UDA ConstructionSuite Featured in November eTakeoff Newsletter

Did you know that you can expand your eTakeoff use even further by integrating with other software programs? One of our partner companies, UDA Technologies, offers a comprehensive and user-friendly project management system that incorporates Estimating, Scheduling, Contract and Document Management, and much more, into one program, ConstructionSuite. It also happens to work directly with eTakeoff, letting you export quantities into ConstructionSuite using the "Export to ConstructionSuite..." feature located under the "File" menu within eTakeoff. You are then able to import the Materials List into the ConstructionSuite Estimate and assign costs, saving you valuable time.

We've heard that many of our eTakeoff users have begun transitioning from creating pencil and paper estimates to creating electronic estimates in programs like Microsoft Excel. Making the transition to electronic is not only going to save you time, but it will improve your productivity and reduce the margin of error that comes from writing estimates by hand. If you've already begun transitioning to programs like Microsoft Excel, you can easily transition to ConstructionSuite because their estimating system is based in Microsoft Excel. You'll be able to view your plans and assign your quantities within eTakeoff, but instead of copy and pasting your materials list from eTakeoff to Microsoft Excel, now you can export your materials list into ConstructionSuite, and it will instantly create a complete estimate with the click of a button.

Creating a quick estimate from your materials list may be all you're interested in doing, and ConstructionSuite can help you with that, but for people who are looking for a system that makes running their construction business easier, that's really where this program can maximize your time. Creating that estimate with the click of a button was easy, and didn't take much work on your part - imagine having that same ability to create a proposal, contract, report, integrate with QuickBooks and schedule for your entire project, with a few simple clicks. These options we've covered don't even touch the full capabilities that ConstructionSuite has, but don't let that scare you. Their program is full of built-in features that are designed to make usability easy, even for beginners, and the difference it could mean to your company one year from now is tremendous.

You can download a free trial of ConstructionSuite from UDA's website, www.constructionsuite.com, and schedule a demo to see just how eTakeoff and ConstructionSuite can work together to help you with your business.

Another UDA offering you may find useful is ConstructionOnline. Many eTakeoff users need to share their eTakeoff projects with others inside and outside their organization. Email doesn't work well because of the volume of information. A typical project with all the drawing files will far exceed the 5MB to 10MB limit imposed by most email systems. ConstructionOnline is a web-based service allows you to quickly create a project, upload files and invite others to participate in the project.

To distribute an eTakeoff project, simply export (or export and zip) the project information. If you use export and zip, the project information and the drawing files are all bundled into one large file. Then upload the file (or files) to the ConstructionOnline project. Participants can download the project information and review it using the (free) eTakeoff Basic Viewer.

ConstructionOnline has many other features for project collaboration. And it's reasonably priced (even free for low volume users). For more information visit the ConstructionOnline web site www.constructiononline.com.