Timberline Forum

Sage Timberline recently made some upgrades to  Estimaing.  The question is, are you using them to help you get the maximum juice out of your Estimating system?  If, after reading the following enhancements you find you are not using them please feel free to contact Daren.  He’s the guy in the know.  Without further adieu, here are the upgrades we want you to take advantag of!

1.  Upgrade individual estimating files on the fly.  Why spend hours upgrading all your estimates at once each time a new release comes out? That can take hours. So, now when you need to restore archived estimates from an earlier version of your software, you won’t need to upgrade all estimates and/or database files all at the same time. The system automatically identifies the files that need to be upgraded on a file-by-file basis so your estimating files get updated as you work. Now, that’s a time-saver.

2. Create new version of existing assemblies with ease.  Ready to save even more time? We’ve enhanced the “copy assembly” feature. In previous versions when copying an assembly from one location to another, the items would copy, but you would lose the assembly detail. Meaning, you wouldn’t have the variables (i.e. length, width, depth, etc). Now when you copy the assembly from one location to another, it shows up as an assembly and allows you to see the variables that were used to calculate the assembly.

3.  Streamline your RFQ and Buyout process.  In the past, you’ve always had a place to enter the subcontractor amount and name as well as material, but no place to record the material vendor name. With Version 9.6, you’ll be able to log and display both as well as pass this information to the Buyout module, so your entire RFQ, vendor assignment, and Buyout process runs more efficiently than ever.

4.  Select values from numeric columns that automatically display totals in the status bar.  The auto sum has been enhanced so you can view display totals at a glance.

When it comes to Estimating, you can never have enough tricks and inside tips. With the current economic situation, Estimators are worth their weight in gold. We thought we would offer a few tips you might want to use with your Timberline Estimating Software.

These are some tips given to us by top-notch Timberline Estimating Consultant Barry Cassell. If you need more than a few tips – feel free to get in touch with Barry. He’s been known to build huge databases in a single day, help estimators do more with less and bring in double the business with the same amount of people. He’s also a really nice guy and pretty easy to talk to. You can find him here. You might even want to ask him about Timberline’s new Estimating Databases!

Barry Cassell/Ledgerwood Associates, Inc. Estimating Tips…
On the estimate spreadsheet: to review & modify pricing, labor & equipment productivity & hours, as well as unit costs, wbs assignments, item notes, crew & rate table assignments. It provides excellent “one-stop shopping” for any changes to an item, (except its Takeoff quantity & Takeoff unit)

Use the Detail Window…

Risk Management…
Labor is the biggest risk in any estimate. Design a Spreadsheet Layout that inccludes :

• “Labor Productivity”, “Labor Productivity Unit/Unit” , “Labor Quantity”, “Labor Quantity Unit”, in 4 successive columns, side by side.
• With this Layout, changing Productivity changes Labor Quantity, and vice versa. It’s an extremely intuitive “what-if” exercise to fine-tune Labor in the estimate.

Barry Cassell

When it comes to Estimating, you can never have enough tricks and inside tips. With the current economic situation, Estimators are worth their weight in gold. We thought we would offer a few tips you might want to use with your Timberline Estimating Software.

These are some tips given to us by top-notch Timberline Estimating Consultant Barry Cassell. If you need more than a few tips – feel free to get in touch with Barry. He’s been known to build huge databases in a single day, help estimators do more with less and bring in double the business with the same amount of people. He’s also a really nice guy and pretty easy to talk to. You can find him here. You might even want to ask him about Timberline’s new Estimating Databases!

Timberline Estimating Tips:

• Use File Tools to move, rename, copy, & paste estimating files. Using Windows Explorer will corrupt Timberline data files. However it is perfectly safe to copy, move or rename entire FOLDERS, using Windows Explorer.

• Don’t even go into any of the folders named “PVData” There’s nothing useful you can do in a PVData folder, but you can do major damage. Do yourself a favor and steer clear.

• Workstation Configuration (in the “Edit/Options” menu):
     o Ensure that the following boxes are checked:
        Display Overline Totals when Expanded
        Display Grand Total Unit Price
        Display Grand Totals amounts
        Display Allocated Addon amounts
     o Display Fonts:
        Change the Font Color to RED for “Display Zero Dollar Items”

Hope this helps and as always please feel free to conctact Daren or me at anytime for help with your Timberline Estimating Software!!

You know the old adage “Measure twice, cut once”?   It’s a precaution many are taking with today’s stressful economic
climate.  Precise estimating is mission critical.  So what can a carpenter do for you?  A whole LOT if it’s Estimating Consultant Barry Cassell.

Despite today’s economy, Barry finds himself  working harder than ever.  More and more Construction Companies are fighting for the same jobs and what good does it do to win a bid only to lose money on the job?  That’s the reason Barry is working long hours these days.  Companies have to estimate much more accurately and analytically in order to get the jobs they need.   Barry can make your estimating system more efficient AND more productive.  In some cases, Barry’s knowledge has been able to double the amount of bids in the same amount of time!

Now Barry isn’t able to leap tall buildings with a single bound, it takes him two!  Seriously Barry knows good estimating is a first and vital step to a profitable job.  He’s a people-loving number cruncher who wants to help you succeed.  He’s provided some tips and welcomes your questions.  You can find him at www.cassellconsulting.com, or as always feel free to contact either me, Myrna,  or Daren.  We’re always just a phone call away!

Here are a few tips from Barry…
These are some Basic Settings every Estimator should know, and control. These are stored with your Windows User Profile, so they should follow you on different workstations on your domain.

1.  Display Overline Totals: This option displays the Subtotals and Totals for every column which accumulate a total. I can’t think of any reason why an estimator wouldn’t want to keep an eye on the big picture while estimating, yet the default program settings set overlines OFF.

a.  Definition: “Overline” is Timberline‐speak for Subtotals which appear above the lines, accumulating Totals and Subtotals above the rows of  detail.

b. To turn Overlines on: Select Edit / Options. The first screen display Spreadsheet Options.
  
c.  Check the second line, “Display overline totals when expanded”
  
d.  I prefer the additional settings displayed. Set as above, in addition to Cost Overline Totals, Marked‐up Overline Totals and Add on amounts  can be displayed directly on the spreadsheet to see both internal cost and contract valued on the same line as the item.

2.  Additional settings worth mentioning are whether to open the last estimate on startup, ( I choose to turn this one off ), as well as changing the fonts & background colors for the various elements in the lower third of the Spreadsheet Options screen.