Intro
What is oxFlow
oxFlow is a cloud-based construction cost management platform being built for Oxcon. It consolidates four functions that Oxcon currently runs across fragmented tooling — estimating, forecasting, variation management, and reporting — into a single integrated system.
Phase 1 replaces Benchmark Estimating (legacy desktop tool) and integrates with Oxcon’s existing Workbench environment for downstream project delivery.
Why it exists
Oxcon’s cost workflow today is split across multiple systems that don’t talk to each other. Estimators build in one tool, project delivery lives in another, variations are tracked in spreadsheets, and reporting is manual. oxFlow’s goal is one platform, one data model, from tender through to project close.
Scope (Phase 1)
- Web-based estimating with a modern UI
- Workbench integration for real-time cost tracking
- Forecasting with cost-to-complete analysis
- Variation lifecycle management
- AI-powered reporting and natural language queries
- Multi-project portfolio dashboards
Approach
Kickoff: February 28, 2026. Three sequential phases:
| Phase | Ends | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha | April 25, 2026 | Estimating replacement (Benchmark → oxFlow) |
| Beta | May 30, 2026 | Forecasting + Workbench integration |
| Release | June 27, 2026 | Go-live with AI reporting |
What’s in these docs
This site is the design-spec source of truth for Phase 1. Work from the outside in:
- Concept Map — visual map of every entity and how they relate (start here for the 5-minute overview)
- Glossary — single source of truth for terminology
- Business Rules — numbered, sign-off-ready constraints that govern behaviour
- Roles & Permissions — capability matrix per user role
- Non-Functional — performance, security, training, hosting baseline
- Entities — full spec per entity, grouped into 5 conceptual layers (work hierarchy → building blocks → pricing → commercials → reference data)
Core analogy
oxFlow’s estimating model borrows from cooking:
- Ingredients → Resources (labour, materials, plant, subcontract)
- Recipes → reusable combinations of ingredients with instructions
- The cake → Items, the things sold to the client
This analogy is deliberate and carries through the UI wherever it helps.
Reference
Full commercial proposal and background: proposals.3sixtyone.co/oxflow