I started this process after looking at alot of programs -
Respectfully I downloaded ELMS and found it pretty good.
At the time - you did not have your on line version ready yet.
The Main question I asked Estimating Software firms : "Where are the Specifications? "
How can you estimate a job if you don't know what specifications go into the job ?
I have NOT found one estimating program out there that has the SPECS tied to the cost items - this was the MOST important fact for my firm:
Specs -> determine the Materials
Materials --> determine the Labor / Tasks
Labor.Tasks - -> determine the Schedule
My Business is Process driven by a series of checklists.
( I personally don't think in A-Z pattern, I am not the smartest brick in the wall.
I was never able to grow and have a mature business without everything depending on what was in my head. It took me years before I realized, understood how systems make and save money. We have lists / check lists for just about everything and it seems to be working)
I use the Specs list as a check list- to make sure
1) Sales covers everything as possible with the client to build a house / remodel a basement, bath, kitchen, etc.
In our system the Sales person - enters the specifications ( we have standard specs but, customers can choose from lots of options )
I want to have an estimator bid the project -
Without the Spec how would an estimator know?:
Example: Kitchen Counter - Granite vs Plastic Laminate
A big cost difference - without the "Specification" that could be a several thousand dollar mistake-
Bidding programs don't have the specs ?
(How does the estimator know what to bid without having a lot of conversation with the sales person?)
Even when I was a One person business - I wrote the specs out from the information given by the customer first as the outline of the job then to bid the project.
2) Designer - has a check list of plan items to include in the design.
(In our system all the specs are in the project database, not on the plans
This has saved us an immense amount of time )
If a specification is changed that may not affect the drawings - We don't have to reprint plans - only the spec sheet
3) Estimator -
3.1) goes through the specs list
3.2) Creates the Cost Items from the specs
3.3) Enters the quantities and costs into the project
( You might use the term " Cost Book" ( we have created several ) but, all the cost books I have seen only have the line items of materials and labor -
These don't do the job without the specifications.
Our costbooks have the specs first, then the line items tied to specs)
3.4) Bid / Estimate is prepared for Presentation
If you have read about "BIM" Building Information Modeling - that is my objective.
(In the old days - Architects put the specs on the plans - the estimator hand wrote the specs back into their estimate and then did the take offs / calcs, etc. Very tedious , time consuming and may have missed items in the process )
How can you estimate a job if you don't know what specifications go into the job ?
4) Contract Stage - Specs printed with allowances, totals , etc
I tried to look at ELMS again - but, am past the 30 day trial and it won't run. You didn't have your on line version up and running at the time.
As you know - I did not start down this road at first saying I was going to develop the software , but found I could create what I wanted.
I started looking at your screen shots this AM.
Many thanks for your thoughtful comments.
Terry
Terry;
Just wondering what specifically you where unable to find that prompted you to develop your own comprehensive system? Most of the packages available today started from the same perspective (including ELMS).
I am well aware of what kind of investment (time and money) you must have in your system. We have asked many the same questions and our conclusion was to offer products on both the desktop and the via the web, hosted and on-site. The payment question usually provokes many different responses. I don't view the amount of payment relative to the amount of sales, but I try to answer some of the following questions:
How much is lost during the estimating process when costs are left on the table?
How many sales where lost because I did not follow up on a lead properly?
What cost savings can I have by requesting bids to more vendors and getting faster returns?
"Word of mouth" Is the project on time, project communication, professional reports and contracts.
I have found that if we answer these questions truthfully, then the cost justification is very simple.
I hope this helps, Good Luck with your project