Masonry Magazine May 2003 Page. 41
MASONRY COMPUTER ESTIMATING
Now in 3D
by Tradesmen's Software
Masonry Computer Estimating
That Does It All... in 3D!
See the actual building being displayed in 3D as you do your take-off in either PLAN mode, PERSPECTIVE mode, OUTSIDE mode, INSIDE mode or at any ELEVATION. Complete your take-off, then walk through or around and see the actual finished building(s). SAVE S- No more walls, bandings, openings or even buildings missed from your estimate.
Figure special wall shapes like PIERS, GABLE, SLOPE or STEPS!
Calculates CMU: HALF and FULL BULLNOSE, DOUBLE BULLNOSE, CHAMFER, or SASH for any or all OPENINGS, JAMBS, CORNERS, CONTROL JOINTS and any SPECIAL CUTS.
Integrate with PROJECT COST and DIGITAL PLAN MEASURING SYSTEMS.
Windows 95/98/NT/ME or 2000 compatible.
30 day money back guarantee.
Computer illiterate? Let our 40 years of masonry and 10 years of computer experience help you help yourself. Support available 7 days a week.
Tradesmen's Software, Inc.
1-800-494-4899
See for yourself at:
www.tradesmens.com
CIRCLE 163 ON READER SERVICE CARD
The Voice of the Mason Contractor
May 2003
Masonry 39
Job cost should allow you to define "cost accounts" to track budgets and accumulate costs for all your major labor categories, such as block, brick, grout, layout, punch out, remedial work, time and material, etc. Productive cost accounts like block, brick and grout should accumulate productive/non-productive labor hours so that actual "production" can be determined. There should be no limit to the number of cost accounts that can be defined.
If you are looking to generate production reports daily, you will need to make sure that your payroll system provides for the daily recording and posting of time to job cost. You will need a program to make adjustments to job cost directly through the job cost module for accruals, your outsourced payroll if you are outsourcing payroll and various other miscellaneous adjustments that come up.
Besides labor type cost accounts, you also need to be able to set up cost accounts for the material, bond, sub-contract costs, fuel, equipment rental, scaffolding rental, travel and lodging, and other categories. Within the mate-
a specific task during the entry of employee hours and pay, upon completion of the job information for the period we call up a summary by craft type of the time entered. We will then perform a slight redistribution of how many hours of each craft are to be moved to each different task. Units are entered per task and the same either daily or weekly results as Level 3 can be achieved. Most clients using this level report the information weekly.
If the tracking of specific tasks is not justified, we can greatly reduce the reporting requirements to only those who worked on the job this week and how many units were installed. The budget must be set up with costs, units and production hours, but the concept is the installed units "eam" budgeted dollars and hours. Those earned hours, in tum, are compared to the actual time and money from the weekly payroll to determine a profit or loss for the week, as well as an above or below expected production for the work completed. With the reduced input, though, Level 1 is unable to track the task that is producing the gain or loss. For jobs where there are a limited number of tasks per week or where total job duration is less than two months this is a very efficient and still revealing tracking method.
With the use of masonry-specific accounting software and the additional gathering of field reported production and cost data, you can greatly improve you ability to track, control and produce more profitable projects. A little energy can take your company to the next level of professionalism and success.
For additional information visit www.tutsoftware.com, e-mail jim@tutsoftware.com, or call at (800) 875-6885.