Power Probes Advanced
Over the course of the next few months we will detail the highlights of the conference including what's new in Version 9.0. In this issue of the newsletter we will cover the new proposal sheet and Power Probes Advanced
This newsletter will carry details that ALL users, (even those who
didn't make it to our conference), need to know about and more.
Attendees at McCormick Systems' recent User's Conference learned about a new advancement in the Power Probes segment of our estimating systems. This is the result of a total rewrite ("from the ground up") using the latest .NET technology. Result: Enhancements in both probe interaction with the system, as well as your job of license administration.
First item to cover: You will NOT have to unlearn anything. All the features of the extant version of Power Probes are included -- with a few user interface changes.
What are the exciting new features:
1. Thanks to multiple USB and serial-key connections, your job of handling licenses for McCormick Systems products is made easier. License administration will be easier.
2. Windows service functionality: Your McCormick software now supports Microsoft standardized rules for services. It will start automatically on your servers.
3. You will now find it easier to run multiple McCormick Systems products at the same time. For example, your McCormick estimating software can run at the same time as CAD Estimating and Change Order.
4. Remote Power Probes client; USB and serial keys can work over your network. You can receive counts and lengths from a remote computer (a function useful for those using Citrix and Terminal Service). This will work over LAN connections and is configured to work over broadband connections (with remote clients) as well.
5. If multiple Power Probes keys are connected, then multiple Power Probes clients can be used for counts and lengths.
6. Scales are now much easier to work with, they can be ordered as well as added, deleted or set back to factory default settings.
Proposals Made Easy for McCormick Software Users
One unusual feature of McCormick Systems’ annual User’s Conference sees company representatives provide details to customers on “extras.” But these aren’t plug-in modules with add-on costs. Items such as scheduling, graphing, and proposal sheets are included in the basic software package.
“Estimators, project managers, and contractors are too busy to explore the entire system,” said Todd McCormick, President. “It’s not unique to estimating software. It’s commonly believed that the vast majority of Microsoft Word users apply only 10% to 20% of that program’s capabilities.”
This year’s focus – the Proposal Sheet – won attention from the Conference’s 100 attendees. Why? Simply put, many were using other software to prepare proposals for clients. That required getting numbers from their McCormick estimate and re-typing them.
“That creates the potential for mistakes,” McCormick explained. “With the Proposal Sheet embedded in our system, there’s no chance of making an error in transferring the numbers from the estimate to the proposal.”
In short, the primary modification to the new proposal allows insertion and modification of all extension data in a proposal sheet along with job notes, job docs, job photos and system photos.
Full edit features are available for row, column and in-cell editing. Ability to delete, insert columns and /or rows into the table, one or more at a time and to be able to merge and change column widths. There is no auto formatting for the table cells. All text within the table may be modified. The table lines will not print.
The table edit toolbar is locked until the cursor is located within a table. Instruction for each toolbar option shows as a popup hit when the cursor hovers above the button.
The inserted data should look like it does in edit extension, the edit extension print out or the report as best as it can. The table extension data is sorted by the reports' sort option.
- All labels for the job will be inserted in a table format. The labels that the extension data was generated from will be checked.
- Only the labels that were selected for this extension will be inserted into the proposal, in a table format.
- All takeoff for the selected extension will be inserted.
- Cost Code (Sort By Option) Totals
- Only the totals by cost code, or whatever the report sort by option was, will be inserted.
Now, one or more of the available cost codes may be selected. The cost codes in the list are only those that were found in the extension data. So if you’re missing Cost Codes, you may want to check your extension data. The Cost Codes are only used as an example; the sort code spec will be the one that shows, whether it’s cost code, schedule code or some other sort by option from the report used.
There are also options to include the column names on the table and the ability to display only the totals. After selection of the cost code(s), a table with the selected data is placed at the current cursor location in the proposal.
 This process may be repeated to insert multiple tables. Other text may be placed between tables.
Once a table has been inserted, it is the same as any other text in the document. Changes to numbers that affect totals displayed in other parts of the document including the table, are the full responsibility of the user to maintain. No calculations/math will work after insertion.
Any desired updates would require reinsertion of a new table or modification by hand.
Guest Comment:
"Fluorescents Flunk 'Wife Test'"
(from www.electricalcontractor.com)
An article from the 4/30 Washington Post, which ran on Page One (below the fold) -- headlined, "Fluorescent Bulbs Are Known to Zap Domestic Tranquility." From the article:
Experts on energy consumption call it the "wife test." And one of the dimly lighted truths of the global-warming era is that fluorescent bulbs still seem to be flunking out in most American homes.
CLICK HERE to see the article (I don't know if you'll have to register or not; it's free in any case). It included this:
“A Washington Post-ABC News poll released last week showed that while women are more likely than men to say they are "very willing" to change behavior to help the environment, they are less likely to have CFL bulbs at home. Wal-Mart company research shows a similar ‘disconnect’ between the pro-environmental attitudes of women shoppers and their in-store purchases of CFL bulbs.”
Where You Can See Us In 2007
Here are our scheduled appearances at industry events this
year:
Sept. 10-13, Las Vegas, NV -- BICSI Fall Conference
Oct. 6-8, San Francisco, CA -- NECA Convention & Show
Oct. 24-27, Houston, TX -- IEC Convention & Expo.
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