About 50% of preconstruction teams are using Excel for estimating. 100% of those teams could be working more efficiently. Yes, Excel works to put together an estimate but there is a much better way of doing things.
Think about all the limitations Excel puts on you as an estimator. For starters, there isn’t one standard way of using it. Then, it doesn’t connect with your other necessary programs like takeoff. Reviewing is tedious and timely. Most importantly, there’s no centralized database of cost history to pull from.
Should we even mention broken formulas or are you triggered?
These issues with using Excel for estimating barely scratch the surface of the problems precon teams face every day.
One of those companies that particularly stands out is Saunders Construction. The Denver-based construction management, general contractor, and real estate development firm has a vision that aligns with Beck Technology’s: “Break the mold of our industry, revolutionize the construction experience, and build what matters.” Founded by Dick Saunders in 1972, its core values also align with ours: care, collaboration, commitment, and community. (Ours are passion, innovation, and caring.) While collaboration isn’t one of our defined core values, it is a defining part of everything we do.
We met Saunders at Advancing Preconstruction in 2019. The company was continuing its growth trajectory and was facing a few challenges with its current estimating system. They were interested in our estimating software, DESTINI Estimator because of how robust it is, it provides a single-source solution to estimating teams, and they knew it would give the preconstruction managers time to perform high-value activities.
The path from meeting to signing was long, but it is without a doubt that Saunders’s spirit of collaboration and commitment was apparent when they made the call. We haven’t seen another stronger dedication to growth than when our Head of Sales, Chris Torbert, received a call from the ski slopes from Justin Cooper, president at Saunders, on New Year’s Eve to ink a deal. Stewart Carroll, Beck Technology president, jumped on the call from his kayak.
Here were three men, all on vacation with their families about to ring in the new year with a closer partnership than any of them could imagine.
For Saunders Construction, Excel came with an even bigger risk—their precon team had only one person building and maintaining macros. If something were to happen, their work would have come to a halt.
Efficient work processes lead to higher profitability and when your precon team isn’t spending time on adding value to the project and to owners, it’s directly affecting the bottom line.
Your time should be spent doing fewer menial tasks and more on things that have a greater impact like value engineering, data analysis, collaborating with stakeholders, problem solving, making valuable project decisions, and new project pursuit.
Saunders recognized this and made the switch from Excel to DESTINI Estimator estimating software. Being mindful of change management, Beck Technology and Saunders came up with solutions to carry Saunders through implementation.
They made the switch in 2021 knowing that Beck Tech’s service and products were developed to grow and ensure success. And the major feature release, Automatic Pricing has saved the Saunders precon team a significant amount of time without sacrificing accuracy.
To learn more about how Beck Technology’s DESTINI suite of preconstruction software has helped grow Saunders Construction, click here.
