Estimate Review Workflow – Do it Better
Want to change your estimate review procedures for the new year? Tired of seeing errors creeping into your estimate and then not finding it until after the bid is submitted? Try the following: Start requiring estimates to be completed with plugged subs and material prices…
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…
% Efficiency-Worth Your Consideration (Comp Version Only)
I am not sure why more companies don’t use the “% Efficiency” feature (Comprehensive Version Only). It adjusts the crew hours based on any productivity. Here is the math of the feature. Calculated Crew Hours x % Efficiency = New Crew Hours so 80% efficiency…
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…
Cost Types – Setup for Quote System
In TOOLS>PREFERENCES>ESTIMATE PREFERENCES>COST TYPE SETUP you can setup additional resource cost types (Adv + versions only). It can be confusing what the check boxes do next to the setup. If checked HeavyBid will consider each resource beginning with that number as a subcontract. Therefore it…
Quick Biditem Spreadsheet On the Fly
I was working on an estimate and had this need for a spreadsheet for the biditem. I won’t need it again as it just a one-off spreadsheet. Now you can create a spreadsheet using the internal spreadsheet for an activity but I needed it for…
Helicopter “Air Cranes” – And you thought your projects were tough
I love ENR (Engineering News Record ENR.com) of which I have subscribed to for many years. This is a great article on how you prepare for remote conditions in tough environments. I have trained contractors who use helicopters – when you need one there is…
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…
Bid Item Codebook – Why aren’t you using it?
If there is one underused or ignored feature in HeavyBid it is the Biditem Codebook. Of course if you are a DOT type contractor this is a huge time saver but it also is valuable for county, city and even private work. Typically if a…
Milestones in Audit Trail – Make a Milestone Backup
The Audit Trail (Comp Version Only) allows setting of a milestone. First if you have a the Comprehensive Version of HeavyBid and don’t know what the Audit Trail is then call HCSS Tech Support and have them show you how to turn it on. Highly…
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.
