix Plan !! Fix Status !! Manual Reference Link  
 
|-
 
|-
| 3 || System Wide || When running a report that outputs in an Microsoft Excel file or other Microsoft Office file format, the report does not download and the system provides an ".htm" file that shows an error || 6/15/2022 || N/A || User needs to udpate Microsoft Edge settings || Closed || [https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php/Updating_Microsoft_Edge_Settings_for_Reports Updating Microsoft Edge Settings for Reports]
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| 8 || Unattached Items || Currently, the system will incorrectly pay the entire posted quantity of an Unattached Item, up to that Payment Estimate period end date and does not account for any overrun based on related agency options settings. || 7/28/2023 || Currently running a SQL statement weekly, to proactively identify which contracts are affected, once identified Contracts will be manualy adjusted to assure proper payment. || Escalated APR-26692 to Critical status, will be a patch for APCM 4.8 || Open  ||
|-
 
| 4 || Payments, Insufficient Materials || An update appears to have cause some materials that previously were approved to now show as insufficient. || 9/1/2022 || N/A || The issues has been verified to be inconsistent sources listed on DWRs and Sample Records. Office Technicians  and Inspectors are advised to take note and care when recording material sources in the system. Reports are being developed to assist with data verification. || Closed ||
 
|-
 
| 5 || Payments, $0 priced items || $0 priced items can cause the create payment estimate process to stop when a $0 priced item has any type of payment estimate exception that causes a payment item adjustment (insufficient material, overrun, etc.). || 11/2/2022 || Office Technicians are encouraged to process all material approvals and change orders prior to creating estimates. A DWR temporarily backing out the posting of the $0 priced item, with a negative posting, can temporarily allow estimates to be created until the proper material approvals and change orders for the $0 priced items can be processed. Once material approvals and change orders are processed to avoid payment exceptions, a followup DWR can be made to restore the original item posting. || TBD || Pending ||  
 
 
|-
 
|-
| 6 || DWR, Item Quantities || On a DWR, an error is being returned when trying to post item quantities to the third decimal place. (example: 0.123) || 3/15/2023 || N/A || An emergency ticket has been submitted to DTMB to allow three decimal places for postings. || Pending ||  
+
| 9 || Materials Section within the Wiki || Please remove the phone number for the help desk as noted, below. || 2/29/2024 || || || Open ||[https://mdotwiki.state.mi.us/aashtoware/index.php/Materials_Acceptance Materials Acceptance - AASHTOWare Wiki (state.mi.us)]
 
|-
 
|-
| 7 || Subcontracts, Approval Dates, DWR, Item Quantities || The 4.8 upgrade process appears to have caused data loss of the already entered approval dates for subcontracts. This is preventing the posting of quantities to subcontractors. || 3/15/2023 || The approval date can be manually re-entered to allow postings. || An emergency Ticket has been submitted to DTMB to restore the missing data. || Pending ||  
+
| 10 || Pay Estimate Exception, Item/Material being flagged as insufficient || A new known issue has been discovered within APCM and we are working with InfoTech to correct the issue.If materials are posted to the wrong source, our guidance has been to back out the posting with an opposite/negative posting if a DWR revision is not possible. This guidance is still valid, however we have discovered that in some instances the system is getting locked up and not resetting the insufficient flag, thus continuing to claim the material is insufficient even after the user has corrected the issue by posting a negative material / source posting. || 8/20/2024 || If you believe you are experiencing this known issue, please double check your materials, sources, and approval documentation to ensure that the item should be paid.  An override for the exception can be used to force payment remembering that you must add a comment when overriding the exception. || Other states have also reported this issue and we are working with InfoTech to get a patch to fix this issue. || Open ||
 
|}
 
|}
  

Latest revision as of 07:40, 23 May 2025

  • MDOT LOGO.png
  • AW Project Logo Construction & Materials.png
AASHTOWare Project Construction & Materials
Software Manual

Introduction

Welcome to the MDOT AASHTOWare Project Construction & Materials Software Manual!

AASHTOWare Project Construction & Materials is a fast, easy-to-use, web-based system for documenting construction progress, initiating contractor payment, and communicating with your agency's central office administration applications. Construction & Materials focuses on refining the work flow of construction contract management at all agency levels. With Construction & Materials, the field office can manage field-gathered data and then interface with a central office. Construction & Materials allows several users to update contract information, and it implements a shared database to expand an agency's data sharing ability. This user's guide is the key to discovering Construction & Materials’ vast capabilities and is a valuable resource both for novice and experienced users.

For more background information regarding AASHTOWare Project software visit the AASHTOWare Project webpage or the AASHTOWare Project Construction & Materials webpage.

Construction Technology News

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 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.


To view previous news articles, visit the Construction Technology News Archive.

Recent Updates

Recent Major Changes

The table below is a list of Major changes.

Updated Page Summary What Changed
05/07/2024
Daily Work Reports Removed Material Comments and Sources section and updated New section related to Posting Item and Material Quantities to a Daily Work Report See what changed here.
04/15/2024
Contract Administration New section related to Adding Subcontracts See what changed here.
4/1/2022
Materials Acceptance
Created new page for related content N/A
6/16/2021
-
Uploaded manual. N/A

Recent Minor Changes

The table below is a list of Minor changes.

Updated Page Summary What Changed
3/20/2024
Materials Acceptance Added content for how to Copy Material Approvals when working with Sample Records. See what changed here.
12/26/2024
Generating Materials and Acceptance Actions Updated Generating Materials and Acceptance Actions. See what changed here.
09/12/2024
Main Page Updated the Construction Technology News section for Fiscal Year-End updates. See Main Page changes here.
08/29/2024
Main Page Updated the Construction Technology News section for August system updates. Updated guidance on entering subcontracts for trucking. See Main Page changes here.

See Subcontract changes here.

06/20/2024
Change Orders Updated content related to verifying funding source. Funding field is no longer shown on the screen in APCM, Related bullet point removed from following Change Order Sections: See what changed here.
04/15/2024
Change Orders Updated content related to verifying funding source in the following Change Order Sections: See what changed here.
04/15/2024
Daily Work Reports Added note specifically related to Approving Daily Work Reports See what changed here.
04/15/2024
Main Page Update related to the release of AASHTOWare Project 5.00 See Construction Technology News
03/01/2024
Special Topics Created new Special Topics Page for Final Project Review Reporting See what changed here.
01/30/2024
Contract Administration Created section related to Transferring Contracts Between Offices See what changed here.
01/08/2024
Contract Administration - Closing and Archiving a Contract Updated steps for Closing and Archiving a Contract. See what changed here.
01/09/2023
Mobile Applications Provided content related to Syncing Contracts with Mobile Inspector Next section added [here]
09/29/2022
Change Orders Minor updates to clarify use of New Items tab for a change order. Changed title of Contract Items section and added explanation note to adding new items.
03/29/2022
Access and Roles - Available Roles Added page to main menu and added role names and descriptions to page. Tables for abbreviations and role names
03/24/2022
Contract Administration - Closing and Archiving a Contract Updated the Workflow Phase selection when archiving a contract. "Archived Contract" was changed to "Finance Closeout"

Tracked Known Issues

Most Recent Identified Known Issues
Issue Number Area of Impact Description Date Identified Workaround Fix Plan Fix Status Manual Reference Link
8 Unattached Items Currently, the system will incorrectly pay the entire posted quantity of an Unattached Item, up to that Payment Estimate period end date and does not account for any overrun based on related agency options settings. 7/28/2023 Currently running a SQL statement weekly, to proactively identify which contracts are affected, once identified Contracts will be manualy adjusted to assure proper payment. Escalated APR-26692 to Critical status, will be a patch for APCM 4.8 Open
9 Materials Section within the Wiki Please remove the phone number for the help desk as noted, below. 2/29/2024 Open Materials Acceptance - AASHTOWare Wiki (state.mi.us)
10 Pay Estimate Exception, Item/Material being flagged as insufficient A new known issue has been discovered within APCM and we are working with InfoTech to correct the issue.If materials are posted to the wrong source, our guidance has been to back out the posting with an opposite/negative posting if a DWR revision is not possible. This guidance is still valid, however we have discovered that in some instances the system is getting locked up and not resetting the insufficient flag, thus continuing to claim the material is insufficient even after the user has corrected the issue by posting a negative material / source posting. 8/20/2024 If you believe you are experiencing this known issue, please double check your materials, sources, and approval documentation to ensure that the item should be paid.  An override for the exception can be used to force payment remembering that you must add a comment when overriding the exception. Other states have also reported this issue and we are working with InfoTech to get a patch to fix this issue. Open

Tracked Issues Complete List

The complete list of tracked known issues can be found on the Known Issues List page.

Support Information

MI MDOT Software Support.png

AASHTOWare Construction & Materials Helpdesk
MDOT-ConstructionSoftware@michigan.gov

Preamble

This manual provides guidance to administrative, engineering, and technical staff. Engineering practice requires that professionals use a combination of technical skills and judgment in decision making. Engineering judgment is necessary to allow decisions to account for unique site-specific conditions and considerations to provide high quality products, within budget, and to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. This manual provides the general operational guidelines; however, it is understood that adaptation, adjustments, and deviations are sometimes necessary. Innovation is a key foundational element to advance the state of engineering practice and develop more effective and efficient engineering solutions and materials. As such, it is essential that our engineering manuals provide a vehicle to promote, pilot, or implement technologies or practices that provide efficiencies and quality products, while maintaining the safety, health, and welfare of the public. It is expected when making significant or impactful deviations from the technical information from these guidance materials, that reasonable consultations with experts, technical committees, and/or policy setting bodies occur prior to actions within the timeframes allowed. It is also expected that these consultations will eliminate any potential conflicts of interest, perceived or otherwise. MDOT Leadership is committed to a culture of innovation to optimize engineering solutions. The National Society of Professional Engineers Code of Ethics for Engineering is founded on six fundamental canons. Those canons are provided below. Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:

  1. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
  2. Perform Services only in areas of their competence.
  3. Issue public statement only in an objective and truthful manner.
  4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
  5. Avoid deceptive acts.
  6. Conduct themselves honorably, reasonably, ethically and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession.


Additional information about MDOT Construction Practices and Policies can be found on the Wiki Construction Manual.

For additional information about the AASHTOWare Wiki and to submit revision suggestions, please contact the AASHTOWare Construction & Materials Helpdesk.