June 2007

Loading Multiple LAMI Areas in the HomeTech ADVANTAGE Software

What is a LAMI?
LAMI stands for Local Area Modification Index. In short, these are the different pricing areas in the United States and Canada that HomeTech Information Systems, Inc. monitors on a quarterly basis.

In HomeTech ADVANTAGE, you have access to all 218 pricing (LAMI) areas in the United States and Canada.

Why would I need to load more than one LAMI into HomeTech ADVANTAGE?
If you work in a region where several metro or HomeTech pricing areas are close together, or if you will be estimating a job in a region of the country that is outside of your "home" area, you will want to load more than one LAMI. For example, if a New York based contractor was going down to one of the Gulf coast states to help rebuild after a hurricane, the contractor can load the LAMI area into the software where he will physically be doing the work, and create estimates using the appropriate area’s costs.

You can load up to 4 of these pricing areas in the software at any one time. You can then choose which of these pricing areas to use when calculating each estimate.

How to set up more than one LAMI in HomeTech ADVANTAGE
In the example below, we are assuming that you want to set up LAMIs in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, MD, and Annapolis, MD.

Basically, there are 3 things you need to do in setting up and using the LAMI areas:

I. Selecting which LAMI area(s) you want to use

II. Loading the selected LAMI areas into the software

III. Selecting your estimate LAMI

The steps to complete each of these are detailed below.

I. Selecting Which LAMI Area(s) You Want to Use

Step 1: Close any open estimates and return to the Estimate Grid window.

Step 2: Choose UTLITLIES pull-down menu.

Step 3: Choose SETUP.

Step 4: Choose the LOCAL AREA MODIFIER SETUP tab.

Step 5: Check "Click Here If You Have Multiple LAMIs". This will display 3 additional boxes to add 3 more LAMI areas.

Step 6: Enter desired zip codes in the boxes provided.

Step 7: Choose OK to save and exit.

NOTE: At this time you have specified which LAMI areas you want to use, but these LAMI areas have not been loaded into the software program.

II. Loading the Selected LAMI Areas into the Software

Step 1: Choose LAMI pull-down menu from the Estimate Grid window with all estimates closed.

Step 2: Choose QUARTERLY LAMI UPDATE.

Step 3: Highlight the LAMI area you want to be your “Default” area. The “Default” area is the LAMI area that will automatically be used to create your estimates. This is typically your “Home” area, or the area where the majority of your estimates will be created.

Step 4: Choose OK.

Step 5: Choose YES to the “Default Area Is…” prompt if the displayed area is the correct “Default” area. If the displayed “Default” area is not correct, see below.

Step 6: The program is now loading your selected LAMI areas into the program databases.

IF DISPLAYED “DEFAULT” AREA IS NOT CORRECT...

Step 1: Choose NO to the “Default Area Is…” prompt if the displayed “Default” area is not correct.

Step 2: Enter your desired 4-digit “Default” LAMI area in the “Default LAMI Area” box. Do not use spaces.

Step 3: Choose OK.

Step 4: Choose YES to the “Default Area Is…” prompt if the displayed area is the correct “Default” area. This time it should have displayed your desired “Default” area in the message prompt.

III. Selecting Your Estimate LAMI

It should be noted that in order to select an estimate LAMI area in the “Project Information” tab, you must have an estimate open. The open estimate is the estimate to which the selected LAMI will apply. The “Project Information” tab can be accessed (1) when initially creating a new estimate, or (2) at any time after by choosing EDIT – EDIT CLIENT INFORMATION.

Step 1: Choose the PROJECT INFORMATION tab from the “Client and Job Site Information” window.

Step 2: Select the LAMI you want to use to calculate the estimate.

NOTE: If you are switching your estimate to a different LAMI, it is recommended you first create a “Carbon Copy” of the estimate (using the “Save As” feature) before you switch/recalculate the LAMI for this estimate. To do this, CANCEL out of the “Client and Job Site Information” window, and choose FILE – SAVE AS to create a “Carbon Copy” of the estimate under a different name and recalculate (switch LAMI) for the “Save As” estimate. This way if the recalculated estimate does not look the way you anticipated for whatever reason, you still have the “original” estimate.

Step 3: Choose OK to the “New LAMI Selected” window.

Step 4: Choose the CLIENT INFORMATION tab.

Step 5: Choose OK to recalculate your estimate with the selected LAMI. Choose CANCEL to exit without recalculating.

Step 6: Your open estimate will now be recalculated with your selected area pricing.