Trimble Estimation Desktop Reviews

Comments: Rossi Electric has been using the electrical Estimation software for the past 13 years. The ease of the software for personal to learn and use aids in doing a takeoff quick and accurate. The electrical Estimation software can be tailor to fit your companies need. This can be achieved by the way the software can be configured from adding items as you go thru your takeoff. Or by the way you can set up the takeoff cards by making your own assemblies and adding them to the many that are already in the software. If you get stuck on how an item can be added or a technical glitch that might pop up, the help desk is there to aid you. They are just a phone call away, and always very happy to help you.
The trade show that Maxwell puts on every year is also a great tool to learn about the software and to meet other user. This also helps you to learn more about the software by the way other people use the system. The trade show also allows you to meet and talk with the people who are behind the developing and programming of the software. People like Heather Messick who will sit there and listen to your ideas on how to improve the software. Or on what really doesn’t work well within the software. The ideas you talk about won’t be put off, she works really hard on ides that make sense, and not just poufs them off. All in all Estimation for electrical is a great software to learn and to use. It will make your takeoff’s go smother and faster. The faster you get a bid out the more you can do making your chances better at getting more jobs.

Excellent Product.

Comments: Keep up the good work

Pros:

User friendly. Works very well. I log onto it every morning and work with it all day every day. Awesome product. Mary Heinz is FABULOUS

Cons:

Have no problems with it. Even if I did have a problem with Viewpoint it would be taken care of promptly and professionally

Comments: GS Hydro is a supplier of non-welded hydraulic piping systems to the petroleum, marine and industrial sectors. We needed an estimating system that would allow us to build a database of some 8,000 GS Hydro part numbers and provide detailed estimates to our sales group. Prior to installing Maxwell we used an Excel model to estimate item quantities and roll up the cost numbers. We currently use the Mechanical Estimation software with the Digital Takeoff feature. Since we could not take advantage of the data book provided by Maxwell our implementation probably took a little longer than average. However, once the data book was completed the implementation went very well. We selected one GSH employee to attend Maxwell classroom training who in turn passed on the knowledge gained from the Maxwell classroom. The Maxwell customer support has been great, offering prompt answers to our problems. The main benefit we received from Maxwell is the ability to take a customer drawing and plot out the specific lengths of pipe and related products required without having to build a manual bill of material list. This saved us considerable time when building the project estimate.

Comments: We're a long time Maxwell Systems Estimation user. Started our partnership with Maxwell in 1993. We decided in early 90's we needed to rethink computerized estimating so started shopping again. Looked at all the major players and decided Maxwell had the best product that would work well with our way of estimating and more imprtantly, felt like Maxwell had a real focus of listening to the customer about what they wanted/needed. Felt like Maxwell would be a real long term partner as computerized estimating matured. So we started down the road with 3 stations doing mechanical piping. Over the years we made many recommendations to Maxwell which they listening to and incorporated. We grew to 6 mechanical piping and 2 sheet metal stations. So over these last almost twenty years, we still view Maxwell as the best product out there. Even now, we still get called by new systems out on the market. But even after looking at them, Maxwell still meets our needs better than anyone else. In this day & age, it's hard to find someone who you're still a partner with after 20 years. Maxwell's commitment to their customers, listening, responding, partnering, having some of the best programmers & trainers around, having quality knowledgeable people to support you, great customer representation with all that ending in a great product has helped us be successful in what we do- win work and make profit.

Comments: We are using Estimation Logistics Version 4.5.1. I know we should upgrade to 9.x but I haven't been able to find the time in our bid schedule. I suspect we will upgrade soon. This program was in use here when I got here in 2005. The company that I worked for previously also had Estimation Logistics so the transition for me was seamless. We don't use customer support much anymore; I can usually figure out what I need to, but do get stumped occasionally. I will say that customer support was excellent when I was implementing. But I am not as pleased with it as I used to be. In the "old days" the support personnel would talk you through any issues, so you would learn what to do in certain situations when they arose. Now it seems we just go to webex and support fixes the problem while I watch, but afterwards I didn't learn anything. I don't know after all these years if I would be able to do an estimate the old fashioned way with a scale, pencil, and paper. We have come to rely so much on the computer that the old skills atrophy. One final word: for an old dog like me using digital take off on the computer screen is a non starter. People must be getting better quality plans than we are here in the Northeast, because I would never be able to do take off without my paper plans and digitizer board.

Comments: We are a mid-size commercial MEP company. We have seen better days in terms of workload and we have had to try to find ways to stay viable in this ever-changing economy. One way in which we have tried to do that is by saving time across multiple workflows. We had Maxwell Systems Estimation up and running in our electrical department with success and wanted to utilize this resource with mechanical as well. Already we are seeing positive results in terms of time savings and sustainable data being delivered by our new Estimation software. We are using Digital Takeoff and it is amazing how much faster I can produce versus traditional spreadsheet data entry. Implementing this system was a breeze thanks to our Account Manager, Mary Heinz, and the support team. Since then I have learned a lot on my own through the easy-to-use, intuitive interface as well as through short online training sessions that were made available. Customer support has been available when I need them and Mary has gone above and beyond in regards all things Maxwell Systems. It's easy to see already that this solution for our estimating department will save us much in time and money moving forward. I look forward to learning more, and really get this software working for us.

Comments: We are a mid size HVAC contractor and have been in business for 30 years. I took over the estimating for the company about 2 years ago after the owner retired. Our focus is mainly in the educational, medical, religous and correctional facilities. With Maxwell System Estimation program I can take off a job in a fraction of the time it use to take. Bids are more accurate because not only is most items a simple point to point take off, it also takes off all the small incidental components automatically, things I would usually overlook in the process. I like being able to seperate labor cost of different aspects of a job in layers because that has helped our company spot problem areas and adjust accordingly. Estimation is definately a powerful, top notch take-off program, but the great support after the sale is the icing on the cake. They have always been quick to respond whenever I needed help with a very knowledgeable staff. And many thanks to our account manager, Mary Heinz, for the frequent check-ups, to make sure all is well and to make sure we are current, or that we are aware of new features available. I would definately recommend Maxwell System Estimation to anyone looking to speed up their estimation process.

Comments: We have been using Estimation software for our plumbing & HVAC estimating for almost 20 years. Over the years, Estimation has continued to fine tune the program keeping up with ever changing computer and operating system improvements. Each upgrade to the program has installed seamlessly and we have never lost important information from previously bid projects. New versions are stress-free with a very short learning curve, building on previous versions of the program. We have been very happy with the ease of use, the ability to customize the bidding process for our business, material pricing updates and its multiple data base ability. With options to separate bids by addendum, alternate bid, take-off by floor, building sections and other project disciplines, Estimation gives us the ability to bid and manage more work with less energy and estimators. Every project we bid from small service jobs to multi-million dollar ventures are estimated with our system. After getting the job, multiple reports can be generated for project management, foreman, project buy-out and warehouse material pulls.
Without a doubt, I would recommend Estimation to any mechanical contractor, except, of course, to our competitors.

Comments: Daniel’s Electric began using the Estimation Program over 20 years (not sure of the exact date). I have been using the Maxwell Systems Logistics Program for the last 14 years. Currently using Verion 9.4. Logistics is user friendly and fairly easy to learn and operate. Logistics has been easy to customize, with the ability to build our own assemblies or modifying the "pre-built" assemblies making the take-off process easier to adapt to all kind of projects; which has saved me a lot of time in the estimating process. I utilize a digitizer in conjunction with Logistics which increases the accuracy of the takeoff, as well as reducing the time spent on the takeoff. Customer Support has been wonderful; most of my problems have been due to my own “operator errors” and not problems with the Program. I have attended a couple User Conferences and they are very worthwhile to go to. Gave me opportunities to speak directly with the Programmers to get hints & shortcuts as well as learn more about the Program. Also gives a chance to talk to other users and exchange information & ideas. I have recommended the Program to others in my field several times through the years.

Comments: I am a mechanical contractor and have been in business for near 30 years. I've done everything the old-school way until last January (2012). It used to take me several weeks to bid a job. Sometimes with great success. Sometimes, I'd miss key items because I'd forget to write them down. Maxwell's system has eliminated the guess work from the equation. Mary Heinz is my account rep and she has kept me up to date with the changes to the software and trying to get me to update as soon as it becomes available. I'd have to give her a rating of 10 out of 10. EXTREMELY HAPPY with the software. All I need to do now is teach my brother how to use it. He can hardly turn on the copier without some help. Anyone purchasing this software, TAKE THE COURSE AS SOON AS YOU GET THE PROGRAM. You will not regret buying this at twice the price. I can now do the typical one week estimate in one day without the mistakes. It has helped my business move forward and win multi-million dollar contracts that I could not get close to before. And YES, I am making money. BUY IT. You will be surprised how easy it is to use and make more money with a truly accurate bid. Thanks, Mary

Comments: I work for a mechanical and electrical contracting company. I do mechanical estimating, using Maxwell Systems' Estimation 9.4.0.2536 for the majority of my bids. We've been using the system for a little over 4 months. It was fairly easy to learn the basics, though it would be very helpful to have some classes to learn more. The fact that I have a 42" monitor for this system makes it much easier to view the drawings with the digital estimating. The system is much quicker than doing a take-off manually and then plugging all the information into a spreadsheet. Once the material pricing and labor are set up the reports are great for seeing quantities, prices and labor of pipe, fittings, etc. It will also set up different scopes for system types, material types, drawing numbers and many other details. We've had a few issues with the system, but questions were quickly answered and problems resolved.

Viewpoint Electrical Estimating

Pros:

The structure of the program allows you to easily perform your take-off and is flexible to help you fine tune the estimate once it's complete.

Cons:

There's one minor issue when you are using the digital take-off. Sometimes when you're doing take-off on the digital screen, it 'loses' that take-off when you move over to the take-off screen to enter it into the estimate.

MEP estimation

Comments: My experience with the estimation is ductwork take-offs with table top digitizer is very cumbersome and leaves me chained to my desk, researching the cost to upgrade to on screen take offs has been very disappointing, all on screen take offs are very expensive and require the yearly maintenance fees. would like to have a program that just does basic take offs and not do all of the accounting also.

Pros:

very accurate and adaptable

Cons:

very cumbersome to use, chained to a desk not mobile at all, program too complicated, need I lighter version that is not so expensive

Comments: Here in Nebraska as an electrical company we find ourselves bidding houses, apartments, fire alarm systems, commercial, and industrial projects. With 6 Project Managers we can find ourselves bidding whatever comes across our estimation boards. The beauty of the Maxwell software is that if the PM knows what he is doing it allows him to be able to bid the house, apartment, fire alarm system, commercial and industrial projects on the same computer and estimating board every time. There is no need for another software when we with qualified PMs can bid anything from one software. Mary Heinz is very good at making sure we are notified about training seminars and any updates we need, and is always ready to help us with getting the software integrated to our personal needs and getting the system running smoothly for us.

Solid product for accurate takeoff

Pros:

The takeoff flow has been set up to allow easy and accurate takeoff's.

Cons:

I need more flexibility in handling and manipulating drawing files during or after importing.

Comments: We are a mechanical contractor in the Southern Tier of New York State. We have been using Estimation's estimating software for 18 years. We started out with two licenses and have grown to nine mechanical licenses with Digital Takeoff currently. I have demo'd other software, but have always chosen Estimation for its flexibility and completeness in the areas we need to estimate. I have always found the sales and support personnel professional and helpful. The Digital Takeoff software has been one of the biggest and most beneficial additions to the estimating software we use. Being able to estimate from a regular desk using digital plans from plans services rather than having to print them out or order from reprographic services saves both time and space.

Comments: We are a commercial HVAC company. We are bidding all the time from referrals and off our Builders Exchange website. Until recently, we did all our bidding manually with pencil and paper, taking off blueprints with rulers, etc. We were referred to Maxwell Systems by friends and bought the system. I went to training and had no problem picking up the methodology to using the system. Any questions we encountered back at the office, have always been quickly answered, whether it was an IT question or general use of the estimation software. Digital Takeoff has allowed us to estimate faster by tracking multiple parts of the overall estimation at one time, i.e., hours, materials, equipment. We are pleased with how Maxwell has positivily impacted our bidding.

Comments: Before I had Maxwell I did every estimate by long-hand using a calcualtor and pencil. By using the program I save so much time and also eliminate the chance of a math error due to using a calculator. I love the assemblies and the ability to copy/paste takeoffs from one area to the next. We have benefited from using the software because now it takes less time to do an estimate, leaving me more time to to more estimates. I am looking forward to all the being part of the webinars and training to enhance my knowledge of the program. Using the program also makes it much easier and accurate to do job costing on all projects. I feel that Maxwell Systems is a great product and company and look forward to using it for many years to come.

Comments: Our company is an Electrical Contracting firm and we have always used Estimation/Logistics and really feel comfortable with it. Estimation is reliable and accurate and with our company using Estimation on four stations with three estimators, we have put it through some tests. We recently upgraded to the digital take-off for use on electronic drawings but have not had an opportunity to really use it to its full capability yet. We have always received good support when we need it and feel comfortable that all our needs are being met. Our company has used this software to gain millions of dollars worth of work and we feel comfortable when we do get one, our costs are spot on.

Comments: We are currently using Maxwell Systems: Estimation Version 9.3. Customer support is top notch. If we have an issue, they can solve it 99.9% of the time while we are on the phone. The user conferences allow us to network with other mechanical contractors and explore new directions with the developers and programmers of the software. All in all, we have been using Estimation for the past 12 years, and are bidding HVAC and plumbing work in pharmaceutical, commercial, and industrial applications. Kudos to the programmers, support staff, sales departments and management staff for providing such a powerful, yet easy to use system.

Comments: Central Electric was established in 1975, and is a 2nd generation family business. Revenues have grown over the past decade from $1M to over $10M. We have been Estimation customers for 2 decades. Our company has grown over the years and we continue to learn and benefit from the capabilities and strengths of the program. We encourage any small- or medium-sized contractor to utilize this program. In the end, you get out of it for what you put into it. Customer support is excellent. They have very timely responses and are well versed with the program. We also value their learning tools & webinars!

Comments: I’m the Chief Estimator for a Mechanical Contractor, and we have been using Estimation for 26 years. We have tried many other mechanical estimating programs, but have always stayed with Estimation. They are the leading mechanical estimating software developer for our industry. The software is easy to learn and increases our productivity. We utilize digitizers in conjunction with Estimation. The production of my five estimators is greatly increased with this software program. I would highly recommend Maxwell Systems Estimation.

Comments: Before Maxwell we did estimating the old fashion way with a counter and a notepad
this system has helped speed that process up. We are using Version 9.3.0.2334.
Customer support has been wonderful, mostly our problems consist of in house user error within the software! Always simple things and they've always got us back up and running in no time. I like to break things out for my customers... well not really.. My customers like it and always ask later so this gives me the ability to do this easily before they ask!

Comments: Have used this program for about 25 years.
I do over 400 bids a year. I would not be able to do it without Maxwell Systems Estimation.
Support is the best I have ever dealt with. Quick responses and usually fixed the same day.
Just wish I had more time to learn more about what this program can do. I know that I am not using it to it's full funtionality.
I have been to Baltimore for training but I find that I am learning more on line with these mini classes. Great idea.
Thanks for everything.

Comments: We are a plumbing shop that has been in the Omaha area for the past 30+ years. We are a full service plumbing shop that does everything from service to multi million dollar jobs. It's been a family owned company since its inception. I am not sure what the original purchasers were looking at or what they used before Estimation. We are currently using Estimation Verison 9.4.3 Service Pack 3 Our account manager Mary Heinz has been very helpful and has not disappointed us yet.