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Software to help work out Quotes
Hi
does anyone know of any software that helps signmakers work out quotes. i.e you put in formulas and it gives you a price for sizes that you enter etc.Just wondering if there is anything on the market that helps small sign companies with quoting formats etc. I sometimes feel as though I pull a price out of the air !
Any info appreciated.
Cheryl
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14 Replies
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Cheryl, try Phil at The Rignt Signs, he sells software for estimating and from what I have seen it does a good job and its not expensive.
It is on his web site with I believe a downloadable example. -
Many thanks Martin, I’ll take a look.
Regards,
Cheryl
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Have you Excel programme? Its not hard to set up something on there
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A lot of people seem to like Estimate (www.pricingmadeeasy.com). I think there are a number of users on the board.
If you’d like to spend a bit more you can take a look at the stuff from Cyrious (www.cyrious.net). They have two products: Control and SMS. Control is the flagship product and is really pricey. SMS isn’t so bad but it’s still more than Estimate.
Haven’t seen this one but a bunch of dudes on one of the US boards like this Excel spreadsheet (www.graphixtreme.com/Sign_Calc.htm)
Hope I haven’t been bad by listing the sites.
Rob
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keep meaning to write my own software, but for the time being my collegues have down something in Excel, works a treat. The pricing made easy has quite an interesting video.
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quote RobGF:A lot of people seem to like Estimate (www.pricingmadeeasy.com). I think there are a number of users on the board.If you’d like to spend a bit more you can take a look at the stuff from Cyrious (www.cyrious.net). They have two products: Control and SMS. Control is the flagship product and is really pricey. SMS isn’t so bad but it’s still more than Estimate.
Haven’t seen this one but a bunch of dudes on one of the US boards like this Excel spreadsheet (www.graphixtreme.com/Sign_Calc.htm)
Hope I haven’t been bad by listing the sites.
Rob
I have SignCalc. and find I use it as a back up to check my pricing, but it’s a pretty good program that you just slip your specs into and you can customize it as needed.
It accounts for many diff. types of substrates, vinyl, how much coverage etc.Works well and is inexpensive – with free updates
Leigh
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Thanks everyone. I’ll check them all out.
Cheryl 🙂
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quote Leigh:I have SignCalc. and find I use it as a back up to check my pricing, but it’s a pretty good program that you just slip your specs into and you can customize it as needed.
It accounts for many diff. types of substrates, vinyl, how much coverage etc.Works well and is inexpensive – with free updates
Leigh
Leigh, had a look at this today. Can you change the measurements from imperial to metric?
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quote Shane Drew:quote Leigh:I have SignCalc. and find I use it as a back up to check my pricing, but it’s a pretty good program that you just slip your specs into and you can customize it as needed.
It accounts for many diff. types of substrates, vinyl, how much coverage etc.Works well and is inexpensive – with free updates
Leigh
Leigh, had a look at this today. Can you change the measurements from imperial to metric?
ah ha!
just went and had a look at his site Shane, and he does have a metric version for sale.Leigh
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Rob just checked out that pricing made easy looks very good only thing is, do you know if it comes in pounds as well as the dollars demonstrated.
I do all the estimating myself but things are getting very busy around here and its just for the girls to use to try speed things up slightly.
ALSO
If anyone on here uses ESTIMATE could the give me tell me their comments on this and other estimate software and whether its worth spending the money on??
Cheers
Dave
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quote dave_belfast:Rob just checked out that pricing made easy looks very good only thing is, do you know if it comes in pounds as well as the dollars demonstrated.
From the knowledge base on the http://www.pricingmadeeasy.com site:
quote :Does the software have the ability to price in other currencies?
We are an international customer and are wondering if we can use EstiMate to price in our currency?
Yes. EstiMate will price in whatever currency your Windows operating system is configured for. If Windows is configured for Pounds or Euros for example, then EstiMate will price in that currency. (To review your Windows currency settings click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Regional Options > Currency Tab)Why not try Estimate out? They have a demo version for download on http://www.pricingmadeeasy.com. Not for me but loads of people think it’s a good system.
Rob
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Tied the demo version myself a few months back – found it slightly cumbersome to use and the learning curve is quite steep, however plus side is good support from the people at estimate including a training session. But like most software applications is great for high volume www,touchsystems.co.uk but not for small stuff. We have now put together prices by square metre on vinyl to substrate etc etc and placed this all in our quickbooks programme. This we we go direct from estimate to invoice by a click of a button with no duplication of effort.
Another one that was at SIgnUK was Clarity and links to Sage worth having a look for more info “clarityprofessional.com”
Chris
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I use Clarity from Touchsystems and find it very quick and easy to use. You can put every single item in to its price list (App tape, Vinyl, Masking tape, screws paint etc) then it is just a case of knowing how much of each you use for each sign I have my hourly rate down for design, install weeding/cutting/taping, then I just put in the number of minutes it would take me to do each job, and it gives a total at the end.
By itemising the materiels, I can go back and look at completed jobs to compare with a new job I am quoting for, or change the quote easily if the customer changes spec on materiels.
Dave
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Thanks Leigh.
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