MLP CMS
MLP CMS
Construction Management System
MLP Solutions Group
v3.1.6cms@mlpsolutionsgroup.com
MLP CMS — Executive Summary
What is MLP CMS?
MLP CMS is a full-stack construction management platform that unifies project financials, document control, quality assurance, and safety into a single offline-capable web application.
Financial Control
Budget proposals → cost codes → change orders → pay applications with AIA G702/G703 PDF generation. Every dollar tracked with snapshot immutability.
Project Management
RFIs, Submittals, Punch Lists, Meeting Minutes, Gantt chart, and Milestones — full lifecycle from bid to closeout.
Quality & Safety
QMS inspections, NCRs, Daily QC logs, Daily Safety reports, and Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) forms with digital sign-off.
Offline-First
Service Worker + IndexedDB queue enables full field operation with no internet. Changes sync automatically when connectivity returns.
MLP CMS — Module Map
All Modules
Foundation
Financials
Document Control
Scheduling
Quality & Safety
16 modules · single-origin web app · offline-capable
MLP CMS — Getting Started
Getting Started — Your First Day
Recommended order
- 1. Log in & register a passkey
- 2. Set up Cost Codes & Price List
- 3. Create your Project
- 4. Create & approve a Budget Proposal, then link it to the project
- 5. Raise Change Orders as scope changes
- 6. Bill with Pay Applications (G702/G703)
- 7. Run QMS & Safety inspections in the field
- 8. Watch the Dashboard
Tip: Do Cost Codes & Price List FIRST — every downstream record reuses them.
MLP CMS — Foundation
Steps 1–2: Set Up Your Foundation
Cost Codes
- Shared across ALL projects
- Power budget grouping & reporting
- Set them up once, reuse everywhere
Price List
- Unit rates grouped by Equipment / Labor / Material
- Picking an item auto-fills rate & unit
- Feeds Change Orders and Budget Proposals
Tip: Organize the Price List by Type so Quick Add is fast.
MLP CMS — Project & Budget
Steps 3–4: Project & Budget
Create a Project
- Name & number
- Start / end dates
- Contract value
Budget Proposal
- Build line items from the Price List
- Approve the proposal
- Link it to the project to set its budget
Tip: A Budget Proposal must be Approved before it can be linked.
MLP CMS — Change Orders & Pay Apps
Steps 5–6: Change Orders & Pay Applications
Change Orders
- Quick Add line items from the Price List
- Submit → Approve adjusts the contract sum
- Lock to freeze
Pay Applications
- Two tabs: G702 Application + G703 Schedule of Values
- Enter values on G703 — G702 totals auto-calculate
- Retainage split work% / stored%
- "Less Previous Certificates" auto-carries from the prior Pay App
- Submit & Generate PDF
Tip: On a phone the G703 shows as stacked cards — one line item per card.
MLP CMS — Field & Visibility
Steps 7–8: Field Quality & Visibility
QMS & Daily Safety
- Project-scoped inspections & safety reports
- Save Draft, then Submit
- Complete a JHA before high-risk work
Dashboard & Reports
- KPIs update as Pay Apps are approved
- Export to PDF / CSV
Tip: Overdue RFIs, COs, and punch items surface automatically on the Dashboard.
MLP CMS — Tips for New Users
Tips for New Users
- Passkeys are faster & phishing-resistant
- The app works offline and syncs when you reconnect
- Wide financial tables become stacked cards on mobile
- After a session timeout you're returned to the exact page you were on
- Use the User Guide's search box to jump to any topic
MLP CMS — Financial Workflow
Financial Workflow
CO → PA → PDF Chain
Snapshot Model
- Each Pay Application captures a frozen snapshot of all CO line items at the time of creation
- Approved PAs are immutable — no retroactive edits
- Retainage tracked independently per line item
- Split retainage rates supported (work vs. materials)
PA Chain Math
- Previous Certificates carry forward automatically
- Scheduled Value = Contract Sum adjusted by approved COs
- Work Completed = Prior + This Period
- Net Payment = Current Due minus Retainage
- Supports negative COs (deductive change orders)
Verified: Full PA chain math confirmed — negative COs, retainage, 100% completion scenarios all produce correct G702/G703 output.
MLP CMS — Change Orders
Change Orders — Deep Dive
Lifecycle States
Once a CO is included in a Pay Application, it is locked against modification to preserve financial integrity.
Line Items
- Multiple line items per CO
- Unit price × quantity calculation
- Cost code assignment per line
- Positive or negative amounts (deductive)
- Description and scope notes
PDF Export
- Professional CO summary PDF
- Project header, owner/contractor info
- Full line item table with subtotals
- Approval signature block
- MLP Solutions Group branding
Impact on Contract
- Approved COs automatically adjust the Scheduled Value in the active PA
- Running total of contract adjustments visible on project dashboard
- Negative COs reduce contract sum and affect retainage proportionally
MLP CMS — Pay Applications
Pay Applications — G702 / G703 AIA Format
G702 — Application & Certificate
- Original contract sum, approved CO total
- Contract sum to date
- Total completed & stored to date
- Retainage on work + stored materials
- Balance to finish
- Current payment due
G703 — Schedule of Values
- One row per CO / line item
- Scheduled value, work completed, % complete
- Materials presently stored
- Retainage split: work vs. materials rate
- Balance to finish per line
Retainage Split Rate
Supports distinct retainage percentages for completed work and stored materials — critical for AIA compliance on large GC contracts.
PA Chain
- Each PA references its predecessor
- Prior certificates carried forward automatically
- Re-opening a closed PA blocked to prevent chain corruption
- Draft → Submitted → Certified → Paid states
PDF Generation
Server-side PDF with AIA-compliant layout. Downloadable from the PA detail page. Printable directly from browser.
MLP CMS — QMS & Safety
Quality Management & Safety
QMS Inspections
Create inspection records against project activities. Pass/Fail/Partial outcomes. Linked to cost codes and work areas.
NCR — Non-Conformance
Non-conformance reports with root cause, corrective action, resolution tracking, and closure sign-off.
Daily QC Log
Per-day quality control entries: weather, crew, work completed, observations, and photo references.
Daily Safety Report
Site safety documentation: incidents, near-misses, tool-box talks, head count, hazard conditions.
JHA — Job Hazard Analysis
Job Hazard Analysis forms with step-by-step task breakdown, hazard identification, and control measures. Digital worker sign-off.
Status
All QMS and Safety modules confirmed passing in beta testing. Forms verified with real data — no placeholder leakage.
Confirmed
MLP CMS — Project Management
Project Management Modules
RFIs — Requests for Information
Track open questions to Architect/Engineer. Status: Open → Submitted → Answered → Closed. Priority levels. Response due date tracking.
Submittals
Shop drawings, product data, samples. Submittal log with revision tracking, A/E review status, and return actions.
Punch List
End-of-project deficiency tracking. Location, trade assignment, due date, and completion sign-off. Filterable by status and responsible party.
Meeting Minutes
Structured meeting records: attendees, agenda items, action items with owners and due dates. PDF export.
Gantt Chart
Interactive timeline view of project schedule. Task bars with dependencies, drag-to-reschedule, critical path highlight.
Milestones
Key project dates tracked separately from the Gantt. NTP, Substantial Completion, Final Completion, Owner handoff dates.
MLP CMS — Dashboards
Dashboards & Visibility
Financial Dashboard
- Contract sum vs. billed to date
- Retainage held / released
- CO impact summary
- Remaining budget by cost code
- PA status tracker (open / certified / paid)
Project Dashboard
- Open RFIs & Submittals count
- Punch list items by status
- Upcoming milestones
- Recent QMS/Safety activity
- Schedule % complete
Activity Log
- Chronological audit trail of all changes
- User, timestamp, action, affected record
- Filterable by module and user
- Clear Log action (admin)
- Exportable for compliance
All dashboard metrics are computed server-side on request — no stale cache. Financial figures update the moment a CO is approved or a PA is certified.
MLP CMS — Offline-First Architecture
Offline-First Architecture
Field-proven design: Works in areas with no cellular signal. Data is never lost. Sync completes automatically the moment network is available.
MLP CMS — Test Coverage
Test Coverage — 171 Tests, All Passing
Unit & Format Tests
- G702/G703 number formatting
- Retainage split-rate calculation
- PA chain math (carry-forward, deductive COs)
- Date, currency, and percentage helpers
E2E — Playwright
- Auth, Projects, Budget Proposals, Cost Codes
- Price List, Change Orders, Pay Applications
- RFIs, Submittals, Punch List, Meeting Minutes
- Gantt, Milestones, Safety, Dashboards
0 failures · 0 skips — All 171 tests pass as of v3.1.6. Zero data-loss bugs in production.
MLP CMS — Azure-Ready Deployment
Azure-Ready
HTTPS Automatic
Azure App Service provisions TLS automatically. Service Worker requires HTTPS — no additional configuration needed. Same-origin SW scope enforced.
Scale-Out Ready
Stateless Express API. Session stored server-side with session affinity or Redis adapter. Horizontal scaling via Azure App Service plan scale-out rules.
SW Cache Header
Cache-Control: no-store on sw.js ensures browsers always fetch the latest Service Worker on deploy — no stale worker risk.
Database
Currently SQLite (single-tenant). Migration path to Azure SQL Database documented. Schema migrations managed with Knex.js.
Static Assets
Vite builds to client/dist/. Served via Express static middleware. CDN layer optional via Azure Front Door.
CI / Deploy
GitHub Actions pipeline: lint → test → build → deploy to Azure Web App. Zero-downtime deployment with health-check probe.
MLP CMS — Security
Security
Passkey / WebAuthn Authentication
Phishing-resistant passwordless login using device biometrics or hardware keys. FIDO2 compliant. Passkey registration gated behind System admin screen.
Helmet.js
Full Helmet middleware suite: CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy — all hardened by default.
Rate Limiting
express-rate-limit on all API routes. Aggressive limits on auth endpoints. IP-level throttling with configurable windows and max attempts.
Optimistic Locking
Version field on critical records. Concurrent update attempts are rejected with a 409 Conflict — prevents silent overwrites in multi-user scenarios.
Session Restore
Secure session cookie with httpOnly + sameSite=strict. Session restore after offline period without re-authentication. Token refresh handled transparently.
Audit Trail
All creates, updates, and deletes recorded in the Activity Log with user identity and timestamp. Immutable once written.
MLP CMS — Ship Criteria
Ship Criteria — v3.1.6
Mathematical Verification
- PA chain math verified end-to-end (carry-forward, prior certs)
- Negative / deductive Change Orders produce correct G702 totals
- Retainage split-rate (work vs. materials) correctly prorated
- 100% completion scenario: balance to finish = $0.00, retainage releases correctly
- G703 Schedule of Values rows sum to G702 totals
Data Integrity
- Zero data-loss bugs in production
- Offline queue replay produces identical server state
- Conflict merge does not silently drop user edits
Feature Completeness
- All 15 modules functional and beta-tested
- PDF export working: CO, PA G702/G703, Meeting Minutes
- QMS and Safety forms confirmed with real project data
- Passkey gate on System page operational
- Activity log tracks all changes across all modules
Performance
- Navigation Performance label on module nav
- Orphaned PAs hidden from active project view
- All E2E tests pass in < 90s
✓ All criteria met — MLP CMS v3.1.6 is production-ready
MLP CMS — Contact & Roadmap
Contact & Roadmap
Support & Sales
cms@mlpsolutionsgroup.com
MLP Solutions Group
Current Version
v3.1.6
Future Roadmap
-
Unit Test Expansion
Grow unit/format suite from 47 → 100+ tests covering edge cases in CO math and retainage scenarios -
PM Agent
Autonomous project manager agent using Claude API: rules engine + AI reasoning, node-cron scheduling, nodemailer alerts -
Azure SQL Migration
Migrate from SQLite to Azure SQL Database for multi-tenant, enterprise-scale deployments -
Mobile PWA
Enhanced PWA install flow, native-feel navigation, push notifications for RFI/Submittal status changes -
Document Storage
Azure Blob Storage integration for file attachments on RFIs, Submittals, and Punch List items
MLP CMS — Project Budget
Project Budget
📊 Budget Overview
- 10-column live budget table (Procore-aligned)
- Original Budget · Approved Changes · Approved PCCOs
- Current Est Budget · Pending Changes · Committed
- Cost Incurred · Incurred + Unapproved rollup
- Color-coded progress bar (green → amber → red at 75/90%)
- Grand Totals row with project-level PCCO rollup
- Lock Budget & Export CSV actions
📸 Snapshots
- One-click point-in-time budget captures
- Name + notes per snapshot
- Side-by-side variance comparison (older vs. newer)
- Immutable after creation — full audit history
🔄 Budget Changes
- Full workflow: Draft → Submitted → Approved / Rejected
- Void option for cancelled changes
- Change types: Owner Change, Value Engineering, Allowance Adjustment, Contingency Draw, Scope Revision, Design Change
- Approved changes feed directly into the 10-column calculation engine
- +/− color-coded amounts with status badges
📈 Forecast to Complete
- Per-line % Complete input with progress bar
- EAC (Estimate at Completion) calculated automatically
- ETC (Estimate to Complete) = EAC − Cost Incurred
- Variance column: over/under budget at a glance
- Project-level totals row summarizes forecast health
MLP CMS — QuickBooks Online Integration
QuickBooks Online Integration
🔗 Setup (Admin Only)
- Create Intuit Developer app at developer.intuit.com
- Register redirect URI:
http://localhost:3000/api/qbo/callback - Add Client ID + Secret to server
.env - Restart PM2:
pm2 restart mlp-cms - Click Connect to QuickBooks Online in Settings
- Authorize via Intuit OAuth — one time only
🔒 Security
- OAuth 2.0 — no passwords stored
- Access tokens auto-refresh every hour
- Refresh token valid 100 days
- QBO panel requires admin passkey gate
- Disconnect any time — QBO data unaffected
🔄 What Syncs
- Companies → Vendors in QBO
- Cost Codes → Service Items in QBO
- Pay Applications → Customer Invoices in QBO
- Vendor Invoices → Bills in QBO
- Sync individually or all at once — Sync Everything Now
- Duplicate-safe: find-or-create logic, no double entries
📋 Best Practices
- Sync Vendors + Cost Codes before financial records
- One-way: MLP CMS → QBO only
- Last sync timestamp shown per category
- Auth errors = Disconnect + Reconnect
- Sandbox mode available via
QBO_ENVIRONMENT=sandbox