Still printing off drawings, using highlighters, and scribbling on takeoff pads? The time has come to join the technological boom of onscreen digital takeoff! While there are certainly strengths to the old-school manual method of takeoff, digital onscreen takeoff is the new king, and it's here to stay.
We're going to discuss why estimators should be using onscreen takeoff to increase their speed and accuracy, their ability to double-check their work, and their ability to explain their estimates. We'll also discuss emerging onscreen takeoff technology.
What is Onscreen Takeoff?
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Onscreen takeoff is captured by an estimator utilizing software to view and markup drawings on a computer. There are quite a few different options for estimating software, and a few well-established powerhouses. Any worthwhile onscreen takeoff software, however, will have the ability to capture counts and lengths (commonly referred to as markups within most software) and export them to some sort of spreadsheet.
The purpose of exporting markups to a spreadsheet is to allow the estimator to manipulate the information for various input purposes, but most especially to be able to track what has been input into their estimating software. Some estimating software has simple input-tracking methods built-in (e.g., a checkbox column within the markups list).
Computer-based takeoff software has significantly impacted the electrical industry, and now new AI-driven software is pushing the cutting edge of on-screen takeoff. Programs like DRAWER AI allow a user to upload their drawings into the software, and the AI will count devices and route branch, and export that data to a spreadsheet.
Users can also adjust parameters so that the AI performs takeoff in a custom way specific to the desires or approach of an individual estimator. What's more, the AI will train itself based on the provided symbols and legends. It can also route branch (or adjust routing) faster than a human could ever hope to, as well as see devices that might go unnoticed or overlooked.
DRAWER AI is also implementing various quality assurance measures that enable users to quickly and easily identify elements in the drawings that require an experienced human eye for proper evaluation.
Advantages of Onscreen Takeoff
Speed, Accuracy, and Convenience
Need to go fast? Onscreen takeoff is simply faster than the manual alternative. Getting started is as simple as downloading your drawings and opening your software of choice. For manual methods, the estimator typically downloads the drawings, sends them to a printer, has them printed (either by another company or in-house), picks up the drawings, and then must unfurl them to begin their takeoff.
Onscreen takeoff software typically has some sort of toolbox that estimators can customize to their liking and use consistently. These custom tools are a click away at any given moment, and devices can be quickly counted and adjusted if a device is overlooked no need to grab an eraser and write a new number, and no need to worry about your handwriting or organization. The accuracy of quickly adding to a run of devices eliminates a point of failure and thus increases the trustworthiness of an estimator's takeoff.
Lengths are also easily and accurately rolled off on digital drawings. Rather than dialing-in a scale on each drawing and worrying about how much the wheel rolls as it's taken off the drawing, the digital onscreen equivalent is pinpoint accurate.
In fact, its accuracy is so great that estimators may find that rounding to the nearest whole number or nearest ten might be best for estimating purpose. Why? It's much easier to buy a 10 stick of EMT than 7.28456 of EMT.
The convenience of starting takeoff as soon as the drawings are downloaded with the same customizable tools is something that previous generations of estimators could only dream of, but it is now an everyday reality.
Easier Takeoff Input
Inputting takeoff into estimating software is also a more streamlined process with onscreen takeoff. Rather than flipping through individual pages of takeoff pads, an estimator can simply move through their spreadsheet and input their takeoff with ease.
The estimator can also easily manipulate and organize their takeoff data to match their desired output (or, said another way, to fill out a complex bid form). Want to sort your takeoff by drawing or system, or markup type? Easy. Want to add a new attribute to your takeoff to capture a challenging bid item? Also, easy. Want to find a specific takeoff that seems like an error? Again, easy.
Any and arguably all of these would be challenging tasks with paper takeoff. The QA/QC of digital onscreen takeoff is also vastly improved over the paper takeoff method. With paper takeoff, each estimator has various methods of keeping track of their takeoff and input, as well as how accurate their input may have been.
For example, how easy is it to retrace branch routes on paper takeoff? With digital onscreen takeoff, the information that an estimator attributes to any given markup can be easily found and identified. Typically, it is much easier and faster to identify and fix errors with onscreen takeoff than it is to do so with paper takeoff.
Using Onscreen Takeoff as a Sales Tool: "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words".
Until now, we have largely covered the takeoff and input aspects of onscreen takeoff, but we have not discussed how it can be used to win a project. It is said a picture is worth a thousand words, and it cannot be truer than when an estimator is able to show a General Contractor how they routed a challenging feeder or how they approached a dense room filled with branch conduit.
Try quickly showing routing of a particular feeder to a General Contractor with large print drawings. Will the estimator take a photo and send it via email? Or text? Digital onscreen takeoff allows an estimator to get on a Microsoft Teams or Zoom call and answer the General Contractor's question while also building trust.
There may be many questions that a General Contractor would like to ask, and seeing the drawings with all of the markups can answer many small unasked questions while also establishing trust in a well-produced estimate.
Get Started Today.
There is no better time than the present to adopt the latest technology! Using onscreen takeoff may seem daunting to the uninitiated, but it can be grasped and appreciated very quickly if given the proper time and effort. With so much to gain in speed, accuracy, convenience, efficiency, and potential profitable wins, there's not much of a downside to adopting onscreen takeoff! And while you're looking, why not also see what's on the cutting-edge of onscreen takeoff with DRAWER.AI?
Get started here and register for a live demo!
