HCSS vs. Raken

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
HCSS
Score 8.8 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
HCSS is a construction software suite. It includes functionality for bidding, time card and project management, safety, planning, scheduling, equipment management, and data warehousing and reporting. Each module can be purchased separately. The suite can be hosted in the cloud.N/A
Raken
Score 9.9 out of 10
N/A
Raken is a cloud-based daily reporting platform for Contractors.N/A
Pricing
HCSSRaken
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
HCSSRaken
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Features
HCSSRaken
Construction Project & Field Management
Comparison of Construction Project & Field Management features of Product A and Product B
HCSS
6.8
33 Ratings
9% below category average
Raken
-
Ratings
Plan distribution & viewing6.99 Ratings00 Ratings
Plan markups & sharing6.06 Ratings00 Ratings
Issue tracking & punchlists9.913 Ratings00 Ratings
Photo documentation10.025 Ratings00 Ratings
Jobsite reports8.030 Ratings00 Ratings
Document sharing7.117 Ratings00 Ratings
RFI tools3.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Collaboration & approvals4.019 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile app6.128 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
HCSSRaken
Small Businesses
FollowUp CRM
FollowUp CRM
Score 9.5 out of 10
Procore
Procore
Score 8.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
Score 8.7 out of 10
Procore
Procore
Score 8.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro
Score 8.7 out of 10
Oracle Aconex
Oracle Aconex
Score 6.7 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
HCSSRaken
Likelihood to Recommend
6.1
(38 ratings)
8.7
(6 ratings)
Usability
7.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(35 ratings)
9.0
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.2
(32 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
HCSSRaken
Likelihood to Recommend
HCSS
Our operation uses several pieces of what we call specialty equipment (not used every day on every job). The foreman when finished will give a location of where this equipment is left, this many times can be very vague and lead to a lowboy driver trying to block around to find the piece or driving down a street he cannot get turned around in. With the GPS devices, the driver can pinpoint exactly where the unit is and if he has room to turn around at that location.
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Raken
Easy sub-contractor management ability, time tracking, resource planning and the easy tracking of project equipment using Raken is even enjoyable. Team coordination and project comments and recording sharing among the team members, this is a great tool for that.
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Pros
HCSS
  • #1 is support! HCSS is by far the best software support of any product we have ever used. Unlike most software companies HCSS utilizes their support calls to help upgrade their software. When you here them tell you that they will write down a particular issue you come across during a support call if they can't help you then and there they will research and get an answer to you extremely fast. If the software will not do it, you can bet there is a good chance it will be on the list of enhancements you will see come out in the near future.
  • Estimating software is very extensive. Their software is capable of handling the smallest estimate all the way to the largest joint venture estimate. It has advanced features that make it extremely useful for analyzing job materials, subcontractors etc.
  • HeavyJob is an extremely useful tool for the field to keep the office up to date with job costs. Everything is at the Foreman's fingertips on Tablets to allow the information from the field to get uploaded to HeavyJob manager which then can export to accounting. We are also able to give our Foreman the ability to deal with the Daily and weekly safety needs (Tailgate Meetings, incident Investigation, observations etc.) right on the Tablets thru HeavyJob.
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Raken
  • Great iPhone application - The application makes reporting and adding photos very easy.
  • It's easy to navigate different days and reports. Or to find keywords or subcontractors and when they performed work.
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Cons
HCSS
  • All their apps are on mobile devices. Although there is not a clear company policy on Android versus iPhone. Updates for features lag behind on Android. Some apps are exclusive to one platform making it hard to fully interconnect all programs.
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Raken
  • Sometimes the app will run slow or crash on the guys in the field. It doesn't happen too often though.
  • An easier way to download all project Daily Reports at one time.
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Usability
HCSS
As mentioned, user interface appears messy and complicated at initial onset. Training is necessary but becomes easy to maneuver through after solid daily use.
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Raken
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
HCSS
I have never had a bad experience or heard of one in 4 years of doing business with HCSS. That is unheard of even with the hurricanes and flooding in Houston area it feels like HCSS was always there and willing to help in every way.
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Raken
Raken has an excellent support team. Raken are pretty prompt with getting back to you. Raken also has a convenient chat feature on their website. All their support members are friendly and are good at helping you understand and resolve your issues.
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Implementation Rating
HCSS
I was not employed with PPI upon implementation. I would prefer to reference my previous statement, that each company needs to evaluate its culture and address your implementation accordingly. The purchasing company should assign an employee as point person and really take charge of not just the technical side of the implementation (HCSS pretty much handles that), but focus on company culture and training.
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Raken
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
HCSS
Other estimating products I have used consist of ICE/MC2 and MS Excel. ICE was not a good fit for our company, as they have awful technical support and offer very poor training. MS Excel is great for simple estimates where there is not a lot of data being compiled. However neither hold a candle to the power of HCSS Heavybid
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Raken
Vista is TTI's accounting software program. It is extremely well suited for the construction projects. Team, which is similar to Raken, is more advance however the program is also more expensive.
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Return on Investment
HCSS
  • The biggest ROI for us was the ease of adoption by field personnel.
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Raken
  • Less need to travel to each job site.
  • Automated emailed reports to clients reduces the number of meetings/conversations about what is happening on the project.
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ScreenShots

HCSS Screenshots

Screenshot of HeavyBid - build the structure of your estimateScreenshot of HeavyBid - manage sub and material quotesScreenshot of HeavyBid - create professional bid proposalsScreenshot of HeavyJob - manage your job site from your mobile deviceScreenshot of HeavyJob - capture job site photos from any deviceScreenshot of HeavyJob - review, edit, and approve time cards from a mobile device