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…
Small Projects Estimate
Sometimes creating an entire estimate for a one bid item project can be complete overkill. This suggestion comes from many years (back in the DOS days) that still is valid today. Consider for small estimates (one bid item) creating an estimate that will contain a…
Foundation Software College – Accounting Training
Why did I attend a course for an accounting software I don’t use? While I train companies on how to setup and use HeavyBid, it is rare for me to see the accounting side of the equation. Foundation Software let me attend their college in…
Revise the Equipment EOE Factors to Current Market Costs
If your estimate’s Equipment EOE cost is calculating on fuel usage per hour be sure to update fuel rates in your master and current estimates. Sometimes estimators start using this feature, but don’t change the default gallon price when HeavyBid was installed or update the…
Why setting up the workers comp option in HeavyBid is important
Where do you have the workers comp percentage? I find some companies put the workers comp percentage as part of the labor taxes in the labor setup. Not that this is incorrect, but they might not be aware of the cost ramifications to this setup….
After HCSS UGM – Then What?
I think the HCSS User Group Meeting is a tremendous value but an attendee should protect the investment by making sure they take what they learned and implement it back in their office. In other words don’t fumble the ball going from UGM back to…
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…
Single User System with Multiple Users
Occasionally I train companies that have purchased one license (or seat) for HeavyBid for multiple estimators to use. I fully understand the budget considerations where the cost of a multi-user license is just not feasible. First let me discuss the drawbacks of this approach. Obviously you would…