Topical Info Center for Sage Software
Helpful Guides and Articles
User Reviews
Arizona American Water, which provides drinking water, waste water and related services to residents and businesses in the region, is using Timberline to amass a wealth of company cost-data to evaluate the performance of capital projects and capital budgets, said Raymond Yang, who works from the company's Phoenix office.
"We can use the average costs-per-length of pipes or per MG for water storage tanks, to evaluate budgeting of annual capital projects of these types," he said. "I'd recommend it to any company that manages assets, as well as the delivery of assets by managing capital projects."
Although Yang found Timberline's user documentation lacking in detail and usability, the vendor's technical support staff is helpful. "Timberline's help desk was very useful. They can answer specific questions on issues, and are able to provide both clarification or direction on how to get things done," Yang noted.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10 rating.
Genentech relies on its in-house construction specialists to add offices, laboratories, manufacturing sites and warehouses to meet the demands of its rapidly growing biotechnology and pharmaceutical business. About a year ago, these construction professionals replaced their spreadsheet-based capital estimating system with Timberline software to manage their projects, which Igor Mac Kay reports range in cost from $50,000 to $250,000.
Mac Kay states, "I have improved consistency in my report preparation, as well as developed better and more consistent pricing. Things sum up and multiply correctly and it appears relatively reliable."
Having eliminated the need to back-track to try and locate errors or typos that were normally made with the previous spreadsheet system, the team's ability to prepare capital cost estimates sped up dramatically. In fact, as a result of using Timberline, Gentech's, productivity has increased about 20%. In addition, Mac Kay reports much improvement due to the system's ability to convert information. A team now can take existing information and quickly adapt it to meet a similar project's needs in a different locale, he said.
While Timberline's software is strong, the user documentation leaves a lot to be desired. Mac Kay explains that because of the documentation's short-comings, hands-on training is ongoing in order to make the most out of the solution's wealth of capabilities.
Rating: 6.5.
After using Timberline for job cost accounting for the past five years, Kelly Runge has seen a significant reduction in "the time that our payroll clerk used to incur doing manual calculations. That also resulted in a corresponding reduction in human errors. In addition, valuable time is saved in the way we are able to obtain job costing in real time as we need it -- daily, if necessary. When we have short duration jobs that can be crucial."
"I would estimate that the change in payroll processes reduced manual entry by up to 10 hours per week -- and that was with half as many employees as we currently have," Runge explained. "The ability to provide our project managers with detailed, timely job cost reports has allowed for immediate billings, thereby improving cash flow. Information is readily available for our PM's, which allows their assistants and our accounting personnel to focus on their normal tasks."
For the fully integrated accounting, job costing, and equipment management applications, Elexco paid $15,000, and Runge feels that Timberline provides good value. He recommended it to general or specialty contractors, adding that it would benefit "anyone who wants a system they won't outgrow and understands the value of being with a leading manufacturer."
One criticism is that while upon initial purchase good training and manuals were provided, "Timberline has gotten away from that and has encouraged utilizing the website and local consultants. If you are fortunate to find a good consultant, that's fine. However, I believe experienced consultants are in short order -- no matter what product you have."
Runge stresses that training is the key to using Timberline effectively, and the best method is "on the job" training. While "basic data entry can be accomplished by someone with limited skills, to make the most of the system, it takes someone with a better grasp of what happens 'behind the scenes' to provide full utilization and implementation."
With the proper training and a good transition plan, Runge would rate Sage Timberline Office an 8 out of 10 overall.
For 10 years Dion Langness has used Sage Estimating software for estimating costs, generating proposals and scheduling work. Before spending $2,000 for the software, he looked at other products and found that most are similar, but the deciding factor was the availability of local help. "that ensured my chances of using it would be higher," Langness said.
There were many benefits, most notably in assessing whether we should self-perform the work, or select subs who provide bids. "All the details are at our fingertips to make decisions," Langness said. He added that this has not only proved valuable in the decision making process, but has cut estimating time in half, while still allowing for things like "a more detailed estimate analysis or a chance to bid on more work."
Helpful features include the "Excel ease of use with database engine, and many things that reduce duplication, transfer, and organization. Smart assemblies are also a great feature, as they allow variables to dictate materials, labor and equipment costing in one step."
Sage Estimating software was less of an investment than Langness originally expected. "Learning how to use the program is very easy," he said. "Getting the database to fit our specific company's needs takes time, but the time is well worth the value received."
Langness would like to see the addition of "a specific 'bid day' function," and he has no use for the metric conversion feature, but these points are minor. He would recommend Sage Estimating software to "any contractor who self-performs work and wants to save time, increase accuracy, and improve their estimating success and profitability." Very little computer experience is necessary to use Sage Estimating software, he said, but having experience with Excel helps.
Regarding support, Langness said, "The online knowledgebase, built-in Help, and phone support services provide the assistance we need." And now that Langness is also a Sage business partner, he noted, "A national customer service award identifies Sage as responding to 80% of its support calls in less than two minutes."
He will consider upgrading in the future, "as small improvements can have a very large impact on our estimating processes and requirements." Overall, Langness rates the current version of Sage Estimating software a 9 out of 10.
For small to medium-sized businesses, Master Builder can save significant time and money over basic programs such as QuickBooks and Peachtree accounting software. "Estimating time is cut by about 50%, payroll processing another 25%," Dion Langness said. "Approximately 50% is saved in generating construction specific reporting." There is also a significant reduction in errors.
With a price tag of $2,595 for the job cost accounting and construction project management applications for a single user, Master Builder is an affordable solution. It is also very easy to use as there is good integration between the modules, and there aren't a lot of "bells and whistles" that don't get used. "Very little experience is needed," explained Langness, a software consultant based in Minnesota. "Configuration, setup, and data conversion is simpler than most systems because of its structure. Most people who use it are bookkeepers and office manager level personnel."
According to Langness, the best features of Master Builder are estimating integration, Project Work Center and executive dashboards for those interested in the company's financial details. With setup, training, online courses, and award-winning customer service provided by Sage, the user is supported during every step of the implementation process.
However, what is needed is a more powerful and flexible dispatch board in the service management application, as the dispatch board is available for only one day at a time. Another shortcoming for larger service departments is the lack of "skill checking" when a work order is created, which would assist the dispatcher in knowing which technicians have the appropriate skills or certification to perform the service call.
Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, Langness rated Master Builder a 10 for value, and an 8 for flexibility and customization of tools.
