One of the important aspects of Digital Production Control is the ability to keep the Project Manager and Foreman up to date as far as changes to the budget, percent complete at the site, and payroll usage. To keep all parties current, the Project Manager and Foreman must regularly send and receive project updates to each other.
There are two types of files DPC users create:
- Project Managers create DPC Bid Packages - these files include all the images, takeoff, and production information needed by the field (the Foreman/Foremen).
- Foremen create DPC Change Files and Timecard exports (optionally). DPC Change Files include all the Foreman’s percenting and labor/crew use information since the last time they sent a DPC Change File to the Project Manager. These are incremental files, not cumulative, they don’t include a “full picture” of the Project, as it stands, just what’s changed, hence the name. Timecards Exports are optional - labor hours used are included the DPC Change File, but some customers like to have a copy of the crewmembers’ actual timecard.
Regardless of the method you choose to send/receive DPC Changes, the Project Manager must import Change Files in the order they are sent by the Foreman. If you import job updates out of order, the Project Manager and Foreman jobs will be out of sync (they will not show the same percenting or timecard information).
All users who are sharing data back and forth in DPC must be using the same version of On-Screen Takeoff/Digital Production Control. If you try to import a DPC Bid Package into a different version, the process will fail.
Before sending anything out to the field or from the field back to the office, it is important that you take a moment to view the job's Budget Tab to identify Estimated and Earned Hours. You will use these values as sort of a 'double-check' to make sure that the Project Manager and Foreman's jobs are synchronized correctly. See the previous article for information on using the Budget Tab.
On-Screen Takeoff/Digital Production Control v.4.0.0.405 and earlier included a file-sharing utility named Project Express. This utility has been retired from newer versions of the product and will be replaced with CloudSync, in 2nd Quarter 2026. The next few articles focus on using Project Express, but the concepts behind sending and receiving Projects and Updates are the same.
 Review Budget Tab Prior to Sending Bid to Field | Project Manager - Sending the Bid to Field using Project Express  |
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