Tips and Tricks for Getting Started with Onscreen Takeoff

The day has finally come: your company wants to join the rest of the electrical estimating world and begin to use onscreen takeoff software. You gather together your highlighters, rules, and physical drawings and wonder, “How will I ever reproduce this on a computer?”

Or perhaps you’re new to estimating and have never rolled a run in your life. Rather than worrying about how to reproduce something on paper into a digital world, you may instead be intimidated by the intricacies of the software. Estimating software has a host of various options, tools, and settings that can be overwhelming to the novice. 

Wherever you’re at on your onscreen takeoff journey, and whatever sort of mix of the two estimators mentioned earlier you may be, have no fear. You can learn to use onscreen takeoff software well, and it can become second nature to you! While not every question will be answered in a short article, there are helpful tips and tricks that can be implemented to help you become proficient and confident with onscreen takeoff.

Decide To Do It!

Getting started is always the most difficult part of any journey. There are many unknowns and unanswered questions that may loom in your mind. Even so, it is time to take the first step: decide that you will learn how to use the software. Other estimators and companies have done it, and you can do it, too! Your path may not be as easy as others, and there may be challenges that are unique to you, your team, and your company, but with the right mentality and attitude, you can learn this new software!

The most challenging hurdle to overcome with onscreen takeoff is typically a defeated mindset. In this scenario, an estimator believes that he/she will simply never be able to learn the software. If there is an underlying belief that it cannot be done, then it will not be done. The estimator will never find the solution to their problem, nor the motivation to get to the next level. If, however, an estimator determines that they are willing to learn a new skill, no matter how challenging, they will often find themselves to use the software with greater proficiency, accuracy, and speed much faster than they ever would have anticipated.

This is especially true of experienced estimators. While learning a new software is not the same as returning to the basics, it can certainly feel that way! In truth, an experienced estimator is learning a new tool. They are not restarting their estimating career. Consider this: a basic understanding of a good tool can yield powerful results in the hands of an experienced estimator. Embrace the struggle of learning a new skill, and enjoy the benefits that you will reap!

Take a Class

If you’re not naturally tech-savvy, enroll in a class! Most onscreen takeoff software will have a training, class, or seminar that you (and/or your team) can enroll in to learn the basics of the software. These can be invaluable for many different reasons. The first is obvious: you will receive a systematic, fundamental understanding of the software. Once you learn the basics of the software and gain a logical understanding of the tool, it will become easier to use the software and problem-solve when challenges inevitably present themselves.

The next benefit, though not as obvious, is that you will open up a line of communication to the software company that you are utilizing. They will learn from teaching you what works well with their software and where they might fall short. If you are particularly interested and invested, you may even be able to offer some input for future patches or iterations of the software. This user-feedback will also be valuable to you, as you may find that your suggestions are implemented in the future.

And finally, you may discover a network of other estimators that you can lean on when you’re facing a particular challenge or looking for best practices in the months and years ahead. But we’ll touch more on this later.

Schedule an Orientation or Trial

Not ready for a class yet? Schedule an orientation with the onscreen takeoff software publisher. Orientations and trials typically offer a basic understanding of the program, and for some tech-savvy estimators it may be just enough to get them started with the software. Orientations typically last between 30 minutes to an hour and a half with a sales representative or customer support specialist. Trials, by contrast, are typically a 24 hours, 7 days, 14 days, or some other time-limited variation. These software trials typically do not offer much interactive user support (i.e. a tech specialist on the phone), but many have some sort of tutorial built into the early phases of the software.

Learn the Basics

For many experienced estimators jumping into the world of onscreen takeoff, they want to be proficient with their new software immediately. This desire is natural, but is extremely difficult to achieve in reality. Instead, expect to be less productive initially as you learn the basics of the new program. Just like learning how to use any new tool, there is always an acclimation period. As you learn the ropes of the software, you will find that your productivity and efficiency will quickly follow suit.

BONUS TIP: Never trust a scale on a digital drawing. Many estimators new to onscreen takeoff will take the scale written on the drawing for granted, but incorrect scales can be the cause of many costly, but simple, errors. There are orders of magnitude differences between a 1/4”, 1/8”, and 1/16” scale. One size too small, and your lengths will all be half of what they should be; one size too big, and your lengths will all be double what they should be. The estimate has the potential to be terribly low or vastly inflated–and neither of these are good for an estimator.

Keep It Simple

At the end of the day every onscreen estimating software has one very simple purpose and use: helping an estimator capture cost. For electrical estimating, the two primary variables that allow us to capture the cost are data often called “counts” and “lengths”--or some other synonym for either of those words. When you first get started with a new software, learn how to get it to produce these simple points of data. Can you accurately and efficiently create new counts and lengths? If so, you’re off to a great start!

Once you’re able to use the software to produce simple counts, you can begin to add some complexity. Learn how to categorize your markups with various columns. Learn how to use other markup tools (like highlighters, shapes, clouds, and lines) to help you keep track of your takeoff and progress. 

After you have a basic understanding of marking up your drawings, learn how to navigate through multi-page pdfs with thumbnails, bookmarks, and hyperlinks.

Introduce Challenges

As you get more comfortable with your tools, begin to customize the tools to your liking. Many onscreen takeoff programs on the market allow the user some degree of customization. What tools do you find yourself using consistently? How can you make them more streamlined to your particular processes? Are there any tools that you never use? Can you find a way to use them? Or can you find a way to hide them?

With many onscreen takeoff programs, a user can typically view multiple drawings at one time. Learn how to split screens horizontally and vertically, or open multiple drawings at the same time to view for reference as you perform your takeoff.

As you modify your tools, consider creating your own templates and toolboxes to help with your general takeoff, or with specific project types. Can you create a custom profile with special views? Take full advantage of the power and customizability of your onscreen takeoff software.

Learn the Shortcuts

Almost all onscreen takeoff software has various shortcuts and keybindings that are simple to learn and memorize but can increase your productivity exponentially. Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V typically work in all programs nowadays, but what else did the developers make available to you? Some software allows users to add drops/rises into lengths, while others allow users to copy a markup into the exact same location on another drawing (which can be very helpful for overlaying an electric room, for example). It is especially helpful to learn the shortcuts for the tools that you find yourself regularly using. Harness these shortcuts to your advantage.

Talk to Others

Not all help is individualistic and specific to just yourself and the software. Should you decide to take part in an orientation, a class, a training, or a super user group, you will find other users with similar challenges as you. These contemporaries and friends can be invaluable to establishing new best practices or tackling challenging software-related puzzles. Learn to reach out to these people when you find consistent challenges–you may find that they already have a solution, or that the solution was right under your nose the entire time. Sometimes we just need a friend to help us see our blind spots.

Have Patience with Yourself

Many estimators give up their onscreen takeoff journey before it even begins. Rather than buckling down and anticipating a challenge with learning how to use a new tool, they will defeat themselves in their mind before they become accustomed to a new approach to takeoff. Expect and embrace the challenge, and you will reap the rewards!

There are many onscreen takeoff programs that users can utilize, and exciting new AI-powered tools are on the horizon! Rather than manually counting devices, AI-powered programs like DRAWER.AI can streamline your process even more by quickly identifying devices and routing branch. Simply set a few parameters, and the software will take care of the rest.

Ready to see the power of onscreen takeoff? Click here to learn more.