How to run Project 2016 Standalone and Office 365
I know many HCSS customers are migrating to Office 365 which is a very cost effective way to get enterprise email service and all the Office Apps (except Project). Since HeavyBid can only export to Project installed on your own server or computer, not the…
I have an INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT
As you might have seen in the last newsletter, I have an instagram account! With my line of work I get to travel all over the world visiting different construction companies and I like to take pictures. There’s an instagram account for everything these days,…
What I learned at Foundation College
In March I attended a Foundation (accounting construction software) college in Orlando FL. I had someone ask me what I learned so here is a summary. If you have read some of my blogs before I like their accounting software, but just like HCSS you…
Alternate Biditem Description
The standard Heavybid biditem description length is 52 characters. Usually this is more than enough but sometimes customers want to use the biditem to describe the specification and/or detail out the work scope of the biditem. So more characters are needed. There is a solution…
New HeavyBid User – Study before Training
I recommend new customers study this portion of the HeavyBid Tutorial before a trainer arrives. Now the new customer does not have to do the tutorial itself (it would also help) but at least the trainer can assume the basics have been covered and can…
Book – “Managing the Profitable Construction Business” by Thomas Schleifer …
I would recommend this book for any growing construction company that is open to learning from mistakes of other contractors. This book address the author’s experience with construction companies in financial trouble and how they got there. It also includes success stories and while not…
Creating a Conformed Estimate
What is “conforming” an estimate? You might not be familiar with the term. A “conformed” estimate is just an estimate copied from the original and modified after the project has been awarded. Here is the workflow model. First you estimate the project. At the conclusion…
Estimating Mistakes Using HeavyBid that I See
I am usually in one or two contractors offices a week. I see some using HeavyBid very well and others not so much. The worst cases are the ones I just hear about because the company doesn’t train their estimators on best practices of HeavyBid. Here…
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…
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.
