A system for changing engineering project contracts

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of engineering management technology, specifically to a system for modifying engineering project contracts. The system includes: a prior information input module for acquiring prior engineering contracts and prior project progress information, and generating a project forecast progress based on the prior engineering contracts and prior project progress information to determine whether the engineering contract needs to be modified; an engineering contract modification module for acquiring the contract modification content; a sub-project re-division module for re-dividing sub-projects based on the prior engineering contracts and the contract modification content and associating relevant information; and a contract modification module for submitting the modified contract to replace the original engineering contract, and performing project acceptance and assessment according to the nodes of the modified contract. This invention enables corresponding adjustments to engineering control based on revised contract content, achieves real-time data updates and information sharing through a computer system, and improves the efficiency and accuracy of contract modification.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of engineering management technology, and more specifically to a system for changing engineering project contracts. Background Technology

[0002] Construction project contracts are a crucial part of construction projects. They regulate and manage the quality, safety, and schedule of the construction project to ensure that the project is carried out in accordance with the contract requirements.

[0003] Contract change management is a crucial component of project management, directly impacting the smooth progress of the project and the quality of the final deliverables. Establishing a standardized contract change management process can effectively control risks, protect the legitimate rights and interests of both parties, and facilitate the successful completion of the project. Currently, most project contract processes rely on manual changes. When a change is needed, staff, based on experience, assess the situation, determine the specific content, scope, impact, and corresponding adjustments, and then modify the contract process within the project management system.

[0004] In the above scheme, manual operation may lead to low efficiency, easy errors, and difficulty in achieving real-time data updates and sharing. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a system for changing engineering project contracts to solve the problems that manual changes may lead to low efficiency, easy errors, and difficulty in achieving real-time data updates and sharing.

[0006] This invention provides a system for changing engineering project contracts, the system comprising:

[0007] The prior information entry module is used to obtain prior engineering contracts and prior engineering progress information, and based on the prior engineering contracts and prior engineering progress information, generate a project forecast progress to determine whether the engineering contract needs to be modified.

[0008] The engineering contract modification module is used to obtain the contract modification content when it is necessary to modify the engineering contract;

[0009] The sub-project re-division module is used to re-divide sub-projects and associate relevant information based on the previous engineering contract and the contract modification content, so as to generate a modified contract;

[0010] The contract modification module is used to submit modified contracts to replace the original engineering contracts, and to perform project acceptance and assessment according to the nodes of the modified contracts.

[0011] In one alternative implementation, the prior engineering contract includes contract terms, schedule, and quality standards.

[0012] In one alternative implementation, the prior project progress information includes the amount of work completed, the time spent, and the resource usage.

[0013] In one optional implementation, the prior information entry module includes:

[0014] The preceding information entry unit is used to obtain the preceding project contract and the preceding project progress information entered by the user.

[0015] The project progress prediction unit is used to generate a project progress prediction based on the existing project contract and using a preset progress prediction model, so as to determine whether to modify the project contract based on the project progress prediction.

[0016] In one optional implementation, the prior information entry module further includes:

[0017] The project schedule difference calculation unit is used to compare the previous project schedule information with the project forecast schedule in order to obtain the project schedule difference.

[0018] The difference judgment unit is used to compare the difference in project progress with a preset threshold, and determine to modify the project contract when the difference in project progress is greater than the preset threshold.

[0019] In one alternative implementation, the contract modification includes completed sub-projects, unexecuted sub-projects, completed budgets, and unexecuted budgets.

[0020] In one alternative implementation, the sub-project re-division module includes:

[0021] The sub-project re-division unit is used to re-divide sub-projects based on the prior engineering contract and according to the contract modification content.

[0022] The associated information unit is used to link the project budget, cost changes in contract modifications, schedule changes, unit project and change orders, investment and fund disbursement information to generate the revised contract.

[0023] In one optional implementation, the contract modification module includes:

[0024] The new contract submission unit is used to submit revised contracts to replace the original engineering contracts and update all contract-related information.

[0025] The project acceptance and assessment unit is used to perform project acceptance and assessment according to the nodes of the modified contract.

[0026] In one optional implementation, the project acceptance and assessment unit includes:

[0027] The milestone checking and adjustment subunit is used to check the revised milestone group data after a contract change, and adjust the milestone group data according to the check results to make the revised milestone group data consistent with the revised contract content; the milestone group data includes milestone item amounts and percentages.

[0028] In one optional implementation, the project acceptance and assessment unit further includes:

[0029] The milestone settlement subunit is used to review the settlement application after it is received, based on the revised contract content and milestone completion status, and to perform milestone settlement payment operations after the review is approved.

[0030] The technical solution provided by this invention may include the following beneficial effects:

[0031] This invention implements an automated contract modification process. Before and after contract modification, the project is re-divided into sub-projects, budgets, and assessment nodes according to the modified contract content. The modified contract is then stored in the system to replace the original contract. Subsequent assessments are conducted according to the modified contract, further standardizing the project contract modification process, ensuring the traceability of project cost control, and allowing for real-time tracking of the rationality of the project contract decomposition by the large-scale integrated management system. It enables corresponding adjustments to project control based on the revised contract content, and achieves real-time data updates and information sharing through the computer system, improving the efficiency and accuracy of contract modification and providing managers and decision-makers with high-value analytical and decision-making information. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a project contract modification system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of another engineering project contract change system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a system for modifying engineering project contracts is provided. Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a project contract modification system according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the system includes:

[0037] The prior information entry module 101 is used to obtain prior engineering contracts and prior engineering progress information, and based on the prior engineering contracts and prior engineering progress information, generate a project forecast progress to determine whether the engineering contract needs to be modified.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the prior information input module 101 first inputs prior engineering contracts and prior engineering progress information, thereby automatically generating the difference between the project's predicted progress and the actual progress. When the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, an assessment conclusion is proposed, and it is determined that the engineering contract needs to be modified to ensure the accuracy of the project contract implementation. The prior engineering contract may include contract terms, schedule arrangements, and quality standards, etc. The prior engineering progress information may include the amount of work completed, the time spent, and resource usage, etc.

[0039] The engineering contract modification module 102 is used to obtain the contract modification content when it is necessary to modify the engineering contract.

[0040] Furthermore, when it is necessary to modify the engineering contract, this embodiment uses the engineering contract modification module 102 to input the contract modification content, thereby modifying and changing the existing engineering contract based on the contract modification content. The contract modification content may include some completed sub-projects, unexecuted sub-projects, completed budgets, and unexecuted budgets.

[0041] The sub-project re-division module 103 is used to re-divide sub-projects and associate relevant information based on the previous engineering contract and the modifications to the contract, so as to generate a modified contract.

[0042] Furthermore, after obtaining the contract modification content, this embodiment re-divides the sub-projects based on the original contract as a whole, and links the project budget, cost changes of the contract modification, changes of schedule and quantities, unit projects and visas, investment and fund disbursement to each other, and ensures that these modifications and links are logically consistent and meet the needs of project management.

[0043] The contract modification module 104 is used to submit a modified contract to replace the original project contract, and to perform project acceptance and assessment according to the milestones of the modified contract.

[0044] Furthermore, after the sub-projects are re-divided and related information is interconnected, this embodiment can generate a modified contract, which can then be submitted, such as to the project acceptance and assessment module of this system, or to the project management system, to replace the original project contract. After the contract is changed, this embodiment performs project acceptance and assessment according to the nodes of the modified contract, strictly adhering to the budget as the control benchmark and conducting delivery assessment and quality acceptance according to the modified contract.

[0045] In summary, this invention realizes an automated contract modification process. Before and after the contract modification, the project is re-divided into sub-projects, budgets, and assessment nodes according to the modified contract content. The modified contract is then stored in the system to replace the original contract. Subsequent assessments are conducted according to the modified contract. This further standardizes the project contract modification process, ensures the traceability of project cost control, and allows for real-time tracking of the rationality of the project contract decomposition by the large-scale integrated management system. It enables corresponding adjustments to project control based on the revised contract content. Through the computer system, real-time data updates and information sharing are achieved, improving the efficiency and accuracy of contract modification and providing managers and decision-makers with high-value analytical and decision-making information.

[0046] Please see Figure 2 The diagram shows another structural diagram of a project contract change system. In an optional implementation, the prior information entry module 101 includes:

[0047] The prior information input unit 1011 is used to obtain the prior project contract and the prior project progress information entered by the user.

[0048] The project schedule prediction unit 1012 is used to generate a project schedule prediction based on the existing project contract and using a preset schedule prediction model, so as to determine whether to modify the project contract based on the project schedule prediction.

[0049] In one optional implementation, the prior information entry module 101 further includes:

[0050] The project schedule difference calculation unit 1013 is used to compare the previous project schedule information with the project forecast schedule in order to obtain the project schedule difference.

[0051] The difference judgment unit 1014 is used to compare the difference in project progress with a preset threshold, and determine to modify the project contract when the difference in project progress is greater than the preset threshold.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the previous project contract information and the actual progress of the previous project are first entered into the system by the previous information entry unit 1011. Then, the project progress prediction unit 1012 automatically generates the project prediction progress based on the entered information. The project progress difference calculation unit 1013 then compares the project progress difference with the actual progress to calculate the difference. In the difference judgment unit 1014, if the project progress difference is greater than a predetermined threshold, an assessment conclusion is proposed, and it is determined that the project contract needs to be modified.

[0053] In one alternative implementation, the sub-project re-division module 103 includes:

[0054] Sub-project re-division unit 1031 is used to re-divide sub-projects based on the prior engineering contract and according to the modifications made to the contract.

[0055] The associated information unit 1032 is used to link the project budget, cost changes in the contract modification, changes in the schedule and quantities of work, unit works and change orders, investment and fund disbursement information to generate the modified contract.

[0056] Furthermore, this embodiment first uses the sub-project re-division unit 1031 to re-divide the sub-projects based on the overall previous engineering contract, ensuring that the new sub-project division more accurately reflects the actual situation and change requirements of the project, and that the engineering budget corresponds to the new sub-project division. Then, through the related information association unit 1032, the budgets of each sub-project are adjusted according to the contract modifications, and the cost changes of the contract modifications are updated to ensure that the new cost budget is consistent with the contract modifications; the progress work volume is adjusted according to the new sub-project division and contract modifications to ensure that the schedule matches the actual situation; for unit projects and visas, corresponding adjustments are made according to the contract modifications, and these adjustments are ensured to be coordinated with the new sub-project division and schedule; investment and fund disbursement are linked to the new sub-project division, cost budget, and schedule to ensure the reasonable allocation and effective use of funds.

[0057] In one alternative implementation, the contract modification module 104 includes:

[0058] New contract submission unit 1041 is used to submit the revised contract to replace the original engineering contract and update all contract-related information;

[0059] Project acceptance and assessment unit 1042 is used to perform project acceptance and assessment according to the milestones of the revised contract.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the modified contract is submitted to the project management system through the new contract submission unit 1041 to replace the original project contract, and all contract-related information is updated in the system, including sub-project division, budget, schedule, etc. Then, the project acceptance and assessment unit 1042 performs project acceptance and assessment according to the modified contract milestones, strictly adhering to the budget as the control benchmark to ensure that project costs do not exceed the budget range, and conducts delivery assessment and quality acceptance based on the modified contract to ensure that the quality of project delivery meets the contract requirements.

[0061] In one optional implementation, the project acceptance and assessment unit 1042 includes:

[0062] The milestone check and adjustment subunit 10421 is used to check the revised milestone group data after a contract change, and adjust the milestone group data according to the check results so that the revised milestone group data is consistent with the revised contract content; the milestone group data includes the milestone item amount and percentage.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when implementing contract modification operations, a modification application must first be submitted. The modification entry personnel enter basic modification information into the system, including the modification entry personnel, basic modification information, modified quotation information, basic modification information for the milestone group to be modified, contract code, milestone group code, and reason for modification (for entering basic modification information and modified quotation information, if it is a new project, the quotation structure definition must first be performed: adding a quotation structure, modifying quotation quantity and price information, and attaching materials and equipment). The system then submits the modification application to relevant personnel for approval. After the modification is approved, the system automatically updates the contract content, including dividing sub-projects, adjusting the budget, and updating assessment nodes. The updated contract is stored in the management system as a new version of the contract file and marked as the current valid version. After the contract modification is completed, this embodiment uses the milestone check and adjustment subunit 10421 to check the detailed data of the modified milestone group, including the amount and proportion of milestone items, to ensure consistency with the modified contract content. As needed, the milestones are adjusted, including adding, deleting, or modifying milestone items.

[0064] In one optional implementation, the project acceptance and assessment unit 1042 further includes:

[0065] Milestone settlement subunit 10422 is used to review the settlement application after it is received, based on the revised contract content and milestone completion status, and to perform milestone settlement payment operations after the review is approved.

[0066] Furthermore, as part of the contract payment process, milestone settlement is initiated by the contractor or owner. After the settlement application is submitted, this embodiment reviews it based on the revised contract content and milestone completion status through the milestone settlement subunit 10422. After the review is approved, the milestone settlement payment operation is performed.

[0067] This embodiment has strict requirements for the preparation of the quantity calculation sheet, such as:

[0068] All quantities in the construction details must be calculated in a quantity calculation sheet before construction and settlement. Quantities for each set of drawings should, in principle, be calculated only once. Except in special circumstances, all quantities in all drawings must be calculated (e.g., if a design change notice has been issued for the drawing before calculation). The calculation sheet should be prepared by a highly skilled specialist assigned by each construction unit. The quantities of a unit project are derived from the total quantities of the sub-items, and the calculated values ​​should be as consistent as possible with the actual quantities. Calculation requirements: sufficient evidence, standardized wording, clear calculation process, calculation diagrams consistent with the dimensions of the construction drawings, and correct and logically consistent calculation results (the sum of similar quantities in each unit project item should be equal to the quantity of the sub-item).

[0069] Furthermore, contract milestone settlement serves as a means of progress management and settlement control, reflecting the overall project status in a timely and accurate manner, improving the accuracy of the owner's project plan and the rationality of progress settlement, and achieving effective management of project costs and construction schedule. This function is applicable to contracts settled according to schedule, milestones, and work results.

[0070] Currently, milestone-based contract settlement is a supplement to the original project management system's function of settling contracts based on the Bill of Quantities (BOQ). Milestone settlement is not only applicable to construction contract settlement but also suitable for design contracts, procurement contracts, and the settlement of design, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts themselves. It also effectively integrates with the project schedule, making cash flow calculations more realistic. This function allows the project management system to have two settlement routes: one based on the BOQ and the other on contract progress milestones. It also strengthens the connection with the project schedule. Contracts in the project management system include procurement contracts, service contracts, and administrative contracts used to record internal costs. The contract milestone settlement function is similar to the general construction contract settlement process. The original process was based on Points of Interest (POIs) in the BOQ. The new function covers both POIs and Cost Category Items (HRCs). The newly added contract milestone settlement function broadens the scope of the original business processing and allows for a transition from milestone settlement to the original settlement business processing through the processing procedure.

[0071] Among them, the milestone settlement function in the contract mainly includes: (1) Contract milestone definition: including milestone group, milestone item, milestone group hierarchical code, and the association between milestone group and the contract bill of quantities (BOQ); (2) Contract milestone item settlement: including application, approval, review of contract milestone item settlement data, and conversion of milestone item settlement data into contract cost data.

[0072] The MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Mechanical) contract milestone settlement function was developed specifically for the characteristics of MEP settlement. It addresses the issue of numerous individual price items in MEP contracts, each requiring proportional settlement based on the completion progress of the MEP installation. Previously, users had to manually calculate the settlement amount for each price item within the contract's progress each time. The MEP contract milestone settlement function links each sub-item of the MEP contract with its price item, packages them according to the contract settlement progress requirements, and performs batch settlement of contract data based on the principle of proportional progress.

[0073] In the above embodiments, a milestone group refers to a collection of milestone items. The relationship between milestone groups and milestone items is one-to-many. In an electromechanical installation contract, a milestone group primarily summarizes the Bill of Quantities (BOQ) amount and represents a sub-item. A milestone item refers to a series of data belonging to a contract milestone group, dividing the milestone group into several parts. In an electromechanical installation contract, a milestone item represents the progress of each sub-item.

[0074] Furthermore, under the principles of project management, this embodiment allows for a hierarchical authorization responsibility system for approving contract changes. Decomposition and synthesis are a pair of opposing yet unified concepts. While decomposing, it's impossible not to control the overall schedule and cost; therefore, a hierarchical authorization responsibility system must be established. Because the management of any complex matter involves many people, and different people will have different opinions, hierarchical authorization is the best way to resolve this contradiction, simultaneously achieving both overall control and itemized management. Due to its clear division of responsibilities, its work efficiency is inevitably high. Currently, the management of the entire project is divided into decision-making, planning and control, construction management, and project management levels, establishing an integrated management system centered on the construction project, encompassing design, procurement, and construction (EPC integrated management), and a matrix service system. Once the basic framework of project management as the core and hierarchical authorization for control is established, this embodiment can be centered around engineering project management. The role of other departments is then defined as "serving the project." The purpose of integrated management of design, procurement, and construction (EPC integrated management) must be to control the design and material supply around construction. Related businesses such as material supply, equipment procurement, information systems, and technical management will provide support services to each construction project department. This constitutes a matrix service system with project management as the object.

[0075] Furthermore, this embodiment also provides overall control and coordination of the three major elements of project management and control: cost, schedule, and quality. The scope of modern engineering management is no longer limited to generating plans and schedule reports. While ensuring that quality, cost, and schedule requirements are met, engineering managers constantly face a series of unforeseen challenges. The main control elements of project management are quality, schedule, and cost. The goal of project management is to find the optimal solution for schedule and cost while ensuring quality. A key characteristic of quality control is that once standards are set, they cannot be neglected. Schedule and cost can be balanced and coordinated during the implementation of an engineering project.

[0076] Furthermore, the project management and control in this embodiment emphasizes planning and forecasting. Project management is a continuous process, starting from project initiation and ending upon project completion. If we use a timeline as the horizontal axis, project management is defined at various points in time (e.g., Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, etc.). The forecast at the project's inception is called the baseline, the baseline investment is the budget estimate, the forecasts during project progress are the projected data, and the project's completion status is the actual performance. Project management can be divided into definition and implementation phases. Based on the dynamic nature of engineering projects, project management and control must grasp the project's implementation status according to the project definition. This involves continuously monitoring schedule, cost, and quality to reflect actual developments, and constantly comparing baseline and planned, projected and actual information to monitor schedule changes and cost variations. This allows for timely detection of trends affecting project outcomes and corrections through plan adjustments.

[0077] In summary, this invention realizes an automated contract modification process. Before and after the contract modification, the project is re-divided into sub-projects, budgets, and assessment nodes according to the modified contract content. The modified contract is then stored in the system to replace the original contract. Subsequent assessments are conducted according to the modified contract. This further standardizes the project contract modification process, ensures the traceability of project cost control, and allows for real-time tracking of the rationality of the project contract decomposition by the large-scale integrated management system. It enables corresponding adjustments to project control based on the revised contract content. Through the computer system, real-time data updates and information sharing are achieved, improving the efficiency and accuracy of contract modification and providing managers and decision-makers with high-value analytical and decision-making information.

[0078] Although embodiments of the invention have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and such modifications and variations all fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system for changing engineering project contracts, characterized in that, The system includes: The prior information entry module is used to obtain prior engineering contracts and prior engineering progress information, and based on the prior engineering contracts and prior engineering progress information, generate a project forecast progress to determine whether the engineering contract needs to be modified. The engineering contract modification module is used to obtain the contract modification content when it is necessary to modify the engineering contract; The sub-project re-division module is used to re-divide sub-projects and associate relevant information based on the previous engineering contract and the contract modification content, so as to generate a modified contract; The sub-project is re-divided into modules, including: The sub-project re-division unit is used to re-divide sub-projects based on the prior engineering contract and according to the contract modification content. The associated information unit is used to link the project budget, cost changes in the contract, changes in the schedule and quantities of work, unit works and change orders, investment and fund disbursement information to generate the revised contract. The related information units adjust the budget estimates for each sub-project according to the contract modifications, update the cost changes in the contract modifications, and ensure that the new cost budget is consistent with the contract modifications; adjust the schedule work volume according to the new sub-project division and contract modifications to ensure that the schedule plan matches the actual situation; for unit projects and change orders, make corresponding adjustments according to the contract modifications, and ensure that these adjustments are coordinated with the new sub-project division and schedule plan; link investment and fund disbursement with the new sub-project division, cost budget, and schedule plan to ensure the reasonable allocation and effective use of funds; The contract modification module is used to submit modified contracts to replace the original engineering contracts, and to perform project acceptance and assessment according to the nodes of the modified contracts. The contract modification module includes: an engineering acceptance and assessment unit, used to perform engineering acceptance and assessment according to the nodes of the modified contract; The project acceptance and assessment unit includes: The milestone checking and adjustment subunit is used to check the revised milestone group data after a contract change, and adjust the milestone group data according to the check results to make the revised milestone group data consistent with the revised contract content; the milestone group data includes milestone item amounts and percentages.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned prior engineering contract includes contract terms, schedule, and quality standards.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned project progress information includes the amount of work completed, the time spent, and the resource usage.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned information entry module includes: The preceding information entry unit is used to obtain the preceding project contract and the preceding project progress information entered by the user. The project progress prediction unit is used to generate a project progress prediction based on the existing project contract and using a preset progress prediction model, so as to determine whether to modify the project contract based on the project progress prediction.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The aforementioned information entry module also includes: The project schedule difference calculation unit is used to compare the previous project schedule information with the project forecast schedule in order to obtain the project schedule difference. The difference judgment unit is used to compare the difference in project progress with a preset threshold, and determine to modify the project contract when the difference in project progress is greater than the preset threshold.

6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contract modifications include completed sub-projects, unexecuted sub-projects, completed budgets, and unexecuted budgets.

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contract modification module also includes: The new contract submission unit is used to submit revised contracts to replace the original engineering contracts and update all contract-related information.

8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The project acceptance and assessment unit also includes: The milestone settlement subunit is used to review the settlement application after it is received, based on the revised contract content and milestone completion status, and to perform milestone settlement payment operations after the review is approved.

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