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IntelliBid Software Review |
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Whether you’re a consultant whose full-time job is estimation or you’re a contractor who does it himself, it’s important that your electrical estimates be as accurate as possible. That’s why companies like ConEst Software Systems offer programs that make electrical estimates quick, simple, and most importantly, accurate.
Stephen Carr, president and owner of Carr Consulting Services, has been using ConEst IntelliBid for 10 years with great results. After researching similar tools, Carr said his company thought IntelliBid’s features and interface were superior. The small company now uses the software daily for large residential, commercial and industrial electrical estimates.
Carr said that they have maintained the same work processes, but the organization and input speed of takeoffs has improved with IntelliBid. He estimates it saves the company about eight hours and $200,000 to $500,000 on each estimate.
“One good example would be a project we estimated using ½” conduit (and) an addendum changed the conduit size to ¾” minimum,” Carr said. “The Substitution module in ConEst changed hundreds of takeoff items from ½” to ¾” in seconds. This saved us hours of re-entering the takeoff.”
For electrical estimates, Carr said the most useful features have been the interactive and visual audit trail, the copy and paste interface, the organizational abilities and the user defined takeoff libraries. The only feature they don’t use is the count sheets, but the next version will be better, he said.
The software was well worth the price for Carr Consulting; in addition, it took little training to learn, and the user documentation and support have been very helpful, Carr said. Overall, he rated IntelliBid a perfect 10 out of 10 and would recommend it to all electrical estimators.
Full Review
How long have you been using this tool?:
What kinds of construction projects do you mostly work on?:
All types of electrical estimates, including large residential, commercial and industrial.
Where did you obtain it?:
How much did you pay?:
I believe the price it went for was around $4,000 for the Pro version.
How are you using this product?:
I use this product for electrical estimates on a daily basis.
Why did you pick this product?:
After a complete review of many systems, ConEst was by far the best.
Was this product compatible with the software programs you were already using?:
Did you look at other tools on the market before picking this one?:
Yes. The features and interface included in ConEst IntelliBid were superior.
Before you bought this product, were you using a different one to do the same job? :
How many people are using this software? :
Up to three other estimators use IntelliBid.
Comparing the way you work now with the way you worked before you bought this tool, what has changed? :
The way we work is the same. The organization and input speed of takeoffs is better.
Can you give us an example of a job where this tool really made a difference?:
One good example would be a project we estimated using ½” conduit. An addendum changed the conduit size to ¾” minimum. The Substitution module in ConEst changed hundreds of takeoff items from ½” to ¾” in seconds. This saved us hours of re-entering the takeoff.
Can you estimate how much time or money you saved or other measurable benefits your firm realized using this tool?:
Compared to manual cost estimating, we save approximately eight hours, and $200,000 to $500,000, per electrical estimate.
What are the best features (for your business) in this tool?:
Interactive and visual audit trail, copy and paste interface, organizational abilities and user definable takeoff libraries.
Do you think it's a fair value for the price you paid?:
What would you change about the product if you could?:
Very little. I would change the way some features work; however, these changes are being addressed in the next update of IntelliBid.
Are there features that you don't use?:
The count sheets. The next update will give the more organizational abilities.
Who would you recommend use this tool?:
All electrical estimators will benefit from IntelliBid.
How much computer experience do you think someone needs to use this tool effectively?:
Just the ability to use a Windows computer.
Did it take much training (or studying) to learn to use this tool?:
Have you ever called the company's support lines and asked for help?:
Yes. There are among the best and most responsive I have ever dealt with.
How would you rate the user documentation? :
When the next version of this software comes out, will you upgrade to it?:
Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this tool?:
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