Database Development - As a Timberline Certified Consultant, John Fredley addresses the various needs of Estimating Users by:

• Creating custom databases
• Modifying existing databases
• Adding cost items
• Creating complex assemblies
• Entering company-specific cost codes
• Updating prices
• Converting subcontractor lists
• Checking data for incomplete information

Issues to Address - In planning database modifications, many issues are  evaluated to create a database that reflects the contractor's requirements for estimating the work. Click for more information

Price Updates - Reviewing old invoices is an excellent place to review the materials purchased, pricing methods, and ordering terminology required. This process is a good first step to update labor, material, and any subcontracted work. By linking items that share a common price, future cost updates can be minimized.

Item Lists - The core component of the database is the Item list that makes up the costs in the estimate. Timberline's standard databases provide comprehensive item lists. Adding additional items are often required to accommodate the contractor's estimating needs.

Assemblies - An assembly is a potential set of pre-determined items that are needed to estimate the cost of a portion of the structure, such as a footer, slab, or wall. Assemblies can be utilized to substantially reduce the time required to estimate while improving accuracy. Assemblies can also be customized to fit the estimator's needs by providing optional ways of completing an estimate.

Models - Similar to the way Assemblies combine many related items, Models can combine many Assemblies to produce an estimate. This powerful tool can be added to existing databases when using Precision Version 6 or higher.

Testing - Once the database changes are complete, the system needs to be tested against projects with known costs. Testing is normally a 1-day task accomplished in a joint effort with the consultant.

Estimating the time for Database Modification

• Making Item and Assembly changes (2 days to 2 weeks depending on the condition of the database and contractor's requirements)
• Adding labor, material and subcontractor prices (1-2 days)
• Adding cost codes (1 day)
• Testing the new system against known projects (1-2 days)