e4clicks Project Estimator vs. Sage 100 Contractor

If you are considering purchasing this (very expensive) software, there is a 100% chance you are doing so because you have been awarded a Government contract that dictates you use 4Clicks Project Estimator. There are plenty of easier to use estimating packages out in the world, but you can't use any of them if you have a contract that requires 4Clicks.

Incentivized

Sage 100 does what it needs to do for construction project job costing, and we additionally use it to enter payroll. That process is a bit cumbersome, time consuming with the # of employees we have. If the employee timecard was a lot simpler it would speed up the weekly payroll data entry process. As far as on the financial side, no complaints. Our controller seems to be happy with the system. He originally recommended we use it to more of its capacity earlier this year

Incentivized

• The estimates it produces are simple and easy to follow. The formatting is good.
• The tech support provided is very attentive.

Incentivized

• Sage integrates very well with our field time tracking software called Exaktime. We import the start/end time card data that includes job costs directly to the PR module which greatly reduces the time it takes to process payroll.
• Sage 100 C payroll calculations and WC/GL overhead calculations are easy to use and understand. The WC/GL overhead calculations are posted to project costs in real-time allowing for accurate total cost reporting of the project.

Incentivized

• The software feels 20 years old. It has not kept up with modern times, and practically functions like an old DOS program.
• Clunky interface, arcane commands.
• Even their training info focuses on hotkeys like this is 1995. Even though I am of an age to remember computers in 1995, the younger generations of managers/estimators are not. It is time to bring the software into the new century!

Incentivized

• Making time and material billings easier by complying with my proposal requirements.
• Reducing the cost of support, since I hardly use it.
• I don't like the reviews since we do a lot of small projects along with some big ones. Billings or invoices from vendors that have the same amount always trigger a question. Therefore I don't do the reviews anymore. It's so much nothing.

Incentivized

The cost of Sage 100 Contractor software is relatively inexpensive compared to some higher-priced options like Foundation and Microsoft Dynamics GP. But more importantly, the cost of implementing new software is costly. Implementation costs include testing and training. There are also risks involved with switching software such as missing data after conversion. Plus, there are always some unknown downsides to switching that are not apparent until the switch is made such as perceived capabilities that really don't exist. For these reasons, we will likely stay with Sage 100 Contractor for a long time. If we grow (say double) in size, we would consider other options.

Incentivized

If we ever have issues with Sage 100, the live chat is an awesome tool. However, most of our live chat inquiries are not because of the issues we have, but more for us to better understand how we are supposed to use the software. Sometimes we ask ourselves "what if we" and if we need guidance, the live chat will provide us with the answers or resources to figure out what we need. They always follow up to ensure the problems we encounter have been fixed. If our issue is an indicator of an upgrade that could be made, Sage 100 C offers a way to submit the idea for review and improvement of the software.

Incentivized

WinEst uses much the same database (RS Means/Gordion type) and has a similar interface. It is a bit cheaper.

Incentivized

We are currently looking at Vista as a replacement Sage 100. The estimating features appear to be exactly what our department is looking for and the accounting staff is very pleased as well. We brought in Procore about a year ago and are very happy with it. The field staff is really warming up to it and the RFI and other communication is top notch.

Incentivized

• As stated before, if you are buying this software, it is because you have a contract forcing you to. While it does work, it is clunky, awkward, and very expensive.
• The price of the software and databases has always been high, but with the fairly recent acquisition of 4Clicks by Gordion (who also bought RS Means for their databases), there is literally no competition. Prices will continue to be very high, with no check on how high they can go.
• Again, can't fault 4Clicks tech support, as I think it is the best in the industry. They know their product and they respond to issues immediately. Considering what we spend a year for this product, however, you would expect nothing less.

Incentivized

• It has cut down on accounting personnel and made the cost more effective in that department.
• It allows for more company wide visibility on all jobs.

Incentivized