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Survimator (Civil/Environme)
18 Jun 07 19:45
Our company is in the market for a 'total-package' software package, covering earthwork: take-offs (digitizing w/ACAD), estimating and accounting.
We're putting together a short list of 3-5 of the most preferred programs in the industry. Any and all recommendations you folks might have would be most welcomed.
In my poking around the Net for just a few hours these two packages look appealing: Sage Timberline and Quest.
Thoughts?
Matthew
(a.k.a Survimator)
hammerslamer (Geotechnical)
18 Jun 07 19:58
I am starting soon with a excavation/concrete company that has TL Cut&Fill, which I have never used. I am also interested in an evaluation by a seasoned user.
rmadrid (Civil/Environme)
2 Jul 07 17:56
字串3
What type of business is the software for? As for what I have read Quest appears to be a more popular software in the earthwork and grading industry.
Survimator (Civil/Environme)
3 Jul 07 7:30
"What type of business is the software for? As for what I have read Quest appears to be a more popular software in the earthwork and grading industry."
Thanks for asking, rmadrid.
The company's primary focus is on earthwork (commercial and residential). To which, there are subsidiaries in the way of: land development, trucking, and site-clearing.
What we want to implement is a software package (whether provided by one company or multiples that interface), which covers earthwork, estimating, and accounting.
To date, I've been able to gather a little more info on systems by Bid2Win, Quest/Maxwell, and Sage-Timberline. It's a lot to digest and decision-making will likely be a slow process. Hopefully with the help of others in the office we won't end up buying something that will just end up on a shelf somewhere. 字串5
Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Matthew
Ingy (Structural)
3 Jul 07 15:31
You may want to investigate Hard Dollar. www.harddollar.com
You will encounter some difficulties in trying to merge field management, with estimating, with accounting. All three have very different needs and philosophies. You will have to decide what you want the software to be really good at, and for what you want it to be adequate.
Another thing to remember, IMO, is not to let accounting drive the bus. Accounting deals with the money that the estimating and operations groups make. You may want to split out the accounting from the other functions.
I work for a general engineering contractor and we switched to Hard Dollar a couple of years ago and are currently in the process of upgrading our accounting and PM software. We are switching to Viewpoint. The estimating software can export data to the accounting package but we are choosing not to. I have found that these kinds of interfaces fall apart at the "quantum" level. That is to say, that the level of detail is immense and its the details that muck things up. Lots of vendors these days are promoting their "total package integration." I'd be wary and insist on some real world demonstrations where you try your hardest to make it not work. If you can't make it fall apart, then you've found yourself a good product. 字串8
From what I've seen the three main estimating packages out there for your type of work are: Hard Dollar, HCSS, and Bid2Win. I've used all three and they are all good. There are others I'm sure.
Accounting packages for earthwork guys would be Viewpoint, Maxwell, and Explorer. There are others but they are the ones that made our short list.
I've never been particularly impressed with Timberline accounting or estimating. It is tailored for general building construction and we found it limiting. The building guys love it though.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Survimator (Civil/Environme)
3 Jul 07 15:48
Ingy...VERY HELPFUL! Thank you.
Please, I welcome further imput from anyone else.
Shwenkerbean (Civil/Environme)
12 Jul 07 14:18
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I generally agree with Ingy. What I am a bit confused about, maybe I missed something, what are you using for calculating volumes. The best Hard Dollar bid can be absolutely worthless if the volumes are wrong.
I have been a big Agtek guy for years. I have seen too many engineer volumes out of Autocad that have been very different from Agtek. I have run productivity analyses on very large grading jobs and have come very close to the Agtek volumes. I haven't come close to the engineers. I just don't the Autocad has nailed quantities yet. Moreover, engineers sometimes look at volumes very differently from contractors.
For instance on a small grading job, sectional thicknesses can substantially effect the volumes. Agtek does a great job with "contractor" issues like these.
From the standpoint of bidding and jobcost, I have heard good things about Hard Dollar. Several of my clients use it. I just think that sometimes all of these bidding packages make estimators a bit too detached from their analyses.
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Survimator (Civil/Environme)
12 Jul 07 15:48
Hey Shwenkerbean鈥
（Click：）
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