Getting started with CRAFT

Set up your project

Set up your project profile with its name, scope, project type and delivery stage.

1. Open CRAFT sign-in. New customers without an account must select Create customer account first, then use Customer login. Evaluation participants use Demo user/CRAFT staff login with their approved email.
2. In Project Library, select Create new project, name it Pump station renewal — practice, then select Create project.
3. In Project Overview, choose Utilities and Design. Add the scope below and select Confirm project details.

Use the left navigation to move between functions. Save project saves in this browser; Project Library lets you reopen it.

Keep a backup: Your saved project stays locally in this browser on your machine. Use Download .prs backup to back it up or share a copy with others. PRS does not store a cloud copy of your project and cannot recover a deleted project without a .prs backup. Clearing browser data can also remove the local copy.

Check: The project name, type and phase are confirmed. Open Complexity Assessment next.

Assess project complexity

Identify where delivery needs closer attention before drafting the risk register.

1. Open Complexity Assessment. For D1–D8, choose a rating and add a short rationale.
2. Review the Red flags. For this example, select Live operating environment and Land, property or latent conditions.
3. Review the profile, then select Complete assessment to continue to Risk Identification.

Check: These inputs give 16/40 and an effective High level because of the red flags. D4, D6 and D1 are the dominant drivers.

The profile guides risk identification; it does not calculate a contingency allowance. If you change project type or phase, revisit the assessment.

Identify and review risks

Turn project context and workshop notes into a structured risk register you can review and refine.

1. Open Risk Identification. Select Use profile (recommended) to use the complexity assessment when drafting risks. You can select Continue without profile, but the engine will not use that assessment.
2. Enter Project scope, Assumptions and Known risks and issues. Copy the example below, or use your own information.
3. Select Generate risk register. Review the risk statements, causes, consequences and categories; edit weak wording and check for overlap. Use Add risk if something is missing.
4. Choose Risk Prioritisation under Move risks to, then select the adjacent Move … risks button.

Check: Look for duplicate or overlapping risks, incorrect categories, unsupported rationale and missing risks. Confirm that statements, causes and consequences fit the project information you provided.

The AI output is a draft for your review. Its Confidence value is not the probability of the risk occurring. It reflects the AI model’s confidence that the risk is relevant to your project, based on the clarity of your information and its fit with the scope and assumptions. Generation sends the entered context to the hosted AI service; use the supplied fictional text for practice.

Prioritise the risks

Agree which risks need attention using a consistent likelihood and consequence scale.

1. In Risk Prioritisation, keep Current selected and check the Rating profile.
2. Select the excavation risk in the left list. With CRAFT Default 5x5, click the matrix cell at Possible and Major.
3. Discuss the other risks and rate them using the profile definitions. Expand a risk to inspect its causes and consequences.
4. Choose Risk Analysis Canvas under Move risks to and select Move … risks.

Check: The example excavation risk shows High — Possible × Major. The risk ID stays the same when you move between stages.

You can explore Canvas after rating one risk; mark Prioritisation complete only after rating every risk in that assessment basis.

Plan controls and actions

Make the response clear: what causes the risk, what is already in place and who will do what next.

1. In Risk Analysis Canvas, select the excavation risk. Its causes and consequences appear around the risk.
2. Select Existing Control in the palette, then click the new node. Use Node Details to enter its text, owner, type and effectiveness.
3. Select Proposed Action, click the new node and enter the action, owner, dates and status.
4. Turn on Connect Mode. Drag from a small handle on the control or action to a handle on the cause it addresses. For this example, link both to the incomplete-ground-records cause. Turn Connect Mode off to move nodes; use Fit View to see the whole map.
5. Review Validation Warnings for missing owners, effectiveness or connections.

Check: The control and action are connected to the relevant cause, and the action has an owner. Treat the remaining warnings as review prompts.

Build the base cost estimate

Separate uncertainty in planned work from the additional cost of risk events.

1. Open Risk Adjusted Cost Estimation using the left navigation. For the first comparison, leave its Risk register empty; do not transfer Canvas risks yet.
2. In Simulation Settings, use AUD, precision ±2% (slider fully left), maximum iterations 320000, seed 123456 and None (independent).
3. Open Cost model. Rename the four starting rows and use Add cost line to create the remaining rows. Enter the supplied base costs and Confidence Factors.
4. Open Simulation & Results and select Run simulation.

Check: The base total is AUD 2,400,000. The reference cost-only run gives P50 AUD 2,474,016 and P90 AUD 2,549,751. Note these before changing inputs.

Bring risk events into the estimate

Connect the reviewed register to explicit probabilities and financial impacts without counting the same exposure twice.

1. Return to Risk Analysis Canvas. Choose Risk Adjusted Cost Estimation under Move risks to and select Move … risks.
2. Open the cost module’s Risk register. Find the five sample events below by meaning. Keep their existing IDs; do not add duplicates.
3. For this bounded cost exercise, use Remove on other rows in the cost Risk register only. This excludes them from this simulation while preserving them in the project’s other stages.
4. Set the five retained events to contingent. Enter their probability and Low / Most likely / High additional cost, then run the simulation again.

Check: Five contingent events remain in the cost register. Their impacts are excluded from the base ranges. The reference full-model P90 is AUD 2,661,710.

Removing a row here is different from Delete risk in Identification or Canvas, which removes the risk across the project. Do not mark a risk “inherent” merely to avoid estimating it.

Interpret results and test a response

Explain the cost range and which assumptions warrant further investigation.

1. In Simulation & Results, read P50, P90 and contingency. Open Distribution and choose Cost vs percentile for the S-curve, or Histogram to see how simulated costs are distributed across cost ranges. Open Sensitivity for the strongest cost drivers.
2. Record the baseline. Change only the excavation probability from 0.25 to 0.10, keeping its impact range and all other inputs unchanged.
3. Run again and explain the difference. Link the assumption to the investigation action discussed in Canvas.

Check: In the reference example, P90 falls by AUD 25,854. This is a modelled scenario difference, not a demonstrated saving; treatment cost and evidence of effectiveness still need review.

Save your work and share outputs

Keep the analysis usable after the workshop and give reviewers an output they can inspect.

1. Select Save project and wait for Saved locally. Return to Project Library, reopen the project and check a rating, a Canvas action and the cost inputs.
2. Use Export Excel report in Canvas or Cost, or Export Excel register in Identification, for a module output. Open Risk Reports and select Generate consolidated workbook for a combined output. Use Download on a ready report, or Regenerate when CRAFT needs to rebuild it.
3. After editing the analysis, generate a fresh report. A previously downloaded workbook does not update itself.

Check: You can trace a risk from its cause and rating through its action and cost assumption, reopen the project and identify the output you would share.

Projects are stored in this browser. Use Download .prs backup when you want a portable backup; clearing browser data can remove the local copy.