An engineer at a federal environmental agency* used a basic spreadsheet and a set of books to manually calculate estimates for new construction and repair work on properties in 10 southeastern states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Details eliminate the guesswork
Sage Timberline Office's estimating software automated the system, making it possible to generate more thorough estimates.
"In the past, rather than looking up all the items in the database, I'd do some good scientific guessing on what some of the finite details might cost and throw in a fudge factor to cover those things," says Ken Quintana, a facilities manager for a federal agency. "Now with the database at my fingers on the computer, I can go through and find the detail items and actually use them instead of relying on a fudge factor."
Hours turned into minutes
The biggest difference Quintana has seen since starting to use Sage Timberline Office estimating software is speed. In the past, he had to create a spreadsheet for each job, looking up every item individually. Now, he has a computerized database that makes it simple to calculate estimates.
"A cost estimate that used to take me several hours now takes just a matter of minutes," Quintana says.
Flexibility adds value
The software also makes it easy to make changes or updates. "I can do what-ifs or change the cost estimate with a single keystroke," Quintana says. "And I can update cost estimates that I did a year ago using current database pricing with the push of a button. It's a more efficient way of doing cost estimates."
Quintana appreciates the flexibility Sage Timberline Office offers since government agencies rarely are able to make all the repairs he recommends. With Sage Timberline Office, it's easy to break out the cost of a new roof or siding from the rest of the repairs he might be recommending.
*The specific agency cannot be disclosed. Many public agencies restrict the use of testimonials that can be construed as a government endorsement.
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