With software solutions strengthening the foundations of construction management, there are yet tons of innovations that can be taken advantage of. In the best way possible, of course. Among them? Estimating software.
Why Use Estimating Software Benefits?
1. Automation + Accurate Calculations
Gone are the days when manual calculations were the pillar of construction project management. Rather, “gone” should they be. With today’s advancements in estimating solutions, most calculating devices other than software are considered too manual, ergo too slow, to join the race.
Thus, enter, estimating programming. Any construction bid constantly sees numbers through direct costs (labour, materials, heavy equipment, etc.), profit, general conditions, and overhead.
Accurate bids can be achieved only through careful and thorough calculating.
But with human error constantly in the undertow, revisions are frequent and unavoidable. And time spent in quadruple checking, and revising on repeat are knuckle-blows to profitability and productivity.
A software for estimations is a practical means to curbing these efficiency-deterrents. Not only can it be wired with a programming language for it to be accurate and precise in performing simple-to-complicated estimations, but it can also be written for the purpose of automation.
You will essentially be hitting two birds with one stone— the eradication of human error in calculations and estimations, and the optimization of results in a faster-than-human capacity.
2. Data Keeping And Maintenance
Construction estimating solutions serve as data storehouses, too. Archiving can be enhanced by the same rule— foregoing “manual” methods. Piled up folders with hundreds, if not thousands of documents regarding construction bidding and costs are difficult to keep in a secure manner. And over time.
Beyond this, searching for specific pieces of information amidst these piles of sheets and cardboard will have you take another hit towards efficiency.
You and your team can easily look for relevant information in software archives. This will prove truest regarding takeoff calculations, project scope and scope changes, specs, terms of payment, and more. These can be accessed, saved, assessed, and maintained for future use, conveniently.
3. Costs
From materials to equipment and labour costs, you are going to need both a bird’s eye view as well as an in-depth angle. Besides computing their overall estimation, there are types of software that can also do a little forecasting, based on past costing plans, and using them to compare with current ones.
In addition to this, others have commands that allow them to gain access to your chosen chain of suppliers and/or manufacturers. A side-by-side inspection of their publicly shared database for material costs.
It’s an aid in gaining insight into determining close-to-accurate costs for your future bids.
4. More Successful Bids
We’re not saying that every single bid you submit a proposal for, from now on, will be a 100% accepted by the offering party. However, we are saying that you will get to be on top of your bids in a most effective manner, and miles ahead than if you choose to stay manual.
You are already on track, doing your due diligence of researching the owner’s asking price— budget, schedule, blueprint or design, work scope, payment disbursal, etc. But to get ahead of your competitors (especially if the bid is quite competitive), you are going to need to rely on innovative resources such as programming software to do the “backend” work.
This gives you the opportunity to swiftly collate the necessary data on your end and be ready for the bidding-proper itself.
