With the most recent release of InfraLink (v3.5.40), we are happy to offer the following new features and functionality.

System Construction and Commissioning

The release of InfraLink v3.5.40 expands Production module capabilities to support evolving project scope while introducing additional methods of calculating and estimating labor needs. Learn more below.

 New "Hours (beta)" Section of Case Details Panels

Expanding on the labor estimation feature introduced in v3.5.37, InfraLink v3.5.40 introduces the Hours (beta) section of Preventative Maintenance and Task type Case Details panels. The Hours (beta) section houses four main fields: Estimated Hours, Earned Hours, Remaining Est. Hours, and Total Activity Time allowing those with Case Read permissions to view a comprehensive breakdown of the labor anticipated and performed for that Case. 

What You Will See in the User Interface:

• PM and Task type Case Details panels now display an "Hours (Beta)" section with four fields:
  • Estimated Hours: Displays the amount (in hours) of estimated labor necessary to complete the scope of that Case.
  • Earned Hours: Displays the amount (in hours) of labor accumulated while completing underlying Tasks. 
  • Remaining Est. Hours: Displays the amount (in hours) of estimated labor left to complete the scope of that Case. 
  • Total Activity Time: Displays the amount (in hours and minutes) of Activities Users have logged against that Case.

System O&M

The release of InfraLink v3.5.40 refines and expands existing operations and maintenance capabilities to improve the identification and display of Case data. 

Customizable Case IDs

InfraLink has always generated Case IDs according to a set format that includes: Contract Number, Creation Date (YYMMDD), and a sequence number that restarts daily at 0001. This singular approach left some instance and contract administrators wanting more flexibility when it comes to the primary Case record identifier. To that end, InfraLink is starting to implement custom Case ID formatting options with this new release.

Initially, Case ID customization tools will allow administrators to choose between two Case ID options for any Contract:

• Default - Applies traditional Case ID formatting, as described above.
• Sequential per Contract - Instead of applying a date-specific sequence number, this option applies a sequence number that is specific to the Contract. That is, the sequence counter does not restart daily. Rather, the count is perpetual for a long as Cases are created on that Contract.

The new, Sequential per Contract, option also offers additional customization options. This format can include/exclude the Creation Date, as well as the format of an included date. The administrator can also control the sequence starting number and character count.

What You Will See in the User Interface:

•  A Case IDs widget is positioned atop the Contract Details Panel.
  • This widget open the Manage Case ID Format window.
• The Manage Case ID Format window presents two Case ID format options:
  • • Default - This traditional format includes Contract Number, Creation Date (YYMMDD) and daily sequence number (e.g., MC-240327-0001).
    • Sequential per Contract - This format applies a sequence number that applies to the Contract, not the Creation Date, and provides additional customization options, including:
      • Include Date - This field dictates whether a date is included, and what format that date should present in (i.e., MMDDYY, DDMMYY or YYMMDD).
      • Start - This field dictates the number at which the sequence count should begin.
      • Length - This field dictates the integer length of the sequence. 
        • • For example, a Contract with Contract Number "MC", no included date, a Start of "1", and a Length of "5" would result in the following first-issued Case ID: MC-00001. 

Service Budgets

InfraLink now offers Contract-level budget management tools, which track the costs of variable scope work against one or more Service Budgets.

Typically, a contract is awarded with funding cap. This may be a single budget amount that covers a clearly defined scope of work, or it may be a contract with multiple line items, (e.g., CLINs), each having a unique funding cap. With the latter, each funding amount may cover a different segment of work differentiated by any number or combination of attributes, such as period of performance, location, type of equipment, type of work, etc.

To effectively track funding in each scenario, an InfraLink Service Budget establishes a funding cap associated with a Contract and then relies on a combination of Case configurations to determine which Case costs should apply against that budget and when.

Once a Case is associated with a Service Budget, that Case's estimated cost, or actual costs depending on the Case status, are applied against that budget. From various convenient locations within the UI (e.g., Service Budgets view, Contract Details, Case Details), users can quickly check current funding availability on a Service Budget. InfraLink supports both firm fixed price (FFP) and time and material (T&M) pricing scenarios, determined per Case Category, which ensure the proper amount (i.e., estimated vs actual cost) is applied against the Service Budget at the proper time.

Because InfraLink Service Budgets track funding status as part of the Case workflow, they offer near-real-time funding status and eliminate the need for external budget tracking tools, such as Excel spreadsheets. Additionally, a client and contractor's cooperative use of InfraLink Service Budgets can help expedite the work approval process and improve funding-based work scheduling, which benefits all parties.

What You Will See in the User Interface:

• Service Budgets View - Accessible from the Main Menu (see Finance stack), the Service Budgets grid view presents all configured Service Budgets a user has privileges to access.
  • Filter this view by Contract, Name, Start/End Dates, Location, Case Category and/or Total Awarded amount.  
  • Quickly glean essential budget-tracking information, including:
    • Total Awarded amount
    • Uncommitted Balance remaining,
    • Unrequested Balance remaining, and the
    • Closed costs, Committed costs and Pending Requests upon which those calculations are based.
  • Use the New widget, atop the grid view, to create a new Service Budget.
• Contract Details Display - Once a Service Budget is created for a Contract, a summary of that budget will be displayed within the Contract Details panel. Scroll to the Service Budgets section near the bottom of the panel.
• Case Forms and Details Display - Case forms and details now provide users instant access to real-time Service Budget information:
  • The New/Update Case forms will now present a Budget field, from which the user can select the desired Service Budget.
    • This field presents the traditional magnifying glass icon, which provides the user access to all Service Budgets available for selection.
      • Each Service Budget option also displays the budget's current balance information, to help ensure adequate funding is available for the requested work.
  • Once a Service Budget is associated with a Case record:
    • The Service Budget association will be prominently displayed near the top of the Case Details panel.
      • Positioning your mouse over that Service Budget value will present a pop-up with a current budget summary.
    • Case Update forms will present the associated Service Budget, as well as its balance summary, within the Estimated Cost section of the form.
• Case Category Configurations - Several new Case Category configurations impact the way Cases interact with Service Budgets:
  
  • Billing Type - InfraLink's Service Budget feature supports two billing types, time & materials or firm fixed price. These billing types vary in the way that costs are applied against the budget in Closed statuses:
    • T&M - The Service Budget applies the Estimated Cost against the Service Budget in Committed statuses, and then applies actual costs (Case-logged Material, Billable Labor and Misc Expense costs) against the Service budget in Closed statues.
    • FFP - The Service Budget applies the Case's Estimated Cost against the Service Budget in both Committed and Closed statuses.
  • Estimate Type - This configuration controls how a Case's Estimated Cost value is entered:
    • Direct Entry (most common) - The user manually populates the Estimated Cost field during Case creation or update.
    • Excel File - The Estimated Cost value is pulled from a properly formatted field within an uploaded Excel spreadsheet.
  • Require Service Budget Selection - When enabled, a user cannot transition a Case into a Committed status without a Service Budget selection.
  • Enforce Service Budget Funding - Optional when Require Service Budget Selection is enabled. When enabled, this feature prevents a Case from entered a Committed status when the Case's Estimated Cost exceeds the Service Budget's available balance.
• Case Status Business Logic Configurations - Whether or not a Service Budget considers Costs as committed or closed depends on the Case's current status.
• The New/Edit Case Status forms include two unique Business Logic settings, upon which that determination is made:
  • Committed Work
  • Is a "Closed" status
• Service Budget Permissions - The following new Permissions apply to Service Budget privileges at the Contract and Case level:
  • Contracts → Service Budget → Create, Read and Update
  • Cases → General → Select Case's Service Budget
    
    • Note: Users must also have Contracts → Service Budget → Read Permission to see the Service Budgets available for a given Case.