Are you frustrated with your inability to retrieve your project data right when you need it? It’s definitely a challenge when all that information is scattered across multiple spreadsheets, locations, platforms, and individuals.
As a commercial construction company owner, are there ways to improve how your estimating teams work?
Does this sound like your situation?
You’re having problems retrieving project information when it’s needed due to the data being scattered across different platforms, files, devices, and individuals. There’s not enough visibility of a project or even ways to access centralized information. Your process communications are lacking, and you’re unable to gain visibility of employee performance without the ability to track and measure their status.
On top of that, you need to get everyone on the same page, but are unable to do so due to the lack of tools to help your team stay in sync throughout the entire construction cycle.
However, there are ways to eliminate those pain points and make sure your construction team receives the best of new technology that’s available.
Here are 4 tips to remove those pain points and a solution to help.
When doing cost estimates, it’s critical to get it right the first time. You need to reduce errors from spreadsheet use. Raymond Panko—professor of IT management at the University of Hawaii and an authority on bad spreadsheet practices—reported that in large spreadsheets with thousands of formulas, there will be dozens of undetected errors. Overall, some 88% have errors. Even missing decimal points or added minus signs can spell disaster as it has for many of the largest corporations. When there are problems with spreadsheets, it’s difficult to manage estimates, let alone increase accuracy.
All it takes is an inadvertently deleted formula to cause a massive ripple of errors in your estimating spreadsheet.
Can you actually find them and fix the problems? How long will that take you? Do you really have the time and money to spend chasing errors?
You and your estimators need to way to improve their estimation processes and find ways to monitor and manage centralized estimates, takeoffs, data integration, and reports. On top of that, project information must be shared 24/7 from any internet-connected mobile device. There has to be a solution. ProEst can help.
To help get it right the first time, ProEst is an advanced, cloud-based, and automated estimating software solution that eliminates manual calculation errors and other inaccuracies associated with spreadsheet use. ProEst also enables commercial construction companies to quickly respond to customer bid requests and accurately calculate the cost of any size project.
Before you can bid for or start a project, your estimators need to know the types and quantities of materials to complete it. To reach this goal, they must ensure proper estimations of the costs for the materials and labor. Accurate estimates are extremely important, otherwise your commercial construction contractors are unable to:
Far too many commercial construction contractors still use traditional paper blueprints along with colored pens, pencils, or markers to distinguish the different items and types of materials specified. It’s crucial to be able to accurately read blueprints and make the correct calculations. It’s a complex and time-consuming process that, if done incorrectly, can spell the difference between a successful bid and one that won’t hit the ground at all but stall dead in its tracks.
ProEst lets commercial construction contractors perform digital takeoffs directly from a computer screen using digital blueprints. It calculates everything for estimate accuracy. What was once a laborious task now reduces takeoff time by up to 50%. ProEst also provides:
The foundation of every commercial construction company project is its data. Your data includes things like drawings, reports, BIMs, contracts, schedules, tenders, bids, etc.
Case in point: A recent study on the use of technology showed that over 30% of construction companies had no integration at all.
Your commercial construction contractors have a big problem when their data is scattered across multiple users, platforms, devices, and locations. Visibility is vital as well. When data is all over the place, you’re burning time and money chasing it down.
ProEst enables commercial construction contractors to seamlessly integrate their important data sets. It stores all your project data into a single database so none go missing. The software serves as a single online hub for all estimating work that’s held in unlimited volumes of data.
Everything is easy to access so you and your commercial construction contractors never have to search for missing files. Because your data is available any time and from any mobile device, your teams can work from any location, whether it’s the office, on-site, or on the road.
You have many different reports to create for your vendors, board members, investors, or project owners. Reporting is difficult when information is not where it’s supposed to be, resulting in less than ideal reports, resulting in unprofessional reports that leave your construction company image something to be desired.
ProEst provides you with ways to deliver labor reports, estimate summaries, and materials lists, project numbers, deliveries, workforce issues, safety, and anything impacting legal issues.
It can also report using photos and/or videos. Whatever you need for your reports, ProEst lets you create polished, customizable reports with your logo and graphics. It’s a proven way to make a positive and lasting impression, compete more successfully with your bids, and add attention to your brand.
It can be tough to stay on top of your commercial construction contractors when you don’t have the right tools in place. Despite the challenges you face, ProEst gives them what they need to work collaboratively and at the same time, help you grow your construction business.
ProEst is a cloud-based pre-construction estimating platform that helps you create accurate estimates and digital takeoffs directly from blueprints quickly, allowing you to determine the most favorable rates for your company within the estimation process. There’s no guesswork involved. ProEst makes quality assurance in commercial construction projects estimation effortless. You won’t have to engage your entire team to be sure your numbers are accurate.
If you would like to learn more about how your commercial construction company can increase its profits and reduce miscalculations during the estimation process, reach out today and schedule a 1-on-1 walkthrough with one of our specialists.
