Commitments Agent Overview

Purpose

The Commitments Agent lets users create a Commitment by uploading the underlying contract document or pay application instead of manually typing Schedule of Values (SOV) line items. The agent extracts the SOV into line item amounts, populates as many of the Commitment's required fields as the document supports, and saves the result as a Draft Commitment for review.

Before a Draft can become an Active Commitment, the sum of its extracted line item amounts is checked against the Commitment's total contract value, so users can catch an incomplete or incorrect extraction before the Commitment goes live.

Key Features

1. Active and Drafts tabs: The Commitments list is split into an Active tab and a Drafts tab. The Drafts tab shows a counter of Commitments still being set up, so unfinished setups stay out of the active list.

2. Upload a contract document or pay application: From the Drafts tab, users select Upload files to upload a contract document instead of entering the SOV by hand.

3. Automatic extraction to a Draft: Uploading a document starts extraction of the SOV line items and other required Commitment fields. The result is a Draft Commitment populated with the extracted data.

4. Processing state: While extraction is running, the Draft shows a Processing status. Opening a Draft during extraction shows a processing state rather than a blank or partial form. The Draft becomes editable once extraction completes.

5. Line item total verification: The sum of the extracted line item amounts is verified against the total contract value. A discrepancy is flagged, and the Draft cannot be created as an Active Commitment until the discrepancy is resolved.

6. Manual creation still available: Users who prefer to enter a Commitment by hand can still use New Commitment. The existing creation wizard is unchanged.

Target Users

Users who set up Commitments (contracts and subcontracts) and their Schedules of Values on Construction Financials projects.

How It Works

Step 1: Upload the contract document

On the project's Commitments page, select the Drafts tab, then click Upload files and choose the contract document. An upload progress indicator appears, and uploaded documents appear on the Drafts tab.

Step 2: Wait for extraction to finish

Each uploaded document appears in the Draft commitments list with a Processing status while the agent extracts its data. When extraction completes, the status changes to Needs Review.

If you open a Draft while it is still processing, you see a processing state instead of an empty form. The Draft becomes editable once extraction is done.

The Draft commitments list includes the following columns and actions:

• Columns: Status, File Name, Uploaded

• Row actions: Review, Re-run extraction, Delete

Step 3: Review the extracted Commitment details

Click Review on a Draft with a Needs Review status. The review screen shows the fields populated from the document. Click View file to see the uploaded document.

The Commitment Details section includes the following fields. Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).

• Contract Type *

• Accounting method

• Vendor *

• Contract Total *

• Invite vendor when commitment is created

• Contract ID *

• Contract Date

• Start Date

• Estimated Completion Date

• Scope of Work

• Payment Terms

• Work Completed Retainage

• Stored Materials Retainage

• Retainage Locked

• Notes

Note:

• Any required field the document does not include must be completed manually before saving the commitment.

Step 4: Review the Schedule of Values

The Schedule of Values section lists each extracted line item with its Budget Code, Description of Work, and Scheduled Value. A verification banner above the line items shows whether the line item total matches the contract total.

• When the totals match, a green banner confirms: "Line item total matches the contract total."

  

• When the totals do not match, an amber banner shows the difference (for example, "Line item total is $1,000.00 more than the contract total.") along with details about which values disagree.

  

Note:

• A Draft cannot be created as an Active Commitment while a discrepancy is unresolved. Correct the line items or the Contract Total so the totals match before continuing.

Step 5: Save or create the Commitment

Click Save Draft to keep your changes and finish later. The Draft stays on the Drafts tab.

When everything is correct and the line item total matches the contract total, click Create Commitment. The Commitment moves out of Drafts and becomes an Active Commitment.

Benefits

• Reduces manual data entry by populating SOV line items from a document users already have.

• Speeds up Commitment setup, especially for contracts with many line items.

• Catches incomplete or incorrect extractions before a Commitment goes live, through line item total verification.

• Keeps the active Commitments list clean by holding unfinished setups on the Drafts tab.

• Keeps the existing manual wizard available for users who prefer it.

Best Practices

• Upload the contract document or pay application that contains the fully itemized Schedule of Values, so the agent has line items and a contract total to work from.

• Review every extracted field before creating the Commitment. Fill in any required fields the document did not include.

• If the verification banner flags a discrepancy, use View file to compare the extracted line items and Contract Total against the source document.

• Use Save Draft if you need to confirm details with a colleague or vendor before creating the Commitment.