Checking your HeavyBid Calendars and Work Rules
When I am training a company already using HeavyBid one of the first items that I review are the Calendar and Work Rules Setups. A few basic setup features that should be reviewed are as follows: 1. Make sure all your work rules are setup…
Video- System Wide Files
The number one misunderstanding for HeavyBid users is the difference between System Wide and Local files. It is critical for an estimator to understand how the local and system wide material databases interact. It is not uncommon for me to meet estimators who have used…
Options-Quote Folders Must Do
Be sure to activate the option in quote folders to show the additive quantity in the information grid so you don’t have to look at the bottom of the screen to see the quantity. There is plenty of room, so be sure all of your…
HeavyBid Equipment – Excel Setup Sheet
Importing in equipment calculated rent and EOE into HeavyBid can be confusing. This spreadsheet shows the fields you will need to fill out and how to import the data. Be sure to go to the 2nd tab to see the key. It is organized so…
Markup Versus Profit (Margin)
HCSS HeavyBid uses Markup for the most part for the basis of establishing a bid price however there are times where a desired Profit is set as the goal to establish revenue. Markup is a percentage of cost while Profit is a percentage of sales….
Number of Shifts for Activities on the Classic Cost Report
Many estimators still utilize the Cost Report as a tool in the final bid review. It is especially useful in a Joint Venture review session where you need to write a lot of notes. There is just something about paper that a screen cannot duplicate….
A Standard HeavyBid Training Example
My first training of 2018 was with Auza Contracting who has been using HeavyBid since 2009. Part of the training was HeavyBid maintenance and part was training new estimators to the program. This mix of estimators is normal in a training. Here is a short…
Running Windows (and HeavyBid) on a Mac
For as amazing as HeavyBid is you can’t run it on a Mac, which is a problem for some people. My son recently came across this problem when he started working for me and here is the solution as well as some advice before adding windows…
Setting Max % for a Biditem Price
Yesterday I was at a customer’s office and he expressed frustration on how long it took him to set a biditem price to a maximum percentage of the estimate. His problem was the calculation had to exclude the mobilization item (the % item) itself. So the…
Priority of Setup Data for HeavyBid
When I train new customers they usually want me to prioritize the tasks of setting up HeavyBid. Usually at the training we are able to setup the Master Estimate which will include the Labor, Equipment and Crew setup. Here is my opinion of the priority…
HeavyBid – Basics and Beyond is devoted to everything HCSS HeavyBid and estimating. Updated regularly with helpful insights and tools of the trade, this blog is designed to make your estimating easier and more successful.
