HCSS HeavyJob - Too Much Power?

Pros

This tool is very powerful. Given good input data/information, cost management and projection have been revolutionized. As a project manager, I find this tool to be highly valuable. The future of construction management is bright.

Cons

HCSS has heavily marketed this to upper management at construction companies as a tool to be used in the field by foremen to enter all information needed to track all project costs. The selling point is that all data entry is completed by the time it reaches the project engineer/manager so that those employees can spend their time reviewing the data - data which has already been analyzed for you by the HeavyJob tool.
The problem here is how much time and effort it takes to manage the foremen and the data/information that they submit. "Garbage in, garbage out" comes to mind. A project management team cannot use this as a tool for cost management if the information upfront is not good. A lot of time and money is spent managing the information input and less time on the information output, as HeavyJob is marketed. Most of what I have seen are construction companies using HeavyJob as a "glorified electronic timecard," when it really can do so much more.
I am hopeful that with new generations of foremen coming up through the ranks, we will eventually get there, but it will take a while, unless your company is willing to invest in a lot of foremen training (and follow up training).

The Best Estimating Software in the World!

Pros

Product: This is a very fast, user-friendly, automated estimating and bidding system that is particularly effective for Unit-Price contracts. It allows quick creation of accurate estimates, accommodates variations in quantities, allows risk evaluation on an item-by-item basis, and provides the means to price individual bid items so that they reflect the bidder's assessments of quantity, value, and risk for each item.

Vendor: HCSS sets the standard for customer support. There is no software company anywhere, of any type, with whom I have had contact that comes even close to the responsiveness and excellence of HCSS' technical support. It is extremely rare that a call is not answered before the third ring by a human who understands the problem (no matter how arcane) and who has the right answer, without sending me to a second- or third-level technician. The professionalism and expertise of the Technical Support team are near-perfect. I tell people whom I am training that if they get stuck on a problem for more than three minutes, they should call Tech Support. The person who answers will have the problem solved, and the estimator will be back in production nearly instantaneously.

Cons

There is little to dislike in a system that works so well and with a technical support team that is so knowledgeable. HCSS takes suggestions from its users and implements them in new releases of the software so that the system is always cutting-edge and fulfills its users' expectations. The system seems expensive to purchase and maintain, at least to the non-using evaluator, but the confidence in the accuracy of the estimate, the outstanding technical support, and the continuous improvement of the software will provide confidence that offsets cost. One caught and corrected mistake that that would have gone unnoticed without HeavyBid's analysis tools, could pay for a dozen licenses for years.

The BEST Estimating Software

I have been a HeavyBid Advanced user for over 14 years now and its amazing to see how far this small company from Texas has come. I still remember when we ordered the software and a representative from the company came to our main office in CT and over the course of 2 days went over everything from setting up labor, benefits, burden, equipment, crews, bid items (manual entry and DOT import), etc. to showing us how to enter activities into bid items and actually creating an estimate. Such a great overall experience from the early stages of implementation to the countless support center calls at all hours of the day and night before a bid (which were always answered) up to the present day where all of the above is still true today.

Pros

Unmatched customer support, ease of use and the ecosystem of programs/applications on multiple platforms that integrate perfectly with each other and will only grow with your company.

Cons

Recently I purchased an iPad Pro 12.9" pretty much for the sole purpose of using a handfull of apps such as Projectwise, Bluebeam Revu and HeavyBid Mobile. Well, after emailing HCSS Support I find out that HeavyBid Mobile is no longer supported. I was looking forward to trying something different with HeavyBid on the go, even if it wasn't the full blown version.

HCSS Review

Pros

I have used this system since the DOS days. Todays system and its various styles of reports provide us with quick turn around times in responding to our clients needs. The 24 hour support service is no joke. We introduce HCSS to clients all over the world and with time zone differences of 6 to 13 hours we have called upon theses services at 1 AM and 3AM when we have proposals due in Qatar, Dubai and Zurich.

Cons

The 24 hour service that is so good is also frustrating. Because of HCSS's commitments to its client base our commitments to our clients sometimes suffers as it appears that the 24 hour hot line only travels with one HCSS representative For some reason it always happens to our firm. You need to be able to answer our calls so we can respond and answer our client's issues.

The best option.

Love it. Great customer service. It can be customized to integrate with all your other software.

Pros

HCSS's support is the best I have ever delt with. Not only do they offer custom programming to taylor the users tools and reports, but they always answer the phone right away. No machines you the first person that picks up the phone can usually help you with whatever issue or question you have.

Cons

Clunky reporting with the mobile app. The only thing that is kind of frustrating is the reporting capabilities from and administrative side, but whatever reports you are unable to generate as a customer, they will be able to generate for you on their end.

HCSS Heavy Bid is the Heavy Lifter for Highway Construction

HCSS Heavy Bid is one of the most widely used estimating software for heavy-civil construction.

Pros

The advance calculation routines and checks allow me to have confidence in my costing and pricing. The escalation features is time saver, especially at bid time when final scheduling is provided.

HCSS customer service is the best. Never been on hold or transferred. Immediate connection to a friendly person who can help.

Cons

There is a steep learning curve, however, they host user group meeting that can bring beginners up to speed quickly.

HeavyBid

Like any software it isn't what you are used to, but, once you understand HCSS software (HeavyBid & HeavyJob) it is extremely helpful to managing work both prior during bids, during, and after as a resource for labor rates etc.

Pros

Great for CIVIL work. Lots of helpful shortcuts, like the fact it automatically pins most recent jobs to the main screen (you can also pin bids manually to always be on that screen). HCSS doesn't just hire techs to go around and tech the software they hire real construction professionals that have experience in both the software and industry which is very helpful.

Cons

Worst part about the software is the error sounds it makes when you forget to fill out a field and try to move onto a new task (that can be shut off). Great for both new bids and pricing COR work and managing budgets (with the help of HeavyJob in the field)

I used Heavy Bid regularly for almost 6 years and it was great.

i makes bids more accurate and consistent

Pros

It was the first bidding software that I ever used and it seemed very intimidating at first but it was very simple to get the hang of after a very short period of time. Their live help line is amazing and they are so good at helping an new and seasoned user.

Cons

You can only have so many administrators and i worked in a very large office so if something needed changed as far as rates or crews it wasn't always convenient to get it changed

The Best Estimating Software I've Ever Used

Pros

I love how you can preload your labor and equipment cost into the system and only allow certain people to adjust them as union wages go up or inflation hits. This adds to the accuracy of your estimates. I also like how you can pull in quotes from subcontractors and these are stored on the system. The integration to HeavyJob is seamless. This makes bidding the job and managing the budget simple and efficient. The customer support line is extremely useful.

Cons

It's very expensive and it takes a little while to get set up and can be a little frustrating at first. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes a lot easier and much more efficient and accurate than an Excel sheet.

HeavyBid: the best estimating software on the market.

Great product with even better support. This is the best software we use. We have been using this product for over 20 years. HCSS consults with its clients to improve the product. They also have an annual user group meeting that is one of the best educational events in construction to attend.

Pros

It is adaptable to use for any-kind of Construction Estimating.

Cons

Does not provide any take-off products.

HeavyJob & HeavyBid Review

Pros

I enjoy the ease of use with this product. Although, there is a bit of a learning curve once you get the hang of the software everything comes naturally. I can hop between each program seamlessly to pull reports, gather information, review time, and finish estimating tasks. We use both HeavyJob and HeavyBid for our work and wouldn't consider anything else. Customer service is also top notch and we never have to wait on hold if we have a phone question.

Cons

No complaints about the software or vendor. There are some minor technical things I would like to see addressed in the future but they are mostly minor.

Good Bye Spreadsheets, Hello Heavy Bid

Pros

I like the ease of use with Heavy Bid. An estimator can be as detailed or as generic as he wants to be. You have the ability to breakdown multiple activities and phases within one bid item. The audit checks help identify mistakes. The ease of changing mass amounts of data within the estimate is easy. From tracking DBE dollars to comparing subcontractor and supplier quotes, everything is a the tip of your fingers. You can get a report for just about anything in the estimate. The ability to build in automation is a huge time saver and maintains consistency within your organization

Cons

Hard question to answer. Once you buy the product, HCSS is on your team. Their support group is fantastic. I don't have any dislikes

HCSS Heavybid is the best product on the market.

Look no further, write the check.

Pros

The power of the system, the ability to manipulate and quickly adjust pricing. Customer support is un-stumpable. The ability to import data from previous bids makes the estimating process fast and accurate.

Cons

As with anything this powerful, you must dedicate the time to learn the system. The ideal program is to bring in a trainer once a month for 6 months to grow and groom the new user.

Bidding with Confidence on Leaner Timees

Pros

I like that you have a great control over all the costs involved with entering all aspects of your bid, and consolidate source quotations plus revise quickly critical mark-up, schedulling and productivity scenarios to bid confidently based on your entries.

Cons

It's a bit of a steep learn curve at the very beginning, it's very dependent on a good network connection in order to process quickly, sometimes can be affected by overall bandwidth available from corporate server during peak times, I can only see a passive filtered generated list of multiple bids to review their current status, closing dates, missing steps or things that would assist to coordinate a prioritiezed sequence to close these bids.

IT Manager - Review

Pros

As a product, HeavyBid makes estimating quick and accurate. Our estimators' success rate is quite impressive, and I'm sure they're very thankful to have the assistance of a powerful tool. As a vendor, HCSS has the best support and customer relations around, hands down. Their support is one of the best because they are willing to take on any issue and spend as much time as possible to resolve it. Unlike many other vendors I have worked with, they don’t require additional costs for remote support or training during a support session. Their answer rate is very quick, usually only taking 10 minutes to get someone on the phone. Their support staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Their after-hours support is equally impressive. I would highly recommend them based on their support alone.

Cons

They have always resolved any gripes or dislikes I may have had in the past by listening to customer feedback, improving with updates, or through support calls.

The best tool in the business!

Pros

I like the ease of data entry and the ability to translate that data into other work items and activities. Also, the ability to use normal reports with the options of customizing each report for each bid saves time and is advantageous in the competitive highway construction hard bid sector. The customer service is very quick and willing to assist with my needs and to get me answers.

Cons

You have to take an extra step when adding resources to an activity. You forget sometimes and try to enter equipment and labor, and it kicks you out to another step that I feel is really more of a hassle than help, especially when making last minute adjustments. Sometimes, customer service has no idea what you're talking about, and this is their system!

Pipeline Utilities, Inc. is a General Contractor based in Raleigh, NC that specializes in underground utility installation, maintenance, rehabilitation, and repair. We work on a broad spectrum of types of underground utilities; from water & sewer to underground chilled water & steam lines. Prior to HeavyBid, we were using spreadsheets written in Lotus and converted to Excel. We had used these particular spreadsheets since 1985. We began looking for an estimating software that would help us standardize our process and format while remaining flexible enough to handle the variety of work that we do. We purchased HeavyBid in February of 2010 and have been using it since June 2010. The training and implementation that we received from HCSS has proved invaluable. We initially trained our two estimators, then six months later, we trained the rest of the project management staff. HeavyBid is easy to use, but it takes a little getting accustomed to. HCSS is a great resource. Their support staff is always available. If you forget how a certain function works, the person that answers the phone will be able to help you remember. As far as benefits, we have been able to spend less time performing rote data entry and more time actually thinking critically about our estimates. In 2011, we were able to bid four major projects in two months time. Prior to us using HeavyBid, we would have been limited to only bidding one of them. There are many time-saving functions in HeavyBid, from the COPY routine, to the CODEBOOKS, that help Pipeline Utilities produce better, more detailed, estimates that are more quickly analyzed.

HCSS works great

Went to the training/convention for the first time this February. thought it was great. thanks!

Pros

I like the quote class system. It's handy to input info as it comes in and compare with others. handy.

Cons

On occasion as I pull items from my codebook in the select bidtiem screen, the description comes across but my activities do not. if I tab through all the cells it seems to work.

Great product for tracking time, materials, subs, costs!

Pros

The ease of use for the tablet users like my foreman or superintendents. This product is a great way to track my crews time, costs of labor and equipment, materials deliveries, subcontractors costs, and progress of the project. With this product I can quickly review my job cost to date on a whole or by an activity level.
In addition there is always tech support available for any an all questions.

Cons

This product doesn't have many flaws. They have really worked hard on getting this system down for the construction industry. The only complaint I have is the integration between the office to cloud and cloud to tablet is sometimes sluggish.

Building America

Pros

HCSS allows me to keep all my estimates and bid data in one database. It has the power to expedite and simplify the estimate process so that proper if not advanced analysis can occur.

Cons

The subcontractor evaluation is limited. I want the ability to see scope items along with pricing information real time on the screen. The additional lines need to have the ability to take text input or additive cost input. Without this ability I have no way of knowing if the $40,000 bid of one contractor includese the same scope as the contractor that bid the same line at $35,000.
Attaching a spreadsheet or printing a report is only a partial solution to this issue. I need to see it on the screen.

Also, the kiosk stand I filled this out on is too short and not ergonimic...