Trimble Accubid Enterprise Mechanical Software

My experience with this product has been limited to classroom exercises through construction management courses, however, I can easily see how beneficial this product is in building bids

Pros

The program overall was logically set up and offered many options and functions vital to building a bid for a project.

Cons

The first time through can be confusing, if you do not have a solid base for building a bid prior to using this product you can easily get lost.

Pros

Extensive library database, user friendly setups. Various systems you can estimate and multiple reports you can run regarding your takeoff.

Cons

Very Expensive, need to have some computer knowledge to know what how to use the database. Need to train users on how to use the program before using the software.

Pros

reports, rapid reports, on screen take offs, ability to preform take offs in multiple layers/systems

Cons

Not easy to use especially data base and creating new material data base, missing lots of assemblies especially for high rise condominiums

The program was used for electrical takeoff. It is a good takeoff tool and once you have loaded your rates and variables it does effortless calculations. Entering quantities is easy.

Pros

It is thorough and all encompassing

Cons

It can be a bit overwhelming at first till you get used to it.

I endorsed the use of this program to our company and convinced management to purchase it. We had good experiences using the program. It's now in use with our estimator.

Pros

Once its setup its plug and play. Download your files and start using. Master database is excellent. Working with assembles you can easily drop in a vent/drain/header assembly with wasting time on counting again and again. Support is excellent. Anytime you have a problem or issue just call or email and the support team is there.

Cons

The setup can take time. We currently use around 50 different specs. Accubid will create the database specs for a price and once you understand the system you can make your own or modify existing ones.

Advice to Others

Understand how many specs you have or will need. Inquire about cost to purchase the basic ones right away this will get you off your feet much faster. Lastly take the course they provide. It did wonders for being able to use the program to its fullest.

Likes Best

Trimble has been very good with product support as far as software and training. The staff is generally very knowledgeable and has been quick to assist members of our estimating department in trouble shooting and efficient operation techniques when utilizing the system(s).

Likes Least

Being from Western Canada the Trimble products (and many other estimating software products) lack reliable material pricing support/updates. This issue leaves contractors with very labour intensive manual updating and discount management, not what we are looking for in estimating software. The result is that any time saved in completing take-off is then wasted in pricing updates and material research.

Recommendations

When evaluating any estimating software make sure that the level of technical expertise your company has is able to utilize the features of the software you are purchasing. Most of the individuals that we have dealt with when purchasing or training with estimating software make the use and features appear very easy to learn. As a former full time manual take-off estimator I have found that if you are not utilizing these electronic tools (on screen take-off, assembly creation, etc.) on a daily basis the ease of use becomes increasingly difficult. As an owner now the best candidates for an estimating role that I have found would be the people trying to sell the product.

Likes Best

The Customer Service is Excellent but they are very busy and will get back to you in the same day, you can't catch anyone right away.

Likes Least

- There seems to be little in the database for pre-made electrical Assemblies and Product for what we are paying for.
- System is awkward to work with, seems to be unnecessary steps to items...

- My Mouse keeps disappearing and no one can seem to fix it.

- There are measurements in Junction Boxes and Size Selections that do not pertain to the Product, yet it still shows up as a selection which causes errors, makes no sense.

- There seems to be a lack of continuity or ease of Flow with Accubid Enterprise.

- Run into several Errors where I want an LB Fitting c/w cover and gasket, but I can't seem to get that...I have to create a Spec to allow the Cover and gasket? - Why?

- If you look at the Lighting assemblies in the non-Spec items, some of them do not work and errors show up when Chosen...Don't know why you have it in the system if I have to modify the Non-Spec to a Spec item.

- Just received the LED Lighting update 3 Days ago but I cannot update the assemblies because of losing the present Data on my System and would have to file it into an old file.

- Just wanted a Breakout done, in other Estimating Systems I have used, I choose Breakout Highlight the area I want to have and it will provide a separate item for it...The Breakout that was described to be in my help today seemed to be a lot of Steps and the Tech support lost me in the 1st 3 Minutes and did not explain what seemed like 3 Steps to just get a break-out.

- When I modify a Recap Sheet for a specific Job, it seems to save it for all Jobs in the future, why is there no flexibility with modifying a size or areas to a sheet then having it save specific for that job? Why does it save it for all future Jobs?

- When I create an item in my take-off sheet, why can I not just highlight this and then have it into an assembly? Other Estimating Software Systems do this?

Overall it seems to not be a very great system and I have worked very hard on this system to learn it...It seems that I have to take an extensive training course to learn the ins and outs and the Special things I have to do to make something work. I do not like the fact that I have to create so many personal assemblies for my System because there is such a limited Selection.
Even looking for Low Voltage Switching devices is not easy and that is with using the search engine. There is a lot of Assemblies, but they are basically a lot of repetition of the same items.

I am no Rookie when it comes to Estimating Software but It seem to me that we will have to pay a lot of Money in going to Accubid training sessions to understand the system, that should not be the case. I worked with other Estimating Software for 12yrs and needed to take one basic training course and that was only for upgrades and I learned the system very well.

Issues:
Run Into problem – Picking a Strip Fixture assembly: Sizes(4" X 4100k) for item "Lamp T8 7x CRI TCLP - Fluorescent" not found within the database's Item Sizes table.
“Available Sizes: 24" X 3000K | 24" X 3500K | 24" X 4100K | 36" X 3000K | 36" X 3500K | 36" X 4100K | 48" X 3000K | 48" X 3500K | 48" X 3500K | 48" X 5000K | 4100K X 5000K | 48" X 6500K |
Resolution Details:
Striplight Direct Mount w/ T8 7x CRI TCLP Lamps - Starter Toggle Bolt No Connection Lamp T8 7x CRI TCLP – Fluorescent”
Note: There is just sizing shown – Nothing indicating to Change the Colour of the lamp.
So
I decide to choose a Strip Light Assembly Toggle Bolt Row Mount and this appears:
“Formula "[Wire Size]" within assembly "Striplight Direct Mount w/ T8 7x CRI TCLP Lamps - Row Toggle Bolt" is invalid.” – It did not even ask for a wire size in the Entry.
The Same Applies to all Fixture Choices only the Industrial Indirect Mount works and can only Choose Starter not Row on that selection of assemblies.

Why there are only single face Exits on the Assemblies and why is there not an assembly for a T-Bar Installation?

- Why is there in Floor Boxes selection for Flush Floor Outlets and Recessed Floor Outlets – Is this not the same?
Accubid’s will confirm with the developers and trainers if this is the correct behavior in LiveCount and will get back to me.
Accubid just confirmed with another LiveCount Support rep that continuing a measurement on another page does not merge the counts for AutoCount items.
As Trimble suspected, the AutoCounts for the search pattern “Tel/Data-Drop Drop (Eng, Psyc, and Informative)” was created as separate searches.


- No assembly for a 4 Gang with Dimmer combinations to Empty Assembly for Boxes for 2, 3 & 4 Gang Devices…Had to create my Own to get a basic assembly

- Lost my Link to LiveCount as an Error appeared on my Profile, this is not a User issue.

- I also am having an issue where now when I enter an Item into my take-off is does not appear, when I choose another item then the previous items appears on the take-off screen and this is a step behind for all items I am attempting to Enter.


- Attempted to Choose a 4” Emt Connector, in the Global Items list, the Selection shows up as an error…(See attached e-mail notes below) Why would the Customer “the Customer “me”” have to Manually add an item to an Assembly that was already created by the Designer???

Called about another Issue June 27, 2016 on the Final Pricing Item, the Total Pricing Recap – total Pricing Changes when I modify the Material Overhead Mark-up, but it does not change when I modify the Labour Overhead…

June 27th, just fixed my LiveCount issues this morning with Logging on but now I have lost access again at 1:32PM… to see if there is anything he can do. Managed to get it working again and we discovered that when I chose the View to go onto Ribbon, the System would not work.

June 27th…Called again regarding the Close out and Final pricing when we pinned the Total Overhead Line item 25 at 10% we could change the Material Overhead, but not the Labour Overhead. When I removed the pin, it worked on both…Adam from Accubid is going to look into this as he said it is not supposed to do this and he figures it is some type of bug.

Recommendations

Definitely look around at all Estimating software systems, the Customer Service is going to assist me on these issues, but this is not an easy flowing program to work with.