I am a small builder that builds large, very high-end custom homes, and have been using ConstructionSuite for nearly 3 years. I looked for a construction management system because I needed to integrate CSI pricing, manage the unique nature of allowances, and off-the-shelf, tailor-able specifications. I also hoped to find a fully flexible scheduling function; I got more than I hoped for. I tried some other construction cost management systems, but none of them are close in comparison to CS - in terms of functionality, ease-of-use, and reasonable cost (it is not cheap, but it is worth it). The product allows me to have automation in estimating, reporting, invoicing (including AIA Applications for Payment), and project scheduling. The easy, flexible structure has facilitated me taking a giant leap forward in management and presentation of cost and scheduling data. It also provides standardized documentation (contracts, other forms), which I honestly did not need, but many people would find very helpful/useful. Importantly, Construction Suite gives the option to use the CSI pricing structure (both residential and commercial), which is essential to better creating and managing budgets (estimates vs. actuals, CO's, etc.). The other products that do enable the CSI structure are archaic and far more expensive. It also has a Specifications function, wherein it uses standard CSI specs that can be opened and altered for each project. The financial functions save me hours on each invoice (specifically in the reporting that comes with invoicing). The structure, reporting, and schedules give me the presence to rival competitors that have 4 staff people to do what I do. The presentation and functionality that I now demonstrate, I believe, has been a big factor in opening doors to some of the very highest-end architects in the region. So not only am I more efficient and professional in how I manage my finances and projects, I do believe it is getting me more business. And once the project is underway, my budget anxiety has been greatly reduced, because I now have a very important instrument for managing budget, Allowances, Change Orders. Without getting into details, it also helps greatly reduce some of the budget difficulties with customers - they better understand what goes into a high-end home, and they have better assurance in how the budget is managed and invoiced. One other seemingly small but important aspect is that CS has a cost category for Allowances - I did not find one single other product that had Allowances such that they could be handled separately. On all of my projects, Allowances are a fluid cost that account for about 40%-50% of the overall budget, and you need to be able to separate those from the rest of budget. There is still one drawback, in that you cannot apply Allowance status to Change Orders, but I am told that will change in an upcoming release. Lastly - I have never had a software provider that has been so intimately involved with each customer. Even before I decided to purchase their "Total Care", the interaction was truly refreshing, and they have even taken the time to review and discuss every suggestion I have made. They have simply explained a rejection on some of the suggestions, but they have been receptive to constructive comments that will improve their products. (For example, the Change Orders to Allowances, as discussed above). The only 4-star rating I have given them is on "product quality". There have been stability issues and communications issues with Microsoft products. But they are phasing out the dependence on Word (already done) and Excel (purportedly in 2013), and that will provide some great benefit for performance. If you are a small or medium-sized builder, and want to present yourself to high-end customers, if you want to have more professional control on your projects, if you want to keep your QuickBooks but put it on steroids, and you undertake more than one project at a time, you will gain tremendously from CS. It is not inexpensive, but it is much more competitive than its competitors and it will pay for itself. I just hope none of my local competitors use it.

We are a General Contractor in it's second generation, formed in 1959 by my father. We do both residential and light commercial work, renovation, and new construction. When I got out of college in 1983, and made the decision to come back to work with my father in the family business. I spent 5 years working in the field. Back then all estimating was done long hand on paper, with some use of estimating books like RS means, as well as a gut feeling for the work to be done. I knew if I was to move the company forward, I needed to be more effecient and precise method for accurate estimation. After convincing my father that we needed to computerize, I started researching software. We started with DOS based programs that had estimating, report writing, documents, and bookkeeping. The estimating had the 16-division CSI format, which I was familiar with because of work I had done with architects. This system had a built in database that I could modify and add to and job costing to track actual cost against the estimates. Mom learned the bookkeeping end, but I always did my own job costing to get the most accurate cost data I could, and created many of my own estimating items. This was a good system for 20 plus years. I knew that at some point I was going to have to modernize the system. When my parents retired and my wife entered the business, she immediately needed to run up to date accounting software. We purchase Quickbooks because of the referrals and high recommendations. It works quite well, although we were not job costing with it; I was still doing my own recording for my estimating. Even though she pointed out to me that I could estimate and job cost with it, it had no data base and the CSI format, so I had no interest. I new I wanted somthing similiar to what I was using but with up to date features. I started my reseach on software again, looking at the vast quantity of demos out there - there are a lot of them. Some had programs with estimating, and some with their own accounting modules and billing. Although we do some light design work, I wasn't interested in strictly estimating. We're not a track builder. I didn't want all new accounting software because of our comfort with Quickbooks. I came upon UDA Construction Suite through direct mailings or trade magazine ads. I looked at it several times over a few years, still looking around at anything I came across. I found myself going back to UDA to look again. I was attracted to it because of intergration with Quickbooks, CSI division format, built in documents, and now scheduling which I never had before. I knew that I would be able to create my own data base from years of costing with my other system, but it included RS means cost book which I thought would be real handy for items I may not have. I also needed to stop doing my own data-entry for job costing when it could be done with Quickbooks. I liked that it seemed to have more than I needed, so I could grow with it. Easy to use windows format with spreadsheets we're familiar with. We purchased the UDA Construction Suite Residential Premier. It had everything I was using before and more. Since I had my own data base for light commercial items, I felt we did not need the commercial version at this time. But the decision to buy was also based on the ability to upgrade to a higher package without completely rebuying software. All my questions I had up to making the purchase were answered. UDA really seemed to be a company that wanted to work for and with their clients. That by my making an investment in this, they would be there for me, and that this was a purchase that would work for me for years to come. Since getting the product, I've found it really easy to click around and learn on my own. The training videos that came with it, as well as the webinars offered on a regular bases, are great for showing what the software can do. Customer support is awesome - if I send them an email, the response is very quick. It is very easy to call them and talk to someone; I feel like I have my very own personal customer service representative. Being a small company and having to wear all the hats, it can sometimes take a while to make any transition. I have no doubts at all that as I fully implement all that this software can do for me, that UDA will be there to help if needed, making sure that I can get the most out of it. Definitely comforting that I made a really good purchase decision.

Using the estimating with proposals and scheduling is the most important parts.

Having the estimating produces a proposal and schedule from the estimate. Project work flow is a very valuable tool, Launching the items inside of work flow is very smart thing.

There is no training on how to set up a estimate to move into proposal smoothly and than a schedule that you can use. You have to understand that the estimate needs to be set up just so, so you can get the proposal to work well and the same for the schedule. Nothing has worked yet for me that I can sit the settings and just go with it, without allot time spent editing the proposal greatly and Schedule. The proposal could use more options to choose on adding or removing parts of the estimate to give more flexibility to how the proposal will read. There is allot to be desired on the integration with QuickBooks. Contacts do sync well and allot of the contact info does not sync. The reports in suites have never matched up with Quickbooks reports for me. Does not have a good invoicing system that well work well with QuickBooks. Project files in suites is a very slow file. UDA needs to work out the flow on how things react to each other when you do something in one part of the program and how it will react in another. I use both Suites and Online parts of one program works better than the other program. I would like to know how other people are using the program.

Our company is a family owned and operated organization. We specialize in luxury custom estate homes, and we are experts in waterfront construction. Typically, we build no more than 4 or 5 homes simultaneously due to the complexity of the projects, the size of our company, and the market size for this type of construction. After going through a fairly difficult economic downturn, things are starting to move again. From 2009-20012 we only built 1 home. In the past year, we have bid on several projects and we are currently building 5 homes ranging from the $500,000 range up to $3,000,000. I can directly credit the detailed proposal that we made using UDA Construction Suite with 3 of the 5 homes we are currently working on. Each of those three customers told us specifically that our proposal was so much more comprehensive than the other builders that were bidding on the job. One customer also said they felt more confident choosing us to build their dream home because of our attention to detail in the proposal and tentative schedule we provided. While we are not a big corporation, we are still competing with them and we must present our company in the most professional, competent manner possible. UDA Technologies Construction Suite has proven to be one of the most valuable investments we have made to help us achieve this crucial goal. In 2006, we started using UDA's Office Suite, since then we have continuously upgraded to the most recent version and we are currently using Construction Suite Pro. We also take advantage of the "Total Care" customer support plan. I must say, this aspect of the software has proven invaluable. The only "negative" thing I could say about the software is that it is somewhat complex and a little time consuming to learn. With that being said, the time invested in learning the software pays off ten-fold. With the help of the staff at UDA, the difficulty is minimized. Every single time I have called to get assistance with some aspect of the software, I have been immediately put in contact with a very capable and friendly technician who seemed genuinely eager to help me with my problem. I never had to press 1 for this or 2 for that. The technicians actually know the software, in and out, and are always able to quickly resolve my problems. They are not looking up the answer in a "help database" as they generally do when I call QuickBooks for technical assistance. UDA also holds frequent webinars that are free to attend. I have only attended two, but I will be doing my best to utilize this feature more often as I learned a lot from it. Thank you UDA! I truly believe your software and customer support has been instrumental in helping our company stay afloat during this painful recession. The software and the support plan have paid for themselves many times over – we couldn't be happier!

Good product for managing projects. The software can be used for construction projects as it was designed, but can also be used for other projects as it is a good tool for managing projects. From one person operations to small companies this tool can be used as a means to have a good workflow system for managing projects. I have used it for construction but also for environmental consulting. It would be pretty easy for UDA to tweak the software to make it less tied to construction and more general for project management. But all in all it is a well designed and pretty easy to operate project management software.

The biggest issue I have with ConstructionSuite and UDA is their TotalCare program. It is almost like I have to know the secret handshake. With other software vendors (e.g. Microsoft, Autodesk, Adobe) I can download the software by getting into my account. So if I have to reinstall, which I recently had to do, I had to talk to the UDA folks to get the most recent version (I switched from Windows 7 to Windows 10 in the interim and the version I had saved on my computer was not compatible with Win 10. It took 2 calls to UDA to finally get what I needed. On the other hand when I needed to reinstall my Office Suite all I needed to do was log into my Microsoft account, deactivate the computer Office was associated with, download the latest software, and reinstall. I didn't have to communicate with Microsoft staff at all. Same for my Autocad/Revit software and my Adobe software. That said the last person at UDA, Cydney, took ownership of my issue and in about 5 minutes I had resolved my issue.

ConstructionSuite is relatively easy for our staff to learn and use, as is the ConstructionOnline feature. I particularly like being able to make our clients a part of the team by connecting them to ConstructionOnline. We have clients who live in another city or state, and since the scheduling component was added online, we've had phone conferences with clients, and we've literally built or changed the schedule literally before their eyes. It gives them the assurance that they will be a part of the process. I also really like the logging tool; it has come in handy this winter, especially with the weather delay feature. As I learn to utilize more of the features of ConstructionSuite, I really appreciate all of its capability. The support staff and development team have also been a great resource, especially being responsive to technical issues and continually working to improve the functionality of the software.

I'm always looking for ways to save time and to be more efficient, so I find little things like having to browse for a file from the desktop location (on both ConstructionSuite and ConstructionOnline) cumbersome. It's a little better now that we can select multiple files, though. Also, I've been working more with the dimensioning tool, creating a template for project type to help with estimating. It works, but I can't say I like it because of the way you have to input it into that little window. If there was a dimensioning template in the OnCost/Excel format, I think it would be easier to use. I think part of the problem is that the formulas and inputs are all in this long list, and though I've tried to put the inputs on the top of the window and all of the corresponding formulas below, it causes confusion to the user, and they miss more. I would love to talk to the tech staff more about this feature. We are also still having intermittent issues with sending emails, especially with attachments, from ConstructionSuite. No complaints about the vendor. We've enjoyed working with them.

Environmental Design Inc. is a full service environmental consulting firm in business since 1995. We specialize in asbestos, indoor air quality, mold, and lead related professional consulting services, as well as conducting environmental site assessments. One of our many functions is providing our clients with detailed cost estimates, not only for our services, but for the overall project's remediation cost, typically performed by other contractors. We provide complete project oversight and the UDA Construction Suite really is a powerful tool that helps us do that. We purchased the UDA Residential Premier Suite which has made managing our projects much easier, more efficient, and way more organized. We got the suite in 2010 when it became clear to us trying to manage a large regional transportation contract with dozens of projects in progress at any given time just wasn’t working in a timely manner with conventional Excel sheets alone. What the Construction Suite does it allows us to set up a project, assign contacts, and do a project schedule. We can customize cost estimate templates for each client, so our pricing structure, which is somewhat different for each client, can easily be turned into a proposal quickly and easily, or just forwarded in PDF. For our more complex projects involving contractors, we can track the project with a detailed Gant Chart, which we can send to our clients for use in MS Project, track payment applications, change orders, etc. Plus, I think one of the most useful aspects of the UDA Suite is being able to drag and drop files into the project folder and keep everything in one place so all of my employees using the suite can use and view the entire project in one place, even remotely via our IPads. I would highly recommend the UDA Construction Suite to professionals, like engineers, architects, and consultants. It is a great one stop way to organize your projects. For contractors like landscapers and builders, look no further, this product will make you much more organized and efficient, and the product you send to the client will be way more professional. UDA is easy to use, easy to implement, and easy to customize for your industry. Plus if you need any help whatsoever, just pick up the phone and an expert will walk you through your issue or remotely help over the internet. The UDA Construction Suite is not just for contractors doing construction, it is one of the best ways to do project management in any industry.

We lost a server so had to reload our programs and rebuild our data. During this process our IT specialist was called away, though we were still in the process of resolving our issues accessing UDA. We called UDA tech support to walk us through everything, but the issues were clearly beyond our level of expertise, so their rep and his team ended up taking the reins to get us back up and running. His professionalism and efficiency gave us great confidence that we were in good hands during a very stressful time. He and the rest of the team have always been great to work with whenever we've reached out for help, but their top-tier service and competence when we were in crisis was highly appreciated and we can't speak highly enough of how they came through for us at a critical time.

We are a custom home builder on the Island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands with over 34 years of experience in construction, building, and cabinet making. We bring a broad area of knowledge to our clients projects. One of the unique aspects of doing business in Hawaii is that each Island is different with different challenges and most of our clients are part time or seasonal inhabitants. Australia to Russia, South Africa to Canada, each client brings one goal: they want the best, the most efficient, and they want it now. That is how we got involved with UDA Technologies and Construction Suite. Our client was relocating from Florida who lived in Canada and had purchased a lot on Kauai that they wanted to build on. They hired an architect from Honolulu, Interior Designer from Vancouver, consultants from Montreal and Jacksonville, and last but not least his Financial adviser from Toronto. They asked us if we could coordinate and build the home of their dreams with the assembled team. We said YES! Then spent the next month searching the internet and calling on the phone to find a software package that would allow us to deal with all of the issues and different locals and still work with their accounting department and financial people so that our cost and expense information was in a format they could work with. This was 2006, we took Construction Suite for a "test drive", kicked the tires, and learned the basics. And with Time Zones to take into account, there were many challenges our team had to face. UDA and their team are up to the challenge no matter what time zone you're in. Two very important items that UDA excels at is customer service, working to improve and expand the capabilities of Construction Suite, and update the cost book information so that your bids and proposals are accurate. In this customer's opinion they have mastered the concept of making one entry do all of the work thus eliminating the opportunity for what I like to call repetitive errors! Make a change to your schedule and the critical path makes all the changes for you, when properly set up it will inform everyone in your organization and involved in your project about the changes. If you don't own it you should and if you do you know!

Consolidation of multiple programs into one.

All items I need are in one program. I can set up, track, estimate, bid and pay all from here. It's like having an assistant in itself. The customer service is TOP NOTCH! Get the best customer service plan you can.

Some minor limitations with the QB integration, but you get used to those. Make sure that you manage your templates, and lists often. It will not read your mind on new material costs updates.

I am a General Contractor in Brooklyn, NY after having been a builder in the Syracuse, NY area for over thirty years. As a builder for over forty years with a Masters in Construction Management, I like to think that my approach to construction projects is organized and well managed. This iteration of my company, now six years in the NYC metropolitan area, is predominantly engaged in the renovation of residential townhouses and doing very sophisticated architectural detail work. I had used UDA Construction Suite for a number of years prior to arriving in the city, and it always provided a high level of organization in preparing bids and managing my projects. Now that I am working in an environment that is both much more competitive, and infinitely more complex, Construction Suite is indispensable in preparing and managing my projects. From the extensive spreadsheet based estimating, to the integration of up-to-the-minute data on materials, to the ability to post and manage projects online, it's all here. As in all of my major purchases, I do a lot of homework before making a decision. That was the case before I signed on to UDA Construction Suite. From my first phone call for information on the Construction Suite package, it was clear that these folks had their act together, and understood my needs. All of my questions were answered, but most impressive to me was that there was absolutely no pressure to purchase until I was comfortable with the value that UDA would bring to my company. Once I did sign on, UDA technical support made the process of installing and configuring the software a snap. As time passed, through many iterations of the software, version revisions, and new functionality, UDA support has been right there to assist and answer any and all questions that I might have - working through issues and always checking in with a follow up call to be sure that my problem has been resolved. In my organization, UDA Construction Suite is a "Best in Class" package that definitely contributes to our success. In my humble opinion, this is the best Construction Management package out there.

For the longest time I had used a combination of programs to operate my remodeling business and came to realize how inefficient that approach was. Excel, QuickBooks, Outlook, and Word are great tools but there had to be a better way. I spent a considerable amount of time looking for a program that would deliver all of these tools in one format. UDA Construction Suites did that and even more. As I have become more acquainted with the program, it has a far exceeded my expectations. Even more important has been the support offered by this great team of dedicated technicians and instructors. Here is a great example: I purchased a new computer and had to transfer my program and files. I have a large database and needed help with the transfer. The new computer needed updates, etc and all of that was taken care of by UDA. Then, the new computer had a blue screen problem which could not be resolved so I purchased another computer which again needed updating etc. Well, here it is on a Friday night and after having over an hour of support earlier, I just got off of the phone with another support tech (at 6:45 PM EST) who made sure I was up and running for a busy weekend of estimating. That says it all right there. Whenever I call, even for the dumbest question, I feel like I am calling my family for help. No kidding; these guys and gals are that good!

That I can't keep up with some of their online products as they are constantly working to improve their services and programs.

UDA has far and above the best customer service. Every time I called they were not only helpful but they were the kind of people I wanted to talk with. I have computer experience but wouldn’t consider myself computer savvy. I knew every time I called they would answer any question, and I had lots of questions, but would answer with a genuine desire to help.

We wanted the on-line program to have a more in depth estimating system and live time sheets integrated in the system.

The format matches the work we perform and can be customized as needed. I tend to get "overcreative" at times with what i ask of Construction Suite and end up clicking on the wrong thing and causing a problem with the system. It is usually always my fault. The techs have always been able to bail me out. They have always been straight forward with me and tell me when they don't know what has happened, instead of wasting my time, they reach out to other techs to help resolve the problem quickly.

The only downside i can say after working with Construction Suite for several years now, is everytime is really get tuned in to where everything is, they issue a new version. I know and can see that it is always for the better, but you asked for something, so having to learn a new layout every year or so would have to be it. In saying that, they have always improved it for the better.

Easy estimating with lots of options to prepare reports for various uses. The terminology is easy to understand and this program is very easy to navigate

This is a one-stop- shop program. There is everything a business needs to do its day to day work. The reports are customizable to suite any company / department needs

I am unable to print the estimate sheets to appear on one page without a lot of customizing. I am having difficulty adjusting to the estimate not being Excel based

CS has grown with leaps and bounds as the development and support teams continues to stay in sync with industry & client needs; from Estimate to end of project... CS has our team covered. We have had great support from the CS team from product use questions, updates, to customizing templates to fit our company needs. CS has become the hub for all of our day to day project and lead interactions.

I would like to see a more centralized location and auto sync between the field and CS... single access mobile app, a calendar that has a push notifications and follows more along with an Outlook feel would be helpful in tracking, scheduling and completing events / activities. When attaching email or texts from with-in CS a better log of who what , when in project history - can't really see what the log refers to once it is sent.

HISinc Design & Build is a general construction company that has been contracting in the Hospitality industry for over 35 years. We are a turn-key operation from design, build, purchasing, remodel to grand opening. Our company purchased UDA Construction Suite in 2003. and they have been improving and keeping up with the times making our life easier and easier ever since. The integrated system is a perfect match with our accounting system. Their program sure beats having to spend hours developing our own excel spreadsheets. One of the best features of their program is how easy it is to learn and use. I have tried many estimating programs in the past. Some that cost a lot more than UDA but UDA out performed all the other programs, hands down. I won’t even waste any more money trying a different system out. I only gave "ease-of-use" a three star, but a lot of that has to do with me being too busy to actually teach myself. That’s why I gave the customer service a 5 STAR, they show me once and it’s done. It’s that easy. The last thing I would like to talk about is their Customer Service. Every time, and I mean every time, I call the customer service for help they have always been there for me. They are always polite, courteous and happy to talk to you. Not once did they make me feel rushed or like I was bother to them. Also, I love the fact that they can link into my computer and physically show me how to do something or fix a glitch. Thank you to all the staff at UDA Technologies for always being there for me, and a special thinks to Elizabeth who seems to be my main phone support when I call in, “you make me laugh during stressful times”.

Full CRM, Project Management, Document Management, etc...

I probably call UDA Support more than anyone... I am beginning to know people on a first-name basis and I'm sure they know who I am, yet every time I call, I am always greeted and treated like it's my first time calling! A huge thank you to the customer service rep for her level of support, patients, and professionalism. We are 100% satisfied and glad we chose UDA!

I think it would be good to invest more 1 on 1 time with clients initially to help get them off the ground.

The Vendor, the support is 2nd to none. Every time I call in it seems like everyone remembers our company and is extremely helpful. The software , with each update , it seems to get better and better . I have been using the software for many years, I had switch to another company years ago which was more expensive and couldn't do the things this CM software does. I ended up switching back after 1yr and have never left.

I wish it integrated with outlook, construction online when the job is done , that I could download the log book , and photos into a job site log file. I also wish that there were apps for my windows tablet, the apple and android apps are awesome. The Job costing still needs a little work, and a searchable feature would also be nice.

It is every thing I need in one bundle. Some of what I didn't know I needed until now. I enjoy being able to call customer service and talking to a competent english speaking and at times humorous helper. Great Company to work with

I'm not smart enough to use all it has to offer. It is overwhelming at times. I have to slow down and input info.

It helps me to operate on the best level of satisfaction.

The tech support. helped me today fix an update issue. Every time she helps she puts 110% I got it and always come thru. She is the best.

There are some improvements that I would like to see in the mobile apps. One is that everything is in one place. This would be more convenient.

I can come up with a 99% correct template and estimate, I could never have all of this info at my fingertips on paper. It is a coveted tool in this business.

very detailed, quite user friendly. There are so many different things one can use this software it's not possible to know them all... this is a plus.

little quirks that no one can explain why they happen and/or inability to fix. Also, when we have updates there are always little unexplained issues ... or changes that make absolutely no sense.

I have been with UDA since I believe 2008 and have been using it ever since.

All in one software for any construction business.

Does not save your preferences, have to reset them ever time you switch back and forth from each screen. Wish you had a setting page the would save your settings per page.

Uda software is a good tool for crews tp perform against once an accurate (usually taking about 1 week) estimate is made.

Once we upgraded to windows 10, installation has seemed very difficult on new computers. Somehow the SQL files etc. get tangled on installation, and execution freezes.

We are a Design/Build Group, primarily involved in design and construction of custom homes. We have used UDA Construction software since 1999, and consider it to be the benchmark for construction related management - from the first contact or lead, through the final close out of the project, ConstructionSuite documents all the phases, keeps our staff and contractors up to date, and helps eliminate costly errors from a host of causes, i.e., estimating, contract documents, scheduling, and customer service. With all the capabilities ConstructionSuite offers, it's difficult to say which is the pinnacle. If I had to choose one, it would be the Quickbooks integration, which eliminates the chance of errors of double data entries. For anyone who is currently using ConstructionSuite, I would encourage you to keep looking deeper at what the software is capable of, as we are continually finding ways to enhance our operations (quicker is better). For those of you that haven't used the software, you'll only need to try it to realize the huge advantage over other CRM's, or spreadsheet sofware, that ConstructionSuite offers. This is beginning to be lengthy, so in closing I'll add that UDA has the absolute best customer service in the industry. We use it often, and always have had any issues we've encountered resolved, most immediately. The folks in Customer Service really know the software, and are always ready to explain any facet you may need help with. We whole heartedly give ConstructionSuite a 5 star rating!