When I am estimating I sometimes use my own single user seat of HeavyBid. I am HCSS Customer No. 81 so I have been using it a long time. So when I am in my office I move my current estimate to my desktop to take advantage of two large monitors. I know how to move system wide files and an estimate but the other day I couldn’t remember where the latest system wide resided-laptop or desktop? I train companies with some frequency that attempt to use a single version copy of HeavyBid for more than one estimator. My point of all this background is as an expert in using HeavyBid I find it difficult to use multiple computers with a single user license. How is a new user to HeavyBid going to effectively share a single user version with two or more estimators? The answer is they can’t and in the end not only are the estimators going to be frustrated but it will cost the company in lower productivity from the users and can cause errors due to be new users not understanding how to properly update computers with for example system wide files. The money saved by not purchasing a two seat multi-user system will be quickly wasted and implementation of HeavyBid will be delayed if it occurs at all. A two user system is a much better choice. Here are the advantages of this setup:

  1. You can have more than two users setup to use HeavyBid. Now only two at a time be in HeavyBid but it is easy for a user to check to see who is using HeavyBid and the estimator does not have to “Check Out” Heavybid as is the case with the single user version.
  2. All files are located on the server so there is not question on who has the latest system wide setup.
  3. Two estimators can be in one estimate at the same time.
  4. Storage of estimates are in one location so IT can effectively back them up on a regular schedule.
  5. Everyone is using the same Master estimate to create a new estimate. This keeps all estimates starting from the same source data.

The above is just a few advantages of a two user multi-user system over a stand-alone version. Buying a single user version for multiple estimators is like asking two excavator operators to share the same excavator. It just not make sense. If the company does not have a server the HCSS Cloud is perfect and can be expanded to more users at a later date. If funds are tight consider going through a leasing company and lease the software. Based on my experienced a stand-alone version of HeavyBid is for a company with just a single estimator and is a poor solution for multiple people that are required to use HeavyBid.