Back Calculations and Total Overrides in Estimates
In Ediphi, within the Detailed Summary and Line Items views of your Estimates, you have the ability to retroactively calculate your total amounts at both the line item level and the grouped summary level. Furthermore, you have the option to override totals within the Detailed Summary view at the Grouping level.
In this article
Back Calculations
Back Calculation is the process of working backwards from a known final cost of a project to determine the individual cost components, like labor, materials, and overhead, by adjusting estimated figures until the calculated total matches the actual project cost, essentially allowing for a more accurate analysis of where costs deviated from the initial estimate.
The new feature enables users to update the Total value of an estimate line item, prompting the platform to automatically recalculate the Unit Cost to align with the newly entered total.
Example Use Case: In scenarios where an estimator consults a subcontractor for a bid—such as for wrought iron railing—they may confirm quantity takeoffs and totals with the subcontractor. If the subcontractor's bid is accepted as the preferred bid, the estimator will want to plug this total directly into the estimate to reflect the eventual contract value for that subcontractor. The platform will then back-calculate the unit cost based on the fixed quantity and new total, ensuring that the line item accurately reflects the subcontractor's bid. This feature ensures that the estimate remains transparent and accurate, allowing others to see how the total was derived.
Some things to note regarding Back Calculations:
- Users have the capability to Undo/Redo up to 10 actions. For instance, if 10 changes have been made to the values, users can press CTRL + Z up to 10 times to revert back to the original data.
- The quantity (Qty) represents a fixed value. When the Total is manually updated, the unit cost will be recalculated based on the existing quantity and the new total value.
All expanded UC columns will be grayed out as they are effectively overridden from the back calculation (you can still edit over these values).
Note: When the Quantity is manually modified after a new override has been applied, the Unit Cost will be updated and a new Total will be calculated. Also, entering a new value in the Unit Cost column will revert the overrides.
Total Overrides
Similar to the Back Calculations feature, Total Overrides allows users to input a new total at the Grouping or Summary level. Subsequently, the totals of the related line items and their associated unit costs will be adjusted to reflect the new grouping level total.
Example Use Case: If an estimator selects a lump sum bid from a subcontractor without detailed line item breakdowns—such as in a paint contract—they will enter this lump sum at the grouping level. The platform will then distribute this total across the relevant line items, updating unit costs proportionally while preserving the original quantities on each line item. This approach maintains the integrity of the estimator's detailed quantity takeoff while aligning the estimate with the subcontractor's bid. Similar to back calculations, this ensures that the estimate remains transparent and accurate, allowing executives and others reviewing the estimate to see how the total was derived.
Some things to note regarding Total Overrides:
- Users have the capability to Undo/Redo up to 10 actions. For instance, if 10 changes have been made to the values, users can press CTRL + Z up to 10 times to revert back to the original data.
- When an overline total is already present at a summary/grouping level and an override is needed for that summary line, the Unit Cost will be recalculated while maintaining the input Quantity.
- The summary/grouping total will proportionally update the line item totals based on the percentage against the grouping total.
- For instance, there are 2 line items within a single grouping that require updating the total. Both line items amount to $1,000, resulting in a grouping total of $2,000. If the grouping total is modified from $2,000 to $6,000, the totals of the 2 line items will be adjusted retroactively to $3,000 each. Given that the grouping contains only 2 line items of equal value, 50% each, they will proportionally contribute to the grouping total.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our support team and we'll be happy to help!