How to Supercharge Your Takeoffs and job management

Let’s face it; no one wants to spend all day (and night) sitting at a desk, struggling through a never-ending pile of paperwork and admin tasks. Doing your takeoffs, quoting, ordering, staying on top of the numbers; it’s critical to your success but for most carpenters it’s a massive chore.

If that sounds like you, maybe it’s time to take (another) look at technology as a new way of doing things. If it’s making life easier in your personal life, why not in your business life? Fit for purpose software tools can help you get your life back and build your business faster.

So, what’s the first step?

Skip this article and jump straight into a free 14-day trial of Buildxact

1. Have an open mind

Many people have had a look at tools before and decided that it’s too complex, too expensive or not for them. But the world and your choices change all the time, and you may be missing out.

If you’re manually measuring plans with a ruler and highlighter, the result may ‘work out’, but at what cost? How long did it take to measure all your plans and then calculate the costings? What other admin tasks are on spreadsheets and paper? The estimating and job management part of your work is a massive opportunity to save time and run a more profitable, scalable business.

That will mean thinking outside the box a bit and trying new things. If we don’t evolve, we can’t grow!

2. Scope your needs

What features do you need from a job management and estimating software? Is end-to-end management with the ability to produce professional-looking quotes important, or do you simply need an estimation tool to quote small projects?

Let’s look at some of the key features you’d need from your job estimating and management software, in this case we’re looking at Buildxact, which is fast becoming the product of choice for carpenters, builders and other construction related trades.

• Fast and easy takeoffs – how long does it take you to do a takeoff? With Buildxact, you can complete takeoffs up to 80% faster, in just a few easy clicks. The tool is flexible, with lineal, square or cubic metres of measurement.
• More accurate job costing – complete estimates faster and use checklists for consistent quoting that is more accurate and reliable. Your estimates will include rounding features, automatic wastage and composite recipes.
• Easy online access – you can access Buildxact from anywhere, even if you’re on the road or on a job site. All you need is an internet browser and you don’t have to worry about installing any software. It’s all cloud based.
• Quotes that look great – a sexy looking quote can be the defining factor in whether you land a job. With Buildxact, you can instantly turn your estimates into impressive quotes with clear breakdowns and customisation to control what your clients see.
• Streamlined cost tracking – if you’re always wondering if you are over or under budget, you will know how many headaches this can cause. Buildxact has easy cost tracking that compares your estimate to your actual spend.
• Automatic scheduling – Buildxact creates automatic job schedules from your estimates, helping you spend less time managing your sub-contractors, with easy automated SMS and email reminders.

3. Start a free trial or book a demo

Keen to find out more about whether Buildxact is a fit for your carpentry business? Learn more about Buildxact by booking a one on one demo or starting a free 14-day trial.

The sooner you start, the sooner you get the rewards – so get onto it now!