Overview
The Capital Expenditures (CapEx) module in Transcendent automates and optimizes long-term asset planning, tracking, and approval workflows. Instead of using external spreadsheets, the system automatically triggers upcoming maintenance, renovation, and replacement expenditures based on an asset's Date in Service and configured Life Cycle Lifecycle (Interval).
Key Terminology
Planning Items: Automatically generated or manual one-time/recurring expenses tied to an asset or point type based on its life cycle lifecycle.
Project: A single planning item or a grouped collection of planning items submitted for corporate or ownership approval.
Budget: A centralized collection of all property projects submitted into specific approval workflows for the budget year.
Planned Expenditures: Projects anticipated and budgeted for the current fiscal year.
Project Authorization Request (PAR): Emergency or unplanned expenditures falling outside the standard annual budget.
Initiatives: Brand-mandated or corporate-funded capital directives.
Navigating and Evaluating Planning Items
Before submitting an annual budget, users must evaluate all automatically generated planning items for the upcoming year to confirm if they require immediate replacement or can be deferred.
Access Planning Items: Navigate to Expenditures -> Management -> Planning Items.
Review the Grid: Select the Not on Project tab to see items generated for the current budget year.
Export data (Optional): Click the Export button to generate an Excel or CSV file to complete a physical walk-through evaluation of property assets.
Deferring Items: If an asset is in good operating condition and does not require replacement:
Select the item checkbox and click the Defer (Paper Airplane/Pencil) icon.
Input a Reason for Change (e.g., "Asset in excellent condition").
Update the Budget Year to the next evaluation year (e.g., 2027) and click Save.
Pulling Future Items Forward: If an asset needs replacement earlier than scheduled:
Navigate to the All tab.
Search for the asset via Asset ID or description filters.
Select the item, click the Defer icon, provide a reason, and set the Budget Year to the current active year.
Creating and Customizing a Planned Budget Project
Initiate Project: In the Not on Project tab, locate the evaluated item and click the + (Create Project) icon. Click Yes to confirm.
Complete Project Details: * Priority: Set to High, Medium, or Low.
Title: Customize the default title to specify the location or scope (e.g., "Roof Restoration - South Side").
Description: Input a comprehensive summary of what needs to be replaced and why. (Note: This is a mandatory field to clear project exceptions).
Include in Budget: Ensure this box is checked for planned annual submissions.
Update Line Item Cost: Under Expenditure Project Details, select the item and click Update Item. Enter the final comprehensive cost (including freight, delivery, and taxes).
Configure Monthly Spend Breakdown: Scroll to the Monthly Spend grid. Input when funds will be drawn down under the Budgeted column (e.g., allocating a deposit in March and the balance in May). Click the Green Icon to save.
Attach Required Documentation: * Click the Documents hyperlink (0) at the top right of the page.
Click + Attachments, provide a description (e.g., "Quote 1 - Vendor Name"), select the file from your computer, and save. Repeat for required alternative vendor quotes.
Click Save and Exit.
Submitting the Budget into Workflow
All "Not on Project" items must be cleared (either assigned to a project or deferred) before the budget can be submitted.
Navigate to Expenditures -> Management -> Projects.
Click the Submit Budget button. A summary window will display total requested funds and project counts.
Click Start to route all projects to the initial General Manager / Chief Engineer Review status.
To advance the project to corporate, click the Gear Icon or edit the project, navigate to the approval section, change the step to RVP Review, and click Save.
Handling Emergency Capex (PAR Requests)
For unexpected capital failures occurring outside the standard budget window:
Create a project from the planning item or manually add one.
Set the Priority to Critical.
Do NOT check the "Include in Budget" checkbox.
Input the breakdown costs and attach required emergency quotes.
Click Start on the workflow step immediately to bypass annual budgeting timelines and route directly to management/RVP approval.
Post-Approval Adjustments (Supplemental & Trade-out Requests)
Once a project reaches the Approved status, its funding lines lock. Adjustments must be performed using secondary tabs within the project view.
Supplemental Requests (Adding Funds)
If unexpected costs (such as labor increases or hidden damage) arise during project execution:
Open the approved project and click the Supplemental tab.
Select the matching Expenditure Type.
Input a comprehensive description of the variance and specify the additional amount needed.
Click Save. The request generates a sub-project ID (e.g.,
[ProjectID]-S01) which must be routed to RVP Review for authorization.
Trade-out Requests (Reallocating Variances)
If a project finishes under budget, users can reallocate leftover variance funds to shortfall projects:
Open the project requiring funds and select the Tradeout tab.
Click Select a Project to view a list of completed projects containing positive financial variances.
Select the donor project, define the expenditure type, enter the reallocation amount, and submit for workflow processing.
Tracking and Forecasting
Workflow Queue Maintenance: Monitor project timelines via Expenditures -> Management -> Workflow Queue. This grid tracks exactly how many days a project has been sitting at an approval phase (e.g., RVP Review).
10-Year Forecast Reporting: Navigate to Expenditures -> Reports -> 10-Year Forecast Detail Report. Choose your property site and anchor year, then select Run. This generates an analytical tool breaking down projected asset lifecycle replacement costs across Owner, Escrow, and Corporate funds over the next decade.
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