Example 4 - A Common Error with Solution

This example uses two projects with alternate categories and alternate items using the same category and item alternate set and member values and section groups.

 

Project 1

Category 1 - Alt Cat Set AA Member 1     Section Group A
     Item X
     Item Y - Alt Item KK1
     Item Z - Alt Item KK2

Category 2 - Alt Cat Set AA Member 2     Section Group B
     Item D
     Item E - Alt Item MM1
     Item F - Alt Item MM2

 

Project 2

Category 1 - Alt Cat Set AA Member 1     Section Group A
     Item D
     Item E - Alt Item KK1
     Item F - Alt Item KK2

Category 2 - Alt Cat Set AA Member 2     Section Group B
     Item X
     Item Y - Alt Item MM1
     Item Z - Alt Item MM2

Individually each project can accommodate this, but at the proposal level, the system tries to combine both Category 1s into a single alternate section and both Category 2s into another alternate section. Because the same two item alternate codes are used for different items, the system tries to combine those item alternates, which generates an error.

To correct this scenario, use the same items with the same alternate code, for example, both Category 1s have items D, E, F.  The system would then combine them into single proposal items with the same alternate designation.

Another scenario using multiple alternate sections with the same set/member designation is shown below:

Project 1

Category 1 - Alt Cat Set AA Member 1     Section Group A
     Item X
     Item Y - Alt Item KK1
     Item Z - Alt Item KK2

Category 2 - Alt Cat Set AA Member 2     Section Group B
     Item D
     Item E - Alt Item MM1
     Item F - Alt Item MM2

 

Project 2

Category 1 - Alt Cat Set AA Member 1     Section Group C
     Item D
     Item E - Alt Item NN1
     Item F - Alt Item NN2

Category 2 - Alt Cat Set AA Member 2     Section Group D
     Item X
     Item Y - Alt Item PP1
     Item Z - Alt Item PP2

At the proposal level, four sections will be created because they all have unique section group values. But two sections will have the same alternate category designation AA1, and the other two will have the alternate designation AA2.  

Proposal totals will take each alternate section total, match for the same alternate set/member and determine which member is low cost for all items in that section.

 

*  Each project has a low cost item total of $25 because only the low cost items in the low cost category are counted (Proj 1 - Cat 1 – AA1 and Proj 2 Cat 2 AA2).

*  The proposal low cost total is $50 - $25 from Section 1 (Category 1 in Project 1) and $25 from Section 4 (Category 2 in Project 2). Although the two projects made four proposal sections, each project only contributed one low cost section.

*  Both Section Group A and Section Group D total $25, while Section Group B and C total $35 each. This is because each Section Group comprises a unique project category and proposal section. The category alternates have no real combining effect in this scenario but they still appear to control the low cost calculation.