Benchmark Estimating Software vs. InEight

I have used it for bulk earthworks, for roadworks, stormwater drainage, sewer reticulation, water reticulation, and associated works. It's easy to use a process called subcontractor manager to get multiple sub-contractor prices into your estimate for quick comparison, then pick the one that you really want to use in the estimate. It also has a process called auto allocation which can almost fully automate your estimating process, bringing in Items from the library that match the items in your bid. Haven't found a scenario that it's less appropriate, it all comes down to how detailed you set up your initial item library and resource library.

Incentivized

InEight works very well on construction projects with a well defined scope and budgets, as the project management team has access to all project parameters and can easily identify and manage constraints. For projects with less defined scopes, such as T&M and Cost Plus projects, although the system still functions well, we had to adapt and adjust some of the setup processes and data structure.

Incentivized

• Progress Claims
• Standard quotes

Incentivized

• 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.

Incentivized

• I haven't found anything yet. Benchmark is constantly evolving and adding new processes, I believe it keeps up to date with what it's users want.

Incentivized

• Provide a simpler version (cliff notes) of the knowledge database
• Offer versions of InEight for smaller companies, i.e. less than 20 emplyees, under $5M in revenue
• When an estimate is complete, offer a dialog box to ask if the job was won, lost, or still in progress. We tend to leave most of our estimates in the bidding column. This is a user error, but the prompt would be helpful.

Incentivized

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.

Incentivized

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

Incentivized

It has never gone offline or became unavailable during our time with the system

Incentivized

Sometimes the pages take a while to respond, specially when editing parameters.

Incentivized

The support guys were always helping and sorted out issues we had very quickly.

Incentivized

Why do we call support? Always because some things got broken, right? And when it happens, the likelihood of us getting in troubles waiting the support to fix it, it's tremendously high, almost certain. Through my experience with InEight, I'm really concerned whenever I see an update message in the screen, we got really used to see errors in reports right after an update is released. You can see by my tickets, that some of my issues last too long, as client perspective. We had to send messages to our clients excusing us for the weekly report that is being shared due to internal issues, not once, not twice.

Incentivized

The support we had was phenomenal and very detail oriented, which was a necessity during the implementation phase and level of complexity of the projects we had ongoing at that time.

Incentivized

We received the same level of quality, attention and dedication that was delivered during the in person training sessions.

Incentivized

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.

Incentivized

I have always found that Benchmark allows for a more rapid compilation of the estimate through the library system. It can also allow for easy duplication of an estimate for a second stage etc, using the original rates in the resources, or at a click of a button, reverting to updated resources from the library. I have found that other systems rely on a great number of spreadsheet type operations that can easily be changed in the estimate and can lead to errors if copied to another estimate.

Incentivized

Both Sage Estimating and InEight programs have their unique capabilities. Sage Estimating is much more configured for use in detailed construction, the majority of which are for non-nuclear projects. InEight has so many more capabilities, especially in creating our own libraries of data, which are vital in creating an estimate. The ability to access historical data (pricing), is an outstanding feature of the program.

Incentivized

As mentioned InEight is a software that can scale but its only possible is the person or the responsible department of the organization is having the knowledge or deep understanding of how each module works within InEight and how the datas are interconnected, in my personal experience it has taken us almost 2 years to see how we can customize InEight to our company's needs, which is a long time and a finical belt.

Incentivized

• Benchmark has created standardisation in quotes and tenders.
• Created standard progress claims.

Incentivized

• the positive impact is that it has helped us better gauge staffing and staff jobs appropriately
• negative impact is that it takes a lot of time for new users to learn the software
• the positive impact is that many of our clients use it, making collaboration easier with them
• positive impact is that we can see our percent complete easier
• positive impact is that it is easier to share documents to our team internally

Incentivized