Sign Estimating Software – Anyone use it?

[Peter Normington]

Mike, unless you need others to quote for your jobs (reps and general office staff) and run a largish company, I wouldnt bother, its easy enough to do a spreadsheet in lots of office type software, that will calculate how much your standard charge should be. Estimate software is just that, it relies on you inputting the variables anyway, so if a supplier raises the price of materials you need to update the program.

estimating software does not take into account such things as agro factor, and other things that only a human can put a value on.

Peter

[Dave Bruce]

Mike, I use Touch Systems Clarity and think it is a brilliant piece of software, it is actually used by Signs Express (they have a dedicated version). It integrates with Sage Accounting and gives you all sorts of reports to help keep track of your business. It also has a dedicated Gerber printing module for pricing that side of the business. You can send out quotes, orders and invoices directly and it gives you various options for taking the prices from, like supliers list, internal list, individual entries etc.

I think it is far superior and less complex to operate than an excell spreadsheet, and includes things like job notes and a diary.

I would be lost without it now, and it reduced my estimating time dramatically, you can see at a glance your profit on any job or over a period, etc etc etc.

Go get a free trial and see for yourself.

Dave
I looked at Estimate before Clarity but felt there was too much guess work involved.

[Duncan Wilkie]

We write about 8 orders a day and find Estimate has been good for us. You can build it up in modules, so you can start out really inexpensively. Support has been excellent (their on-line support is excellent). Trial version is available. Outputs estimates, work orders, and invoices with one data entry. Adustable for local market conditions or really custom jobs. I like it a lot…great value.

[Judy Pate]

I use Estimate and like it very much. I still need to get the module that updates material pricing. I still need to tweak it a bit more. Plan to learn more about it at the Sign Circus Dixie Meet next month.
Judy

[David Rogers]

A couple of years ago I wrote a little excel sheet to be a pricing guide, with price breaks etc.

It was just too much bother to use. 🙄

Now it’s just all in that computer I call my head. Look at a job, work out material consumption as a simple sheet or square / linear foot rate (I know most of my raw costs), hassle factor, if I like the customer or not, add on or take off a bit and give them a price…pretty consistant too!

The only stuff I get totally stumped on is lightboxes – they always required a quote.

OK, this does mean that I’m the only one that understands where I get the figures and has lead to some minor mis-quotes when I’m on holiday, but on the whole works just fine!!

[Shane Drew]

Mike, I purchased Estimate last month. Support is via email and excellent. Plus, they let you pay it off over 4 months, so it is easier on the hip pocket.

My quote success rate has improved markedly because it makes everything uniform, writes a professional ‘estimate’ and invoice, plus it breaks down everything to the point you know exactly what each job costs to produce, and prints it in a report for filing.

I only sent them an email last week, suggesting it was one of the best software purchases I’ve made this year.

I paid $500 here, which is no small amount of money, but I’ve been rewarded by several new clients telling me that I was not the cheapest quote, but my estimates were the most professional.

I send all my quotes in pdf form, had some very good results.

I’d urge you to consider it.

They have a metric version and an imperial version. And you can buy a module that hooks it into quickbooks

It has the option to change the formula for a quote if you have a heavy work shedual, you are in a price was with your competitors (market value) or you want to charge a maximum rate and offer a discount.

[Martin Cole]

Interesting I didn’t think Estimate were around anymore, cant think where I heard that.

Your views are interestng Shane, it sounds good. I remember downloading a trial version a couple of years back.

I am strongly considering ‘Quintadena’s Quote Werks’ again an estimating software, also has job tracking/ sheets etc etc. Had an online demo and seemed pretty good, although perhaps a bit difficult to get your head round in the early stages.

I saw it at SignUK this year,it would be intersting to see if anyone has it installed and to see what they think of it.

Martin

[David Rowland]

we had a look at Clarity, great bit of kit and Bruce got well into the demo, but I think the cost of it is a little steep for our networked environment.

Also, the guy who was producing the pricing guide, where is it I wonder?

[Shane Drew]

quote Martin Cole:

Interesting I didn’t think Estimate were around anymore, cant think where I heard that.

Your views are interestng Shane, it sounds good. I remember downloading a trial version a couple of years back.

I am strongly considering ‘Quintadena’s Quote Werks’ again an estimating software, also has job tracking/ sheets etc etc. Had an online demo and seemed pretty good, although perhaps a bit difficult to get your head round in the early stages.

Martin

Estimate has a job tracking system too Martin. The thing I like is that its paper trail is first class. You can get a printed copy of every aspect of the job… profit margins… time budgetted for… prints a materials list, right down to a complete jacket covering everything about the job, to be filed away… even a jpg snapshot of the job.. List suppliers of products for the job… I am really impressed.

Had my own spreadsheet for a few years but it was too time consuming.

Like Dave Rogers, up until I got the program it was all in my head. But, this forces you to include everything in the formulation of the quote. I’d invariably forget to include that half a bag of concrete, or those stainless screws, here and there… before you knew it, you’d given away $40 worth of product.

It has made me very disciplined in the last month. Interestingly, I look at some of the quotes it generates and think, crikey that works out a bit dear, but I have not lost a quote with the system yet, and I’m getting higher prices in most instances than I got when I rang thru a verbal quote to the client.

I’m convinced it is all about 1st impressions. My quotes look way more professional than my old ‘word’ formatted letter.

It works for me anyway. It has had a few evolutions since it first came out Martin, may be worth another look.

Cheers

[Martin Cole]

quote Shane Drew:

quote Martin Cole:

I’d invariably forget to include that half a bag of concrete, or those stainless screws, here and there… before you knew it, you’d given away $40 worth of product.

It has made me very disciplined in the last month.

Exactly Shane, thats the major reason I want it, I don’t want to give anything away for nothing.

Two jobs recently spring to mind where I know I should have made more, where a bit of ‘guestimating’ came into it.

I will give them another look, do they have a website?

Regards

Martin

[Shane Drew]

pricingmadeeasy.com

[D Major]

A couple of years ago I spent some time with excel and made something reasonable…………then my daughter made me a custom program to do the job and that’s what we use now.
Of course you have to input material cost prices etc, and decide your markup, the variation between large & small text and so on. Example – a 4′ x 2′ sign with "FOR SALE" is way easier than the same size with 50 words on it, so there’s a differentiation in the letter sizes to allow for that although the same amount of vinyl is used.
One nice feature is "WEEDING" – and there’s more to this than you’d think!
I’ll tell you:- soon after we started using the program I had a customer looking over my shoulder as I typed it in. He saw the price coming up, say it was £86, and said "Oh, is that all?" So I figured he would happily pay more, and announced "well, we haven’t put the weeding in yet", and then I added £25 for weeding. Really, weeding is included, but it sounds all very technical and convincing when you explain what it is, so they accept the extra charge no problem. So this feature is used just to add value when you judge the customer already has too much cash for his own good!
Also it prints out a quote form (designed for us not the customer – because I don’t want them to have too much info).

Mind you, for vehicles I find it easier just to look at a previous similar job and guage it from there.

It’s true that consistent pricing is more impressive, and when you have people constanly ordering similar signs (but not identical) it gives you accurate prices for each.

So I find it helpful, although it takes 5 or 10 mins to input a job.

All the best you guys,
Dicko

[Mike Ennis]

Wow, thanks for all the replys. I’ve only just got back in and read through
all your comments.

Shane, is it all "Americanied" ie with American terminology?

It sounds well worth considering and I’ll check out the website this evening.
I suppose like anything else – rubbish in/rubbish out and you need the discipline to key everything in thoroughly.

Cheers All, Mike.

[Shane Drew]

quote Mike Ennis:

Shane, is it all “Americanied” ie with American terminology?

Cheers All, Mike.

not really mate. Easily customized.

Another handy feature is that you can print a price list based on letter heights in any material you stock. Really good if you offer DIY stickers/letters

[Mike Grant]

Try signestimator.com

It is an aussy program. Shane I am surprised you have not come across it. I use it every day, (I think I am the only UK user at the moment) email help always to hand. Does just about everything I need. You can download a limited use sample. And the price is right.
Tell Dave Strange that Mike from the UK recommended them. :lol1:

[Shane Drew]

quote Mike Grant:

Try signestimator.com

It is an aussy program. Shane I am surprised you have not come across it. I use it every day, (I think I am the only UK user at the moment) email help always to hand. Does just about everything I need. You can download a limited use sample. And the price is right.
Tell Dave Strange that Mike from the UK recommended them. :lol1:

Mr Strange’s father and I don’t get on Mike 😳 hard to believe I know.

I was involved with the early version of that program many years ago.

Sounds like it must have changed from its earlier version, as it was total rubbish back then 😕 I told Mr Strange so, and he didn’t like it…. We have not seen eye to eye on much since. He hates anybody that does a non roland conversions too (like me) so we are not the best of friends. :lol1:

[Nick Minall]

Shane, just downloaded the trial of Estimate, looks good, what plugins did you order with yours?

Nick.

[Shane Drew]

quote Nick Minall:

Shane, just downloaded the trial of Estimate, looks good, what plugins did you order with yours?

Nick.

I took the Vinyl signs and the Wide Format printing as my 2 chosen ones, and added retail items (lightboxes , A Frames etc) as well.

I didn’t go for the invoice option because I use quickbooks anyway. I use the printed estimate as my work order when it is signed and returned, then invoice it from that once the job is finished.

I can still see the breakdown of costs if I wish, by clicking on the total and bringing up the window. I just can’t print it out.

Let me know how you go.

Cheers