Using AutoBid SheetMeatl for 10 years

We have used Trimble Autobid Sheetmetal and it's predecessor, Quickpen for over 20 years. During this time we have considered other estimating systems and have always stayed with Autobid due to the improvements constantly being made and their great customer service.

Pros

Easy to use Great layout of the tools The database is easy to manage Customer service is timely and reliable Reliable software - We have minimal downtime with the software

Cons

- Integration between the estimating software and the CAD software is cumbersome. - Generating and modifying the final Rapid Reports is difficult. This is not an issue as we export to our own spreadsheets

AutoBid SheetMetal Review

I have been a ABSM user since 1998 and seen the software grow with the industry. Our HVAC estimating capacity has had to increase as the company grew and as the Lead HVAC estimator I have had to opportunity to change software and found ABSM to continually lead the industry. I can't imagine using anything else.

Pros

Common database that is shared by all estimators. It's very fast. Anyone can access the software as long as they have a username/ password and a licence is available. Access can be limited on a individual user level. You can build anything you come across. The functionality of the assemblies is incredible.

Cons

Labor categories are limited to shop and field in reports though user defined categories are available. i.e. Commissioning/Start-up. These categories do not receive correction factors. New users find it overwhelming. Database and takeoff is now one program so only one can be opened at a time.

Worst software I have seen since 1996

my overall experience has been very bad and i would not recommend this program to any company unless you have a full time tech support on your payroll with a direct phone line to trimble support.

Pros

the pros of this software is the odd time you do get it to work it is easy to use and faster than doing estimates by hand

Cons

This software is outrageously expensive and you are forced to buy multiple licenses on top of the program. The software rarely ever works every time i click on it to start estimating a job i get a new error code as to why the software wont launch. then you are faced with the dilemma of either waiting on the phone with tech support for 3 hours or just doing the estimate by hand. off the start i would waste my time with tech support who would eventually fix the issue temporarily (usually for a day or two ) then you would get a new error code. i have finally just given up and went back to doing my estimates by hand and will be canceling my licenses .

better than wenduct

this program is so much better than it's competition, which I used for @ 15 years. It was very basic and not easily modified.

Pros

it is very versatile. I can customize the program to be job specific very easily.

Cons

sometimes the level of detail can be intimidating to users. I'm staring my third year using ABSM and am still learning all the ins and outs.

great software and even better customer support

We use autobid sheetmetal for our estimating needs and it has drastically improved our efficiency.

Pros

I liked how the foundations were the same for Autobid mechanical. i started there and then crossed over to autobid sheetmetal and its was a like for like change which was amazing.

Cons

I haven't found anything i strongly dislike yet.

Great Program

Pros

I’ve been using AutoBid for Sheetmetal for nearly ten years now and I’m steal finding new ways and tools that make doing my job easier and more accurate.

Cons

The only thing that would make it better for me is if you'd make it easier to find items in the library

Estimator

Pros

Easy to use and setup Pivot tables make transferring info to Project Management faster and easier OSV take off is the way to go

Cons

Global data should be in the main program not a spate launch OSV pdf viewing doesn't always work 100% of the time

AutoBid SheetMetal

Fewer errors and faster take-off has made our experience positive.

Pros

On Screen Take-off. Ability to see what is taken-off. Speed of take-off

Cons

A smart pad used to be offered. Disappointed that isn't an option any longer.

AutoBid Sheet Metal 2013v1

Overall the program is very good and fast for generic non-detailed take offs.

Pros

The program and database is very detailed and complete. The versatility is quite broad. the ability to break jobs down during take off is a big help especially when dealing with cost codes.

Cons

The "Code Manager" does not function correctly, I have sent AutoBid notices about this issue. as of yet no response to this. The process of setting up the equipment symbols is very cumbersome. we do not use the equipment label for what it is intended for because there is not the time to input all of the VAV boxes from the schedule. Although you can take off the ductwork by AHU label, it is very easy to make mistakes while doing this, it would be very time consuming to go back and make the proper corrections if this happens.

Autobid Sheetmetal Review

Overall, this is a great piece of software that is reliable but costly.

Pros

It's ease of use, especially after we have been using Autobid Mechanical for piping for a while now. Adding this and being able to train people was easy since it was very similar to the Piping program

Cons

The fact that when you are taking off a run of duct you must click "ok" rather than just pressing the enter key like we do on the piping program.

Ease of Sheetmetal Estimating

Pros

Ability to customize for our company needs, flexibility in making changes, and speed and accuracy in takeoffs

Cons

I wish it had the ability to collapse crystal reporting more so report didn't have to printout so many pages.

Not a trustworthy software

This software is impossible to trust. The developers have known about these glitches in their software and do not share that information with their customers. These glitches are constantly coming up, and not getting fixed. Our company has lost millions of dollars of work due to this software because of major "bugs" in the software. STAY AWAY!!!!

Cons

Software is not trustworthy. Many bugs that have caused us to lose multiple jobs. When problems arise, the support team has no urgency to get them fixed.