The Works Management Suite of Applications (WMSA) is developed as a multifunctional software application suite for online monitoring of works services at various stages starting from proposal preparation to commissioning of project. It maintains the entire information of a Work to enable and facilitate the executing and supervisory officers of a technical department, engaged in construction related activities, in planning and monitoring the various stages of the various Works in a more efficient and effective manner. These applications were developed primarily to cater to the needs of the Public Works Department, Government of Maharashtra.

The WMSA has been modelled on the current pattern of functional branches in a typical execution (division) office and contains three major applications : Works Management System for the Projects branch (the technical section), Accounts Management System for the Accounts branch and Stores Management System for the Stores branch.

A. Works Management System

This application is intended to capture the data that gets generated in the technical branch of a typical division office. Based on the various stages through which a Work has to pass in its entire life-cycle, it has been divided into the following modules:

1. Proposals - This module captures the information related to the origin of a work proposal, its scrutiny for feasibility and its subsequent classification under the various Account heads (specified by the Finance Department) and Schemes (specified by the Planning Department)

2. Estimation - Once a proposal gets properly classified and converted into a Work, detailed estimates are to be prepared for various approvals. Based on the working drawings, quantities for various items specified in the Schedule of Rates are worked out. The actual rates are then calculated by applying proper lead and percentage charges to those available in the Schedule of Rates. This module has a provision of actually preparing these estimates, based on the entry of quantities, lead distances and percentage charges.

3. Approvals - A Work gets sanction for execution only after it has passed through various approval processes. The first of these is the Administrative Approval during which the financial viability of the Work is ascertained. The Work, then finds a mention in the department's annual budget where a budgetary provision is made against it. After this, the estimates are scrutinized to check the technical soundness of the methodology and schedule proposed for actual execution of the Work. This module provides provision for capturing the details of the aforesaid Administrative Approval, Budget Approval and Technical Scrutiny processes.

4. Tendering - Draft Tender Papers are prepared after Technical Scrutiny of the Work. Notice Inviting Tenders (NITs) are then required to be published in newspapers, tender forms are to be sold, bids received from various contractors are to be evaluated and the Work is awarded to a particular contractor. The details of the entire tendering process gets captured in this module.

5. Execution - After awarding of contract, actual execution of the Work begins at the respective site. This module contains provision for entry of actual physical and financial progress of the Work, detailed on the parameters enlisted while working out the schedule. Based on the entry of actual quantity of work items from Measurement Books (MBs), the module also provides a facility to generate bills for payment to the contractor. There is also a provision to record the inspection notes of various officials during their site visits to and track their compliance status.

B. Accounts Management System

This application is intended to capture the requirements of the Accounts branch of a typical division office (having drawing and disbursing rights). Broadly, this is a voucher-based accounting software, developed for the single entry book keeping system prescribed by the Government in the Public Works Account Code, capable of handling all types of financial transactions in the office.

The different types of contractor and supplier bills and any other bills for expenditure incurred on any Work can be entered in this application. There exists a provision of selecting the Works for a particular Account head and booking the expenses incurred on them, which makes it possible to gauge the entire expenditure on individual Works. Based on voucher entries, the cash book and all the other statutory account reports that the office is required to submit to the Accountant General, can be generated whenever required. Additionally, the application contains features that do not allow the entry of back-dated vouchers, provided for provisions to keep track of any modifications made in the entered data, restricts data entry after closure of monthly accounts etc. It also contains provisions for rectification of accidental misclassifications through entries in Transfer Entry Orders as specified in the code.

C. Stores Management System This application is intended to cater to the requirements of the Stores branch of a typical division office.

It has provisions for entry of receipt of materials for stock purposes and their issue to different Works being carried out by the divisional office. Based on these entries, the application provides for generation of stock issue and receipt statements, stock ledgers, material at site account statement and all the other statutory reports that are to be submitted alongwith the divisional accounts to the Accountant General. Again, because of its tight integration with the Works Management System, material recovery statements for different Works can be generated. It also aids the officials in ascertaining the actual consumption of materials on a particular item of Work vis-à-vis the theoretically prescribed consumption.

The presence of an integrated environment between Works Management System and Stores Management System also enables the Store-Keeper to plan out his procurements well in advance, once he comes to know of the quantities prescribed in the Schedule-A of various approved Works.