Variations
A Variation is a change to the contracted scope — extra work, an omission, or a change instructed by the client or main contractor. Variations live on the job's Commercial Register and, once agreed, flow into the Projected Final Account and the CVR.
Two ways to raise one
- From the job (quick) — open the job's Commercial Register tab and log a change fast with its headline value.
- From the job's Variations tab (detailed) — the full form, including a line-by-line valuation breakdown. The job is already set, so you don't re-select it.
Both produce the same record; the detailed form simply captures more.
The valuation breakdown
Rather than entering a single lump sum, you can build the value up line by line:
1Line amount = quantity × rate
2Claimed value = Σ all line amounts (pre-fills automatically)
Each line has a type (Labour, Material, Plant, Subcontract, Preliminary, Other), a quantity, a unit and a rate. The breakdown total pre-fills the claimed value, which you can still adjust.
Key fields
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Reference | Your variation number, e.g. VO-001 |
| Instructed by | Who originated the change |
| Title / scope | What the change is |
| Contract clause | The clause it's claimed under |
| Claimed vs agreed amount | What you've asked for vs what's been agreed |
| Programme impact | Extension of time claimed and agreed, in days |
| Notified / response / resolved dates | The timeline |
Status and the final account
Open → Agreed / Rejected → Closed
Important: only variations marked Agreed (with an agreed amount) count towards the Projected Final Account and the CVR. Until then they show as outstanding — visible in the job's commercial summary as claims "in play" but not yet in the forecast value.
Response deadlines — protecting entitlement
Set a notified date and Bidix calculates the response deadline from the contract type and the kind of notice. Typical response windows:
| Notice type | NEC4 | JCT / SBCC | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Warning (EWN) | 7 days | — | 7 days |
| Compensation Event (CE) | 21 days | — | — |
| Variation (VAR) / Instruction (AI) | — | 14 days | 14 days |
| Extension of time (EOT) | 21 days | 14 days | 14 days |
The register colour-codes each deadline so you can act in time:
| Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 🟢 On track | More than 3 days to respond |
| 🟠 Due soon | 3 days or fewer remaining |
| 🔴 Overdue | Past the response deadline |
| ⚪ Resolved | Agreed, rejected or closed |
Tip: Notify early and let the deadline calculate itself. The compliance colours exist to protect your entitlement — a late notice can lose it under the contract.