Computor business packages - Making life easier

[mickavalon]

Just sitting here avoiding doing a really complicated quotation for a Swimming Pool, and wondering if anyone knows of a specific business estimating/invoice/book keeping package aimed at Groundworks/Landscaping.
I know about the various ones aimed at builders, you see them in the builders press all the time, but I've not seen one for our industry. I use a combination of gear, but would prefer to it if I could use one intergrated system. or am I just being thick and there already out there?

[lutonlagerlout]

we have tried a few building ones mick but there always seems to be too many variables
My brother in law showed me how to use an excel spreadsheet so if you have unit prices I.E.
dig out 1m3 soil = £100
supply and fix 1m3 concrete = £200

then you can enter these quantities and it makes life easier
however there are always variables with access, logistics, etc
we used a qs firm for a few jobs but they always seemed to price too high to win the jobs
LLL

[GB_Groundworks]

i have a few rough costs worked out for like tony says m3 out, then away then concreted, for metre of drains etc but taken a few years of finding it out to discover these, but most ground working jobs are so variable that pricing is hard, i always state depths and material removed and concrete put in as you could be in trouble if building inspector comes and says he wants it 2.1 metres instead of 900mm lol.

there are a few books, that have pricing guidelines for landscaping light groundworks but the name escapes me Tony knows what they are there is a whole series and about £60-£100 each



Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1296080549

[Ted]

there are a few books, that have pricing guidelines for landscaping light groundworks but the name escapes me Tony knows what they are there is a whole series and about £60-£100 each

Spon's?

Some QSs use this range of books...

[Tony McC]

Although they are useful, you'd never win any work if you used Spon's to fill-in your tenders. Because they are nationwide prices, you have to factor-in regional variation, and some of the figures are damned hard to justify, but they are very useful if you're just looking for 'ball-park' figures. I know the guy that does their pricing for hard-landscaping works and he uses this site semi-regularly to gauge current pricing strategy.

As for software, every package I have ever seen or had foisted upon me for review has been a major disappointment. They take days to learn, and then you have to populate the database with your own prices. Unless you are the size of company able to support a full-time estimator, it's hard to see how these packages can be economically justified.

Most paving companies, landscapers and small builders are better off using a spreadsheet similar to those I publish on the main website, where you just need a 'database' or list of a couple of dozen commonly used items to feed in prices.

[mickavalon]

Cheers Lads, It's pretty much what I'm doing now, I use a combination of Excel, Word, and assorted backs of beer mats etc. Like you say Tony, most of them take so long tolearn that unless your on it everyday you never seem to get anywhere!! I keep promising meself I'll learn Auto-Cad , but it's been sitting on the shelf for a year now and I still use Pencil and Paper to do my Plans. something to do with old Dogs and new Tricks:rock:



Edited By lutonlagerlout on 1296162188

[Ted]

I keep promising meself I'll learn Auto-Cad , but it's been sitting on the shelf for a year now and I still use Pencil and Paper to do my Plans.

I've been meaning to learn that too!

Depends what you need it for exactly but I was shown Archicad last year by an Architect and it looked a heck of a lot easier than AutoCad.

Not as broadly useful but if you have to draw up plans for houses, outbuildings, extensions it looked good.

Not a cheap bit of software off the shelf though...

[GB_Groundworks]

Google sketch up best thing for quick drawings free and easy to use

[mickavalon]

Free and easy is always good!!

[Ted]

Google Sketchup is good! I work with a company in Durban where I Sketchup what I want and their engineers work out everything...

IMO ArchiCad is more intuitative than AutoCad; the latter seems more designed for engineering types!

[mickavalon]

Never heard of it but I'll give it a go mate. I did a degree in Jewellery Design(don't ask), many moons ago and worked with Rhino Cad and a package called Jewelcad so I should be able to suss it out, although that was before we had Kids and a Mortgage, and I could still concentrate on something for more than 10 minutes.