Construction Technical Architecture and Data Schema

1. Overview & Business Value#

This comprehensive operational guide details the architecture, business workflows, configuration parameters, and execution steps for Construction Technical Architecture and Data Schema within SmartERP.

Database models: smarterp_construction_contract, payment_request, boq_line, daily_labor, and ORM hooks.

{screenshot:construction-technical-architecture-overview-dashboard}

2. Prerequisites & Security Access Groups#

• Required Modules: project, smarterp_project_governance, hr_timesheet
• Security Groups:
  • Project User (Technical ID: project.group_project_user)
  • Project Administrator (Technical ID: project.group_project_manager)
  • Timesheet Approver (Technical ID: hr_timesheet.group_hr_timesheet_approver)
• Master Data Dependencies: Project master records, milestone stages, work breakdown structures (WBS), bill of quantities (BoQ), and employee billing cost rates.

3. Step-by-Step Configuration & Execution#

Step 1: Navigating to the Module Interface#

1. Log into your SmartERP instance at https://smarterp.et/odoo.
2. Open the main App Switcher (grid icon in the top-left corner).
3. Select the Projects app icon.
4. From the top navigation bar, open Projects → Dashboard → My Tasks / All Projects; Timesheets → Timesheets.

{screenshot:construction-technical-architecture-app-switcher-navigation}

Step 2: Creating and Parameterizing Records#

1. Click the New button in the top-left control panel.
2. Complete the mandatory fields in the record form:
   • Project / Task Name (Mandatory): Descriptive title of work package or milestone deliverable
   • Assigned Project Team (Mandatory): Lead project manager and operational contributors
   • Planned Dates (Mandatory): Scheduled commencement and milestone completion deadlines
   • Customer / Stakeholder (Mandatory): Client partner linked to project contract and invoicing terms
3. Configure optional operational parameters and localized tags as required:
   • Analytic Cost Center (Optional): Dedicated project accounting account for expenditure tracking
   • Bill of Quantities (BoQ) Line (Optional): Specific contractual BoQ item code for construction tracking
   • Milestone Billing Weight (Optional): Percentage of contract value tied to milestone acceptance
4. Click the Save icon in the control bar to commit the record.

{screenshot:construction-technical-architecture-record-creation-form}

Step 3: Validating and Processing Transactions#

• State Transitions: Execute operational state progression (New / Scoping → In Progress → Review / Testing → Completed → Archived).
• Ledger & System Impact: Timesheet confirmations and project purchases post direct expenditures to the project analytic account, enabling real-time cost vs. revenue margin analysis.
• Audit Verification: Automated recording of author ID, timestamp, and immutable revision history.

{screenshot:construction-technical-architecture-transaction-processing-state}

Relational Data Architecture#

SmartERP Construction extends core project management (project.project, project.task) with comprehensive construction-specific relational models.

Core Python Models#

smarterp_construction_contract#

• Master contract record holding employer link, contract sum, advance payment terms, retention percentages, and FIDIC/PPA clauses.

smarterp_construction_boq_line#

• Individual Bill of Quantities items storing division codes, tender quantities, contract unit rates, cumulative certified quantities, and analytic account links.

smarterp_construction_payment_request (IPC)#

• Manages monthly interim payment certificates, gross-to-net calculations, advance recovery schedules, and retention withholds.
• Implements action_generate_invoice() to spawn customer VAT invoices.

smarterp_construction_daily_labor#

• Site diary tracking equipment plant hours, subcontractor headcounts, weather downtime, and material deliveries.

4. Advanced Configuration Points#

• Automated Actions & Scheduled Tasks (Crons):
  • Project: Flag overdue milestone deadlines (project.ir_cron_overdue_tasks): Runs daily to notify project managers of pending schedule delays
  • Timesheets: Send unsubmitted reminder alerts (hr_timesheet.ir_cron_timesheet_reminder): Runs weekly on Friday afternoon to remind team members
• Custom Print Templates & Reports:
  • Project Status & Milestone Execution Scorecard
  • Interim Payment Certificate (IPC) for Construction
  • Project Timesheet & Resource Utilization Summary
  • Earned Value Management (EVM) Financial Report
• Multi-Company Rules: Record-level security isolation under Company 1 (Ashewa Technology Solutions S.C.), preventing cross-company ledger leakage across parent and subsidiary legal entities.

5. Comprehensive Troubleshooting Matrix#