The Issue Contract window contains five panes: Contracts, Account Codes, Asset Types, Activities, and Administrative Units.

Contracts Pane

At the top of the Issue Contract window is the Contracts pane. This pane lists all contracts for your entire agency. It shows the name of the contract (that is, how the contract is identified), who is the contractor, when it began, and when it finished (or will finish), if known. It also provides cost information for the contract, and what the source of funding is. Finally, it provides links to open and completed work orders that are associated with the contract; see View Contract Work Orders for more information.

When you right-click a contract, the system displays a shortcut menu. This menu contains the common commands along with the following special commands:

• Edit Selection: This command allows you to specify what asset types, administrative units, and activities are associated with the selected contract. (Note: You can only select your administrative unit and any of its children ["sub-units"].) After selecting this command, the first of three dialog boxes will be displayed. These dialog boxes allow you to select what asset types, administrative units, and activities will be associated with this contract. See Create a Contract for more information.
• Remove Contractor: This command removes the contractor assigned to the selected contract.
• Select Contractor: Once asset types, administrative units, and activities are selected for a contract, you can use this command to assign a contractor to the contract. (If you attempt to assign a contractor before defining asset types, activities, and administrative units, an error message will be displayed.)
  After selecting this command, the system compares what is defined in the lower panes with the contractor information in the Setup Contractor window:
  
  • If only a single contractor in the Setup Contractors window matches the combination of asset types, activities, and administrative units defined in the Contract window, then the system automatically places the name of this contractor in the Contractor column.
  • If more than one contractor matches, then the system displays a new window that shows these contractors in a drop-down list and you can select the appropriate contractor.
  • If no contractor matches, the system displays an error message.

Account Codes Pane

The Account Codes pane contains the general ledger account codes to properly categorize the costs incurred in performing work. Typically, you enter the purchase order number for the contract in this pane. (The accounting codes for the line items in the contract are entered in the Activities pane.)

Asset Types Pane

The Asset Types pane at the bottom, left of the window shows the asset types with which the contract selected in the Contracts pane is concerned. You cannot insert new asset types into this pane directly. Instead, you must right-click the project name in the Contracts pane and select Edit Selection. You can also use this command to remove asset types from this pane.

Activities Pane

The Activities pane at the bottom, center of the window shows the activities that will be performed for the displayed asset types for the project selected in the Contracts pane. You cannot insert new activities into this pane directly. Instead, you must right-click the contract name in the Contracts pane and select Edit Selection. You can also use this command to remove activities from this pane.

Once an activity appears in this pane, you must enter data in the Unit Cost and PS Line No fields.

Admin. Units Pane

The Admin. Units pane at the bottom right of the window shows the administrative units associated with the contract selected in the Contracts pane. Typically, these administrative units oversee the contract or are the "owners" of the section of road where the contract will be performed. You cannot insert new administrative units into this pane directly. Instead, you must right-click the contract name in the Contracts pane and select Edit Selection. You can also use this command to remove administrative units from this pane.