Buyers and contracting professionals can create draft concurrent modifications from the following pages: Buyer Work Center, Awards/IDVs page and Document Builder.
In Buyer Work Center, if one or more draft modifications exist for the award/IDV, a message is displayed, informing you that there are some modifications already created for the award/IDV. Click Yes to create another new draft modification or No to edit an existing draft modification.
If no draft modifications exist for the award/IDV, the message above does not display.
If multiple lines are selected for performing a global update, and you attempt to update a field value that is locked in one or more lines, then an error message displays for those lines and other lines get updated via global update.
In Document Builder, the action New Modification enables you to create a concurrent modification. Select an approved award and then add the requisition lines that you want to add to the modification document.
Click Search in the Awards > Modifications sub-tab to find any modifications that may not be listed in the search results region. The default search criteria are: Modification, Award, Supplier, Description; however you can add other search criteria by selecting a search field from the Add Another LOV. You can also personalize the search and convert it into a saved view.
You can enter partial field values as your search criteria. The system shows you search results that matches the partial search criteria. For example, enter "PST" in the Modification field. Every modification with a number that starts with "PST" is displayed in the search results.
Some of the fields that you can use as search criteria using the Add Another LOV are: Operating Unit, Effective Date, Status, Order Number, Supplier, Supplier Site, Buyer, Cancellation Indicator, Document Style.
The regions of the modification Header along with the Supplier Details region (Addresses and Supplier Details tab) are grayed out if another user is updating the header level fields via another modification. However, the Main region and the Modification Justification regions are never grayed out because they are specific to the modification document. If you hover your mouse over the lock icon, a tooltip displaying the modification number and the buyer who locked the modification is displayed. You can request the other user to release the lock so that you can update the field values. The Revert button rolls back the changes made by the current user, that is, the changes made in the modification are discarded, and the lock is released. Thereafter another user can update the Header attributes via another modification.
In case of IDVs, the Ceiling Amount is the only field allowed for concurrent update.
For more information on lock types in concurrent modifications, please refer to the appendix - Lock Types in Concurrent Modifications.
Each address (code, contact, location) can be concurrently. You can request the other user to release the lock so that you can update the address and supplier details field values. The Revert button rolls back the changes made by the current user, that is, the changes made in the modification are discarded, and the lock is released. Thereafter another user can update the Address and Supplier Details attributes via another modification.
Note: Modification Issuing Office and Modification Administration Office are specific to the modification and are not updated in the conformed document.
As part of the modification updates, you can add new lines or update the field values on existing lines. You can add as many new lines as required, this action does not interfere with other users' actions of adding new lines.
When you add new lines to the modification, the line numbering that takes place automatically increments the last generated line number by 1. If other users are also adding new lines via other modifications, the line number will be last generated line number among the newly created lines on the modification(s) plus 1.
However, when you are updating the field values of an existing line, not all field values are available for updates if another user is updating them. Fields such as Price, UOM and Contract Type are locked fully when another user updates these values. Fields from Schedules (Need-By Date, Promised Date and Location) and Distributions (Requester, Deliver-to location, Project, Task, Expenditure type, Org, Date) are read-only when the modification is being updated.
When some field values are updated by you and another user(s), the system automatically displays a lock icon at that row, indicating that the field cannot be updated by you. Examples of such field values are Price, Qty, etc. There are two types of locks that are available in concurrent modifications: full locks - where the lock cascades to Schedules and Distributions; partial locks - where the lock does not cascade to other entities and remains at the line level only. If the Schedule/Distribution is being updated by another user via a modification, the full lock does not apply and an error message is displayed.
When the current user updates a field on the modification line, an unlock icon is displayed.
Use the View Concurrent Changes action to see the report of the concurrent changes for the selected line(s).
When creating an IDV modification, the field values and price breaks for IDVs, are locked along with the line. When the line is locked (either partially or fully), all price breaks are implicitly locked.
For more information on lock types in concurrent modifications, please refer to the appendix - Lock Types in Concurrent Modifications.
The Shipment level fields displayed at line level are read-only in the modifications for existing line(s). The values defaulted from the award are displayed and are available for update.
Shipment level attributes at line level: Need-by date, Promised date, Location
The Shipment Quantity can be updated concurrently; however it should not be a negative value in the last update. If a negative value is displayed, an error message is shown.
The Distribution level fields displayed at line level are read-only in the modifications for existing line(s). The values defaulted from the award are displayed and are available for update.
Distribution level attributes at line level: Requester, Deliver-to location, Project, Task, Expenditure type, Org, Date.
You can update the Change in Funded Value and Fund Value fields concurrently.
For more information on lock types in concurrent modifications, please refer to the appendix - Lock Types in Concurrent Modifications.
The Attachments region enables you to add new attachments, update attachments that belong to the base document (award or IDV), delete attachments that belong to the base document, copy attachments from the base document to the modification document in order to update the attachments.
For more information on copying attachments, please refer to the section Copying Attachments in this chapter.
You can perform the following actions/tasks on draft concurrent modifications:
Query Modifications: The Awards/IDVs tabs along with the Modifications sub-tabs have Views and Search capabilities that can be used to query one or more modifications. Personalize your views to see sorted modifications, for example, by buyer, by approval status, buyer's concurrent modifications, etc.
Delete Modifications: Modifications and their related references can be deleted at any time. References such as any row or entity locked in the modification, notifications referring to this modification, Update Attachment icon and Update Clauses (in Contract Terms) if they are locked because of this modification.
Other Actions: Other actions such as Sync, View Base Document, View Change Description, and View Modification PDF, etc, that are available for single modifications, are also available for concurrent draft modification as well.
Managing Attachments: If a modification is being updated by another user, you cannot modify or update the existing attachments via another modification, the Update button is disabled; however you can add a new attached file at the header, lines or schedule levels. When the other user has completed approving the modification, you can proceed to update or modify the attachments in the modification at the header, lines or schedule levels.
View Change Summary: Using the Lines tab, Schedules tab or Distributions tab, select the View Change Summary action from the Actions LOV. The View Change Summary page displays, showing you the delta of changes that occurred in all the concurrent modifications created for that award/IDV.
In a situation where one or more users are creating and updating modifications to the same award/IDV, the region that is being updated by a user (e.g.: line, header region, etc) is grayed out or a lock icon displays at that location. You can notify the other user (using the action Notify) that the region is not available for update. When the notification is received by the other user, the other user can use the Revert action to undo the changes made by you. This action unlocks the region and it is now available to other users to update via their modifications.
When you wish to collaborate with another user and request the other user to update the modification, select the Notify action to inform the other user to do the needful. The other user can also reply to your notification with notes.
The following contract related entities are impacted in concurrent modifications:
Users can add new clauses to the modification at any time.
However, when there are concurrent modifications updating the contract terms, the system allows the update of contract terms via only one modification at a time.
Updating any of the variable values is considered to be an update to the clause that has that variable.
Deliverables can be added through concurrent modifications; but the deliverables available on the base document that is copied to the modification document cannot be updated.
When two users are working concurrently on two draft modifications, and one of the users have updated any one clause, section or run Contract Expert, then the following actions are not available for the other user to update on the other draft modification:
Update Clause
Update Section
Run Contract Expert
If a user opts to perform one of the above actions, a message is displayed, informing the user that there are modifications already updating contract terms or running Contract Expert and to refer to the Manage Concurrent Updates page.
Select alternate: This action is disabled for the current user, because the other draft modification has updated (edit/deleted) the clause.
Update & Delete: These actions are disabled for the current user, because the other draft modification has updated (edit/deleted) the clause. This applies to sections as well.
The Manage Concurrent Updates page is displayed after you select the Manage Concurrent Updates action in the Contract Terms page. Using this page, you can check the status of sections, clauses, Contract Expert for any type of updates that are made as a result of concurrent modifications. You can see the User, Document Type and Document Number that are being updated. You can either notify other users or unlock a locked entity as part of your actions.
Notify: This action is available for use when the entity is being updated on the other modification concurrently. When the user clicks Notify, a notification is displayed, using which the user can collaborate with the other user who has updated the same entity.
Unlock: This action is available for use when the entity has been updated on the current document concurrently. When the user clicks Unlock, the entity is refreshed and the value from the base document is restored (the updates are undone).
The following Contract Details can be updated via concurrent modifications:
Contract Administrator
Legal Contact
Authoring Party (Internal is allowed)
Contract Source (Structured Terms when Authority party is Internal, Attached Documents when Authority party is Supplier or Internal)
New Contract Template
Retain All Clauses and Deliverables
When there are multiple modifications concurrently updating an award/IDV, one of the following scenarios take place:
All Modifications are updated concurrently: each modification is queried, updated and saved. All field values are available for updates.
Modification is deleted: When a draft modification is deleted, the lock on the entities is released, and the field values are now updateable.
Modification is submitted for approval: The submission checks ensure that the individual modifications are validated and are completed when they are submitted for approval. Submission checks also validate if the shipment and distribution quantities are not negative values when submitting for approval. The system also validates if the modification submitted for approval is in sync with the base document, that is, the version of the award/IDV is not revised when the modification was created.
Modification is approved: The updates made in the modification are now merged and updated with the conformed award/IDV. When the conformed award/IDV is updated, the base document is versioned, and the draft modification(s) go out of sync with respect to the base document.
User Action: Sync with Base Document: Every time a modification is approved and the base document is versioned, other draft documents in the system are out of sync with the base document. Therefore it is necessary for the user to sync the documents. For example, three concurrent modifications are created by different users. The first modification is updated and approved and also merged with the conformed base document. The other two modifications are out of sync with the base document. Therefore when you try to update the modifications or submit them for approval, a message is displayed, informing you that the modification is out of sync with the base document. Click Yes to perform the sync with the base document or No to cancel the sync operation. During sync, the latest data from the award/IDV is updated to the modification. If any update has been performed on the modification before the sync action, then the updates (delta changes) are carried over automatically by the system after the sync action.
System initiated sync with base document occurs when you open a modification and update it. A message is displayed, informing you that the modification is out of sync with the base document. Click Yes to perform the sync with the base document or No to cancel the sync operation.
When there are multiple in-process concurrent modifications, the following scenarios can occur:
All Modifications are processed for approval in parallel: Each modification may be routed through AME (Approvals Management Engine), Supplier Signature, and Contracting officer signature processes or flows. If the modification is out of sync for any reason (example: modification updated by the approver), the modification is synced by the system and proceeds for approval.
Modification is rejected: In-process modifications can be rejected during approval process by the system or by the approvers because of funds check failure, sync action failure etc. Any rejected modification, if it is not in sync with the base document, is synchronized when it is re-submitted.
Modification is approved: The approval checks ensure that individual in-process modifications are validated and completed. The updates made in the modification are now merged and updated with the conformed award/IDV. When the conformed award/IDV is updated, the base document is versioned, and the draft modification(s) go out of sync with respect to the base document.
User Action: Sync with Base Document: Every time a modification is approved and the base document is versioned, other draft documents in the system are out of sync with the base document. Therefore it is necessary for the user to sync the documents. For example, three concurrent modifications are created by different users. The first modification is updated and approved and also merged with the conformed base document. The other two modifications are out of sync with the base document. Therefore when you try to update the modifications or submit them for approval, a message is displayed, informing you that the modification is out of sync with the base document. Click Yes to perform the sync with the base document or No to cancel the sync operation. During sync, the latest data from the award/IDV is updated to the modification. If any update has been performed on the modification before the sync action, then the updates (delta changes) are carried over automatically by the system after the sync action.
System initiated sync with base document occurs when you open a modification and update it. A message is displayed, informing you that the modification is out of sync with the base document. Click Yes to perform the sync with the base document or No to cancel the sync operation.