Currently, when updating a draft payment application in COST, users can only add change orders—there is no option to add new budget items. However, in practice, some clients have budget items that do not require an approved change order, such as bonus/penalty adjustments, asphalt binder and diesel fuel cost adjustments, or interim crushing payments. Users have reported frustration when they realize mid-process that they need to include such an item, as the only current workaround is to delete and regenerate the payment application—resulting in the loss of all previously entered quantities and data.
It would be a meaningful improvement to allow users to add new budget items directly to an existing draft payment application, in the same manner they can already add change orders. This would eliminate unnecessary rework, streamline the workflow, and better support real-world billing scenarios that include dynamic or non-CO-based cost items.
