Review a construction calculation workbook with AI before importing it

Construction calculation workbooks carry more than visible line items. Hidden sheets, formulas, named ranges and unit conventions can determine every total. AI can help map that structure, but a plausible extraction is not proof that the workbook logic survived. Alfie’s current calculation-workbook actions separate review from import and keep both web-only, giving a reviewer space to inspect conflicts before anything enters the working calculation.

Preserve the original workbook

Store the source, version, author and purpose. Work from a copy and note whether formulas depend on external files, macros or protected sheets. Remove irrelevant personal or confidential data before upload.

A workbook that cannot be reproduced outside one employee’s laptop is already an operational risk, regardless of AI.

Map sheets, inputs and outputs

Identify quantity sheets, cost libraries, parameters, summaries and calculation tabs. Ask which cells are manual inputs and which are formulas. AI may propose a structure, but the reviewer must confirm the relationships.

Look for hidden rows, merged cells and totals that include filtered-out values. These patterns frequently break simple imports.

Normalise units and parameters

Compare hours, metres, square metres, pieces, percentages and currency. Check decimal separators and whether waste, margin or overhead is embedded in a formula. Do not convert unknown units silently.

Record each parameter’s source and effective date. A supplier price and a labour coefficient require different maintenance.

Use the web-only conflict review

review_calculation_workbook_import and import_calculation_from_workbook are present in Alfie’s registry with inventory write permission. They are explicitly web-only and excluded from WhatsApp. That boundary supports row-level and formula-level review that cannot fit in a chat confirmation.

Resolve keep, replace, map or skip decisions before import. The model structures evidence; Enfin governs the write.

Test the imported calculation

Recalculate representative items and compare subtotal, tax-neutral cost logic, margin and final total with the source. Investigate differences rather than rounding them away. Verify that formulas reference the intended parameters after import.

Keep accepted historical quotes isolated from new defaults. Importing a workbook must not rewrite prior commercial commitments.

Document what was not imported

List unsupported formulas, skipped sheets and manual follow-up. Assign each gap to a person and date. A transparent partial import is safer than claiming full parity. Use the review log to improve the next workbook and reduce one-off spreadsheet conventions.

Read also migrate from Excel to construction software and construction workflows in Enfin.