Estimating Software For Contractors
Dermot Fitzpatrick
Bob Smith, a small landscape contractor, takes a good deal of care with his job estimates and quotations. This particular estimate, for a residential landscaping job, wasn't too complicated, was competitively priced, and was accepted by the client. Work began on schedule, the weather held, and the project was completed on time. The only glitch was the need for a couple of extra pallets of pavers from the supplier. Bob discussed it with the client, received the authorization and one of the trucks was sent to pick them up late in the day. Bob's daughter-in-law spent one day a week doing the company's bookkeeping and processed the invoice to the client. Unfortunately for Bob's company, the authorized change order for the pavers was still sitting on the dashboard of his truck, lost amongst other paperwork, and was never charged out to the project. Bob's reasonable margin on the job was considerably decreased, if not eroded completely.
If this fictional scenario sounds familiar, you certainly wouldn't be alone in recognizing Bob's dilemma. This particular problem, or something similar, happens throughout the industry every day, much too often for comfort. If it has happened to your company, or if it has potential to happen, you'll be interested to know that there are solutions available. There are many simple-to-use computer based estimating programs. Some of these programs include project management and job costing. Most are inexpensive, and don't require additional staff or a change in business operations.
Some of the more advanced programs will track every scrap of information as the project progresses through to final completion. From the initial estimate proposal form, to letters to the client, to purchase orders, to daily reports for field crews, and more, every critical information and communication step is covered. Actual job costs can be tracked at any point, in several categories, helping to keep costs at hand. Contractors of any size can enhance and lend credibility to their logo and business information.
Few contractors fail because they lack technical or trade knowledge. They fail, all too often, simply because they lack the business knowledge and tools to be successful. Keeping control of information, employees, supplies and other costs is a critical step toward growth in the business. Using an effective computer based estimating program will help the contractor achieve that control.
Successful contractors keep their costs in line and their margins healthy. They keep their business information under control and readily at hand for review. For our friend Bob, the odd delivery slip or invoice may still occasionally disappear behind the truck seat, despite every precaution. Now, however, the savvy contractor can have a powerful tool that helps eliminate a lot of potential problems and disappearing margins.
Dermot Fitzpatrick is the owner of Fitz Solutions Inc. a software development company that creates powerful, affordable easy to use software tools for the construction industry. These include estimating, project management and job costing. Custom software design services are also offered.
http://www.quickestimator.com - http://www.fitzsolutions.com
Full List of Articles
|
Latest
Manufacturing Software News:
Sony cut PS3 manufacturing costs by 35% (Geek.com)
According to market intelligence company iSuppli Sony are getting much closer to break even on the cost of manufacturing the PlayStation 3. On initial release the PS3 was thought to be costing Sony US$690.23 per console to manufacture. The latest figure shows a 35% reduction in cost to US$448.73 per machine, which means the Japanese [...]
ActiveStrategy Announces New Release of ActiveStrategy Enterprise v7.2 Balanced Scorecard Software (Centre Daily Times)
ActiveStrategy, Inc. ( www.activestrategy.com ) today announced the release of version 7.2 of its acclaimed and widely deployed ActiveStrategy Enterprise (ASE) software application. ActiveStrategy Enterprise is the leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application suite for automating strategic performance management by leveraging a Balanced Scorecard or strategic Dashboard management ...
Microsoft applauds Chinese counterfeit software prison sentences (Computer Weekly)
Microsoft welcomes news that Shenzhen court has locked up ringleaders of the world's largest software counterfeiting syndicate.
Search Tool facilitates access to manufacturing information. (ThomasNet)
Accessed from user desktop shortcut or Smart Page application interface, Smart Search offers full-text, index-based searching that lets users access data within EnterpriseIQ system. Results are displayed, based on user-specified security rights, in search engine format and linked to corresponding record. Along with flexibility for fuzzy searching, software delivers functionality to scan results ...
ActiveStrategy Announces New Release of ActiveStrategy Enterprise v7.2 Balanced Scorecard Software (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
EAST NORRITON, Pa.----ActiveStrategy, Inc. today announced the release of version 7.2 of its acclaimed and widely deployed ActiveStrategy Enterprise software application. ActiveStrategy Enterprise is the leading Software-as-a-Service application suite for automating strategic performance management by leveraging a Balanced Scorecard or strategic Dashboard management framework.
11 in China sentenced for software piracy (ARNnet)
Eleven members of a Chinese software piracy syndicate are sentenced to prison.
GKN to unveil plans for Airbus (BBC News)
Aeropsace company GKN is expected to reveal later its plans for the Airbus manufacturing site near Bristol.
The Brave New World: More Digital, Less Physical (ReadWriteWeb)
Yesterday, I was with my wife in the L'Occitane store. The shelves were filled with fragrances, soaps, lotions: all sorts of handcrafted beauty products. It occured to me while looking at the labels that I have no idea how these products were made. I am reasonably versed in chemistry, but the process of manufacturing perfume is not something I know anything about. In general, I am just not ...
Sony boss ready to combat old guard (Australian IT)
Sony is on the brink of a major upheaval that could include job cuts and sweeping changes to management and manufacturing processes.
|
|