PrebuiltML

Excellent Software and Very Excellent Support

Kommentare: Increased sales immediately, due to the professional reports
Better software than expected. I have used other software for over 10 years and will never go back.

Vorteile:

Very Professional Reports and Layouts. Very little that has not been taken into account. Great built in Database. Quick learning curve. Again, I have been completly amazed at the level of support. Support staff knows their software and quickly help solve the few issues that could come up.

Nachteile:

No Complaints,

Very powerful software program in terms of simplicity and being customizable for different sectors

Kommentare: Ease of use

Vorteile:

Prebuilt ML allows me to perform estimation tasks for my insulation company paperless and from any location. What I like best is I can set up each project in it's own folder, and always have access to it. Also, It eliminates the expense of copying or printing full-size blueprints. The cost savings in this alone is enormous, and helps increase net profit. Also, Prebuilt generates automatic quantity reports and piece counts based on product categories input by the end user. This eliminates the need to write notes on other paper and keep them organized and stored. The material reports can be exported to Excel or saved as PDF's. Also, I am able to make e-mailable crops and notes on the drawings should questions or discussion points arise. These items really add up to save time on any project, weather it's 3 or 300 sheets of drawings. Also, Prebuilt's customer support team has been an an incredible asset over the last few years. Customer rep and his team have always gone above and beyond in answering questions during setup and when an issue arises. I would call my computer skills better than average, however the layout of the software is such that anyone with beginning to intermediate skills can use Prebuilt without difficulty. Customers and contractors are always shocked when I show them this software for the first time. It makes a great sales tool as it generates exact quantities while eliminating the potential for human input errors.

Nachteile:

Probably the single-most challenge in using Prebuilt is the need to input and scale each needed. sheet. This does take time, however it only needs to be done once. Once input, scales are automatically saved, and can be drawn on immediately. I find it goes pretty fast, and sometimes it helps identify measurement errors on especially hand drawn sheets. You can also add new sheets and delete new sheets as needed. Also, You can place un-needed sheets in a separate folder to reduce visual clutter in the file.

Just scratching the surface.

Kommentare: I haven't been able to use this program as much as I would like to, so I don't know half of what it's capable of or all the pros and cons. But what I can tell is that it has a lot of potential to do all the things required for a complete building takeoff. It will take a lot of setup and training to make it user friendly for me. I feel like it is fairly difficult and complicated to use, but perhaps with all it's capable of that's inevitable. It's much more than just a pdf measuring tool.

Great software

Vorteile:

I am an estimator, and I use this software all day, five days a week. I started using it when it was first released. When I started, I was taught by another estimator, and he taught me to do everything the way he does his takeoffs. By watching the different videos, attending the online demos, and talking with customer support, I have figured out completely different ways to complete my takeoffs. What has impressed me the most is that you can put as little effort into learning the software as you want to. If you just want a point and click software that will give you square footage, linear footage, etc., you can do that. But if you want to use it like we do - importing stocking lengths, preferences, notes, and layout colors, or creating customized templates for each lumber yard and builder we work with - you can do that, too. Customer service is great. I always get a response to my questions within the hour, and usually within a few minutes. Lastly, the thing I think is most important is that the software developers work hand-in-hand on a daily basis with framers and contractors. The software reflects that. It's easy enough to use that you can pick it up once a month and do fine. It's complex enough that you can use it every day and still find ways to cut down on time and increase accuracy.

Nachteile:

One of the things that I like best about the software, its flexibility, is also one of the pitfalls. It can do so much that sometimes it feels a little overwhelming. Once you start looking under the hood (stocking lengths, preferences, etc.), you realize how much is actually there. Thankfully, you don't have to take advantage of all that stuff if you don't want to. You can always ignore it if you just want really simple takeoff software.

Best Takeoff Software Around!!

Kommentare: I have been working in this profession for 12+ years and have worked with 2 other estimating software programs, and have had numerous demos of others. This takeoff software is by far superior to any other I have seen or worked with. As a former builder, I am most impressed by the way I can easily create layouts to convey "exactly" how the material is anticipated to be used. This allows the customer to ensure that the material has actually been accounted for by the estimator, and basically has a diagram of how to put the building together. As an estimator, I appreciate the ease of use. I like being able to do everything electronically over the drawings that are provided to us. I can add notes for myself or for the customer, and control what is seen. I can highlight information that is pertinent to the takeoff. I can perform measurements. All of this can be done without printing out the drawing, so it is all saved right in my computer. Thus saving us plotter paper, ink and space in my office for the hundreds of prints that used to accumulate. The customer service experience is excellent!! Any issues are immediately addressed. The available online videos can virtually walk you through about anything you try to achieve. Probably the most impressive thing is, they listen to ideas that users give. As a dedicated 40+ hours per week user I'll often think of enhancements that may improve the software. In my past software experiences I'd be told that the ideas would be passed onto development and it may take a year or so before they'd be incorporated into a release. Many of the ideas I have suggested for this software are available in just a few months after suggesting. There seems to be a release every few months, and I am always excited to find out what is new. This a great tool for sales! Being able to efficiently perform the takeoff, show that the material has been accounted for and present any issues in the design or material discrepancies, to our customer allows us to make a great impression and at the same time helps make sure that our customer is comparing "apples to apples", or that they're clearly able to see what our competition has simply left out or not addressed. There is simply nothing I'd rather be using! I already have the best there is!!