SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW BY SHELDON NEEDLE

Transcription

1 SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW BY SHELDON NEEDLE

2 Overview Sage 100 Contractor construction business management software links the four critical areas of a contractor's business estimating, production, accounting, and analysis into one comprehensive, easy-to-use business management solution. Sage 100 offers three editions of estimating software to suit the needs of most customers: Estimating Basic, Sage Estimating Standard. and Extended. After creating a takeoff, Estimating Basic can be used to: Issue customer proposals Establish a project budget Issue requests for proposals if you are shopping subcontract or material prices Issue purchase orders or subcontracts Cost load a schedule Feed the change order program Estimate service receivable work orders Estimating Standard and Extended performs the following functions: Project Management Document Control Service Receivables Inventory Equipment Management Accounting Analysis User Experience Sage 100 s desktop can be customized by each user. You can highlight and drag any data entry screen or report menu item to the desktop and create a shortcut for that item. The program allows you to set defaults and skip fields so you can enter data easily and quickly. All data entry screens allow you to also create notes specific to a particular entry. There are also user-defined fields in almost every data entry screen. On-screen Help (not field-sensitive but menu or screen-specific) is easily accessible from anywhere in the system. An on-screen index is also available to search the Help fields. Help does provide a detailed discussion of each field and how it is used. Value Sage 100 provides a low cost of ownership with concurrent licensing. With concurrent licensing, each employee in your business that uses Sage 100, on a daily basis or only occasionally, can install it on his/her computer. You only need to purchase licenses for the number of people accessing the system at any one time. This gives you the flexibility to install Sage 100 in your home office, or other office locations as well. With access from multiple locations at any time, Sage 100 helps you keep up with the demands of your business. Sage 100 Contractor can also be purchased using several flexible options. You can purchase the core product, which includes accounting, payroll, and project management. And if your business needs require any of the additional modules Estimating, Service Receivables, Inventory, Equipment Management, and Document Control those can be purchased separately. Additionally, you can purchase Sage 100 Contractor using traditional per user pricing or with subscription pricing, which offers the product at a low monthly rate. SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 2

3 Strengths Executive Dashboard management tool Drill-downs from all reports to source transactions Alerts can be configured to alert you when certain conditions are met Project Work Center Check box to link transaction to Document Control Project Hot List Integrated estimating, service management, inventory, equipment management, project management, and document control Now runs with SQL database Limitations Help is not field sensitive The Sage-supplied report writer is very basic more sophisticated reports may have to be written using SAP Crystal Reports Equipment module is basic but does include maintenance scheduling, equipment costing to jobs, limited depreciation options and equipment utilization. Ease of Deployment & Training For installation of Sage 100 users are assisted by certified resellers who have extensive training and experience with the product are tested for competence by Sage. Much of their revenue comes from support and training so they have to know what they are doing in order to be successful. Further Reading Executive Summary Sage 100 Contractor construction business management software links the four critical areas of a contractor's business estimating, production, accounting, and analysis into one comprehensive, easy-to-use business management solution. This review includes changes for both version 18 and 19.2 of Sage 100 Contractor. Released Spring of 2016, version 20.2 introduced a long awaited SQL version. Version 18 Highlights Version 18, a major enhancement, was released in the spring of In previous releases Sage moved the development environment forward from Visual Basic to Microsoft C# allowing for more use of current technology within Sage 100. In version 18 we see the first benefits from that extensive development project. Version 18 includes a complete change of the user interface. The new version includes user defined visual workflow, new application screens and the use of standardized icons and buttons. Though this new interface should make learning the system easier for new clients, Sage has saved several key interfaces for existing clients based on extensive customer feedback. SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 3

4 The picture below shows the new role based user interface. When users move into a feature they will have a new entry window. This screen is an example of the new user paradigm. Version 18 also saw the addition of an Alerting system which allows the user to define multiple business rules and have the software run scheduled tasks and report any findings via an to staff or on the updated Dashboard. The system comes with multiple alerts and allows the user to define their own. An example of an alert is for the software to monitor a job s cost code budget. When a cost budget is less than the actual costs accumulated in the system the alerting software will notify a project manager via an . Version 18 also added an interface to Aatrix as a part of all annual support plans. Aatrix provides HR forms, HR alerts, federal reporting forms, state reporting forms, and e-filing. This service is updated via the internet and provides a unique benefit from a leading tax reporting service. Sage has also updated their Service Receivables Dispatch Board to support their efforts to better address the needs of specialty subcontractors. The new board offers a significant change in set-up options and workflow. The last few releases were focused on work flow, usability, and the technology used within the application. Some of the key features added are: Documents can be dragged and dropped into Sage 100. In the case of s, Microsoft Outlook e- mails can be dropped into Sage 100 and they are automatically added as attachments on the open record. Sage 100 will accept this drag and drop capability for most document types like Microsoft Excel and Word documents. Other industry standard types like.pdf are also accepted. Sage 100 also added the ability to send Sage 100 reports, either PDFs or Excel files, through Outlook. Change orders, subcontracts, and purchase orders are all fully integrated and automatically update contract, subcontract, budget, and committed cost amounts. The Sage 100 report writer was given an upgrade in its ability to export to Microsoft Excel. This new version brings data neatly formatted into Excel but also brings the formulas behind the numbers which makes a downloaded report an active document. SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 4

5 RFPs and RFIs can now be assigned numbers by job and phase. Most entry grids support cut and paste functionality so you can grab information captured in Excel and paste it into entry grids as long as the column structure matches. Sage is the developer of the industry-leading estimating solution Sage Estimating (formerly known as Sage Timberline Office Estimating). With the integration of this powerful solution, Sage 100 offers three editions of estimating software to suit the needs of most customers. Estimating Basic Combining the best features of a database and spreadsheet, Sage 100 Contractor Estimating Basic helps you create faster, more accurate, and more profitable estimates in minutes. Estimating Basic is an easy-to-use assembly-based solution. After creating a takeoff, Estimating Basic can be used to: Issue customer proposals Establish a project budget Issue requests for proposals if you are shopping subcontract or material prices Issue purchase orders or subcontracts Cost load a schedule Feed the change order program Estimate service receivable work orders Estimating Basic also offers a sophisticated and integrated interface to Planswift for takeoff from digital media. Sage Estimating Standard and Extended The Sage Estimating Standard and Extended editions bring the strength of the industry-leading estimating solution from Sage Estimating to Sage 100. The time-consuming task of setting up and building an estimating database has been streamlined with the Database Builder Wizard, which walks you through the necessary steps of establishing your database more quickly and efficiently, allowing you to take full advantage of the Estimating software sooner. Integrated with your Sage 100 system, you ll get the power you need to create twice as many estimates compared to generic spreadsheets meeting deadlines with ease while presenting comprehensive, precise estimates. You can take advantage of RSMeans databases and industry-specific estimating databases for even more estimating muscle. Also available are industry knowledge bases with built-in intelligence that prompt you for only the data needed to calculate quantities and costs for a given assembly, such as a wall or a foundation, for an entire home or commercial structure. Better production/project management - With Sage 100, you can start on time, finish on time, and come in under budget. This construction software offers powerful, critical path management scheduling capabilities. You can generate task lists with all vendors and subcontractors already assigned directly from your estimate. And, you save time communicating schedule changes by printing, faxing, or ing these notices to subcontractors, suppliers, and employees at set intervals you select. SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 5

6 Simplified accounting Sage 100 is a single, accrual-based, construction software that can perform all of your advanced construction accounting requirements. The accounting module is fully integrated with Sage 100 estimating, project management, and analysis functions to give you complete financial management insight throughout each phase of your business. With Sage 100 construction software, contractors can more effectively manage their operations by simplifying and automating invoice creation, bill paying, and avoiding overpaying or double-paying bills. Detailed business analysis - With fully-integrated Sage 100 construction software, contractors can do financial analysis for their company as a whole, as well as project analysis to see where they stand on each job. The Executive Dashboard provides a quick and easy way to check the overall financial health of your company. From a single location, a user can pick from dozens of key performance indicators (KPIs) across key areas of the business and display them every time they log into the system. These business metrics can include such critical indicators as cash balances, cash position, company profitability, job profitability, change orders, and much more. The Dashboard has drill-down capability to detailed reports and even to the individual record level. Report Drill-Down Just like with the Executive Dashboard, you can drill down multiple levels to record and transaction detail in the more than 1,000 pre-built reports, as well as your own customized reports. The reports become dynamic information portals, allowing you to navigate to the numbers and background detail in real time for up-to-the minute analysis. Sage 100 is fully Windows-compatible, 32-bit technology. The database structure is a flat-file database that allows for simple information retrieval. The company states that there are currently over 10,000 companies using Sage 100. Support You Can Count On Sage 100 offers a nationwide network of local Business Partners to assist you with installation, training and business consulting. A broad array of professionally-instructed, online courses and live courses are also available to help you learn Sage 100. The Sage customer support group was the first in the construction and real estate industries to earn the Support Center Practices (SCP) certification of excellence. They also received the Star Award given by the Software Support Professional Association (SSPA). Sage University offers recorded and instructor-led classes delivered over the internet. Sage recommends all new customers subscribe to the New Customer Training package of 12 New Customer Training courses and eight Accounting and Bookkeeping recorded courses and five (5) instructor-led classes. This will reduce consulting costs to have all employees participate in these classes. Sage recommends you also consider the additional use of the over 70 live, instructor-led classes. Sage 100 provides a low cost of ownership with concurrent licensing. With concurrent licensing, each employee in your business that uses Sage 100, on a daily basis or only occasionally, can install it on his/her computer. You only need to purchase licenses for the number of people accessing the system at any one time. This gives you the flexibility to install Sage 100 in your home office, or other office locations as well. With access from multiple locations at any time, Sage 100 helps you keep up with the hard-hitting demands of your business. Sage 100 Contractor can also purchased using several flexible options. You can purchase the core SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 6

7 product, which includes accounting, payroll, and project management. And if your business needs require any of the additional modules Estimating, Service Receivables, Inventory, Equipment Management, and Document Control those can be purchased separately. Additionally, you can purchase Sage 100 Contractor using traditional per user pricing or with subscription pricing, which offers the product at a low monthly rate. System Features Cons Executive Dashboard management tool Drill-downs from all reports to source transactions Alerts can be configured to alert you when certain conditions are met Project Work Center Check box to link transaction to Document Control Project Hot List Integrated estimating, service management, inventory, equipment management, project management, and document control Customizable desktop by roles Form and report designer, including a query functionality a simplified version of a report writer available. Over 1,000 pre-built reports with drilldown Attach documents to client, vendor, employee, job records, and transactions Add notes and user-defined fields to entry screens Hide fields on entry screens , fax, and schedule reports A new feature allows all reports to be exported to MS Excel, complete with formulas and proper formatting. Help is not field sensitive The Sage-supplied report writer is very basic more sophisticated reports may have to be written using SAP Crystal Reports Equipment module is basic but does include maintenance scheduling, equipment costing to jobs, limited depreciation options and equipment utilization. The program allows you to set defaults and skip fields so you can enter data easily and quickly. All data entry screens allow you to also create notes specific to a particular entry. There are also userdefined fields in almost every data entry screen. On-screen Help (not field-sensitive but menu or screen-specific) is easily accessible from anywhere in the system. An on-screen index is also available to search the Help fields. Help does provide a detailed discussion of each field and how it is used. An Installation and License Administration Guide provides an overview of installation procedures as well as an explanation of system features. The Product Overview also includes 200-plus pages of information for setup and operation of the core program, payroll, project management, and reporting. The software download includes a 900 page User s Guide in.pdf format that can be used as a source document for detailed company specific procedures guides. With the exception of Payroll, Sage 100 is a realtime accounting system. This means that entries update all files as transactions are accepted. Payroll can be processed; job costs updated and checks printed, then posted to the general ledger once you execute the post function. Reports are available to verify postings and automatic reverse and re-entry options allow you to operate with the same level of efficiency of a batch system. Because of the modular design and variety of applications accessible, the menus are grouped SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 7

8 hierarchically. From the main menu, you select which module to work in and then the specific application. Multiple modules can be used simultaneously in individual windows. All menu functions can be performed using short cut keys or the mouse. Sage 100 s desktop can also be customized by each user. You can highlight and drag any data entry screen or report menu item to the desktop and create a shortcut for that item. Central License Administration Sage 100 includes the License Administration tool, a central "command center" to manage your Sage 100 software and the number of people that can use the software simultaneously. With passwordprotected access for security, the License Administration tool allows you to: Efficiently manage users with "uses." Sage 100 allows concurrent uses (instead of "seats") to give users access to the software. The number of product uses you own determines the number of users that can simultaneously access the software. Product uses give you greater freedom in using Sage 100 throughout your business. Part-time and occasional users can share a single product use, saving you the cost of buying two licenses or uses. This way, you only pay for the number of employees who simultaneously use the system, rather than number of computers on which the software is installed. Easily view employee activity. See which users are logged into the system, as well as the date, time and duration of their session. This gives you more control and insight into who is using the software. You are able to monitor usage for increased security or reassign product uses for more flexibility. Sage 100 also helps you efficiently perform time consuming tasks. Many construction firms set up multiple companies for large projects to limit liability exposure. The Copy Company feature helps you do this by making the process of setting up a new company faster and easier. Copy Company allows you to copy the same basic structure and base information, such as the vendor list of an existing company to set up a new company, significantly reducing the amount of time spent and potential for data entry mistakes. Menu Structure In addition to program menus, each window contains a menu bar. The menu bar contains functions specific to the window like Exit, Save, Print, and Help. Any function listed on the menu bar is accessible using the short-cut key or the mouse. While some functions listed on the menu execute functions directly, many contain pull-down menus listing more functions. Sage 100 can be configured individually by company. When you save the window defaults the size, location, and field defaults are saved. For example, to allow for quicker data entry you can deactivate fields and columns that are not usually used for data entry. While the field or column is not hidden, it is grayed out and entry cannot be made unless the field or column is specifically selected. Many screens also allow you to hide columns by clicking on a button or to change the direction of your entries from horizontal to vertical by clicking on another button. User-defined fields are located in a variety of windows and can be customized to meet your needs. The user-defined fields contained in each window are independent of each other so you can customize the field to the particular needs of the window. You can determine the type of data the field accepts, the description, and the text of the status bar prompt. The fields can be changed at any time and may be set to accept word, decimal, integer, or a date. These customized fields can be used in reports. In fact, almost every data entry field can be customized in this way. SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 8

9 Notes can be attached to transactions and fields with strong editing capabilities. Other ease-of-use features available include count (identifying the number of records) and find with various query options. You can use one of the dozens of supplied queries, modify them, or create your own on-thefly. All queries have a drill down feature. Access security is available at the module, screen, and field level, with a feature to assign certain rights to users. The rights include the abilities to save new entries, delete entries, void entries, change the posting period, and print checks. Field-level rights include lock after save, require list match, require unique, skip field, and require field. The Project Work Center allows you to quickly view and access important job elements, such as project management and accounting tasks from a single screen. It has a customizable menu, a hot list with drill down to accounting and project management items, and also job information and job cost summary. Job Cost Date fields to track contract information data Integration of budget and change orders with takeoff Flexible report selection Compare budget to actual Cons Master cost code list shows for all jobs Multi-company requires multiple databases Job File Jobs are set-up in the accounts receivable section. Sage 100 takes this approach to enable a company to start tracking information on a customer as soon as it becomes a lead. A ten-digit field is used for the job number; the short name alpha-numeric job field has 15 digits. In addition to the standard fields in the job master file (such as location, default accounts, job status, etc.), two user-defined fields and nine date fields are available to track contract information (e.g. bid date, preliminary notice and other lien related dates, start and finish dates). Billing can be performed at the cost code or phase level. A phase (also known as a sub-job) can also be used to represent a grouping of cost codes (e.g. general conditions) or a part of a job (e.g. first floor). Phases are standalone and do not necessarily tie to a specific cost code. When using subcontracts, phases need to be more detailed, since a subcontract can only correspond to a single phase. Therefore, if you have a project with 2 phases (first floor & second floor) you need to divide the subcontract SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 9

10 appropriately. For example, you would enter a subcontract for plumbing phase 1 (with the plumbing cost code(s)) and one for plumbing phase 2 (with the plumbing cost code(s)). A cost code table can be established to identify costs on a job. The cost code is a 10-character numeric field, which can be broken into segments with three decimal places and also grouped by division. Cost codes can be set up with groups and sub groups. For example, the Site Work division can have a group of cost codes including Excavation at 20, and Underground at 20, Workers' compensation codes can be associated with a cost code. Within each cost code there are five system-defined cost types: labor, material, equipment, subcontract, and other, and four user-definable types. The cost code table can be imported as a text file. After a job is set up you can import cost codes by bringing in all codes from the table, selecting specific cost codes or by using a template which can contain a single or multiple phases. Budgets can be entered directly, created from a takeoff, or generated by using a template. Budgets can also be imported from most outside systems which provide the ability to cut and paste information via the Windows clipboard. When entering a budget, you can enter hours, quantity, and budgeted costs for each cost type. Original and working budgets can be created. The working budget is the original budget plus change orders. Change orders have the ability to affect the contract, budget, subcontract, or any combination of the three, depending on how they are entered and the desired outcome. To directly enter a budget, you select the cost code from a pick list of standard cost codes. If the cost code had not been previously entered, you can enter it "on the fly." For each cost code you can enter estimated hours, cost for each cost type, estimated units and unit costs. The estimated hours, when entered, are used to compute the hours to complete the report. If you have change orders that affect labor, the budgeted hours can be entered on change orders. When using unit billing, you enter the type of units to be billed and the cost per unit. Only one budget template can be added per job. Importing a budget template will overwrite any budget fields previously entered. Hours can be entered on a change order. A report is available that compares the budget to the budget plus change orders. Gross hours are tracked in Sage 100: budgeted vs. actual. Hours by rate can be entered in the Estimating module and on the Payroll timecard, and then compared through custom reports. Hours are entered as gross amount in budget (i.e. not by number of hours per different rates). Overtime and premium time hours are separately posted into job cost from payroll. (These are designated as different pay types in the system.) If temporary labor is used, those hours cannot be picked up because it is posted as a subcontractor cost type to which hours cannot be posted. This type of change would be handled within the Change Order module. Data Entry Data is normally posted to job cost from general ledger, accounts payable, inventory, equipment, and payroll. For beginning balance purposes, costs affecting jobs can be entered directly to job cost but do not post to the general ledger. Direct entry of job costs is not advisable, because General Ledger and job cost can then be out of balance. However, you can enter job cost transactions directly into General Ledger to keep costs in balance. This feature is primarily for setup purposes and should be secured from daily use by the designated security officer. One of the huge benefits of the Sage 100 Contractor is the integrity of the balances between the subledgers the general ledger. Sage 100 has an audit routine that will identify any entries that might SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 10

11 cause problems with the data and the audit can be scheduled to run automatically. Inquiries and Reports Most input screens allow creating or using existing queries to create an on-the-fly report that outputs to a grid on the screen. You can then drill down to more details. There are 13 job report menus in the Project Management module, each with a variety of reports within. Most reports can be modified or new reports designed in the Form Design and Report Writer. However, doing custom reports requires some skill. There is a wide range of selection criteria available for most of the reports. Standard reports include: the Job Status Report (providing a listing of prime and subcontract and other cost activity), Job Cost Journal (listing detail job cost transactions), Job Labor Journal (labor hours and dollars either from payroll or direct job cost entry), Job Summary Report (reflecting budget versus actual costs, but not hours), Current Cost Summary, Job Cost Totals, Committed Costs, Work-in-Progress Report, Bonding Report, Budgets, Budget Totals and Proposals. With the job review you can graph financial data (such as gross profit and budget/costs) from both current and historical job data with mean, standard deviation, and best-fit statistical analysis built in. Cost to complete, included in the core system provides a report that compares your budget with cost-to-date for each cost code, displaying the percent complete. The report can be run according to dollars, hours, and/or units. You can add an actual complete adjustment to calculate more accurate cost to complete and variance from budget numbers. The job proposal for a client is created in Proposals and can be created from a budget, an estimate, bid items, cost codes, or a template. Several simple proposal report types are included and can be used to print the proposal. If you use a format for a certain type of job repeatedly, it can be saved as a template. Using the Export Proposal File command, you can create the template and recall it at a later date using the Import Proposal File command. Once a proposal is completed, you can recap the totals by cost codes, phases, or bid items. The Cost Codes recap ignores the distinction between phases, and summarizes the cost types (material, labor, equipment, subcontract, and other) in the cost codes. A total for each cost code is displayed as well as the total amount for the entire proposal. Change Orders With the Change Order function, you can print and track both internal (budget), prime, and sub-change orders. For each prime contract change order, you can associate subcontract changes as well as other cost code changes that relate to the owner's change. Approved changes to prime and subcontracts update billings. Change orders can be directly entered or generated from the takeoff, and included with printed reports. Each change order can only affect one phase but can be distributed to multiple cost codes. You can create invoices from change orders by selecting Invoice from the menu. The Accounts Receivable Invoices/Credits window appears with the change order information entered for you. The information can also be modified prior to saving. If SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 11

12 you re billing through Progress Billing, approved prime change orders can also be pulled into the current progress billing application, allowing you to update your schedule of values and bill for the changes along with the rest of the project. Subcontracts With the subcontract module, you can easily track your subcontracts, including any changes to the subcontract, what s been billed, and what still remains on the subcontract. You can also print and audit subcontracts. At a glance, you can see what the current contract amount is and what you have been billed. You can enter subcontracts directly in the menu option or export from the Estimating module. A vendor can be issued more than one subcontract on a single job. A subcontract can cover only one phase but multiple cost codes. You can have multiple cost codes for each subcontract. Once the data is entered, subcontracts can be printed, with a user-designed format. Change orders can be issued to the subcontract through the change order module. Reports produced include the Subcontract List (one line item per subcontract for each job) and the Subcontract Audit (detail activity by subcontract). Accounts Payable Warnings during invoice entry and payment Joint payee can be entered during invoice entry Flexibility in selecting invoices to be paid Audit trail for voided records; Transactions tagged with user name and date Multiple payee checks Expired certificates tracking Cons Integrated with Project Management (will automatically update POs and Subcontracts) Credit card management and tracking Numeric only vendor setup, but can search by vendor name or alpha-numeric short name. Corrections can be easily made to transactions by retrieving the transaction that needs correction, correcting the data and saving the corrected transaction. The user is warned that a change to a posted transaction is being made, and the system automatically creates the reversing entries, leaving a complete audit trail. Only users with the proper security authorization can make these changes. Sage 100 Contractor does not allow any accounting transactions to be deleted. Accounts payable posts information to job cost, general ledger, inventory and equipment cost. It also integrates with the subcontract and purchase order modules. Invoices can be cross-checked according to purchase order, subcontract, and budget. Vendor master file The vendor master file accommodates up to tendigit vendors and contains a variety of set-up information. Expiration dates can be established for workers' compensation, general liability, contractors license number, and many others. These dates are verified during invoice entry and payment, with warnings issued if the dates are exceeded. Other fields include default general ledger and job cost codes. Also, fields are available to note type of vendor (supplier, subcontractor, professional) and whether or not a 1099 is to be issued for that vendor. Activity and account balances are also tracked. If your company's fiscal SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 12

13 year is not the calendar year, YTD and 1099 balances are tracked separately. There are two user-defined fields in the master file available to track other vendor-related information. Invoice Entry The invoice header contains fields to enter subcontract or purchase order data. In addition, there are two user-defined fields to track other invoice information. Several joint payees can be entered at the invoice level and checks can be printed along with lien waivers. When entering a subcontract number in accounts payable, the system will fill in the phase, vendor, job, cost code and cost type on the invoice entry screen. The amount entered is compared against the contract amount and if the user requests, a warning is given if the invoice exceeds the remaining contract amount. Warnings are also available if the invoice exceeds the budget or if the subcontractor s workers compensation or liability insurance has expired. When you enter a purchase order number in accounts payable, the screen is pre-filled with the remaining quantities and prices on the purchase order. In accounts payable, you can alter the quantities and prices to reflect the actual invoice amount. Upon accepting the invoice information, purchase orders are updated with to-date and balance remaining information. You also have the ability to access the window in the parts database to pick line items included on vendor invoices. Sage 100 supports partial payments to multiple payees on the same invoice. invoices (job-related invoices, non-job invoices, select to pay, discount only, open, review, or dispute) you want to view, how you want to sort your selections, and select invoices to pay by job, due date, discount date, vendor or pick list. You can also sort for only vendors who use ACH. Several payment options are available including overriding the discount, payment of retention and skip paying subcontractors with expired workers' compensation, general liability or license. After determining your selections, a grid is populated with the appropriate invoices. An amount that differs from the default from the Payable Invoice screen can be entered in the To Pay column. After making your selections you can print checks, lien waivers, and vouchers. You can also pay vendors by ACH and credit card. Reporting Open payable reports can be run for a defined period of time and with a variety of other selection criteria. A vendor list is available by a variety of selection criteria. There are seven different report types (including short form, long form, landscape form, aging, aging wide, cost distribution and general ledger distribution) each with eight different sort options available for the payable invoice list. Other reports include a payable journal, payable ledger, vendor payment journal (paid vendor history), and vendor documents (i.e. letters, mailing labels and other user-defined documents). You can modify many of these reports with the internal Report Writer and save as a new version, right within the module. Cash Disbursements Sage 100 has an extremely flexible payment selection process. You can select the type of SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 13

14 General Ledger Drill-downs to source transactions Financial review report options Month-end audit verifying GL to sub ledgers All 12 accounting periods for the year as well as the 12th period of the prior year are available for posting with individual control by period Cons Limited budgeting capabilities Release 19 of Sage 100 Contractor allows the user to continue posting to a future year without closing the current year. (It is no longer necessary to archive general ledger data and all general ledger detail from the previous year is available for reporting.).if it becomes necessary to post to a closed year, a user with proper security may do so, and retained earnings and all beginning balances for the affected year are properly recalculated and brought forward to the new year. then to Job Cost. There is one screen where job cost information can be updated manually. This is just for a repair function, not normally used. General ledger transactions can be posted to job cost. General ledger also provides the ability to enter recurring journal entries as well as a bank reconciliation option. Chart of Accounts The system ships with several recommended charts of accounts: Up to 10 digits numbering. The ledger account numbering is created in the ledger setup menu, which defines the number range for accounts. System-wide default accounts are also entered during system set-up. In ledger accounts, you can rename, renumber, or create altogether new accounts. If you are using a recommended chart of accounts, the ledger accounts can be further customized. Sub-accounts can be entered for each main account. The short name is used in accounting reports and window displays while the long name is used in the balance sheet, income statement, and financial reports. The ledger account window displays the current year and last year's balances. For permanent accounts, the accumulated balances are displayed for all fiscal periods. Budgets must be entered monthly. Data Entry Accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, inventory, service receivables, and equipment management all make entries to the general ledger. Job cost posting normally comes automatically from various modules to the General Ledger and When entering journal entries, you can tie them to a customer s purchase order or to a vendor (if you are entering checks through general ledger transactions). Over the course of a year, the balances for each fiscal period are accumulated. At the end of each period, it is necessary to audit and close the books. This menu selection verifies that all balances are supported by valid transactions. During the audit, the system verifies that the SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 14

15 subsidiary ledgers (accounts payable, accounts receivable, service receivables and equipment) are in balance with the general ledger. There is an automatic verify date in period function for normal invoice entry. Transactions can also be posted to any accounting period within the current year as well as the prior year. The system stores the current period and uses it as the posting period. When you need to, you can change a posting period in any entry window that has the Period Button or you can change the default posting period in the General Ledger Setup. Changing the default posting period allows you to make entries to the indicated period. General ledger detail transactions are available for all previous years in the archive file for that year; job costs are also available. If the Job Status is not closed, the detail will be available in the current data set. If the Job Status is closed, the detail is still accessible in the archive data set. Inquiries and Reports General Ledger includes 11 standard accounting reports. In addition to the standard balance sheet, income statement, trial balance, journals and ledgers, the system provides a statement of cash flow. If the supplied financial forms do not meet all of your needs, they can be edited in Form Design. Using Form Design to edit reports does not allow the user to define his own column headings or calculations. Customized financial statements can be created with 3rd party report writers. Combined financial statements can be produced as long as the combining companies have the same chart of accounts structure. Financial review provides graphs of financial trends and ratios from both current and historical accounting data with mean, standard deviation, and best fit statistical analysis built-in. Payroll Cons Flexibility in defining pay and fringe calculations Payroll audit Daily payroll entry grid with ability to record equipment used Supports fully burdened labor Mobile time collection through Sage Construction Anywhere. No user-definable pay types Only two User Defined Fields are Available Several steps necessary in order to post payroll You may use a different pay rate for each line of your timecards and enter up to 999 deductions, calculate multi-state payrolls and figure local taxes. The system supports magnetic media reporting of W-2 as well as printing them on W-2 forms. You can use the pay group function for variable rate payroll with benefit packages built-in. Through the integrated Aatrix payroll forms, e-file is also available for W-2s as well as state and federal tax forms (941s, Certified Payroll reports, etc.) Payroll set-up revolves around the calculations file. Here you define the general calculations for deductions and benefits used in payroll. For each calculation method, you can determine the type of tax and how the calculation is computed. There are five different calculation types available: deducted from gross, added to gross, accrued cost (employer paid), add/deduct (taxable) and accrue hours. There are 13 different calculation methods including % SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 15

16 gross pay, % taxable wages, % of regular pay only, % of net pay, per hour, regular hours, and premium hours are available. You can set-up calculations for advances, garnishments, tool purchases, per diem expenses, 401k contributions, cafeteria plans, etc. Pay rate types are defined by the system and include regular, overtime, premium, sick, vacation, holiday, piece work, per diem and miscellaneous. Fully burdened labor is posted to job cost. Employee Master File All information about an employee is entered on a single entry screen. In addition to the standard fields found in most systems, Sage 100 maintains two user-defined fields in the master file. Accrued sick and vacation pay can be computed with separate rates and calculation methods. Employee positions can be defined for posting and reporting. Default workers comp and equipment codes can also be established in the employee file. Quarterly and year-to-date information is maintained for all calculations (benefits and deductions) assigned to the employee, providing a nice summary of benefits and deductions by employee. Payroll Processing Payroll can be entered in multiple ways. It can be entered daily in the daily payroll window, which also supports tracking equipment used on jobs. Payroll can also be collected in the field on mobile devices through Sage Construction Anywhere. Once reviewed and approved in Sage Construction Anywhere, time is transferred to Sage 100 Contractor and will appear in the daily payroll window. Once daily payroll is in the system, the timecards can be created. Lastly, payroll can be entered directly into the payroll records window, if entering by pay period instead of by day. In the header of the entry screen you enter information regarding the pay period as well as the state. The detail lines require information related to job cost posting and workers' comp code. All information to be entered does not show on the screen at the same time unless the user hides some of the columns. When entering timecard information, you have to scroll across the line to enter data. In addition, overtime and premium hours must be entered on a separate line. Multiple states and/or local tax districts may be designated by line in payroll entry. To speed data entry, part or all of a payroll timecard grid can be copied and pasted into other timecards. After timecards are entered, payroll can be processed. During processing, job cost is updated. If you use daily payroll (included with the core program), you can obtain daily payroll reports. Updating the general ledger with payroll transactions is performed after the payroll checks are processed. Equipment costs are posted as soon as daily payroll is sent into timecards, but job costs are not posted until timecards are computed. The program supports direct deposit. The Daily Field Report option allows a job supervisor to enter daily payroll activities for a job. This data can be imported into the Daily Payroll grid or directly to the individual time cards. Daily Payroll function allows you to enter worksheets for one day by either job or employee. Equipment use on jobs can be allocated on an operated, idle, and standby basis. The daily entries are saved until the end of the pay period when you create timecards. You can also enter equipment costs and repairs in daily payroll for equipment cost recovery. Using the daily payroll function you can obtain a field report, equipment report and labor report as well as enter payroll remotely. Although this function does not actually post daily time to job cost, you can obtain job cost reports that include daily labor (gross dollars) and an estimated labor burden amount. SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 16

17 Once the daily payroll is sent to timecards and the timecards are computed, the detailed job costs will be posted. A payroll audit program is available to compare detail transactions with quarter-to-date totals. This report can be run quarterly to make sure that the detail transactions agree with the information being used for the payroll tax reports. In addition to computing workers compensation by state and using the experience modification factor, the system will also compute and accrue for general liability insurance if it is based upon the same payroll classifications as the workers comp code. Worker s compensation rates can be tagged to cost codes. So the same employee working at different tasks can accrue charges at different rates depending on the rate for that specific task. Inquiries and Reporting Reports generated by the program include employee lists, payroll check register, Federal tax reports, state tax reports, workers' comp report, union reports, YTD & QTD reports, employee documents, and job hour s reports. The program also supports magnetic media reporting. With the certified payroll function, you can complete certified reporting. You can also run a minority report to figure percentages of quotas met. Through the integration with Aatrix, you can print or e-file the DOL WH-347 certified payroll report and many state certified reports. You can also generate many HR forms such as COBRA enrollment forms, FMLA request forms, and mileage reimbursement requests, to name a few. Choose from preassembled packages (like a new hire packet), or any of the 70 or so available forms. Accounts Receivable Cons Client file tracks sales and marketing information Contract balance window Customer is available for quotes, jobs, and service work Cash receipts for non-receivable transactions must be entered through the general ledger. Numeric only customer setup, (but you can search by alpha-numeric short name). Accounts receivable includes invoice history for all payments, and as of aging so you can get balances as of any prior accounting period. Accounts receivable allows you to set up user-defined defaults for account, cost code, type, and invoice status. Standard invoices and credits memos are easily handled in this part of the core system. A number of other billing methods Progress Billing, Loan Draws, Unitary Billing, and Time and Materials are also available in the core accounting product. Customer Master File The client file is designed to serve as sales and marketing database as well as a source of information for jobs under construction. Salesrelated information such as lead source, mailing lists and salesperson can be entered and tracked for prospects. Two user-defined fields are also available in the master file. The customer master file in accounts receivable is also used by service receivables, keeping all your billings in one place. SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 17

18 Invoice Entry There are two types that can be entered in accounts receivable. Contract invoices and credit memos update billings in accounts receivable, while a memo type invoice does not update the billed to date amount on a job contract. Both invoice types are posted to the general ledger. Discounts, sales taxes, and retention can all be processed at this point. Sales tax is computed at the line-item level and a table of tax districts can be established to identify tax rates. Retention and discounts are computed for the entire invoice. Cash Receipts Cash Receipts is used to post receipts, discounts, and credits to receivable invoices. Cash receipts for non-receivable transactions must be entered through the general ledger. Credit memos can also be applied to specific invoices during invoice entry. Inquiries and Reports Accounts receivable includes a number of standard reports. The receivable journal is available in four different formats (short, long, aging, and landscape aging) each with four different sort options available. Other reports include the receivables list, receivables journal, receivables ledger, receivables call sheet, client list, client documents, job documents, overdue reminders, pre-lien notices, and sales tax report. Progress Billing You can bill a job, using bid items, cost codes or divisions with respective bid amounts, based on percentage completed. You can calculate the current amount due from a percent complete column or from actual job costs. When you update Progress Billing from cost data, the percentage completed automatically computes and compares the costs to the budget. Progress Billings can be submitted without posting and then posted when accepted. Progress Billing posts directly to general ledger and updates job billings. A contract balance window displaying the original contract amount, change orders and previous billings facilitates the billing process. Retention is computed on a line-by-line basis and also can be partially or fully relieved line-by-line. If using Change Orders, you can bring in approved change orders at the time of billing and have the change orders update schedule of value lines or have each change order be its own line. You use Progress Billing to create a schedule of work completed in a percentage format. The progress bill can be printed on the AIA G702/G703 Certificate or on a generic form design. Once a progress bill is completed, it is posted to accounts receivable. Unitary Billing The systems lets you bill based on number of units completed (rather than % complete) on a line-byline basis. The unit billing can be based upon the job takeoff or the proposal. Retention is calculated on each line in unitary billing. In unitary billing, the original units and unit price, previous billed units and dollars and changes are reflected on the input screen. You only have to enter the current number of units put in place to complete the billing. Time & Materials (T & M) Billing With T & M Billing, you set up a chart for each job according to the chosen mark-ups for labor, material, sub, equipment, and other. Invoices then show details and total the markup, along with overhead and profit as desired. Use this function to bill jobs on a cost-plus contract basis using the job SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 18

19 cost records. When billing by time and materials, you can adjust the costs by a percentage rate. Time and Materials Billing allows you to set the overhead, profit, and tax rates as well as the hidden and shown mark-ups for each of the job cost types: material, labor, equipment, subcontract, and other, plus four user-defined types. It allows you to bill employees and equipment at a specified hourly rate. Labor and equipment billing can be either flat rate or cost-plus. Loan Draw Request You can create draw requests for the bank on a lineitem basis, similar to progress billing, but tailored to loan draws for lenders supplying funds on a construction project rather than contract billings. Loan Draw Request is used to generate and print standard loan draw request forms. Lenders often require a loan draw request that indicates the percentage completed for individual cost codes and the current amount requested. The form is generated for either speculative jobs or contract jobs where the lenders require a loan draw request before issuing funds to the contractor. Service Receivables Cons Shares parts database with other modules Profitability reporting New Dispatch board offers more options for display No PDA capability without 3rd party; however, two 3rd party programs hh2 and IFS Core provide this functionality for Sage 100 Contractor. Service management functionality is integrated throughout Sage 100 accounting, inventory, and estimating. It includes service contracts, service routes, service dispatch, on-call work orders, quotes, point-of-sale, and billing of service work and materials. To better meet the needs of your business, Service Receivables add-on module is offered on a per company basis. This means that all your Sage 100 users are able to use the module s features and functionality. Additionally, for your convenience, the related functionality of Inventory and Service Receivables modules are sold together. When you purchase Service Receivables, the Inventory module comes with it. Or, if you company does not need the Service Receivables module, you can purchase the Inventory module separately. The Service Receivable add-on module lets you manage on-call, point-of-sale, and maintenance contract work. You can track the entire sales cycle from prospect lead to after-sale wrap-up. Service Receivables also give you extensive productivity reporting and user-defined work order and client types. You can build in separate locations for one client, and keep track of client equipment and the date of the last service. You can also create invoices with detail from assemblies and a parts list. If using this level of detail (parts and/or assemblies), the quantities on hand will automatically get updated in the Inventory module. The Service module uses the same parts and assemblies as the estimating module and it can also use flat rate billing and produce a service price book. Service Receivables is not a standalone module; you would still need the core system to use it. You can job cost service work orders and run analysis reports to check profitability by type of service. Service also integrates with Accounts Receivable. SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 19

20 Service Dispatch Board The updated Service Dispatch Board offers a userfriendly interface to help manage multiple technicians and status of calls in either a one-day or 5-day format. You have setup controls to modify your list of technicians or subcontractors/vendors and display them only by status and the ability to zoom in or out on the board. In the new preference setting, you can control what fields show up in the work order and the size of a one hour block on the board. The dispatch board uses color coding to display the type of work order, priority, and location of the service area. Travel time can be easily added to work orders and shows on the dispatch board to ensure technicians are on-time to each appointment. While scheduling, you are notified of potential overbookings through pop-up messages. You can also schedule technicians personal appointments, such as lunch and doctor s appointments, to optimize your service scheduling. And, to make sure all technicians stay on top of the details, you can technicians directly from the board. Choose to specific work orders, all technicians the first work order of the day, or all work orders for the entire day. Lastly, once a work order has been billed, the font on the dispatch board changes to italic to help you stay on top of service billings. Work Orders/Invoices/Credits Screen The tabbed pages detail specific invoice data such as location, dispatch, billing, invoice details, and insurance information as well as allowing you to schedule employees and dispatch jobs. You can assign one of five priority levels to a work order when the Dispatch tab page is displayed. You can drag and drop appointments onto the Dispatch Board and drill down to the appointment detail with just a click. Reporting Available reports are the Client List, the Service Invoice List, the Service Journal, and the Service ledger, the Service Call Sheet, Sales Tax Report and Employee Report. Lead Source tracking is available just by entering the source of the lead selected from the Source list box and tracked with the Advertising Report. The Service Tax Report can automatically create Overdue Reminders. Equipment Management Cons Assistance in computing equipment cost recovery rate Equipment loan payment and tracking Limited to straight-line depreciation Limited preventative maintenance tracking With the Equipment Management module you can track the use, time, and cost of your equipment. Built-in features include both location tracking and charge-out or billing rates. Operated, idle, and standby are the three billing rates used in conjunction with time and materials billing. The Sage 100 Equipment Management module is also used to track equipment use on jobs, including cost and financial information, such as depreciation and loan payments. You can indicate the rate of depreciation for equipment and the account it posted to in the equipment window. Depreciation is automatically posted (using the straight-line method) until the equipment capital balance equals the depreciation balance. When setting up a piece of equipment, you have options in setting up a lender and payment SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 20

21 schedule. Checks for equipment loans can be generated by entering the loan details in the equipment window. The payment date or amount does not need to be entered, since the program updates the field every time a check is printed in the equipment payment part of this module. The program computes the interest for the month from the remaining loan balance, posts the interest to the expense account for equipment interest, and posts the principal to the equipment loan account. When the loan balance reaches $0, the program stops creating checks. Using equipment location you can track the location of your equipment using the last location field. Equipment use is entered through the daily payroll or the equipment cost allocation. Equipment Entry By entering information relating to resource consumption, ownership costs, estimated usage and operating costs, the system will compute your cost recovery rate. This is the rate that can be used to bill equipment cost to the job. When posting equipment costs to job cost, the cost of construction account is debited and an allocated equipment cost is credited. These default accounts are established during general ledger setup. Cost Rates are used to post the cost of equipment to jobs and revenue in the equipment cost file. By knowing the cost to own and operate equipment, you are assured of an accurate cost recovery. Reporting Available reports include Equipment List, Equipment Costs, Equipment Shop Report, Management Report, Maintenance Report, Equipment Documents, Journal, and Ledger. Inventory Cons Uses same parts database as other modules Easy to follow allocation entry screen LIFO, FIFO, and Average costing Locations are numeric only, but you can search by location name. The Inventory parts database is used with estimating to build takeoffs, with Service Receivable billings, and purchase orders. To better meet the needs of your business, Inventory add-on module is offered on a per company basis. This means that all your Sage 100 users are able to use a module s features and functionality. Additionally, for your convenience, the related functionality of Inventory and Service Receivables modules are now sold together. Inventory can also be purchased separately if your company does not perform service work but tracks inventory. Inventory allocation function is used to move inventory between locations, transfer inventory to jobs or equipment or service, revalue inventory, or adjust inventory for shrinkage. Sage 100 Inventory enables you to set up and track inventory at multiple locations. Inventory includes a receiving function. There are two ways to receive items into inventory. For AP clerks performing the task, you would pull up an AP invoice screen, enter the PO number, which would prefill the PO information, then enter the quantities received. This would create the AP invoice, post to the ledger, create job costs (if jobrelated materials), and put the items into inventory. For warehouse employees performing the receiving task, pull up a Purchase Order Receipts screen (located in the Inventory module), enter the PO number, then simply enter the quantities received. This also creates an AP invoice, posts to the GL, SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 21

22 creates job cost (if job-related), and puts items into inventory, but without going into the AP module. Parts Master Part numbers can be assigned both a numeric and alphanumeric number. In this database you can set up preferred vendors, billing amount (default billing rate for service receivables), whether the item is a stock item (regularly carried in inventory) and minimum and maximum reorder quantities. Inventory items can be set as serialized, requiring serial numbers to be entered whenever these parts are received, transferred, shipped, or consumed. Additional information such as beginning quantity, quantity on hand, and average quantity are also maintained. In addition, the system keeps track of a variety of transaction dates for each inventory item (last stocked, last picked, last counted and last purchased). Inventory Allocation When inventory is moved between locations, consumed by the company, revalued, or adjusted for shrinkage, the transaction is entered in Inventory Allocation. All transactions except transfer of inventory between locations update the general ledger. When moving inventory to a job you simply enter the job, phase, and cost code that the material is transferred to. A separate input screen is available for transferring inventory to equipment. During Inventory allocation items are assigned a status to indicate condition. A status of open indicates that the inventory is available. A review status indicates that the inventory order is to be reviewed before shipping. Hold stock lets you reserve inventory for a job or work order (used in service receivables). When inventory is assigned a status of shipped the quantity on hand and the quantities available are reduced. The final status is void. Inquiries and Reports Sage 100 provides a number of inventory reports including inventory allocation (with a wide range of selection criteria available), allocation list (which can be printed with transaction or individual line item notes), quantity on hand, inventory ledger and inventory journal. Purchase Orders Cons Integration with estimating, service, inventory, and accounts payable User-modifiable purchase order form Shares item database with estimating, service receivables, and inventory The user can setup Purchase Order types, including Variance Purchase Orders. Unable to process multiple jobs on a single purchase order The purchase order module features line item cost control, master/sub purchase orders and automatic invoicing. Purchase orders integrates with accounts payable and shares a common database with estimating, service receivables, inventory and accounts payable. The parts database includes a 15-digit numeric field for part number. Part classes can be used to categorize parts within the database. In addition, parts can be assigned a task, which integrates with the CPM schedule. Cost codes and cost types can be entered for use in integrating estimating with job cost. A billing field as well as a grid for pricing by volume is used by service receivable. Sage 100 allows the importation of external databases such as Excel, comma delimited and dbf files from outside SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 22

23 sources such as vendors or parts pricing services. Several vendor prices can be stored for each part. Purchase Order Entry Six PO statuses are available open, review, dispute, closed, void and Master. You can have up to 99 user-defined purchase order types. Purchase orders can be entered manually or exported from the estimating module (including specification notes). Purchase Orders can also be created from system generated RFQs that are ed from the system and returned to the user. In addition, purchase orders, subcontracts, and noncomputed payroll (optional setting when printing) are the basis for committed cost reports. When you create a master PO, subsidiary purchase orders are then used to control the ordering and arrival schedule of the ordered material. Two user-defined fields are available on the purchase order header. There is a user-defined column and unlimited notes per line item. Entry of PO receipts is not required. Reporting Available reports are the Purchase Order List, the Committed Cost Report, the Purchase Order Audit, and the Purchase Order Material list. Scheduling Cons Integrated with Estimating Basic and purchase orders Cash requirements report No resource leveling Scheduling features CPM (Critical Path Management) scheduling. You can create and manage complex schedules and make changes and additions, or see where equipment and employees are scheduled on a time-line. This can be for a specific job or group of jobs. You can also print Gantt Charts and time-line CPM Schedules. Reports include task list, subcontract notices, job wall calendar, resource report, subcontract call sheet, Gantt chart, original/actual, scheduled cash flow, and critical path. The scheduled cash flow report reads the project costs from estimating, the timing from the schedule, and computes project costs per day, week, or month by cost type. Estimating Templates for repeat jobs Bid items and phases Integrated with project management and accounting Update part pricing feature Quick takeoff, item takeoff, and Smart Assemblies Database Builder Wizard Point and click, drag and drop technology Sort estimates by estimator, bid date, job type with Explorer management tool Model estimating, an advanced conceptual estimating tool Industry databases and Knowledgebases RS Means pricing database Advanced Assembly Databases Digitizer support with Standard and Extended etakeoff / eplan Takeoff / Planswift Estimating Basic You can create assembly-based, detailed estimates with global and local variables and formula capability. Your assemblies automatically calculate based on the particular job you are doing. Additionally, the integration of Estimating Basic SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 23

24 with Planswift will allow you to create detailed estimates (or takeoffs) from digital plans. Prices are updated by interfacing with most existing price services or from a generic vendor file. There is also a database update function for the user to update a class of parts by a factor: eg.. increase the price of all framing lumber by 10%. When you look at your take-off, a summary page will appear, showing you a breakdown of take-off costs according to bid item, phase, vendor, task, and cost code. You can automatically create purchase orders, subcontracts, budgets, proposals, change orders, RFPs, and service work orders from takeoff. With the project plans and the parts and assemblies databases, a takeoff can be created. The takeoff not only provides you the ability to determine project costs, but create proposals and budgets. With usercreated formulas, part quantities are determined, and purchase orders can be created. You can even create templates to speed the process of creating takeoffs for your most common types of jobs. Estimating Standard and Extended These estimating modules offer many optional databases. Get industry standard data and regional based pricing with RS Means. Also available are industry-specific Knowledgebases, Advanced Assembly databases. Numerous productivity tools such as Database Builder Wizard, Estimating Explorer, and conceptual model estimating are available. The add-on Estimating Standard and Extended modules comes with a digitizer interface to eplan Takeoff. You can generate counts and quantity takeoffs directly from electronic drawings for instant use in your estimates. eplan Takeoff helps you quickly transfer takeoff quantities and dimensions including lengths, areas, and volumes directly to your estimating spreadsheet. Exporting All three modules allow you to export from estimating to budgets, change orders, purchase orders, subcontractors, and template and grid files for use in building future estimates. Document Control Cons Integrated with accounting and/or fax No meeting scheduling function Limited logs capabilities With Estimating Standard and Extended spreadsheet, everything you need to build an estimate is available with the click of a mouse. It s easy to analyze and fine-tune your estimates. You can rename and move columns around. Open and compare several estimates at once. Even drag items from one spreadsheet into another for quick creation of new or alternate estimates. SAGE 100 CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE REVIEW CTSGUIDES.COM PAGE 24