Masonry Magazine February 2004 Page. 32
COMPUTER Software
"Second of all is the error factor," he continues. "When we play with numbers there's that chance that we can make an error, and errors are costly - you're taking money out of your own pocket. Any estimator will agree that you want to eliminate or cut-down on the potential of any errors.
"The market we are in now and continuing to go into is not as generous as it was five years ago," Pacetti states. "Five years ago, you only had to figure a couple of blueprints to get a job.
QUALITY MASONRY TOOLS
"What's the worst thing that can happen when you turn in the bid? The GC comes back and says 'You got the job!' You almost go into cardiac arrest."
-Bill Pacetti, President of Tradesmen's Software, Inc.
Nowadays, you might have to figure 20 or 30 blueprints to get a job. If you're doing estimates by hand, a large detailed school might take you a week or two to complete. If you're doing estimates with a computer, you can cut that time in half or more. Computer estimating will enable you to bid on more jobs, faster and more accurately."
There are many estimating packages available to mason contractors. Tradesmen's Software is probably the only package that allows the estimator to see their complete take-off in 3-D. This dimensional rendering allows the user to turn the building around to see it from any angle, get "visual feedback" to eliminate mistakes, and even "walk through" the building to get a complete picture.
"No matter how long you have been estimating, what's the worst thing that can happen when you turn in the bid?" asks Pacetti. "The GC comes back and says 'You got the job!' You almost go into cardiac arrest. The first thing that you ask is "What did I miss?' Having the 3-D image, you can rest assured you didn't miss a thing!"
Business Management Suites
IN THE CASE OF suite or "all-in-one" packages, the main advantage is that most of your business needs are addressed by one package rather than a handful. One general example of a suite is Microsoft Office, which includes document, presentation, spreadsheet, database and e-mail capabilities. For the construction industry, Wintac Service Management Software includes many of the aforementioned capabilities plus scheduling, job costing, accounting and invoicing, equipment inventory and maintenance, estimating and marketing software.
"That's what really sets Wintac apart from a lot of the other programs out there-it's all-in-one," says Arthur Chadbourne, Director of Technical Services for Intac International, Inc. "They don't have to go and do things in two or three programs. For example, in our program you can do form letters, marketing through mailings to customers, and things along those lines because we have a built-in letter writer. It makes the client's life