QuickEST Windows (QEW) is the fourth generation of estimating systems from Constructive Computing. Because QEW follows the Microsoft Windows user interface guidelines, it is simple to use. If you know how to run Windows, then you already know how to run QEW. There are many components that make up a QEW System, some standard and some optional. The standard components are the Base System, the QuickCALC Metric Calculator, and the Contact Manager. The optional components, which are sold as Modules, consist of the Procedures, Bid Day Quotes, Unit Bid Day, and Digitizer Modules. All of the components store their data in the System Database. Therefore, you may think of QEW as a database of Resources, Assemblies, Spreadsheets, Procedures, and other tools used to organize, calculate, and present your estimates.
As you Takeoff an estimate, QEW reads records from tables in the System Database to calculate the estimated quantities and costs. Once the Takeoff results are accepted, QEW then places a copy of the records and the calculations in an Estimate Database. Each Estimate is actually a stand alone database that stores the selected records from the System Database and the calculated results for the estimate. Finally, when it comes to reporting, QEW uses both standard spreadsheet based reports and custom reports created with the award winning Crystal Report Writer. Many custom reports are furnished with the system and you may optionally use the Crystal Report Writer to modify our furnished custom reports or to create your own reports.
A Work Breakdown structure allows you to break down your estimate for reporting and sub-totaling. One Primary Work Breakdown, normally the Construction Specifications Institute CSI Code, must be used to identify Items used for takeoff. You may establish an almost unlimited number of other Work Breakdowns such as Contract Pay Items, Activities, Job Cost Codes, Locations, etc. Each Work Breakdown, stored in the System Database, may have up to four levels of outlining for further sub-totaling. To simplify this overview, we will use the term Bid Item, to refer to the Primary Work Breakdown, and the term Pay Item, to refer to a Work Breakdown, stored in the Estimate, describing the items in the contract that you need to bid.
The name Resources is used to refer to the detail records describing the Labor, Material, and up to 26 Other Cost Types, such as Equipment, in the System Database. Labor may be further broken down into Wages, Benefits, and Insurance, if desired. Assemblies are used to group fixed unit price costs, Resources, and even other Assemblies, optionally using Productivities, to calculate the Labor for a Crew.
For Work Breakdowns, Assemblies, or Resources you may store Notes and Specifications that will be automatically added to the estimate. For example when a Quote is added to an estimate, the Notes for the Quote will default to the Notes from the Bid Item selected from the System Database. This allows you to build checklists for the various types of work being quoted and have this checklist applied to each Quote that is taken. If you store your Specifications in the System Database then, as you estimate, the Specifications for the estimate will be automatically built. In addition, the System Database Tables are multi-media ready allowing you to store pictures and associated sound files. Therefore you may see the items that you are choosing for the estimate, as well as hear a recorded message or sound effect about the selected process or item.
Spreadsheets, which are stored in the System Database, may be used to calculate quantities or to accumulate costs in your Estimates. A Spreadsheet Wizard is provided to provide a consistant look to the quantity Spreadsheets, if desired. The Spreadsheet engine is compatible with Microsoft Excel Version 4.0 allowing you to import all of your existing Spreadsheets into the System Database. Spreadsheet cells that contain quantities or costs are identified by Names that you assign to cells.
Procedures allow you to document and store the thought processes of a good estimator, therefore minimizing the chances of errors and omissions by less qualified estimators or by someone who is having a bad day. Procedures have Steps that guide the estimator through the takeoff process, asking questions, presenting quantity takeoff Spreadsheets, performing calculations, and applying these calculations to Assemblies or Resources. All QEW Systems can execute Procedures stored in a System Database. However, only systems that purchase the optional Procedures Module may modify or write new Procedures.
Estimates are presented as a tab selected set of Spreadsheets that may be tailored to your own companies needs. The Estimate Totals Spreadsheet is free form and allows you to use any format that your company is comfortable with. QEW updates the Totals Spreadsheet, by Names that are assigned to cells, when Takeoff is accepted. All Takeoff Detail is saved and if adjustments are made to the summarized costs then an adjustment is added to the detail to keep it in balance. Also, the Takeoff Detail may be reviewed and detail elements of cost may be modified, added, or deleted as required.
Markups may be done at the Takeoff Detail level and/or on the Estimate Totals Spreadsheet. Takeoff Detail Markups may be done for any Cost Type but are generally used for out of pocket items such as Material Sales Tax and Payroll Taxes. Markups on the Estimate Total Spreadsheet may be anything imaginable but are generally overhead, profit, and bond costs. QEW provides a Bond Table Wizard to maintain a Bond Table on the Estimate Totals Spreadsheet.
Takeoff is performed by first selecting a Bid Item, followed by selecting the Estimate Work Breakdowns, such as Pay Items. Next the fixed costs, Resources, Assemblies, Spreadsheets, or Procedures that are assigned to the Primary Work Breakdown are used to select the Takeoff Mode. The Takeoff Mode may be changed to select Assemblies, Resources, or Lump Sum Takeoff to handle special situations. Next, the Units required are prompted for, or a Spreadsheet is displayed for dimensional input. You may use the optional Digitizer Module to digitize and enter dimensions as required. Resource prices are then optionally looked up by Region and any detail Markups are calculated. Then, you may optionally confirm all quantities and prices allowing the estimator to use his judgement. Upon confirming the Takeoff, QEW will update the Estimate Database using state-of-the-art database update techniques, thus preventing partial updates. During the Takeoff update, Metric Quantities are calculated for all units allowing reporting in either Metric, Imperial, or both.
Quotes may be entered or reviewed for an Estimate at any time allowing Notes to be taken based on the Notes for the selected Bid Item. When a Quote is accepted, it becomes part of the Takeoff Detail, therefore being included in the estimate totals. The Estimate Quote Spreadsheet allows you to review the Quotes by vendor, or by any Work Breakdown, making comparison and selection easy. If you are bidding fixed bid estimates, the optional Bid Day Quote Module provides for analysis of Combination Quotes (one quote for several Bid Items) and Alternates, making a difficult analysis problem a simple task. For Unit Price Bidding, the optional Unit Bid Day Module provides a wealth of features for balanced/unbalanced bidding, unit Quotes for a single or like Pay Items, allocation of Markups to selected Pay Items, storing standard Pay Items by Region, and the historical analysis of you and your competitor's unit price bids.
QEW includes the QuickCALC Metric Calculator that can easily convert any length, area, or volume to Metric. QuickCALC runs two adding machine style tapes, side by side, in any selected units. For example, the left tape may be in feet and the right tape in meters. As you enter ten key calculations, both tapes update showing you the calculated results in both systems of measurement. The optional Digitizer Module is directly interfaced with QuickCALC allowing you to digitize dimensions and enter them into the calculation. QuickCALC stores calculated results in the Windows Clipboard allowing you to insert the calculation result as needed. The detailed documentation for QuickCALC is covered in a separate manual.
The included Contact Manager is a great way to keep track of your subs and suppliers. Using the supplied Browse capability you may select all the subs and suppliers for a given range of zip codes, edit the selected Group, adding or deleting as required, and save the Group for recall later after sending all of them a request for Quotes on a project you are bidding. You may have as many Groups as you desire such as favorite subs in a Region, subs and suppliers on a particular job, or subs to which a new change order applies. A builtin Word Processing system allows you to compose your own forms or documents and to print these forms or documents for a single Contact or a Group. Contact Manager also works with several FAX methods to send forms or documents when required. The detailed documentation for the Contact Manager is covered in a separate manual.
As you can see, the QuickEST Windows System is a very complete and flexible estimating system. There are many different System Databases available for general contractors, home builders, and almost any specialty trade. For architects and engineers, many different R.S. Means Databases are available. QEW fully supports the R.S. Means Assembly Databases, allowing you to takeoff work based on either the detailed CSI method or the conceptual Uniformat method.
We offer two different demonstration systems...
QuickEST Overview Demo
R.S. Means Database Demo
Right click one of the above to download a zipped demo system to your computer. Use WinZip (www.winzip.com), or NetZip (www.netzip.com) to unzip the demo and then double click on the application from Windows Explorer to run the demo system.