Explorer Eclipse Construction Software

Pros

Solid SVN/MVN integration. As a new developer, it helps me zero in on where my mistakes are. Would recommend it to less experienced developers. Strong community support helps with the learning curve.

Cons

Intellisense can be glitchy at times. Not the IDE of choice for Android developers. Takes a while to get the hang of managing numerous plugins and extensions.

Pros

I use Eclipse for automated Selenium testing with Java and I love the multitude of features created to make the software development process as simple as possible. Imports are a snap, for example: just enter a method from a given library and the import statement is added for you. Move a class from one package to another & Eclipse updates the package in the file automatically. Setting breakpoints for debugging is easy & intuitive. The list goes on.

Cons

I'm still using Kepler, which works fine, but I'd be interested in upgrading to the latest version. However, I don't want to simply delete the whole application and replace it wholesale with the latest version. I know there's a way to do a piecemeal upgrade, but I'm not clear on the steps. It would be nice if that were clearer.

Other than that, I can't really think of anything that qualifies as a negative.

Pros

Incredibly full featured IDE makes it easy to focus on coding and problem solving. Minimizes errors and makes it easy to set up tests and debug

Cons

Steep learning curve takes a few months to master. It’s worth it in the end and there’s a ton of online help

Pros

I find Eclipse very easy to use and like all the functionality it has. I recently updated to Eclipse Oxygen, and have had the same positive experience. I enjoy being able to create JUnit tests and check my code coverage through Eclipse (I don’t believe I had to download anything), as it was already integrated. It’s fast, the pop up boxes help you code faster, the pointers on debugging are great, and it has many uses, but most importantly it fits my need of creating and testing java files perfectly.

Cons

For new users, Eclipse installation may be confusing and daunting. It has many packages and plugins you can choose to get. I found it difficult to instruct a person in high school on how to get it up and running as well as start to code. Most people without the technical knowledge will need to take their time to get to know the environment.

Pros

Supposedly - the best for distribution - with regards to forcasting, purchasing, inventory, email, ftp, flat files, reporting is good - if you can figure out how to get the data out. most users / companies can't or spend years trying to ....

Cons

1. company has been bought and sold many times in 15 years. Each time the new company tries to squeeze its users so the new company can implement cost savings and pay for their acquisition. ie outsourcing their customer service reps to other countries without having any training. so until you escalate and waste time, you don't get the question/issue resolved until you wind up back with some cust. service agent in America.
2. lacks automation. There are so many software companies popping up that automate sales and purchasing tasks, eclipse relies on Q's and user interactions instead of rules.
3. Not flexible in they SOP's you have to conform or your doing it wrong.
4. any mod is 10k plus - (if they even have time to quote you -)
5. you can't get much outside help for it - not too many people know universe databases or PIC programming language.
6. I could go on but I won't, is not a good look for a business.
7. very expensive.

We really enjoy using Eclipse. The inquiries are extremely powerful and quick. The dashboards are flexible and can be viewed in many different formats.

Our underground utility construction company has used Explore Eclipse for more than 12 years. It has served us very well. It is as important to our company as any other piece of construction equipment, something we can't do without. We have continually upgraded to the latest version of the software, always keen to incorporate the latest capabilities and functionality. Although there have been hiccups along the way we are always able to gain access to quick support. A couple of issues have taken longer to correct but they are usually related to needed programming changes. The software has many features and is constantly evolving to incorporate the latest needs in our industry. Training is always available and yearly conferences help to learn the software's intricacies and latest capabilities. I feel that the Explorer is progressive and is a strong company in the construction software industry. All-in-all I think Explorer Eclipse would make a great addition to any company. It has great job costing and accounting capabilities.

Explorer is a great company. I've met several people from this company and they are all very nice, knowledgeable and eager to help. Eclipse is a good program for Construction, however, it is still lacking in some areas. One of these areas is in the mobile realm. They need apps for iPhones and iPads. They are working on these I'm told, but I believe we should already have them. Technology moves fast, our employees move fast, we need their technology able to move with them.

Pros

The software is easy to use and easy to deploy.

Cons

No apps for iPhones and iPads.

Advice to Others

The company is a great company and they truly want to do better.

We have used this software for years. With recent upgrades, several modules have not been user friendly, do not provide the functions as sold and support doesn't have proper training to provide assistance as required.

Pros

Has a lot to offer for our scope of work.

Cons

Not user friendly, several modules have a lot of glitches that cannot be a "quick fix". Too many issue have to be sent to programming and researched which leaves a client "hanging" and unable to move forward until it is researched and eventually fixed

Eclipse is a 1st rate construction management solution. Their team is innovative, are experts in their fields, and have an ear for their customers. The software is customizable, not a one size fits all. Eclipse invests in R&D and holds customer round tables and is constantly evolving and developing tools to help run your business more efficiently and with more transparency.

For more than 15 years in my previous position as director of information services for a large multinational construction group, I led our team that was responsible for implementing and maintaining 'Explorer'. The product has always been fundamentally very good, with plenty of functionality that is for the most part very intuitive. I have given many recommendations over the years on behalf of the software.

For a small construction company, there is more functionality and timely support than you'll ever need. For medium to large sized companies, I believe you need to invest more into the product than the relatively low-cost initially paid for the software to get the most out of your initial investment and to optimize your efficiency with the software.

Explorer is like most ERP's where the software gets more complicated the more that users demand additional functionality. There are also a multitude of hidden features and functionality intended for various scenarios and customizations are relatively easy and commonplace unlike other large ERP providers.

Every construction company has its own environment and unique needs requiring professional services to make the software fit your requirements. You need experts to make the product fit seamlessly into your operation and have your staff focus on their jobs rather than focus on the software.

Contact me to for more information about my vast experience with the software and how professional services can make Explorer the ERP solution you always hoped for.

in my 20 years of being in IT, Explorer is by far the very worst vendor i have ever had to deal with. The worst support team ever! They love to blame the customer. We are running v7 and each week we encounter many issues. Tickets remain untouched for months. They don't communicate within their groups. I would never recommend this company or software to anyone. Keep looking.

I would recommend this product to all construction firms.

Pros

Excellent software with all the functions we need in our business. Customer service from Explorer has been fantastic when required.

Cons

A few bugs that were quickly rectified by Explorer.