Lesson 8

Working with Requests for Information

Back to V310: Construction Project Management

Lesson 8: Working with Requests for Information

This lesson explains how to process requests for information that are received from a subcontractor or from

employees of your company when these parties need additional information on a project being performed. Also, this lesson explains how to create a request for information based on a project issue.

Requests for Information: General Information

Requests for information (RFIs) are used for obtaining information that is not present in (or cannot be inferred from) the contract documents. An RFI is usually submitted by a general contractor or subcontractor, and a design or engineering professional is usually specified as the contact person who is expected to provide the needed information.

Learning Objectives

In this lesson, you will learn how to do the following:

  • Create and process a new request for information
  • Create a new request for information that relates to another request for information
  • Create a change request from a request for information

Applicable Scenarios

You process a request for information in the system in the following cases:

  • Outgoing RFI: When some needed information is not present in the documents related to a project, and your company requests certain information from an external subject matter expert
  • Incoming RFI: When someone, usually a subcontractor, requests particular information about the project from your company

Processing Workflow of an Outgoing Request for Information

In the system, the processing of an outgoing request for information generally consists of the following steps:

  1. Entering the request for information into the system: The project manager creates an RFI, which has the New status, on the Request for Information (PJ301000) form.
  2. Opening the request for information: The project manager sends emails with the request to subject matter experts. The RFI has the Open status, indicating that the process has been started.
  3. Closing the request for information: When the necessary information has been sent, the owner of the document closes the RFI by changing its status to Closed, indicating that the process has been completed, or by creating a change request from the RFI. The manager also specifies the reason for closing of the request.

Processing Workflow of an Incoming Request for Information

In the system, the processing of an incoming request for information generally consists of the following steps:

  1. Entering the request for information into the system: The project manager creates an RFI with the Incoming check box selected and the person who is responsible for the answer specified in the Owner box of the Request for Information (PJ301000) form. The request for information has the New status. Lesson 8: Working with Requests for Information | 56
  2. Opening the request for information: The project manager opens the request by changing its status to Open, indicating that the process has been started. The manager also specifies the reason for opening of the request.
  3. Closing the request for information: When the necessary information has been sent, the owner of the document closes the RFI by changing its status to Closed, indicating that the process has been completed, or by creating a change request from the RFI. The manager also specifies the reason for closing of the request.

Requests for Information: To Process Requests for Information

This activity will walk you through the processing of both an incoming request for information (RFI) and the corresponding outgoing request for information.

Story

Suppose that the ToadGreen company is building a hotel for the Equity Group Investors customer. Then suppose that the customer has requested a specification for the hotel roofing. In order to provide this specification, the ToadGreen project engineer (Ricky Thompson) needs to request these specifications from Balaji Rajan, an engineer of the subcontractor company that performs this part of the work for the project. Acting as the ToadGreen project engineer, you need to create an incoming request for information from the subcontractor, and then create the related outgoing request for information for an external engineer who can provide the requested specifications. Aer the specifications are received, you send them to a project engineer for review.

Configuration Overview

In the U100 dataset, the following tasks have been performed to support this activity:

  • On the Enable/Disable Features (CS100000) form, the Construction and Construction Project Management features have been enabled in the Projects group.
  • On the Project Management Classes (PJ201000) form, the DOCRFI class has been defined with the Request for Information check box selected in the Use For section.
  • On the Projects (PM301000) form, the HOTEL project for the EQUGRP customer has been created. Also, the DL-000001 drawing log with the roofing.gif file for the HOTEL project has been added on the Drawing Logs (PJ403000) form for this project.
  • On the Customers (AR303000) form, the EQUGRP - Equity Group Investors account has been created. On the Contacts tab of this form, a contact for Jessica Drake has been added.
  • On the Contacts (CR302000) form, a contact record for Balaji Rajan has been created.

Process Overview

You will create an incoming request for information on the Request for Information (PJ301000) form. Then you will create an outgoing request for information based on this incoming request for information on the same form. You will and send an email to the external expert by using the Email Activity (CR306015) form. Then you will add the drawing log with the needed information to the request and send an email to the person responsible for document review by using the Email Activity form.

System Preparation

To prepare to perform the instructions of this activity, do the following: Lesson 8: Working with Requests for Information | 57

  1. Sign in to the system as an engineer by using the jwagner username and the 123 password.
  2. In the info area, in the upper-right corner of the top pane of the Acumatica ERP screen, make sure that the business date in your system is set to 2/15/2025. If a different date is displayed, click the Business Date menu button, and select 2/15/2025 on the calendar. For simplicity, in this activity, you will create and process all documents in the system during this business date.

Step 1: Creating an Incoming Request for Information To create an incoming request for information, do the following:

  1. On the Request for Information (PJ301000) form, add a new record.
  2. In the Summary area, specify the following settings:
  • Incoming: Selected (the request has been received from outside the company)
  • Summary: Need specifications on hotel roofing
  • Class ID: DOCRFI
  • Priority: High
  • Owner: Ricky Thompson
  • Project: HOTEL
  • Business Account: EQUGRP
  • Contact: Jessica Drake
  1. In the Question pane on the Details tab, type the following information: Please provide the hotel roofing specifications.
  2. In the Change Impact section on the Additional Info tab, select the Design Change check box.
  3. Save the request for information.
  4. On the form toolbar, click Open. The system changes the status in the Status box to Open.
    You have created the incoming request for information.

Step 2: Requesting Information from an External Expert To create an outgoing request for information from the incoming one, do the following:

  1. While you are still viewing the created request for information on the Request for Information (PJ301000) form, click Convert to Outgoing RFI on the form toolbar. The system creates the new request for information and opens it on the same form.
  2. In the Contact box, select Balaji Rajan, and save your changes. Outgoing requests for information come from inside the company and are addressed to external experts. Note that the link to the original incoming RFI (which you created in Step 1) is displayed in the Link to Incoming RFI box, as shown in the following screenshot. Lesson 8: Working with Requests for Information | 58
       Figure: Outgoing request for information
  3. On the More menu, click Email. The system opens the Email Activity (CR306015) form with the appropriate contact, Balaji Rajan, specified in the To box.
  4. On the Message tab, specify the following text: Please provide the specifications for hotel roofing.
  5. On the form toolbar, click Send to send the email. The system closes the form and returns to the outgoing request for information on the Request for Information form. On the Activities tab, notice that the email you sent is listed. Suppose that Balaji Rajan replied to the email and attached a new drawing for the hotel roofing.
  6. On the table toolbar of the Drawings tab, click Add Drawing Log.
  7. In the Add Drawing Log dialog box, which opens, select the unlabeled check box for the DL-000001 drawing log with the Hotel roofing specification description, and then click Add & Close. The system closes the dialog box and adds a row with the drawing log on the Drawings tab.
  8. On the Details tab, in the Answer pane, type See the attached drawing, and save your changes.
  9. On the More menu, click Email. 10.On the Email Activity form, which opens, do the following: a. In the To box, remove Balaji Rajan, and add Ricky Thompson, who needs to review the materials. On the form title bar, notice Files (2), which indicates that the system has attached the files from the request for information to the created email. b. Click Send on the form toolbar.
    You have processed the outgoing request for information. Aer the responsible person reviews the provided information, the request for information can be closed or converted to a change request.

Requests for Information: To Create a Request for Information from a Project Issue

This activity will walk you through the process of creating a request for information from a project issue. Lesson 8: Working with Requests for Information | 59

Story

Suppose that a design issue has been discovered on the construction site of the Beach Hotel and Condominiums,
a project that the ToadGreen company is working on: Because of the unstable terrain, the paving should be placed
differently. The engineer has reported that the issue will take three days to be resolved and it will cost $60,000.
Acting as a construction foreman, you need to enter the project issue in the system, and then you need to clarify
which paving material needs to be used by processing a request for information for the project issue.

Configuration Overview

In the U100 dataset, the following tasks have been performed to support this activity:
  • On the Enable/Disable Features (CS100000) form, the Construction and Construction Project Management features have been enabled in the Projects group of features.
  • On the Project Management Classes (PJ201000) form, the FIELD class has been defined with the Project Issues check box selected in the Use For section of the Summary area.
  • On the Projects (PM301000) form, the HOTEL project has been created with multiple project tasks.
  • On the Employees (EP203000) form, the EP00000032 – Ricky Thompson employee record has been created.
  • On the Vendors (AP303000), the SUNTECH subcontractor has been created.

Process Overview

You will create the project issue on the Project Issue (PJ302000) form. You will then convert it to a request for
information on the Request for Information (PJ301000) form and send the email to the responsible person on the
Email Activity (CR306015) form.

System Preparation

To prepare to perform the instructions of this activity, do the following:
  1. Sign in to the system as a construction foreman by using the epsmith username and the 123 password.
  2. In the info area, in the upper-right corner of the top pane of the Acumatica ERP screen, make sure that the business date in your system is set to 2/15/2025. If a different date is displayed, click the Business Date menu button, and select 2/15/2025 on the calendar. For simplicity, in this activity, you will create and process all documents in the system on this business date.

Step 1: Creating the Project Issue To create the project issue, do the following:

  1. On the Project Issue (PJ302000) form, add a new record.
  2. In the Summary area, specify the following settings:
  • Project Issue Type: Design Issue
  • Class ID: FIELD
  • Summary: Paving should be replaced
  • Project: HOTEL
  • Owner: Ricky Thompson
  • Due Date: 2/22/2025 (inserted automatically)
  • Schedule Impact (Days): Selected
  • Schedule Impact (Days): 3 Lesson 8: Working with Requests for Information | 60
  • Cost Impact: Selected
  • Cost Impact: 60,000
  1. On the Details tab, type the following information: Due to unstable terrain, the paving needs to be laid differently. Refer to the updated site plan.
  2. Save the project issue.
  3. On the table toolbar of the Drawings tab, click Add Drawing Log.
  4. In the Add Drawing Log dialog box, which opens, select the check box in the unlabeled column for the drawing log with the Site plan title, and click Add & Close to add the drawing log and close the dialog box.
  5. Save your changes.

Step 2: Converting the Project Issue to a Request for Information To convert the issue to the request for information, do the following:

  1. While you are still viewing the Paving should be replaced project issue on the Project Issue (PJ302000) form, click Convert to RFI on the form toolbar. The Request for Information (PJ301000) form opens with the new request for information. The system has copied the settings from the original project issue.
  2. In the Summary area, specify the following settings:
  • Class ID: DOCRFI
  • Owner: Ricky Thompson
  • Business Account: SUNTECH (the subcontractor to perform the work)
  • Contact: Ally Ralts
  • In the Question pane on the Details tab, add the following text: What paving material should be used?
  1. Save your changes. Notice that the link to the original project issue is displayed in the Converted From box, as shown in the following screenshot.
       Figure: Request for information created based on the project issue
  2. On the More menu, click Email. The Email Activity (CR306015) form opens. The contact specified for the request for information (Ally Ralts) is the default recipient of the email.
  3. On the Message tab, type What paving material should be used? Lesson 8: Working with Requests for Information | 61
  4. Click Send on the form toolbar to send the email, close the form and return to the request for information.

You have entered the project issue and converted it to a request for information. Aer the needed information is received, you could create a change request from this project issue or close the request. Lesson 9: Using Drawing Logs | 62