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RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) vs. Viewpoint Spectrum

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)

    Score10 out of 10
    N/ARSMeans data, from Gordian (formerly Costworks) is a construction and estimation software offering acquired by the Gordian Group in 2014. It includes cost books and construction project estimating software tools.N/A

    Viewpoint Spectrum

    Score8.2 out of 10
    N/AViewpoint Spectrum is a cloud-based construction ERP suite with project management, accounting, resource management, and reporting and analytics. Key features include workflow automation and collaboration tools, document imaging and sharing, cost estimating tools, and RFI management tools.N/A
    Pricing
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)Viewpoint Spectrum
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)Viewpoint Spectrum
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details—Prospective buyers may contact vendor directly for a price quote.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)Viewpoint Spectrum
    Considered Both Products
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    No answer on this topic
    Trimble Viewpoint
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    77%
    Would buy again
    24 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    75%
    Delivers good value for the price
    18 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    81%
    Happy with the feature set
    25 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    64%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    9 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    50%
    Implementation went as expected
    10 Answers
    Features
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)Viewpoint Spectrum
    Estimating
    Comparison of Estimating features of RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) and Viewpoint Spectrum
    Feature
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
    7.8
    1 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Viewpoint Spectrum
    -
    Ratings
    Takeoff tools6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Job costing9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost databases9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost calculator8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Bid creation7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) and Viewpoint Spectrum
    Feature
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
    -
    Ratings
    Viewpoint Spectrum
    5.0
    22 Ratings
    40% below category average
    Pay calculation00 Ratings7.722 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration00 Ratings7.016 Ratings
    Direct deposit files00 Ratings8.219 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) and Viewpoint Spectrum
    Feature
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
    -
    Ratings
    Viewpoint Spectrum
    5.3
    9 Ratings
    35% below category average
    API for custom integration00 Ratings5.39 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) and Viewpoint Spectrum
    Feature
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
    -
    Ratings
    Viewpoint Spectrum
    8.3
    27 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Single sign-on capability00 Ratings9.622 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions00 Ratings7.027 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) and Viewpoint Spectrum
    Feature
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
    -
    Ratings
    Viewpoint Spectrum
    3.6
    30 Ratings
    71% below category average
    Dashboards00 Ratings7.829 Ratings
    Standard reports00 Ratings3.330 Ratings
    Custom reports00 Ratings2.428 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) and Viewpoint Spectrum
    Feature
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
    -
    Ratings
    Viewpoint Spectrum
    8.9
    28 Ratings
    14% above category average
    Accounts payable00 Ratings8.027 Ratings
    Accounts receivable00 Ratings8.025 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings9.38 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings9.419 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings8.722 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings9.219 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings9.423 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) and Viewpoint Spectrum
    Feature
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
    -
    Ratings
    Viewpoint Spectrum
    6.2
    17 Ratings
    25% below category average
    Inventory tracking00 Ratings5.117 Ratings
    Automatic reordering00 Ratings6.01 Ratings
    Location management00 Ratings7.56 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) and Viewpoint Spectrum
    Feature
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
    -
    Ratings
    Viewpoint Spectrum
    7.8
    15 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Pricing00 Ratings7.212 Ratings
    Order entry00 Ratings7.213 Ratings
    Credit card processing00 Ratings8.84 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold00 Ratings8.111 Ratings
    Subledger and Financial Process
    Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) and Viewpoint Spectrum
    Feature
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
    -
    Ratings
    Viewpoint Spectrum
    8.1
    27 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Billing Management00 Ratings9.623 Ratings
    Cash and Asset Management00 Ratings8.022 Ratings
    Travel & Expense Management00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Period Close00 Ratings8.823 Ratings
    Project Execution Management
    Comparison of Project Execution Management features of RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) and Viewpoint Spectrum
    Feature
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
    -
    Ratings
    Viewpoint Spectrum
    6.7
    7 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Project Planning and Scheduling00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
    Task Insight for Project Managers00 Ratings7.16 Ratings
    Project Mobile Functionality00 Ratings7.36 Ratings
    Definable Resource Pools00 Ratings7.24 Ratings
    Procurement
    Comparison of Procurement features of RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks) and Viewpoint Spectrum
    Feature
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)
    -
    Ratings
    Viewpoint Spectrum
    7.8
    5 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Bids Analyzed and Compared00 Ratings8.83 Ratings
    Contract Authoring00 Ratings8.12 Ratings
    Contract Repository00 Ratings8.12 Ratings
    Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated00 Ratings6.84 Ratings
    Supplier Management00 Ratings7.33 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)Viewpoint Spectrum
    Small Businesses
    CMiC Construction Platform
    Score7.5 out of 10
    Zoho One
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Autodesk Build
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Zoho One
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Revit
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    Score4.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)Viewpoint Spectrum
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    7.2
    (69 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (7 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.7
    (30 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.5
    (2 ratings)
    Support Rating
    5.0
    (1 ratings)
    6.4
    (29 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.9
    (4 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.6
    (20 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.6
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)Viewpoint Spectrum
    Likelihood to Recommend
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    Well Suited: Construction cost estimates for new larger projects where the construction will start within the next 6-9 months. Budgetary estimates for future buildings through its square foot models. Not Well Suited: Not accurate enough on small projects where labor, travel to sites, and OH&P are a higher percentage of unit costs than on larger projects where these costs are spread out across more units.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble Viewpoint
    The Installation team is amazing. They provide clear guidance at the beginning of the process regarding what is expected and what needs to be done. The implementation manager follows up monthly with you to make sure you are on track and if you need additional help. They are very helpful and responsive in resolving issues.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    • CostWorks is very good at generating quick and valid estimates for standardized facilities such as office buildings, schools, etc. It allows you to validate other cost estimates at the UniFormat level when doing an estimate validation.
    • CostWorks' database of detailed line-items is a very resourceful asset when it comes to finding a very specific line-item. Sometimes, when using Success or MII, I will have CostWorks open on the other screen so I can find an item that the other softwares just don't have and build it into the other software from the CostWorks entry.
    • CostWorks does a very good job of generating reports that are both well-developed and have enough detail at the summary level to be able to sit with a client or a project manager and have them follow along and understand without being overwhelmed with detail and numbers.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble Viewpoint
    • Job Costing - Viewpoint Spectrum handles job costing per project, per work order, per site, and gives us an up to date analysis of the project.
    • HR - helps to keep all of the training certifications and HR incidents in a consistent and manageable order for all Managers to use.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    • small project costs where labor is a bigger portion than materials on cost
    • markup factors on governmental projects
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble Viewpoint
    • Support isn't readily available. You can submit a ticket and wait days before it's picked up. Even critical issues (system outages) can wait an hour or two before someone responds.
    • Large companies will feel limited. This product wasn't designed to handle large amounts of data, and performance seems to slow when there are more than 80 concurrent users.
    • The new developments are limited. HR Management is less robust than a third-party product specializing in HR Management. Viewpoint Analytics is nowhere near as robust as Power BI or Tableau.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Trimble Viewpoint
    The product is working for us and the cost to implement a new system does not warrant the expense.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Trimble Viewpoint
    There's a little bit of a learning curve, but once you've been working in the system for a while, it becomes second nature. I would say that out of all of the other software that I've personally used, Spectrum has been the easiest one to pick up and learn quickly
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Trimble Viewpoint
    I've never seen Spectrum down
    Read full review
    Performance
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Trimble Viewpoint
    For the most part the product is very reliable. Since we are hosted we sometimes have connectivity issues but I would say that is more our ISP than Spectrum.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    I've never had the need to discuss CostWorks with a vendor.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble Viewpoint
    The support has recently changed. Last year, you could call in and get an immediate response. Now that doesn't seem possible unless you have an urgent situation with access to the software, payroll or payables. I have found that using chat or e-mail works nicely for the most part, but sometimes I feel it would be easier if someone from support would jump on our site and take a first-hand look rather than going back and forth
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Trimble Viewpoint
    Our trainer was excellent and navigated the time zone differences expertly. She gave us test assignments to complete and was available for questions at any time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Trimble Viewpoint
    My only insight would be to take time in your implementation and training process; ours was six weeks from start to finish.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    CostWorks is a unique software for estimating as compared to the other softwares I have listed above. PACES is mostly used for federal modeling and really cannot be compared to Costworks. It has its own developed modeling database and has its own quirkiness and issues. MII has been developed for the USACE and utilized a user-developed folder structure and RS Means Database. I use CostWorks along side this software to find line-items that are not in the MII RS Means Database. Success has been developed for NAVFAC and again, utilizes a user-developed folder structure and RS Means Database. When I use this software, I ALWAYS have CostWorks open on the other screen as Success' RS Means database is extremely lacking when it comes to the number of detail line-items. Timberline is by SAGE and I use it mostly for DOS and FAA work. Of the 3 RS Means Database softwares, this one has the most detailed database for reference, however, there are times when I do have to look up an item that Timberline does not have and the first software I open is CostWorks.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble Viewpoint
    I have previously used Sage Masterbuilder, another construction industry software. This has been a number of years ago. The company I am working for already had Spectrum and have been using it for as long as it has been around when it was known as Forefront. Based on conversations I've had with the personnel that were here at the time of purchase, Spectrum clicked off all the boxes they were looking for.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Trimble Viewpoint
    You can grant user specific access which is nice. Project managers do not need all the same modules as Accounting. But Accounting does need access to PM modules as well
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    The Gordian Group, Inc.
    • I don't really see any "negative" impacts on my business or my ROI by purchasing CostWorks. It's a valuable tool that we use, however, some of my colleagues do not use it or use it very infrequently.
    • I find it well worth the cost even though we don't develop complete estimates in CostWorks due to client dictated softwares.
    • It has provided very quickly-built estimating models that let our team and project managers know that the RFP or the task that they are contemplating bidding on or starting to work on is actually feasible to construction given the budget and directive.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble Viewpoint
    • [In my opinion,] it takes at LEAST twice as long to do our jobs now.
    • [I feel like] we are paranoid about something not being printed correctly because of [what I believe are] buggy text fields.
    • [In my experience,] we still have to refer to a physical file cabinet with paper, even though a main point of switching was to go paperless.
    • [In our experience,] screens can now be "locked", so we can't see something if our coworker is also looking at it.
    • [I believe that] the financial hit our company took from this switch was astronomical. [In my opinion:] Beware!
    Read full review
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