Using Different Numbering Systems for Pre-Award and Awarded Projects

If you have different numbering systems for pre-award (in-pursuit) projects and awarded (won) projects, you can set up Vantagepoint to allow a regular project's number to be changed when the project is awarded.

The online help refers to this feature as the Pre-Award Project Numbering feature.

With this feature turned on, if your security role is an Accounting type, you are prompted to change a project's number on the Assign New Project Number dialog box when you do either of the following:

• On the Accounting tab of the Projects form in the Projects hub, you select the Approved for Use in Processing checkbox.
• In the Summary pane on the Projects form, you select the stage that you use for awarded (won) projects in the Stage field. The Approved for Use in Processing checkbox is automatically selected.

The Approved for Use in Processing checkbox is the trigger for the number change because typically when a project is awarded, someone from the accounting department does both of the following:

• Changes the project number
• Selects the Approved for Use in Processing checkbox so the project can be used for processing in accounting transactions throughout Vantagepoint

You can use the Pre-Award Project Numbering feature with either auto or manual project numbering.

Change a Project's Number Now or Schedule a Project Number Change for a Future Time

On the Assign New Project Number dialog box, you can choose to change a project's number now or schedule the change to take place later.

For more information, see Change a Project's Number When the Project Is Awarded and Assign New Project Number Dialog Box.

Warning: If other users are working with a project record in the Projects hub or in other applications in the Projects hub (such as Contract Management) when a project's number is being changed, those users will not be able to save any changes they made to the project. They must reload the project and re-enter any changes that were lost. For this reason, it is best to change a project's number after work hours or when other users are not in the project record.

See the Users Who Are Currently Working with a Project Record

In the Projects hub, you can easily see all the users who are currently working with a project record in the Projects hub or in other applications in the Projects hub (but not Billing Terms or Revenue Forecast). A picture icon of each user who is working in the Projects hub applications displays in the upper-right corner of the Projects form. This feature is turned on if you have the Enable Real-Time Notifications and Interaction checkbox selected in the Global Options section in Settings > General > Options.

Seeing the picture icons on the Projects form can help you decide whether or not to change a project number now or later. You can also easily contact these users by clicking their picture icon. Then in the info bubble, click the user's email address to send an email or click a Microsoft Teams chat icon to start a chat with the user. For more information about this feature, see See Who Is Editing or Viewing a Record.

After a New Project Number Is Assigned

After you assign a new number to a project and click Save on the Projects form:

• The new number displays in the Project Number field at the top of the Projects form and in the Summary pane on the Projects form.
• The previously assigned (pre-award) number displays in the Pre-award Number field in the Pursuit Details section in the Summary pane.

Prerequisites for Using the Pre-Award Project Numbering Feature

For a list of prerequisites that you must complete before using this feature, see Prerequisites for Using the Pre-Award Project Numbering Feature.