Create related communications

You can link to a new communication from an existing one by creating a related communication. For example, you can reply to a Variation Request from the contractor by creating a Variation Order.

If the communication has a required response of Reply Only or Agreement and Reply, the reply requirement is fulfilled by creating a related communication and marking it as a reply. See Respond to a communication for more information.

Note If the communication templates of the communications to be linked do not support the same type of financial values (either expenditure or not expenditure), you cannot create financial associations but only add the communications to stories.

Note If you want to link progress communications when creating a communication which supports both expenditure and progress, the available progress communications are automatically listed on the Create Communication page. You cannot create a related communication directly from a progress communication.

To create a related communication:

1. On the communication register, click the Title of the communication for which you want to create a related communication.

   The Communication Details page is displayed.

2. Click the Create Related Communication button and select the communication template for the new communication.

   The Create a Related Communication wizard is displayed.

3. Complete the pages of the wizard as required. Depending on the types of communication being linked, not all pages are displayed. Click Next and Previous to move between pages.

   Page	Displayed If	Options
   Choose Type of Link	Both communications have financial values of the same type (commitment change or expenditure)	Select the type of link you want to create: Create a Financial Association - Add the new communication to a story AND create a financial association with the communication you are linking to. Create a General Association - Add the new communication to a story.
   Choose Direction of Link	Create a Financial Association was selected on the Choose Type of Link page	Select the direction of the process chain link. The predecessor is displayed on the left and the successor on the right. The information displayed for each communication shows any changes to the financial and schedule impact values and reporting categories which will occur when the link is made. Click the Change Direction button to swap the predecessor and successor.
   Choose a Story Group	Always	Select the story you want to add the new communication to. Story options are: Add both communications to a new story. If the existing communication already belongs to one or more stories, add the new communication to one of these stories.

4. Click Finish.

   The Create a Communication page is displayed, with the communication template you are using shown in the page heading.

   The story and process chain link, if any, are displayed in the Add Linked Communications section.

5. If a financial association is created, the financial impact value from the predecessor in the process chain is added to the Financial Impact field (if this is displayed for this communication type). This field shows the sum of any financial value already specified for the communication, plus the financial values copied from the linked communications:

   • For communications which are not configured as expenditure and have a single Financial Impact value, this can be edited before the communication is sent.

   • If the communication has commitment change values, these are copied from the predecessor and can be viewed and updated once the new communication has been saved in an editable state.

   • If both communications are configured as expenditure, the expenditure values and any line items are copied from the predecessor and can be viewed and updated once the new communication has been saved in an editable state. The Financial Impact cannot be edited.

     Note If the communications have different currencies, the financial impact value copied from the predecessor is converted to the base currency of the successor, using the currency rates specified in the Contract Configuration.

     Both the original and converted values are shown in the Add Linked Communications section.

     If the currency of the successor communication is later changed, only the financial impact values due to line items are recalculated.

     If the predecessor had a schedule impact value, this is added to the Schedule Impact field (if this is displayed for this communication type).

6. Finish creating the communication as detailed in Create a communication. You can link additional communications if desired.