97 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
97 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
---
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id:
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aliases: []
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tags:
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- destiny/permanent
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- status/incomplete
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- topic/estimating
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- topic/software
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- type/encyclopedia-entry
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- authorship/original
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title: Construction Estimating Software
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---
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# Construction Estimating Software
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%%
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## TALK
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This note is for describing _existing_, _conventional_
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construction estimating software and patterns.
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## TODO
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Remove philosophy.
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%%
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## Why Not Excel?
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### "Spreadsheet Syndrome"
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Organizations are often hesitant to use excel for complex calculations due to:
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* perceived risk of programming errors
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* belief that specialized software is inherently superior
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#### Rebuttal
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* Estimating software is doing very simple math under the hood.
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* Commercial software is not without risk of bugs.
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* Existing implementations hardly qualify as specialized.
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The idea that specialized software ought to be preferred over monolith spreadsheets is well-founded,
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however, it is the case with construction estimating software
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that the proprietary options are functionally identical to a particularly involved workbook,
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except that they can not be modified to fit new use-cases.
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### Material Pricing
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Apps generally assume users will utilize material pricing services like Supplier Xchange for precise pricing.
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## A Minimal Implementation
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1. Resolve Takeoffs
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2. Extend Items
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3. Labor Extension
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Suppose a minimal
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```json
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[
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{
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"type": "takeoff",
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"attributes": {
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"length": 20
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},
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"assemblies": [
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{
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"item": "EMT Conduit",
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"factor": 1
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},
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{
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"item": "EMT Connector",
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"factor": 1
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},
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]
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}
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]
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```
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```json
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{
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"attributes": {
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},
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"products": [
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{
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"manufacturer": ""
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}
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]
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}
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```
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## Innovative Concepts
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* [[estimating-as-code]]
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* [[optimal-estimating-patterns]]
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* [[estimating-dimensionality]]
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