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Intro to Appia settings
Settings can be configured at two different levels in the Appia® service:
- Global -- global settings automatically apply to every new project that you create.
- Project -- project settings will override global settings if you configure and save them.
Global settings set the default rules for things like retainage, overages, stockpiles, and daily reports. Any new project you create after updating the global settings will automatically have those rules applied.
Project settings provide an extra level of configuration for any projects where different rules apply. Changes made at the project level will only apply to that project.
Example:
- As a standard, Greystone Builders retains 10% of authorized project amount on every project.
→ They go to global settings and set a 10% retainage rule.
- Greystone Builders get a new contract; the project is overseen by an owner requiring them to retain 15% of authorized project amount for this project.
→ They set a 15% retainage rule in the project settings, which apply to this project only. New projects will continue to default to their system-wide 10% retainage rule.
Global settings can ONLY be set and changed by a system administrator.
Project settings can be set and changed by a system administrator OR a senior project manager (with access to that project).
See our guide to user roles and permissions for more details.
Most project settings can be changed during the Under Construction phase except for the Worksheet Calculations rule.
This rule cannot be changed once a project is under construction.
Changing a Payment Retainage rule on an under-construction project?
Going forward, Appia will either:
- retain enough money to make up the difference, or
- not withhold any money if the amount has been met through previous retainage.
Global settings can be changed any time, but they will only start applying to new projects created after the settings were updated. Changes will not affect any projects currently under construction.
Global settings
To change global settings, go to:
My Projects > System Mgt > Settings
You'll see the following two tabs.
General settings determine the look of any reports generated by the Appia service.
System admins can customize business preferences for the name and logo displayed on PDF reports. You must specifically upload your logo here; Appia will not pull a business logo from your My Account page, even if you have one uploaded there.
Construction settings create default rules that, when set at the global level, will be automatically applied to any new project you create.
You can read detailed definitions for each option in construction settings, but here are the major rules you can set:
- Payment retainage – Do you want to cap retainage? What percentage of the awarded or authorized amount do you want to retain?
- Stockpile retainage – Will your business retain stockpile advancements?
- Worksheet calculations – Do you want to use worksheets in item postings?
- Payment for work overages – Will your business automatically pay over an item's authorized quantity? If so, set that payment limit in percentage or dollar amount.
- Daily report and diary carry over rules – Should the service carry over the personnel, equipment, item postings, or attachments from one daily report or diary to the next?
Project settings
To change project settings, go to My Projects and click on the Project ID that you want to set unique rules for. Then from the sidebar, click:
More > Project Settings
You'll see the following five tabs.
The General tab contains settings identical to those described above in the global settings section, so please refer there for details. The difference is that these settings, when applied here at the project level, will only affect this project and no others.
The Construction tab contains settings identical to those described above in the global settings section, so please refer there for details. The difference is that these settings, when applied here at the project level, will only affect this project and no others.
- The Worksheet Calculations rule is the only setting that can't be changed once a project is under construction.
- If a Payment Retainage rule changes, Appia will either:
- retain enough money to make up the difference, or
- not withhold any money if the amount has been met through previous retainage.
The Integrations tab is where you can enable the integration between Doc Express and Appia, letting you submit Appia-generated daily report, change order, and payment documents to the Doc Express service and your workflows there.
Learn more about the Doc Express and Appia integration here.
The Project Security tab is where a system administrator or senior project manager can control which users have access to the project, and in which role.
When a new user is added to an Appia business, they are automatically assigned a Read Only (non-licensed) role with zero project access. A system administrator or senior project manager must give the new user access to each project as needed.
Likewise, when a new project is created, only system administrators and the senior project manager who created the project will automatically have access to the project. A system administrator or the senior project manager must grant access to each user that needs to be on the project.
Grant user access at the project security level
From the Project Settings tab, a system administrator or senior project manager can grant user access to each project as needed.
- If you are trying to add a user to your project who is outside your business, you may have to invite them to create an Infotech account first. Then you can add them to your Appia account from the System Mgt > My Business tab and assign them a role.
- You can also grant project-specific access from the My Business > Users tab.
When you click on the Project Security tab in an under construction project, you'll see a list of users with access to the project. If you haven't added anyone yet, this list of users with project access will contain all system administrators in the business and, when applicable, the senior project manager who created the project. To grant project access to more users:
- Find and click the Add Users button. This will bring up a modal listing all users in your Appia account.
- If you don't see a certain user listed, they may not have an Infotech or Appia account yet. See the "Good to know" box above.
- Click on the name of the user(s) you want to give project access to, then click Add. You will now see the added user(s) appear on the list of Project Users in the Project Security tab. From there, you can change a user's Project Role if needed.
From the Project Users list, you have the option to change a user's Project Role. This means that for this project only the user can operate under a different set of rules and permissions than their default role. This will not affect their default role or their role on other projects. To assign a user a different role at the project level:
- Find the name of the user whose role you want to change. Click on Assign Project Role next to their name.
- Select the new role you want the user to have for this project. Click Save.
You will now see that the user's default role and project role differ. Their permissions and ability to take action on this project will be determined by this project role.
Remove user access at the project security level
To remove access to the project, select the check mark to the right of their name and then click Remove Users. Click Ok to confirm. The user will no longer have any access to this project in any role.
- System administrators (and senior project managers with project access) can also add or remove users from a project by going to System Mgt > My Business > Users and selecting their project access.
The Contractor Access tab is where you can invite and remove contractors at the project level. These users can see item lists and item activity, and can see and edit punch lists.