Change Order Tracker

Change Order Tracker Skill

Overview

The change-order-tracker skill provides comprehensive change order management for construction projects. It enables superintendents to track change orders through their complete lifecycle—from initiation through approval or rejection—while maintaining cost and schedule impact visibility for project leadership and stakeholders.

Change Order Lifecycle

Change orders progress through a defined workflow to ensure proper review and authorization:

[draft] → [submitted] → [under_review] → [approved]
                                       ↓
                                    [rejected]
                                       ↓
                                      [void]

Lifecycle Stages

Change Order Fields

Each change order maintains the following structured data:

Core Identification

• id: Unique CO identifier (CO-NNN format, immutable)
• date_submitted: ISO 8601 timestamp of submission (set at "submitted" status transition)
• status: Current position in workflow (draft|submitted|under_review|approved|rejected|void)

Request Details

• description: Detailed narrative of the change requested
• originator: Source of request (owner|architect|field|sub) — critical for cost allocation and communication
• notes: Running log of review comments, clarifications, and resolution details

Impact Tracking

• cost_impact: Estimated additional cost in dollars (or "TBD" if not yet quantified)
• approved_amount: Final authorized cost (populated when approved)
• schedule_impact_days: Number of calendar days impacted on project timeline
• running_cost_total: Aggregate of all approved COs to date
• running_schedule_total: Aggregate days impact from all approved COs

Scope References

• affected_spec_sections: Array of specification section numbers impacted (e.g., ["05120", "08710"])
• affected_subs: Array of subcontractor names required to implement change
• linked_asis: Array of associated ASI numbers (ASI-NNN)
• linked_rfis: Array of associated RFI numbers (RFI-NNN)

Authorization

• approved_by: Name/title of approving authority (PM, Owner, Architect)
• resolution_date: Date CO reached final status (approved, rejected, or voided)

CO Numbering System

Change order IDs follow the format CO-{NNN} where NNN is a zero-padded three-digit counter:

• First CO: CO-001
• Second CO: CO-002
• Pattern: CO-100, CO-101, etc.

Key Rules:

• Numbers auto-increment based on highest existing CO
• Numbers are locked immediately upon creation — never reused or reassigned
• Voided COs retain their original number (CO-005 may be marked "void", but CO-006 comes next, never CO-005 again)
• System maintains sequence integrity even across multiple sessions/users

Implementation: Query change_order_log at creation time, find max CO number, increment by 1, assign and lock.

Status Workflow Rules

Transition Rules

• draft → submitted: User confirms CO is ready for review (no approval required)
• submitted → under_review: PM/PM acknowledges and begins formal review (automatic on first review action)
• under_review → approved: Authorized approver (PM/owner) confirms and locks cost/schedule
• under_review → rejected: Approver denies and explains reason
• Any status → void: User can void a CO at any time (creates audit trail entry)

Validation on Transitions

• To approved: Approved amount must be populated (≥ 0)
• To rejected: Reason/notes must be recorded
• To void: Reason recorded in notes
• To submitted: Description must be non-empty

Cost Tracking Strategy

Change orders maintain dual cost tracking to support budgeting and financial analysis:

Estimate vs. Approved

• cost_impact: Initial estimate provided by requestor (may be "TBD")
• approved_amount: Final authorized amount from PM/owner (set only on approval)

Running Totals

• running_cost_total: Sum of all approved_amount values from approved COs only
• pending_cost: Sum of cost_impact estimates for all draft, submitted, under_review COs
• Used in morning briefs, daily reports, and weekly summaries for visibility

Cost Reports

• Total CO cost by originator (owner changes vs. architect vs. field requests)
• Approved vs. pending cost comparison
• Cost impact by affected spec section (helps identify problem areas)

Schedule Tracking Strategy

Schedule impacts are tracked to maintain visibility on critical path:

Daily Impact

• schedule_impact_days: Per-CO calendar day impact (positive or negative)
• Negative values if CO accelerates work (e.g., fast-track material procurement)

Aggregation

• running_schedule_total: Sum of schedule_impact_days across all approved COs
• Used in project forecasting and completion date projections
• Surfaced in weekly reports with trending analysis

Critical Path Management

• COs affecting critical path activities flagged in morning briefs
• Schedule impacts highlighted when total cumulative impact exceeds threshold (configurable, default: 10 days)

CO Log Document Generation

The CO Log is a professional archival document suitable for owner distribution and project records:

Document Format

• Format: Microsoft Word (.docx)
• Filename: CO_Log_[YYYYMMDD].docx (timestamp at generation)
• Location: folder_mapping.change_orders/

Table Contents

Main table contains one row per CO with columns:

Summary Section

Below the table, include executive summary:

• Total COs: Count by status (Approved | Pending | Rejected | Void)
• Total Approved Cost: Sum of approved amounts
• Total Pending Cost: Sum of estimates for under-review items
• Total Schedule Impact: Cumulative days (approved COs only)
• Cost by Originator: Breakdown showing which source is driving costs
• High-Impact Items: Any CO exceeding $50,000 or schedule impact > 5 days

Design Standards

• Header with project name, project number, date generated
• Professional formatting with borders and shading
• Status badges with color coding:
  • Green: Approved
  • Yellow: Pending/Under Review
  • Red: Rejected
  • Gray: Void
• Page numbering and footer with "Confidential Project Document"

Integration Points

Morning Brief (/morning-brief)

Surfaces:

• Count of pending COs (submitted + under_review)
• List of COs requiring action today
• Total pending cost exposure
• Any COs exceeding cost/schedule thresholds
• Approvers with pending actions

Daily Report (/daily-report)

Allows:

• Reference to specific COs in daily entry narratives
• Linking CO implementation progress to daily activities
• Notation of CO-related site meetings or clarifications
• Auto-suggestion of relevant COs based on daily scope description

Weekly Report (/weekly-report)

Includes:

• CO summary section with week-over-week comparison
• New COs submitted during week
• COs approved during week with cost/schedule impact
• Pending COs aging analysis (submitted >5 days)
• Weekly cost impact trending
• Rolling 4-week total cost and schedule impact

ASI Tracker (/asis)

• Auto-link COs when ASI references a change
• Surface related ASIs in CO record
• Track ASI-to-CO conversion (ASI initiates CO)

RFI Tracker (/rfis)

• Auto-link COs when RFI resolves with scope change
• Surface related RFIs in CO record
• Track RFI impact on CO cost/schedule

Configuration & Storage

Storage Location

• File: folder_mapping.ai_output/change-order-log.json
• Section: change_order_log array
• Project Config Reference: folder_mapping.ai_output/project-config.json (for project_basics, folder_mapping, version_history)
• Backup: Each save creates timestamped backup in folder_mapping.ai_output/backups/

Version History

• All CO additions, status changes logged in project-config.json version_history array with:
  • Timestamp (ISO 8601)
  • Action type (CO-add, CO-status, CO-log-generated)
  • CO ID and status transition
  • User/actor (if tracked)

Example Change Order Record

{
  "id": "CO-005",
  "description": "Owner request: Add secondary electrical subpanel to south wing for future tenant TI. Includes conduit runs, breaker integration, and final connections.",
  "originator": "owner",
  "date_submitted": "2025-02-15T09:30:00Z",
  "status": "approved",
  "cost_impact": 18500,
  "approved_amount": 17800,
  "schedule_impact_days": 3,
  "affected_spec_sections": ["26", "26050"],
  "affected_subs": ["AAA Electric", "ABC Contracting"],
  "linked_asis": ["ASI-0008", "ASI-0009"],
  "linked_rfis": ["RFI-0012"],
  "running_cost_total": 65300,
  "running_schedule_total": 12,
  "approved_by": "Jennifer Smith, Project Manager",
  "resolution_date": "2025-02-17",
  "notes": "Approved with cost reduction from contractor value engineering. Schedule impact acceptable to critical path."
}

Output Routing

All generated documents route to project folder structure:

• CO Records: Stored in change-order-log.json change_order_log array
• CO Log Documents: folder_mapping.change_orders/CO_Log_[YYYYMMDD].docx
• Version History: Logged in project-config.json version_history array
• Backup Copies: folder_mapping.ai_output/backups/change-order-log_[TIMESTAMP].json

Project Intelligence Integration

When project intelligence is loaded, auto-enrich change orders with schedule impact analysis, cost context, spec references, drawing references, and subcontractor identification.

Schedule Impact Auto-Analysis

When a CO affects a specific work scope or activity:

• Read schedule.json → critical_path[] → check if any critical path activity matches the CO's affected scope
• If on critical path: auto-flag schedule_impact and estimate days based on the change scope
• Read schedule.json → milestones[] → check if the CO pushes any milestone at risk
• Example: CO affects structural steel erection → critical_path includes "PEMB Erection" → auto-flag "Critical path activity — schedule impact likely"

Cost Impact Context

When creating or reviewing a CO:

• Read cost-data.json → pull current_contract_value and contingency.available_contingency
• Display CO cost as percentage of remaining contingency: "This CO ($17,800) represents 15.5% of remaining contingency ($115,000)"
• If CO would draw contingency below 50% threshold → flag "Contingency alert: approval would reduce contingency to 44%"

Spec Section Linking

When a CO description mentions a work type or scope:

• Read specs-quality.json → spec_sections[] → auto-link CO to affected spec sections
• Include spec section numbers in affected_spec_sections[] for the cost proposal and documentation
• Example: CO for "additional electrical subpanel" → auto-link spec sections 26 00 00, 26 05 00

Drawing Reference

When a CO affects a specific location or building system:

• Read plans-spatial.json → sheet_cross_references.drawing_index[] → find drawings related to the affected discipline and location
• Auto-populate affected drawing numbers for the CO record and cost proposal
• Example: CO at south wing electrical → reference sheets E-100, E-200, E-301

Sub Identification

When a CO affects a trade scope:

• Read directory.json → subcontractors[] → match trade or scope to the CO's affected work
• Auto-identify the responsible sub and include their name in affected_subs[]
• Pull sub's contract scope for context on whether the CO is within or outside their original scope
• Example: CO for "additional excavation" → directory shows "Walker Construction" handles Excavation/Sitework → auto-populate affected_subs

Error Handling & Validation

• Missing config: Inform user to run /set-project first
• Invalid CO reference: Suggest list of valid COs with status
• Status transition not allowed: Show valid next states for current status
• Cost/schedule not quantified: Allow "TBD" for estimate, require amount at approval
• Circular dependencies: Warn if CO references ASI/RFI that hasn't been created yet

Audit & Compliance

• All CO records timestamped and immutable after approval
• Version history maintains complete audit trail
• Voided COs retained in records (never deleted)
• Original request details preserved even if status changes
• Approved amounts locked to prevent post-approval cost drift

Time & Material (T&M) Tag Tracking

The T&M tag system captures real-time field work that may generate change orders. This is the field observation layer that feeds into CO creation and cost tracking.

T&M Tag Data Model

{
  "id": "TM-001",
  "date": "2026-02-18",
  "description": "Additional excavation for unforeseen rock at Grid C-3",
  "subcontractor": "ABC Excavation",
  "labor": [
    { "worker_count": 3, "hours": 6.5, "trade": "Operator", "rate": null }
  ],
  "materials": [
    { "item": "Hydraulic breaker rental", "quantity": 1, "unit": "day", "cost": null }
  ],
  "equipment": [
    { "item": "CAT 330 Excavator", "hours": 6.5, "rate": null }
  ],
  "superintendent_signature": false,
  "sub_signature": false,
  "photos": [],
  "linked_co": null,
  "status": "draft | field_signed | submitted_to_gc | incorporated_in_co | disputed",
  "notes": ""
}

T&M Tag Fields:

• id: Unique T&M identifier (TM-NNN format)
• date: Date work was performed (ISO 8601)
• description: Detailed narrative of work performed
• subcontractor: Responsible trade contractor
• labor: Array of labor entries (worker_count, hours, trade, rate)
• materials: Array of material entries (item, quantity, unit, cost)
• equipment: Array of equipment entries (item, hours, rate)
• superintendent_signature: Boolean; true when field superintendent approves
• sub_signature: Boolean; true when sub foreman approves (same day as superintendent)
• photos: Array of time-stamped photo URLs or file paths
• linked_co: CO ID if this T&M was incorporated into a change order (CO-NNN)
• status: Current T&M status (draft → field_signed → submitted_to_gc → incorporated_in_co or disputed)
• notes: Disputes, clarifications, or processing notes

T&M Tracking Workflow

Daily Field Observation → CO Request Cycle:

1. Field Observation: Superintendent identifies unplanned work (rock excavation, rework, scope change)
2. Create T&M Tag: Open new T&M tag with description, subcontractor, location
3. Document Work: Log labor (hours + trades), materials (items + quantities), equipment (type + hours)
4. Photo Documentation: Time-stamped photos of work in progress, materials on site, equipment deployed
5. Field Sign-Off (Same Day): Superintendent and sub foreman both sign off on quantities and costs
6. Submit to GC/PM: T&M submitted to general contractor or office within 48 hours for review
7. Incorporate into CO: When accepted, create CO (or add to pending CO) and link via linked_co field

Processing Timeline

• Best Practice: Field sign-off by superintendent + sub foreman same day work is completed
• Submission Window: Submit T&M documentation to GC/PM within 48 hours of work completion
• CO Creation: Once T&M is accepted by PM, incorporate into change order within 1 week
• Payment: Process payment for incorporated T&M work as part of CO approval cycle

Photo Documentation Requirements

T&M tags MUST include time-stamped photos documenting:

• Work in progress (showing scope and conditions)
• Materials on site (quantities, condition, delivery date if applicable)
• Equipment deployed (type, hours worked)
• Site conditions that justify the change (e.g., rock encountered, existing condition discrepancy)

Photo metadata (timestamp, location) is critical for dispute resolution and PM verification.

Disputed T&M Handling

When quantities or costs are contested:

1. Document Both Positions: Record superintendent's observed quantities AND sub's claimed quantities
2. Flag Status: Set status to disputed with clear description of discrepancy
3. Collect Supporting Evidence: Additional photos, measurements, witness statements
4. PM Review: Project manager arbitrates based on documentation
5. Resolution: Accept agreed quantities, adjust costs, and update status (incorporated_in_co or disputed_resolved)

T&M to Change Order Integration

Linking T&M to COs:

• T&M tag linked_co field references the CO ID that incorporated the work
• CO linked_tm_tags array references all T&M tags that contributed to the CO scope
• CO description should reference the T&M tag IDs: "Incorporates work documented in TM-001, TM-002"

Cost Accumulation:

• Multiple T&M tags can be incorporated into a single CO
• CO cost_impact = sum of all incorporated T&M labor + materials + equipment costs
• T&M status transitions to incorporated_in_co when CO is approved

T&M Storage & Reporting

• Storage Location: folder_mapping.ai_output/tm-tags.json with tm_tags array
• Morning Brief: Surface pending T&M tags (submitted but not yet incorporated) with totals
• Daily Report: Reference T&M work performed during the day
• CO Log: Include summary of incorporated T&M work with references to tag IDs
• Metrics: Track T&M velocity (tags per week), average incorporation lag, dispute rate