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Information Technology May/June 2009 Heavy Hitter Estimating software gives users an edge when bidding jobs Estimating, Bidding, field management and other software address the unique needs of the heavy-civil contractor who performs transportation and other heavy infrastructure projects. “We’re trying to automate the operations side of the business,” says Steve McGough, chief operating officer of Houston-based HCSS.
It begins with the HeavyBid estimating and bidding software, which allows contractors to build in crew and equipment costs and overhead when determining the price for a linear foot of pipe or any other item used on the job. BidHistory.com lets contractors search previous bid information for more than four million department of transportation bid items, then transfer that data into HeavyBid. “HeavyBid saves us 40% over an Excel spreadsheet in the amount of work we can do,” says Kenneth Ford, an estimator with Jones Brothers Dirt & Paving Contractors Inc., Odessa, Texas, an AGC of Texas Highway, Heavy, Utilities & Industrial Branch member. The company draws on information in HeavyJob, the HCSS field management software, to help it determine future bids. “It saves us time and ease of estimating,” Ford says. HCSS products can stand alone or work seamlessly together. Once a company secures a job, HeavyBid electronically sends the budget to HeavyJob and an accounting system, which eliminates the need for re-entering the data. HeavyJob tracks daily labor and equipment data and consolidates that information into productivity and profitability summaries. “HeavyJob is designed to give you quicker job cost on a particular item of work,” McGough says. “Our goal is to get real-time feedback down to the foreman level.”
Having that information at hand allows management to intervene if productivity is not as anticipated during budgeting. The Dispatcher software manages resources like scheduling manpower and equipment for jobsites. It can be used with a GPS system for even greater control over a fleet. FuelerPlus software lets contractors track fuel dispensed to a jobsite. That data can populate HCSS software applications and accounting systems. HCSS offers 24-hour instant technical support, customized and group training and user group meetings. “We like the service from HCSS,” Ford says. “We’ve never had a question or problem that wasn’t answered immediately.” HCSS is so confident customers will benefit from its software that it is offering a 12-month money-back guarantee on all products except its GPS hardware units. Implementation and training fees are nonrefundable. The company would not disclose those costs. Software prices range from $4,500 for a single-user estimating software to $8,000 per copy for a comprehensive system, with multiple-user discounts. The company hopes the guarantee will lower perceived risks associated with the software and serve as an incentive to buy now. “We thought it would be unique for a company to offer a no-strings-attached [guarantee]. Once you see how we handle customer support and the type of company we are, you will be happy with us, and if you’re not, we will refund the purchase of the software,” says McGough. HCSS
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