Overview
Change Orders let you adjust work orders that are already in production. You can modify existing services on an estimate, add new services, or remove services, all without starting a new opportunity from scratch.
This article walks you through the full change order workflow: deciding when to use one, creating it, making changes to services, sending the proposal, winning the order, and managing the Schedule of Values for Fixed Price Open Billing work orders.
Things to know
You can only create change orders for work orders with a job status of In Production.
Change orders are common in industries that offer design and build services, especially in construction.
Once you win a change order, you can't un-win it. To correct a won change order, you'll need to create another change order.
While working on a change order, you can view the original work order bid and any previously won change orders alongside your new changes.
Requirements
To complete a change order, you need the following permissions added to your user role:
Change Opportunity
Allow Negative Item Quantity
Adjust General Conditions
For Schedule of Values edits, you also need these settings turned on in Configuration:
Enable Negative Schedule of Values
Modify Edit of SOV After Opportunity is Won
(Optional) To review the Construction WIP report, add these permissions to your user role:
View Reports
View Drill Down Reports - Construction WIP Adjustments
Before you edit the Schedule of Values, review the Schedule of Values screens in Aspire.
Prepare to make a change order
Before you create a change order, evaluate how much work has already been done on the opportunity. Review the work tickets connected to the work order first. Depending on where you are in the process, a change order might not be the best path.
When to reset to bidding instead
If you're early in the proposal phase and there are no existing transactions for the opportunity, you could reset the opportunity to Bidding, make your changes, and re-propose the bid to your customer. This is often simpler than creating a change order.
When to create a new opportunity instead
You can create a new opportunity, copy the original job, make changes, and win the new opportunity. You can also swap costs from the original tickets to the new job's tickets. This approach is common when there are associated costs in an open month.
For more information on swapping work ticket costs, visit Swapping Work Ticket Costs.
Keep in mind:
The original estimate could be lost because the new opportunity has edited services, costs, and new work tickets.
You might not be able to delete the original opportunity if it has allocated material or if your invoices are in a closed month. In that case, you'd need to lose the opportunity instead.
Consider how this affects your reporting, work ticket management, invoicing, and customer communication going forward.
If neither of these alternatives fits your situation, proceed with creating a change order.
Understanding the change order feature
Before you create your first change order, it helps to understand what changes in the system when you use one.
A change order adjusts the Estimated Hours for one or more services on the work order when you win the change. This update appears in the Estimated Hours field on the Work Ticket screen for any affected work tickets.
Hover over the Audit Info icon next to the Estimated Hours field to see an audit history of estimated hours changes for that work ticket.
When a change order modifies estimated hours, Aspire accounts for those changes on the Construction WIP Adjustment Report.
Fixed Price Open Billing conditions
For Fixed Price Open Billing work orders, you can only add change orders if at least one of these conditions is true:
The total amount of the work order and its revisions is greater than the amount invoiced.
The total amount of the work order and its revisions equals $0.
There are T&M Per Service work tickets that haven't been invoiced yet.
Important
One of the most important things to know about Change Orders is that once a change is won, you cannot un-win it! To correct Change Orders, you would need to create another change order.
Steps
Create a change order
Open the Opportunities module and select your customer's opportunity.
Select the three-dot icon to open the Action menu, then select Add Change Order.
The Change Order table appears on the Opportunity details screen.
Select Change Order 1 to open the Change Order Estimate screen.
Rename the change order
When you create a change order, the name copies directly from the initial estimate. Rename it so you can identify what's being changed later.
Open the estimate for your change order.
Select the three-dot icon to open the Action menu, then select Edit Revision Information.
Update the following fields as needed:
Revision Name — Enter a name that describes what the change order covers.
Proposal Descriptions 1 and 2 — Add context for the proposal.
Opportunity Invoice Notes — Add notes that appear on the invoice.
Estimator Notes — Add internal notes for your team.
Click Save. After you update the revision information, proceed with your change order edits.
Switch between change order views
You can switch between two views using the dropdown in the upper right of the estimate screen:
Current Change Order — Shows only the change order you're working on. All version numbers on this view are the same.
Change Order Details — Shows the initial estimate, any previous version changes, and the current change order. Version numbers (v0, v1, v2, etc.) appear on the left, where v0 is the original estimate.
Different Types of Changes Within Change Orders
There are three different types of changes you can do within a Change Order. These are Change, Copy, and Delete.
Change: The Change option is for adding a service, changing an existing service, updating quantities, updating total price or adding items.
Copy: The copy option is used to duplicate services needed in the same job, or create additional work tickets for a similar service. You can also do everything found in the Change option.
Delete: The delete option is used for removal of services, reducing quantities or items, and removing dollars which affects total price
Change a service
The easiest way to change a service is to go to the Change Order Details view and right click on the service you want to change and select Change.
Confirm if you want to change the service you’ve selected.
A new version of the service under the original is added. Additional Items can be added under the Service.
If adding additional Services to the opportunity, they can be added to the change order like you do when creating your initial estimates. This new service will create its own ticket and line item on the schedule of values.
Note
When using the Change Order Details view, you will be able to see not only the current change order but the original estimate and its services.
Switch to the Change Order Details view.
Select and hold (or right-click) the service you want to change, then select Change.
Select Confirm in the confirmation window.
A new version of the service appears below the original. Add items under the service as needed.
To add new services to the opportunity, add them to the change order the same way you would when creating an initial estimate. Each new service creates its own work ticket and line item on the Schedule of Values.
Use the dropdown to switch between Current Change Order and Change Order Details to compare the two estimates as you work.
Tip
In the Change Order Details view, v0 represents the original estimate details. Version numbers v1 and above represent additional services from change orders.
After you add or modify services, review any Service Details changes within your change order services.
Copy a service
The Copy option duplicates an existing service. This is helpful when you need to add a similar service that already exists on the estimate — for example, if you planned a plant install at the front of a building and your customer now wants a similar service for the back.
Select the three-dot icon on the service line, then select Copy from the Action menu.
Select Confirm in the confirmation window.
The copied service appears on the Estimate screen. Modify quantities and update pricing as needed.
Select the new service link to open the Service Details screen.
Rename the service to reflect the new location or scope of work.
Choose the work ticket you want to link this service to.
Note
When you copy a service through a change order, you can choose between creating a separate work ticket or adding to an existing work ticket. This option isn't available when you edit a service through a change order. The only tickets available in the dropdown are tickets that match the service in the catalog and have a matching invoice type.
Delete a service
The Delete option removes a service from the estimate. Use this when your customer no longer needs a service that was part of the original scope.
Important
The system allows you to select any item from the catalog, so use the Delete option through the Action menu on the service line. This helps confirm that the correct items are selected — the same items used on the original estimate.
Navigate to the opportunity and select the three-dot icon to open the Action menu, then select Add Change Order.
Find the service you want to remove.
Select the three-dot icon on the service line, then select Delete from the Action menu.
Select Confirm in the confirmation window.
Items being removed need a negative quantity and a positive price.
In the Change Order Details view, removed services display with negative quantities and the original dollar amounts. Removed dollar amounts appear in parentheses.
If you return to the main estimate details screen, you'll see your negative change orders listed under the change orders section.
Send the change order proposal
Once your change order edits are complete, you can send the proposal to your customer.
Note: After you start a change order, the Action menu moves from the Opportunity details screen to within the current change order.
Select the three-dot icon to open the Action menu, then select Print or Email Proposal.
Choose a proposal layout that's designed for opportunities with change orders.
For more information on Aspire's proposal layouts, visit Using the Layouts Catalog.
Win a change order
When the estimate is complete and your customer approves the change order, you can win it.
Select the three-dot icon to open the Action menu at the top of the change order page, then select Won.
When you win the change order, Aspire creates new work tickets.
Note
If you have Electronic Signatures turned on in Aspire, a change order doesn't trigger a new signature requirement or email.
For more information on Electronic Signatures, read Electronic Signatures for Proposals.
Caution
Once a change order is won, you can't un-win it. To correct a won change order, create another change order.
Schedule of Values for Fixed Price Open Billing opportunities
The Schedule of Values (SOV) and Master Schedule of Values are features specific to work orders with an invoice type of Fixed Price Open Billing (FPOB). The SOV represents the AIA form used to bill your customers. If your work order doesn't use this invoice type, you can skip this section.
Confirm the Schedule of Values
When you win a change order on a FPOB work order, Aspire prompts you to confirm a new Schedule of Values.
Enter percentages or dollar amounts on this screen. The services shown here come from your estimate.
Note
Whether you can enter percentages or dollar amounts depends on your Company Configuration settings for how amounts display on the SOV screen.
Adjust the amounts as needed for your final invoice, but the difference in the SOV Summary on this page needs to equal zero to match the estimate.
There's a separate Schedule of Values for each change order you create.
Edit the SOV for removed services
If you created a change order to remove services using the Delete option, you'll need to manually enter the Schedule of Values with the difference of the removed service.
After you've won your opportunity, you can get back to the Schedule of Values for the change order by selecting the three-dot icon to open the Action menu on the Estimate screen, then selecting Edit Schedule of Values.
Use the Master Schedule of Values
The Master Schedule of Values combines the SOV of the original work order and all won change orders into one view.
Note
For work orders with a status of Won, you can only modify the Schedule of Values if you have Modify SOV After Opportunity is Won added to your user role. You can't modify any part of the SOV that's already been invoiced.
Open the opportunity. Select the three-dot icon to open the Action menu, then select Master Schedule of Values.
To invoice a Fixed Price Open Billing opportunity, select the three-dot icon to open the Action menu on the Master Schedule of Values screen, then select Invoice Open Billing.
Aspire takes you to the Invoices section of the Invoicing module.
Review change order revisions in the Opportunities list
You can customize your Opportunities list to group change orders with their original opportunity and display revision numbers.
In the Opportunities module, select the Filter icon and add the Opportunity Type of Work Order, then select Apply.
Select the Display icon and add Revision Number. Include Estimated $ in your display selections.
Select the Group icon and group by Opportunity #.
Your list now shows original opportunities with their change order revisions displayed underneath. The estimated column shows the total estimated amount and the individual amounts broken out by revision number.
Tip
Save this list so you can quickly review opportunities with change orders in the future.
