Checking Automated Backup Settings
The automated backup feature can be a lifesaver. For a company using HeavyBid at least one estimator should be familiar where the autobackup is stored (hopefully not on the server) and they should know how to restore an estimate. One setting that you should check…
Get Serious about Your War Room (Bid Review Room)
The one thing I know about about car racing at the top level is the seriousness of the support crew. They make sure every tool is available to maximize their chance of winning and they don’t compromise. Recently I trained at a company in Atlanta…
Training a New HCSS Customer in HeavyBid – Lessons Learned
It is very typical that a construction company has a core group of estimators (usually at least one) and then project managers who estimate but they will use HeavyBid most of the time to cost out change orders. I always suggest for the initial training…
Escalation – Cost or Marked Up Total
The Escalation routine in HeavyBid is an excellent module that I use frequently. You do need to be careful however on what you do with the escalated amount. Now if you just leave it in the estimate and it escalates the costs then the escalated…
HeavyBid Internal Spreadsheet Part 5
What are the limitations of the internal spreadsheet? The internal spreadsheet can be linked to the Activity quantity, production field, and all the resources fields except the code and description. So lots of fields can be linked. One field that cannot be linked is the…
HeavyBid Internal Spreadsheet Part 4
At the recent User Group Meeting I taught a class on using the internal spreadsheet. I had the following suggestions for creating custom calculations and importing in existing Excel Spreadsheets into HeavyBid’s internal spreadsheet. Here are my notes from the class: Creating Custom Internal SG Spreadsheets…
HeavyBid Internal Spreadsheet Feature – Part 1
I really like the internal spreadsheet HeavyBid offers. It is a third party software called Spreadsheet Gear and for most users it is very Excel like in features and usability. I am going to start a blog series on using this spreadsheet and how it will…
Mapping Location Tools for Non-Surveyors
For either pre construction or during construction it is a huge advantage to “trust and check” a surveyor’s work but most estimators don’t have extensive survey experience do ground checks with the today’s complicated survey equipment. Maybe a road job and you are not sure…
System Wide and Local Files – Know the Difference!
There are two types of data files in HeavyBid. Local files that reside in an estimate that typically are setup in the Master Estimate. Then there are System Wide files like the Material Codebook and Activity Codebook. To truly understand HeavyBid an estimator must know the difference…
Fix Your Productivity Information in Tree View
It is not unusual when I review a HeavyBid setup for a company that has used HeavyBid for a long time that some of the Activity Productivity Categories are blank. This is a system wide setting so probably someone was trying to change a productivity…
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.
