Likelihood to Recommend Ineight helps save us a huge amount of time in preparing the large number of bids we have to do. It is fast and has many desirable features which make it accurate and reliable. The company has made a lot of changes over the years and most are for the good of the software and are welcome. Some of the changes, however, do not make sense and are actually detrimental to the smooth functioning of the program. When asked why these changes were made I have not been able to get a satisfactory answer. We wish that the company would listen more to the suggestions of clients.
Read full review WinEst is truly built for everyone. Their assemblies/database linking is perfect for self perform and subcontractors while their database management and custom reporting is perfect for GCs. While Excel set the bar, WinEst is on another planet. With the immediacy required by today's markets, WinEst allows you to deliver a superior product while being more accurate.
Read full review Pros Tagging segments of work. User defined views and descriptions for all screens. Customizable ribbons to provide an efficient use of the software. Multiple layers/dependents to allow for an extreme drill down of the work and the ability to roll up to a more useful level for upper management review. You can bid the work as you would build it, in detail. Read full review It's very flexible when building an estimate and selecting items to include. You can either click your way to the datebase or quickly copy and paste similar items. The numerous ways to view and estimate whether it's by CSI, Uniformat, Master Format, or any view you'd like to see. One of ours is by program area, i.e. Sitework, Tower, Parking Deck, etc. After that, you can sort by Bid Package, CSI, etc. Quick buttons can be created far all the views you'd need which allows changing between views a breeze. The visual interface is pleasing and easy to read. It's easy to create your own database using Excel. Once you tag an item with unit costs, sort codes, etc., Winest will import it. You can also build it manually within the program but Excel was faster. Read full review Cons The import/export buttons are exactly the opposite of what you would expect. not intuitive and the logos for these should be swapped. The software is hard to train users upon. New users require 3-6 months of use before getting proficient. I think this is because many of the best features are buried in menus, three clicks deep. The claiming exports immediately default partial claim items to the user who claimed previously. You need to update your name every time you update a partial claim line item. There are many add-ins that should just be included with InEight Standard, instead of having to install extras to make the software usable. Read full review At times, WinEst controls feel counter intuitive. Also the tools available for actually developing the database can feel clunky. This means that if you do not take the time to create a robust import file, you will spend a serious amount of time fixing your errors. WinEst is also an object based database which means that it is difficult to do mass dumps of information (mainly takeoff) into the program. While this is great for ensuring that everything is done purposefully, it does lead to extended hours of data entry It takes hours upon hours of use before you begin to realize the true potential. The sheer number of tools is overwhelming and their help resources are very basic and only explain how to correctly enter the data but not the feature's best use cases. Read full review Likelihood to Renew Some features with InEight's TeamBinder are worthy of single use, however the review feature and subsequent revision and version numbering could be improved. We will be aiming to roll out the package to encompass our internal documentation in the near future and will be in a better position to judge the usability after that point in time.
Read full review Usability I would give it an 8 out of 10 because the software can be a bit cumbersome to new users. It also takes a long time to set up the library and input all of your companies needs so that the software will provide the level of service required to estimate projects. However, once the software is set up it is a powerful tool. We only use a portion of what the software is capable of delivering
Read full review Support Rating InEight have the ServiceNow ticketing system, which should improve the transparency of outstanding issues. However there is an inconsistency in advice within the help desk support staff (Kevin is excellent) and depending on who is handling the issue often our staff need to follow up with the help desk.
Read full review Doug Quinn was our trainer and travels all over the country. Whenever I have an issue I shoot him an email and he quickly responds as soon as his training gets a break.
Read full review Implementation Rating Since the original inception, I have been required to overhaul the system so that it is more user friendly and combines both aspects of our business, documentation and drawings. Being able to control revision and version numbering has been a key struggle that only staff training has been able to mark this as complete.
Read full review Alternatives Considered Allows you to save all file types to a document, easily identify which formats you do and don’t have and manage which formats you issue. Great bulk functionality. Manage multiple projects and large volume of documentation easily with less staff. Read full review WinEst simply blows excel and Timberline out of the water. The shear depth of functionality is unparalleled. Not only does WinEst deliver a better product, it also shortens the amount of man hours required for each bid, alternate, pricing exercise, etc. On top of this, it has a number of redundant safeguards for catching errors that the others don't have.
Read full review Scalability We only use Ineight at our main facility so are currently not in need of the flexibility and scalability of multiple sites and departments.
Read full review Return on Investment More detailed estimates for projects and alternative deliver partners. Able to reduce estimating time entry time on projects with assemblies allowing for more review of plans and specifications. Excellent tool for remote estimates allowing for more involvement from field construction personnel. Read full review We've not measured the rate of return but WinEst has made us much more efficient and organized. Read full review ScreenShots