Options abound when implementing the AASHTOWare Project™ software, and accessing the software in a hosted environment is one area of increased interest and growth. Utilizing the hosted environment allows your agency to run the AASHTOWare Project software with no significant capital investment and without impacting IT staff.

The AASHTOWare Project Bids software streamlines the bidding process, providing transportation agencies with control over the bid letting process while facilitating bid submittal for contractors. Bidders are able to receive proposal item schedules and to submit and withdraw item bids in a secure, electronic environment. The AASHTOWare Project Bids software provides security and encryption functionality for bids submitted over the Internet.

The AASHTOWare Project Bids software is designed to exchange data with the AASHTOWare Project Preconstruction software or similar systems. Item schedule data can be produced to assist with proposal creation and proposal information can be shared with many word processing, database, or spreadsheet systems.

The AASHTOWare Project Bids software supports proposals with alternate sections or alternate items, lump sum and fixed price items, and the electronic distribution of amendments. Bidders simply open the AASHTOWare Project Bids file provided by the letting agency and enter line item prices for each item. The AASHTOWare Project Bids software calculates bid values as bidders work through the item list and alerts them if an item is accidentally omitted. The software facilitates import and export of item lists to allow for interaction with bid estimation systems commonly used by the contracting community.

The AASHTOWare Project Bids software uses a customizable configuration file to meet agency needs. The configuration file provides control over printed and displayed data and information gathering.

AASHTOWare Project Estimation is a web-based cradle-to-grave estimation application. AASHTOWare Project Estimation provides a variety of estimation methodologies. These include bid-based, cost-based, reference-based, parametric estimation, ad hoc pricing, and collection bases to perform your estimates.

AASHTOWare Project Estimation includes the assessment and assignment of the risk contingency, life cycle analysis tools, expansion of existing import/export capabilities, the inclusion of non-bid costs, non-construction costs and markups, and the ability to utilize snapshots in the creation of an audit trail for the agency’s estimates.

The software provides the ability to run a quick analysis of bid-history pricing to utilize in what-if scenarios and planning discussions. AASHTOWare Project Estimation contains an interactive graphical display for accessing the dynamic bid history profiles utilizing the AASHTOWare Project Data Analytics analysis. Moreover, AASHTOWare Project Estimation requires licensing of AASHTOWare Project Preconstruction. For bid-based pricing, licensing of AASHTOWare Project Data Analytics is required.

The time has come for agencies to have the ability to perform data analytics in a software that is tailored specifically to the highway construction field. AASHTOWare Project Data Analytics™ will provide the ability to perform data analytics in web-based AASHTOWare Project and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) environments. Key Highlights Include:

• Drives key performance indicators based on historical analysis.
• Quickly analyze vendor bidding patterns for irregularities.
• Display key information on a map graphic to aid in interpretation of data.
• Dashboard display of construction portfolios.
• Integrated with the AASHTOWare Project software and built to maximize the potential of the AASHTOWare Project unified database.
• Breaks down departmental silos by using and analyzing all data from the estimate, letting, bids, construction, materials, civil rights and labor.
• Accessible from anywhere, mobile-friendly.
• Interactive analysis tools built specifically for agency construction management business needs.
• Agencies will be able to respond more quickly and accurately to citizen, legislative, and vendor requests with user-friendly tools for accessing current data.
• Future planning is improved, as it can be based on current, broader sets of information that are more accurate.
• Use of industry-standard third-party tools for additional analysis, visualization, and reporting.
• Minimal user training, with a low-complexity product and simple navigation.
• Use of the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform keeps the product at the latest production version and the technology remains current.
• Agencies are no longer required to license the SAS statistical analytical tool.
• A rapid delivery model allows new features to go live quicker.
• No agency deployment needed as the SaaS is in a hosted environment, minimal IT support.

AASHTOWare Project Data Analytics currently provides graphical, bid-based price analysis and item price estimates utilizing historical bid data from the web-based AASHTOWare Project unified database.  The analytical methodology, originating from AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS, includes expanded functionality available only in the web-based version of AASHTOWare Project. The initial functionality became available as of the AASHTOWare Project 4.0 software release in September 2017.  The Software-as-a-Service functionality, which will provide specific features/models to perform analytical support, will have its initial release in July 2018. See “On the Horizon” for details regarding AASHTO’s upcoming solicitation to continue the development of the AASHTOWare Data Analytics software. For more information about this product, contact AASHTO or the AASHTOWare® contractor:

Cloverleaf 2970 SW 50th Terrace Gainesville, FL 32608 Phone: (352) 381-4400 E-mail: info@cloverleaf.net Internet: www.cloverleaf.net

AASHTO 444 North Capitol Street N.W., Suite 249 Washington, DC 20001 Phone: (202) 624-3697 E-mail: kplatte@aashto.org Internet: www.aashtoware.org

AASHTOWare Project Preconstruction replaces the existing client/server PES and LAS modules with a web-based product offering similar functionality which allows the user to enter project data, prepare the PS&E estimate, create proposals, select a group of proposals for a bid letting and create various reports. In addition to the replacement of PES/LAS, AASHTOWare Project Preconstruction includes features such as simplified installation, a unified database, consolidated security model, workflow/phase handling, innovative bidding a new reporting tool, improved handling of generic fields, and customization features. A data migration utility from PES/LAS has also been included to assist agencies in their migration to the web-based product. Licensing of AASHTOWare Project Data Analytics or AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS is required in order to utilize the AASHTOWare Project Preconstruction basic bid-based item price functionality.

AASHTOWare Project Civil Rights & Labor receives and processes the data required to meet federal and state requirements for civil rights and labor compliance activities. AASHTOWare Project Civil Rights & Labor is a web-based product offering that allows the effective administration of an agency’s external civil rights and labor compliance activities such as contractor payrolls and labor compliance, wage decisions, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification, vendor data management, DBE commitments, On-the-Job Trainees (OJT) tracking and monitoring, subcontractor data and prompt pay tracking, Bidder/Quoter submittals, trucking types and tracking, interfaces with client/server, and contract compliance reviews. Functionality and security are also available to allow non-agency users (e.g. contractors and subcontractors) to access AASHTOWare Project Civil Rights & Labor to submit electronic payroll and subcontractor payment information. Non-agency users can also manage DBE commitments and Bidder/Quoter submittals. AASHTOWare Project Civil Rights & Labor requires licensing of AASHTOWare Project Preconstruction. Two tools are also available to assist contractors and payroll software companies in creating Extensible Markup Language (XML) formatted payroll files for import into AASHTOWare Project Civil Rights  & Labor software: the AASHTOWare Project Payroll Spreadsheet and Conversion Utility and the AASHTOWare Project Payroll XML Developer’s Resource Kit.

AASHTOWare Project Construction & Materials is a web-based construction and materials management software application. AASHTOWare Project Construction & Materials covers the construction and materials management process, including laboratory information management functionality. It is a powerful application spanning all levels of construction and materials enabling personnel to progress a contract and its supporting documentation from award through finalization. AASHTOWare Project Construction & Materials allows an organization to manage all aspects of a construction project through Daily Work Reports, diaries, stormwater compliance inspections, contract change orders, force accounts, contractor evaluations, design evaluations, plan discrepancies, meeting records, document submission and review, stockpiles, and contractor payments. AASHTOWare Project Construction & Materials provides the ability to track materials, approve materials for source and facilities, qualifications (for testers, samplers, calibrators, welders, and laboratories), track test equipment and calibrate equipment, withhold payment for insufficient materials, approve mix designs for their design and use on a construction contract. AASHTOWare Project Construction & Materials features a laboratory information management component which allows an organization the ability to manage and track progress through each critical step of the material sample lifecycle.

The SYNC Service for AASHTOWare Project provides automatic synchronization of data between the Info Tech^® Mobile Inspector^TM application or the Info Tech^® Field Interviewer^TM application on a smartphone or tablet. The Mobile Inspector application can be used with either the AASHTOWare Project SiteManager, the AASHTOWare Project FieldManager, or AASHTOWare Project Construction & Materials software. The Field Interviewer application is used with the AASHTOWare Project Civil Rights & Labor software. The service includes a secure storage and transmission service for the AASHTOWare Project SiteManager or the AASHTOWare Project FieldManager application. The service includes secure storage and transmission service for the AASHTOWare Project Construction & Materials and AASHTOWare Project Civil Rights & Labor applications and a plug-in is not required. Info Tech Mobile Inspector is an application that allows inspectors the ability to collect the data required for a daily report, including item progress, contractor work force, photos and site conditions. Info Tech Field Interviewer is an application that allows civil rights and/or field personnel with a simple, more accurate way to conduct interviews and capture interview data. Both of the applications can be used on tablets or smart phones, can be used on-line or off-line, and can accommodate any size contract. These applications are available for free download from the Apple App, Google Play, and Windows stores.

AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS provides a complete AASHTOWare Project historical data warehouse specifically designed to provide decision support in the areas of bid monitoring and evaluation, vendor (contractor, subcontractor, and DBE) and market analysis, item price estimation, and the planning and budgeting process. The AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS Workstation was developed to provide a desktop platform for AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS analysis as an alternative to host-based AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS analysis.  In this context, the “desktop” is a computer running the Windows operating system, and the “host” is the computer where the full AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS system is installed.  The AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS Workstation permits an AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS analyst to download Data Views from a host computer and perform Statistical Models Analysis and Ad Hoc Analysis on the desktop on those downloaded Data Views.  The Workstation provides a faster, more responsive analysis environment. Standalone AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS is an option that provides the full AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS software capabilities on a single Windows PC.  It also allows additional AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS Workstations to access the PC as a database server.  This configuration is ideal for agencies that need the full power of AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS without the additional overhead of a client/server implementation. AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS supports interactive drill-down analysis of contract item bids, facilitating faster contract award decisions based on more information at the analyst’s fingertips.  This feature is also used for long-term bidding pattern analysis, providing quick answers to the detail questions, such as, “What were this item’s prices for this contractor over the last six months?” Because of the collusion detection aspects, AASHTOWare Project BAMS/DSS is only available to Member and Associate-International Member agencies.