Product category:
Hardware
News Release from: iTSHOWCASE | Subject: EstimatorXpress
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 22 July 2005
Builders waste 67 days a year estimating
iTSHOWCASE report that builders across the country waste a staggering 468 hours each per year estimating jobs according to a new set of figures.
iTSHOWCASE can report that builders across the country waste a staggering 468 hours each per year estimating jobs according to a new set of figures That's the equivalent of 67 working days
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 22 Feb 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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The figures have been released by estimating software specialists EstimatorXpress, who carried out the research to help highlight the amount of time builders waste when trying to secure new jobs.
It showed that before using EstimatorXpress, builders on average would spend 15.6 hours a week estimating jobs, whereas after using the software they now spend on average 6.6 hours a week.
The importance for builders to find a solution to their wasted hours was further enhanced following the release of the Federation of Master Builders final State of Trade survey 2004 which found that 79% of the builders they questioned anticipated maintaining or further increasing their workload in the first quarter of 2005.
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The research also reveals that before using EstimatorXpress, builders on average would have to provide up to seven quotes in order to win one new contract but after using the software this number came down to an average of three, which the respondents put down to the professional nature of the quotes, reports and schedules they can produce.
"We were quite amazed by the results," said Jo Wild, marketing manager at EstimatorXpress.
"It just goes to show how much work goes into securing new business.
"Historically, builders would use their experience to cost up a job and use approximate square footage ratios.
The problem with this method is that for a start it doesn't take account of changes to material costs.
Secondly, the price of a brick can vary by anything up to 300% and unpredictable costs such as changing labour rates, groundwork issues and internal finishes are not taken into account.
A builder's profit margins can be quite small and with approximate estimates they can soon find their margins dwindling away".
The shock figures follow the first six months since the launch of EstimatorXpress, a new software package from the author of HBXL, which has already proved popular with builders.
The main advantage of the software is that it reduces the time spent estimating, allowing for more time on site.
The figures show that before using EstimatorXpress builders would on average spend 4.5 hours estimating a job.
After using EstimatorXpress this reduced to an average of 1.6 hours with 80% of the respondents taking less than an hour.
The overall effect of this means that builders are able to quote for more jobs and win more work, with some building firms looking to expand as they find they can tender for jobs a lot faster, easier and more accurately with the software.
For further information on how you can use your time more effectively, please visit www.itshowcase.co.uk and register to discuss your needs at an event near you.
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