BC’s Blog- Cassell Consulting

This week’s tip concerns using Estimating Explorer, the bid management utility that is bundled with your Sage Timberline Estimating package. We recommend using Estimating Explorer for both creating & managing your Timberline Estimates. This accomplishes multiple goals:

1. Consistency in the way estimates are created, and estimate data fields are filled in. (Pick lists are provided for numerous fields including Estimator.)
2. You can utilize this consistency with Explorer’s built-in reports, to track each estimator’s productivity and performance.
3. Explorer provides a convenient, fast way to view the contents of Timberline Estimate files, without opening them.
4. Explorer also offers a quick way to copy, move, and delete estimate files. It’s just as safe, more intuitive, and quite a bit faster than using the File Tools wizard.

Timberline Estimating Tip, construction industry Add new tag

Sometimes it’s the little things that bog you down when you’re using Timberline Estimating . Like simply entering a Subcontractor or a Client into an estimate that you know is in Timberline’s Address Book, but you can’t see when you click into the pick list. Here’s how to make a record in Sage Timberline Office Address Book available in Timberline Estimating:

1. Open AB, and find the Company or Person record that you’d like to use in Timberlne Estimating.
2. Click on the “Use As” button (on the right side of the window), and Select “Estimating Sub/Vendor“
3. Assign the (required) index number, and select OK

That’s all there is to it! The Vendors, Clients, or Subs for which you’ve followed the simple steps above will all be available in Estimating. (You may need to restart Estimating for the Address Book to display the updated records in Timberline Estimating)

Timberline Estimating Tip, construction industry Add new tag, Timberline Estimating Tip

Happy New Year, and welcome to BC’s Blog for January.  The good news is that most of us made it, companies largely intact, through the first year of the recession.  We’ve been keeping an eye on President-elect Obama’s stimulus plan. According to ENR, over a billion dollars worth of work (per state) is in various stages of planning and bidding, in Hawaii, Arizona, and Washington. Our contractor clientele in several states are seeing fewer bid opportunities, more bidders, and projects going for lower margins. Those trends are unlikely to improve for at least six months. Despite the outlook for declining construction revenues in 2009, taking the long view, good companies will survive, and weaker competitors will be weeded out.

December’s SureTrak training, (our first at Honolulu Community College), was well attended. Summit Construction and Alan Shintani Construction sent personnel to the class. Our followup training is scheduled for March. Please check HCC’s website for details and registration info. Additionally we put some finishing touches on Beachside Roofing Hawaii’s brand-new Timberline Estimating system, going live last month. Successful milestones included successfully interfacing a Timberline estimate to a Sage Master Builder accounting budget, and sending Timberline Estimating items to Timberline Buyout to Master Builder Purchase Orders. Good job Scott & Joshua!

This month we’re visiting long-time friends at SRM Development in Spokane and Jackson Contractor Group in Missoula. Yellowstone Traditions is a scheduled stop in Bozeman, either this month or in February. Also in February and March, we have training scheduled for the 30th Naval Construction Regiment in Port Hueneme, California. The SeaBees have been using Timberline Estimating since we set them up ten years ago, with Timberline databases for General Contract work, Mechanical, and Electrical work. The 30th relies on Timberline for accurate material takeoff for its deployed projects troughout the world. (you don’t just drop in to the local hardware store to pickup up items missing from the estimate at Midway Island!)

Support Plan News: We are pleased to welcome Absher Construction, one of the Pacific Northwest’s most respected general contractors, to our Support Plan network. Absher joins returning 2008 clients Seedorff Masonry of Iowa & Nebraska, and SCP Construction of Phoenix.

construction industry Add new tag, construction industry update, estimating consulting, Support Plan, SureTrak, Timberline Estimatin