08 - USING FAMILIES (OPTIONAL)

OBJECTIVE

The Resources table includes a field called "Family".

This optional classification system allows frequently used resources to be grouped into reusable sets.

Families are especially useful when the same types of labor, equipment, materials, or support resources are repeatedly used across different items.


WHAT IS A FAMILY?

A Family is a logical group of resources that share a common purpose or are frequently used together.

Examples may include:

• Concrete Work.
• Painting.
• Welding.
• Piping.
• Electrical.
• Excavation.
• Structural Steel.
• HVAC.
• Transportation.
• Inspection.
• General Tools.
• Safety Equipment.


HOW FAMILIES ARE MANAGED

The Family list is administered from the Families sheet.

From there, the estimator can define or modify the available Family names used in the Resources table.

The objective is to maintain a simple and consistent classification system.


ASSIGNING A FAMILY

In the Resources table, assign the appropriate Family to each resource.

For example:

Family: Welding

Possible resources:

• Welder.
• Welder Helper.
• Welding Machine.
• Welding Electrodes.
• Grinder.
• Cutting Equipment.
• Welding Tools.


USING FAMILIES DURING ESTIMATING

When building an item in Matrix, the estimator can filter the Resources table by Family.

This allows a complete related group of resources to be displayed together.

The required resources can then be copied and pasted directly into Matrix.


EXAMPLE

Suppose an item requires a standard painting crew.

By filtering Resources using:

Family = Painting

the estimator may quickly locate:

• Painter.
• Helper.
• Brushes.
• Rollers.
• Spray Equipment.
• Sandpaper.
• Cleaning Materials.
• Personal Protective Equipment.

The estimator can then select only the resources needed for that particular item.


WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

Without Families, the estimator may need to search individually for each resource.

Using Families can:

• Reduce resource search time.
• Improve consistency.
• Reduce omissions.
• Accelerate Matrix construction.
• Facilitate reuse of standard resource groups.
• Improve organization of large resource databases.


FAMILIES ARE NOT FIXED RECIPES

A Family should not necessarily be treated as a complete item recipe.

It is primarily a search and classification tool.

After filtering a Family, the estimator should still decide which resources are actually required for the item being developed.


RELATIONSHIP WITH MATRIX ITEMS

Families are useful during the initial construction of Matrix Items.

They help locate groups of related resources quickly.

Once representative Matrix Items have been created, cloning may become even faster than repeatedly filtering Families.


IMPORTANT

Avoid creating an excessive number of Families.

A classification system that is too detailed may become difficult to maintain and may reduce its practical usefulness.

Use Family names that are:

• Clear.
• Broad enough to be reusable.
• Easy to recognize.
• Consistent throughout the Resources database.


RECOMMENDATION

Use Families when the resource database is large or when the same groups of resources are frequently reused.

The objective is not to classify every resource perfectly.

The objective is to make resource selection faster, more organized, and easier to repeat.