November 2024 Release Notes

The Kahua 2024.5 release will be deployed to our Production environments on November 16, 2024. A preview of this functionality can be accessed at https://earlyaccesslaunch.kahua.com beginning on November 2, 2024. Please click here for more information on the Early Access program.

The release notes below are subject to change. For any changes to these notes, please see the change log at the bottom of the article.

In addition to various bug fixes, performance improvements, and minor UI updates, this release includes the updates described below in the following functional areas:

• General
• Administration
• Reporting
• Design Review
• Document Management
• Safety Suite
• Cost
• Kahua for Subcontractors
• Integrations
• Scheduling/rSchedule (Runding)

General

Markup Tool - Remember prior user settings

The Kahua markup tool will now store style settings for the various markup tools across user sessions. Style settings are only saved when you click Save within the markup tool. These settings are saved for each unique device and will not be remembered if a user logs in to a different computer.

In addition, certain markup tools share settings. For example, if a user changes the Text Size for the Text markup tool and clicks Save, this will be applied to the Text Size in the Callout markup tool as well. The tools that share settings are as follows:

• Rectangle, Ellipse, Cloud, Free Form, Line, Arrow, Pen, Calibrate, and Measurement
• Text and Callout

References - Upload File to Non-Controlled Folder directly and link

A new function is available within the References section that allows users to add reference files directly to non-controlled folders in File Manager when performing an upload. A configuration setting will enable or disable this feature and define the specific apps where it will be available. Note that this function is only available when uploading files from your computer. It is not enabled on mobile devices or via Google Drive upload.

To enable this setting, navigate to Configuration > Portfolio Manager and click on the References tab. Select Enable Direct Upload to File Manager. In the field below, enter the app name to search for and select which apps will have this feature available.

NOTE: In order to upload files from References to a folder in File Manager, you must have access to that target folder in File Manager.

With this setting enabled, the process to upload files to a References section is as follows:

1. Select Upload From Computer. 
2. Select one or more files to upload and click Open.
3. As the files upload to References in the background, a dialog box appears allowing you to select which files to add to File Manager and which folder to add them to. Make your selections and click Ok.
4. Click Save on the document. The files will be uploaded to the specified folder in File Manager.
   

Improved Item Grid Detail Refresh

As part of continuing performance improvement efforts, we have modified the behavior of the item view on the Item Grid Detail page. This page opens when you select the detail view of an item grid from a record. When you open the Item Grid Detail page and select the detail view of an item, you can scroll through the items list using the arrows in the action bar. Previously all sections would open and refresh individually. Now any closed sections remain closed, speeding up the refresh time.

Administration

Support Groups as a Recipient for Approval Steps

Groups can be configured to be allowed to be selected as a recipient for approval and review tasks (no DocuSign). Only non-system groups can be configured to use this feature. 

When a group is selected as a recipient an approval step, it will behave just like any other step in which multiple recipients have been designated and the task completion mode will apply. For example, if the task completion mode is set to "All", then every member of the group would have to complete their task to advance to the next step. This adds additional flexibility to be able to easily configure approvals using groups whose membership may change from project to project.

Copy to All and Copy to Selected added to Multiple Users creation in the Users app

In the Users app, when you select Add Multiple Users, you will now have the option to select Copy to All or Copy to Selected for certain fields. This functions similar to Copy to All and Copy to Selected in Multi Edit pages in the rest of Kahua.

The Copy function is supported for the following fields:

• Company
• Standard License
• Cost Mgmt License
• Destination Partition
• Select Groups - Note that this field can only be copied if the Destination Partition of the record being copied from and the records being copied to are the same. If they are not the same, then the value will not be copied and a message will appear in the Status Message column.

Added ability to Promote Locations from Project level to Domain level

We have added the ability to promote a location from a project level to the domain level so that it becomes a domain location. Domain locations exist at the root domain and can be added to any project or partition. They can only be edited at the root domain and any edits made will appear in projects and partitions where they have been added. 

To promote a location from the project level to the domain level, you must have permission to create locations at the root domain level. From the project where the location you want to promote exists, select it in the log view of the Locations app and select Promote to Domain. You can select one or more locations to promote at one time from the log view, or you can open the detail view for a single location and select Promote to Domain from the item's action bar. Once promoted, a globe icon  appears next to the location in the log view to indicate that it is now a domain location.

Note that unless the Enable Duplicate Location ID setting is enabled for Locations in the Configuration app, when the value of the Location Id for the location being promoted is the same as the Location ID for an existing domain location, a notification message appears and the location is not promoted.

Reporting

BETA: Support for Media Images in Express Reports

This feature adds support in DevExpress reports for including images that have been uploaded to Kahua via the Media component in an app. Query and data store data sources can both be configured to Include Media Images, and the images can then be added via the report designer.

This feature is being released in Beta because there will be some limitations from a performance and scalability standpoint especially if rendering a report which may contains hundreds of high-resolution images. During the Beta phase, Kahua will retain the right and ability to disable this new feature with limited notice.

Three new Punch List standard app reports take advantage of this new feature:

• Punch List Grouped by Location with Media Images
• Punch List Grouped by Status with Media Images
• Punch List Grouped by Responsible Company with Media Images

Ad Hoc Report Project Selection - New UX and Support for Scheduled Reports

The project selection tree for ad hoc wizard reports has been enhanced for a better user experience. These enhancements include faster performance, no limitation on the number of selected projects, and the ability to clear the selection of a project after selecting all its descendant projects.

The project selection tree is also coming to scheduled ad hoc reports. Now scheduled reports can benefit from being able to be run across multiple projects. Additionally, when Include Subprojects is selected for a project in a scheduled report, any new projects added as a sub-project will automatically be included in the report.

Message with Link Delivery Method Supported when Anonymous File Access Disabled

When Allow Anonymous File Access is disabled for a domain, the scheduled report delivery method Message with Link will respect the setting and send a message with a Kahua entity link which requires the recipient to log in to Kahua.

Announcing the planned retirement of Legacy Kahua reports

Last year, Kahua transitioned to a new reporting engine by DevExpress. During the transition period, reports which used the legacy Stimulsoft engine, as indicated by "[Legacy]" in the report description, and reports which used the new DevExpress report engine were both available.

In the 2025.1 release scheduled for early next year, we will deprecate the existing Kahua-authored reports developed in Stimulsoft, currently labeled as "[Legacy]" reports. In preparation for this step, you should migrate any existing scheduled reports on reports labeled as "[Legacy]" to the equivalent current report which does not have the "[Legacy]" label. You can review scheduled reports in any app from the Reports view. Click on the Schedules column header to sort by the number of schedules on a report.

Note that only Kahua-authored standard reports will be impacted by this change. Any existing custom reports created in Stimulsoft will remain available in your domain.

For more information on managing scheduled reports, refer to Scheduling Reports. For more information on the transition to the new reporting engine, refer to FAQ - New Reporting Engine / Report Designer.

Design Review

Design Review Sets - Show Overall Review Task Status

The Design Review Set will now show how many review tasks have been completed/closed out of the total number of actual and expected review tasks. The system first looks at the completed and open review tasks associated with the design review and then determines how many tasks remain to be created based on the expected workflow.

Note that the count of total reviews is the count of total review tasks. If a review step is ended by the review manager or other authorized reviewer, the review task is closed and counts as a "Completed/Closed" review. Additionally, if a review task is recalled and re-sent for review, the recalled review task is added to the count of closed tasks. Therefore the total number of review tasks will increase, even though the total number of reviewers remains the same.

Design Review - Add Comment Count column to "Files for Review" section in Design Review Set

A new column has been added to the grid within the Files for Review section of the Design Review Set that shows the total number of comments associated with each file.

Design Review - Auto-Extract all Markups (explore single Markup-Comment entity)

A new configuration setting has been added that will enable automatic extraction of markups as comments within a Design Review. 

To enable the setting, from the appropriate partition or project, navigate to the Configuration app > Design Review Sets > Settings tab and select Auto-Extract Markups as Comments. Once enabled, follow the steps below to complete the auto-extraction process.

1. Select Edit on the Design Review Set that contains the file you want to review.

2. Select a file in "Files for Review" and click Markup.

3. Add markups and comments within the markup tool. 

4. Click Save on the file to save the markups. Once saved, all applicable markups are automatically extracted as comments associated with the file.

5. Click Save on the Design Review Set to save the extracted comments.

Note that the auto-extract function only applies when the markup is originally saved to the document. If the markup text is subsequently modified, you will need to select Extract/Import Markups in the Reviewer Comments section to update the extracted text.

Document Management

Submittal Packages - Display Reason as Comment on Return for Clarification

In projects where Submittal Packages are set to use the "Owner Directed" workflow, when the Official Reviewer returns an item for clarification, the Return for Clarification Reason is now added as a comment on the Owner's Representative's task record. When the Owner's representative returns an item for clarification, the Return for Clarification Reason is now added as a comment on the Source Record and the Submittal Coordinator's task.

Previously the reasons for return were included only in the message back to the previous party, requiring the user to refer to the message to understand why the task had been returned to them. Now the reason is displayed directly on the task and record for easy reference.

Submittal Packages - Fixed editability of the Comments to Consultants field

We fixed an issue in Submittal Packages using the "Owner Directed" workflow, where the Comments to Consultants field was incorrectly editable for Consultants and read-only for Official Reviewers and Owner Representatives. This has been fixed, so the Comments to Consultants field can now be edited by Official Reviewers and Owner Representatives and is read-only for Consultants.

Submittals - Collaborative Markups Review for all Reviewers

A new collaboration mode has been added for markups within the Submittal Packages and Submittal Items review process for the Kahua Standard Workflow. This will allow reviewers of a submittal to add markups to reference files concurrently, without the risk of overwriting each other's work. Please note that this collaboration mode will be added to the Owner-Directed Workflow in a future release.

Details of this collaboration mode are as follows:

• Collaboration Mode is enabled when the Submittal Package or Submittal Item moves to the "In Review" status.
• The Official Reviewer can add their own markups and Send to Consultants, and those markups will be visible to the Consultant Reviewers.
• Users can add markups and save them concurrently while the submittal is "In Review". A reviewer's markups are not visible to other reviewers until they have Responded. Reviewers cannot edit other's markups.
• Once all Consultant Reviewers have responded, the Official Reviewer can add their own markups and determine which markups are included in the Official Response. To prevent a markup from being included in the Official Response, the Official Reviewer can open the Markup Panel and check the box under "Internal" for those markups they want to be hidden.

Safety Suite

Introducing the Safety Suite

We have added a new Safety Suite of applications. This domain level package of apps allows you to track information related to safety training and insurance incidents. 

This new suite includes the following sub-apps:

Injury Log - The Injury Log application is designed to streamline injury documentation. The app is tailored to gather crucial injury details, such as the affected individual, incident particulars, required treatments, and injury outcomes. This information can be exported as either a personalized injury report following the OSHA 301 format or as a comprehensive log adhering to the OSHA 300 Log format.

Training Register - The Training Register application is focused on tracking employees' training history. The app is designed to assist you in accessing, viewing, and creating training records with ease. You can effortlessly navigate to the app, review existing records, create new entries, upload supporting media and reference documents, view individual employee training registers, and generate comprehensive Training Register reports.

Toolbox Talks - The Toolbox Talk application was crafted to assist Safety Managers in crafting and delivering Toolbox Talks to field supervisors seamlessly. Field supervisors will receive Kahua tasks containing the meeting content for their Toolbox Talks. After conducting the meeting with their teams, supervisors respond to the task, confirming the meeting date and attendee count, and can add meeting notes or attach files as needed. This streamlined process ensures that the safety coordinator has an immediate, centralized record of participation across all assigned field supervisors' Toolbox Talk meetings.

Auto Incidents - The Auto Incidents application was built to streamline the management of auto accidents and insurance claims. With this app, users can record detailed information about accidents, involved drivers, company vehicles, fault attribution, insurance company details, and claim specifics. Additionally, users have the ability to attach photos and supporting documents for comprehensive documentation. Incident records can be accessed individually or compiled into a Vehicle Incident log report for efficient tracking and analysis.

General Liability Events - The General Liability Events application was specifically created to streamline the management of General Liability and Workman’s Comp Claims. This app empowers safety managers to record comprehensive information about incidents, including location details, carrier and claim numbers, Adjuster and attorney details, and incurred expenses. Users can also attach photos and supporting documents for thorough documentation. Easily access and review incident records as individual event records or compile them into a GL Incident log report for seamless tracking and analysis.

Cost

Construction Change Directive (CCD) - Apply standard role permissions

The available Construction Change Directive (CCD) app now has standard permissions for the Administrator, Contributor, Moderator and Observer roles.

K4X Issues Items - Pull Items to SOV Breakdown

This functionality initially only applies to Kahua for K-12 (Education). Eventually, it will apply to the Kahua for Owner and Kahua for GC packages.

Manually processing Issue Items directly to the related Contract's SOV breakdown is required for some business processes related to authorizing allowances or contingency work. 

Starting in 2024.5, this process is much simpler. Here is the basic flow:

• Turn on the Direct to SOV attribute on the Issue (for defaulting new items) and on the Issue Item.
• Once an SOV based contract is picked, and an Associated Contract Line is selected - which are required for the system to know where to add the SOV item corresponding to this Issue Item - the item's Direct to SOV attribute can be set.
  • NOTE: if the entire Issue is using a given contract's allowances, default values can be set so each new item is queued up for going direct to SOV.
• Once the pricing and authorization process is complete, the system marks the Issue item as Ready for SOV.
• The user opens the corresponding contract's SOV breakdown, chooses Import/ Process From Issue Items, then can pull into all of the Issue Items ready for SOV Breakdown.
• Once the SOV breakdown is saved, the Issue item is superseded and marked as Processed. 
• The user can Recall and reset, so long as the related SOV item hasn't been used on a Pay Request.

This is another step in smoothing out the Committed Allowance business flow. 

Kahua for Subcontractors

Introducing Service Quotes app

Introducing our new Service Quotes application, designed to streamline the quoting process for service organizations. With this app, users can quickly generate quotes for potential customers seeking services. The Service Quotes app allows users to document key details such as the quote request date, client and site contacts, and work description. It also provides functionalities for managing labor rates, tax rates, markup rates for labor, material, and equipment, which can be customized or defaulted as needed.

Users can enter quote line items manually or choose from a company library of standard materials, including unit costs and installation labor units. Similarly, equipment can be manually entered or selected from a library with associated rates. Once the quote is generated, a printable quote form can be generated and sent to the client for approval.

Upon client approval, the quote record can be seamlessly processed into a new Kahua project, simplifying the transition from quote to project execution.

Introducing the Daily Work Reports app

Introducing our new Daily Work Reports application, designed to empower field teams in documenting daily job site progress with precision. This app allows teams to record detailed information, including work descriptions, employee schedules (start and end times, lunch durations), materials installed, equipment usage, and work completion status.

Once the field team completes their entries and indicates the work is complete, the Accounting team reviews the record. Their permissions reveal cost elements such as employee labor rates, equipment and material unit costs, as well as markup and tax rates. The Accounting team can update these values as needed, preparing the groundwork for generating accurate invoices for customers.

Project Proposals – Clarifications and Exclusions Libraries

We have updated the Subcontractor Projects app to enable subcontractors to prepare project proposals to be submitted in the pursuit of new projects. The Proposal may include general proposal information, a Base Bid Breakout, Allowances, Alternates, Value Engineering items, a Scope of Work, Clarifications, and Exclusions. The Clarifications and Exclusions can be entered manually from the Projects > Proposal tab, or they can be copied into the current project’s proposal in bulk by selecting the Copy Items action and selecting one or more of the existing clarification or exclusion clauses from the library.

Subcontractor Clarifications and Exclusions are two new apps included in the Proposal Terms Library which provide a location to store a company’s standard Clarification and Exclusion clauses used in its Bid Proposals. The Clarifications and Exclusions apps are domain-level apps, so a single list of each is maintained for the entire company rather than individual lists by project.

To create entries in either the Clarifications or Exclusions libraries, simply click New and manually enter items, or you can leverage Kahua’s Export/Import capabilities to easily add items in bulk.

Projects (Subcontractor Extension) – Added Project Logo field

A new Logo field has been added to the Projects app > Project Details tab of the Subcontractor’s Projects extension. Users with the appropriate permissions can click Change to upload a project logo or image file. 

Once uploaded, the image will appear on the project’s tile on the Home page.

Integrations

Outlook Plugin - SSO Authentication

Note that this change will not go out immediately with the 2024.5 release. It will instead be part of a subsequent maintenance release.

Outlook Plugin now supports Single Sign-On Authentication (SSO). Users who access Kahua using SSO will now be able to login to Kahua from the Outlook Plugin using SSO as well.

The previously used PIN entry for SSO users to login to the Outlook Plugin is no longer available.

Scheduling/rSchedule (Runding)

Note that these changes will not go out immediately with the 2024.5 release. They will instead be part of a subsequent maintenance release.

Note: These features are available for customers in Commercial environments. They are not yet available for customers using the Kahua Government Network.

rSchedule enhancement – Default schedule record status workflow

rSchedule users can now establish an approval process for new records and revisions, allowing approvers to review a schedule before it is processed. 

• New records and revisions can be submitted for approval prior to data extraction.
• Approvers can approve or reject schedules before the schedules are submitted.
• Schedulers can recall schedules that have not been approved.

Enhancements

These changes will affect both Platform and Cloud users* (extended results may vary)

We have made the following enhancements:

• Date fields have been relabeled to share the same names as their sources. These changes are reflected across Schedules, Tasks, and Revisions.
  • For Primavera P6 configurations, the following label changes were made:
    • Estimated Start Date has been relabeled to Planned Start Date.
    • Estimated End Date has been relabeled to Planned End Date.
  • For Microsoft Project MPP configurations, the following label change was made:
    • Estimated End Date has been relabeled to Estimated Finish Date.
• We fixed a rare scenario where deleting the milestone did not remove its relationship to a schedule task.
• Configuration for Task Relationships will now be on by default. This will enable Schedule Tasks to automatically link Predecessors and Successors when setup in P6 or MPP files. 

Other improvements

The following features were released previously as part of the Maintenance Release process and are already in production:

• Added preprocessing step to detect and repair duplicate Schedule Tasks when processing Schedule Revisions.
  • This does not affect Platform Users
• Updated default permissions in the scheduling apps to explicitly revoke permissions if none are given to a user. This will cause any users that don’t already have permissions to lose access to Scheduling until permissions are assigned to them. 
  • This applies to both platform and cloud users

 For further information, please refer to the Appendix section of the Schedules Guidebook.

Kahua Host Updates

All Kahua hosts have been updated with various enhancements and bug fixes. The Windows host will automatically update upon first launch after the release. 

Download the appropriate app for your device:

• Kahua Mobile for iOS on iTunes
• Kahua Mobile for Android on Google Play

Release Note Changes