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V8.0 Makes The 'Wish List' Grade For Commonwealth's Estimators
With five offices, a field workforce of more than 400, and experience estimating more than 800 jobs annually with McCormick Systems, Commonwealth Electric of the Midwest needs to have electrical estimating software that meets its needs. "We have users in Lincoln (NE), Omaha (NE), Des Moines (IA), Phoenix (AZ), and Tucson (AZ) -- and what each user has come up with is a way they like to use the system -- but each is a bit different," says Matt Firestone, the company's chief estimator. "Everyone has customized the system to work the way that's easiest for them. But in the same way, everybody has a 'wish list' for changes to the McCormick system -- ideas and suggestions. Additionally, I get feedback from our IT department about changes they'd like to see -- for example, things that might make it easier for them to do installs." Add in the occasional problem and what Commonwealth has is a "wish list" -- which Firestone isn't shy about communicating to the company. There's no reason for any McCormick user to keep these things quiet -- please DO contact our company with your ideas, suggestions, complaints, and other items. However, Commonwealth Electric's internal "wish list" makes it a fine test case of what McCormick has been saying about the new Version 8.0 of the WIN 3000, 6000, 8000, and 12000 estimating systems. The company says that V8.0 is "the place we've been heading" and "includes as many wish-list items from as many estimators and contractors as we've ever been able to accommodate." There are roughly five dozen upgrades, enhancements, and changes from V7.0 in there! So . . . Matt Firestone . . . did V8.0 fill the Commonwealth wish-list bill? Checking Off Boxes On The List "One of the biggest items we've wanted was a feature that didn't transfer over from DOS to Windows," he replies. "Many of our product managers and estimators used the DOS system. There was one feature -- which allowed them to adjust material and labor right on the bid summary -- that didn't transfer over to Windows immediately. "That's included in V8.0. We've been on them about it. We're glad to see it." Another change that earns a "checkmark" and a "Done" is internal security measures. Commonwealth must worry about external attacks, of course, like any corporate Internet user. But what Firestone sought in the security area was to avoid problems with estimates caused by unknowing mistakes. "As chief estimator, I'm also responsible for overseeing the estimating system company-wide," he explains. "I'm not worried here as much about someone coming in from the outside as I am about the occasional goof-up. There are a number of people in our company who know what they are doing on the McCormick system. But there are others -- who use it only occasionally -- who might not know it as well. There was a potential for these people to wander where they aren't supposed to -- inadvertently -- and screw something up." "Now, that's been taken care of with V8.0's new security features." Another issue -- for any long-time McCormick user -- is the archiving of old jobs. There can be all kinds of reasons to go back and refer to a job that's done, ranging from research needed by a former customer to the copying and re-use of special assemblies built for unique jobs. "We probably have an average of 850 jobs on servers in each of our four locations," Firestone notes. "There's no problem storing jobs with the space available on servers, but it had become cumbersome for us." "You can now make some jobs inactive. This is a big time-saver -- now, we don't have to sort through many jobs to find the one on which you were working. Plus, it's easier -- with the archiving of old jobs -- to go back and pull up the job you need to refer to."
How Wish Lists Get Built Firestone offers some insight into how wish lists are created: "We've been on 8.0 for only a week now," he said in mid-January. "What we've been doing since installation is trying to destroy it! This is actually routine for us. If there are bugs, we want to find them now. For one thing, the McCormick User's Conference is coming up -- we can take recurring problems and build up a new wish list for that. We've got until April." With one week of V8.0 experience, how is it doing? Firestone's response: "Thus far, the few bugs we've found have been resolved easily -- in some cases we fixed the problem ourselves, in a few cases we got fast help from McCormick. But -- we're working on it. Give us time!" NOTE: A feature on Commonwealth Electric appeared in the October 2002 issue of McCormick's newsletter -- visit the "Newsletter" link on the McCormick Systems site to download it!
Early Bird Special For User's Conference - Act By February 28th & save $50! Early Bird registration forms (received prior to 2/28/05) will be entered into a special drawing -- which will earn the winner a FREE second complete McCormick Systems 3000, 6000, 8000, or 12000 software kit. Click here for further info. ALSO:
Eastern Training Class Dates As is our custom, upcoming dates for Arizona & Maryland are listed near the bottom of this newsletter page. However, we did want to call your attention to training opportunities in Maryland. Thus far, we've scheduled these dates for our Standard class near Baltimore:
Contact us (1-800-444-4890) for more information!
Material Prices Rise In Construction From PinnacleOne (construction consulting firm):
Rest of it here (in PDF).
Bid Fraudulently Accepted By School District NOT Enforced By Court
Article from a legal source here.
More Homeowners Now Lighting Up Their Landscapes From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, as posted to the Builderonline.com Web site:
If Builder magazine allowed the piece to remain online (we're not sure of the magazine's policies), it's here.
Computers & Construction - Web Links Computers, Technology & Remodeling -- from 12/04 Remodeling magazine Online Management Tools Excel At Empowering Project Teams -- from 10/11/04 Engineering News-Record. Microsoft's SharePoint: Collaboration Now Affordable For Small & Mid-Sized Builders -- from 11/04 Builder magazine.
You Can Now Import Photographs Into Your Job Files!
In Version 8.0, you now can import and attach .jpg, .gif, and .bmp files to your jobs!
YOUR UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
A quick training fact sheet:
Need info? Don't be shy -- call with any questions on training: 800-444-4890. If you are unable to read this newsletter please copy and paste the following link into your web browser www.mccormicksys.com/newsletters/feb05/february_2005_newsletter.htm
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