Is estimating software good for a small contractor?
If you’re a smaller contractor, you might think it’s ridiculous for us to ask you if you are considering estimating software. Time, budget, and resource restraints barely give you time to finish deliverables on time, much less time to devote to evaluating new software.
But, if increasing efficiencies, staying competitive, focusing on growth and strategic planning, and getting estimates out on time is important to you, you’ll find that a software designed specifically to complete all your estimating tasks in one program like DESTINI Estimator helps you do more with less.
Software is good for a small business because it:
- Presents a professional appearance.
- Helps lean teams be faster and more efficient.
- Can keep up with the competition.
- Aids in faster and better project decision making.
- Increases productivity.
- Helps with scaling your business easier and quicker.
Presents a Professional Appearance 
The customized reporting and dashboards in DESTINI Estimator will have your logo and brand standards on it so every estimate presented to owners is consistent.
Faster and More Efficient
In DESTINI Estimator, you begin each new estimate based on a template, so you are never beginning from nothing. Having that foundation saves you a significant amount of time and helps new and junior estimators get deliverables done in time, especially during the conceptual phase.
H.J. Russell, with a team of four estimators using DESTINI Estimator, says the software makes them more productive. Carina Mansilla, senior estimator, says, “My favorite thing is that a lot of things can be easy and can be done very quickly. For example, I can create a project based on a template, or I can create a project based on copying another estimate so that the process is easy and make us more productive.”
Keep Up with the Competition
On time and on budget. It’s what owners want but with increasing expectations from owners and bigger and more complex projects, you can’t keep up if your manual processes are keeping you down.
Taimoor Khan, vice president of preconstruction at Satterfield & Pontikes, likens it to the days before calculators. In such a fast-paced environment, estimators must produce information quickly. He says, “If you’re using older processes…you’re not going to be able to meet the needs of businesses today.”
Better Project Decisions
With a cost history-driven estimating system, preconstruction teams can make the biggest positive impact on a project for the lowest cost. Because you can compare and analyze past projects against current projects, reactionary split decisions don’t have to be made anymore before ground break. You can mitigate risk and identify problems before they occur because you have the data to back it up.
Increased Productivity Helps When You Scale 
It may feel like a complete estimating system, with built-in takeoff is too robust for such a small team; however, having more now means it will be easier to scale when you grow.
Not only will you need the additional features to bid out larger, more complex projects, but getting new estimators up to speed will be quicker and easier with one standard way to create estimates—especially when everything they need to build an accurate estimate is right there, just a few clicks away.
At the outset, demonstrating your return on investment (ROI) may be challenging, but there are DESTINI Estimator users who have cut their estimating time in half, enabling their teams to generate a greater volume of estimates annually.
Let’s Talk About Time…
Yes, being more productive, producing more estimates, streamlining, and increasing efficiency…all the words related to increased profits that your boss and stakeholders like to hear are absolutely important to your business but there are other less tangible benefits to investing in software.
For smaller teams, many leaders have to be in the trenches. With a software that speeds up workflows and the estimating process, Vice Presidents, Preconstruction Managers, and other senior roles can spend less time doing “grunt work” and spend more time on strategic planning and mentoring others.
When you can confidently deliver an accurate conceptual estimate in record time and still be home for supper, attend you kid’s recitals and games, coach sports, be a Scout leader, play in a band, run marathons….whatever it is that you love doing outside of work…you can’t really measure that but it makes a huge difference in an estimator’s life when they can actually enjoy life.
Imagine what you could do….
If you want to learn more about estimating software, click the button below to schedule a call with us and let’s see if DESTINI Estimator is a good fit for your team.
