Years ago in the construction industry the only option you had when putting estimates together was a set of paper drawings, scales and adding machines. Thanks to today's technology this has all changed.
Today we have on the market what we call digitizing software's. They have the ability to take a set of paper documents that have been converted to electronic files and allow you to perform the material takeoff right on your computer monitor.
Unique colors can be assigned to each material type which allows the Estimator to more clearly point out each part of the project during a review. This can speed up the review process tremendously and give the Manager a comfort level that all quantities are accounted for and leave more time for pricing and planning.
These software's have the ability to add contractor specific pricing to the generated quantities to complete the entire estimate within the software without needing another software. If you prefer, there is the option to transfer the quantities into your own customized Excel spreadsheets where all the final pricing and editing can be completed. The choice is yours.
With these abilities and options available to you, the whole estimating process becomes much more efficient, accurate and can actually make estimating stimulating and fun! I have seen the transformation in the attitude of many estimator's when they switch from the old way to this new technology.
When teaching a new estimator I would first teach them the old method so they could put a takeoff together without a computer under any circumstance. Then once I felt they understood the entire process at multiple levels of estimating, I would introduce them to this new technology.
Wow, would their level of interest increase! They started coming into work earlier and staying later. They made less mistakes and you could tell they were genuinely having fun. There are many things to think about within a short period of time when estimating which can be very stressful. The less stressful you can make it the better the employee is going to perform and as a result, the quality and completeness of your estimates will improve dramatically.
With all the estimating software's available today, there is absolutely no reason not to take advantage of this technology. This does not mean you can't still print out the paper drawings that you or others would like to physically touch. In most cases, you will still print a few of the key drawings to pass around the office. You most definitely will be printing much less which will save you more time and money in addition to the benefits and savings mentioned above.
I have tested many an Estimating Software over the years. Out of all of them I've seen and tested, there is one I would recommend for its comprehensive list of features, combined with a very reasonable cost. I have personally used this software for many years and know you would be very pleased with this choice. The developers are continually updating and keeping their software fresh to make sure they stay on the leading-edge of the latest technology. You can find out more information about this software and try it for free by going to http://www.takeoffquick.com/.
Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.
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