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SAGE TIMBERLINE SOFTWARE REVIEW

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

USER REVIEWS

• Sage Software
• Sage Master Builder
• Sage Timberline Office 1
• Sage Timberline Office 2
• Sage Timberline Office 3

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• Sage Master Builder
• Sage Timberline

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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.

What kinds of construction projects do you mostly work on?
 
How long have you been using this tool?
 
Where did you obtain it?
 
How much did you pay?
 
How are you using this product?
 
Why did you pick this product?
 
Did you look at other tools on the market before picking this one? What was it you didn't like about them (or made    this product better)?
 
Comparing the way you work now with the way you worked before you bought this tool, what has changed?
 
Can you give us an example of a job where this tool really made a difference?
 
Can you estimate how much time or money you saved or other measurable benefits your firm realized using this    tool?
 
What are the best features (for your business) in this tool?
 
Do you think it's a fair value for the price you paid?
 
What would you change about the product if you could?
 
Are there features that you don't use? Why not?
 
Who would you recommend use this tool?
 
How much computer experience do you think someone needs to use this tool effectively?
 
Did it take much training (or studying) to learn to use this tool?
 
Have you ever called the company's support lines and asked for help? What was your experience like?
 
How would you rate the user documentation? Is it helpful?
 
When the next version of this software comes out, will you upgrade to it?
 
Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this tool?

What kinds of construction projects do you mostly work on?
My organization does new construction, tenant improvements, maintenance and/or refurbishments for Genentech's offices, laboratories, manufacturing site and warehouses.

I have been using Timberline for about 1 year.

I do not know, because it was here when I joined the company.

How much did you pay?
I do not know because the company purchased it.

How are you using this product?
I use Timberline for capital cost estimates for all sizes and types of projects. Each of our projects costs between $50,000 to $250,000.

The company had selected this product before I started working here.

I was not involved in the selection process.

I have improved consistency in my report preparation, as well as provided better and more consistent pricing development. Things sum up and multiply correctly and it appears relatively reliable. Quite often, you would end up creating great big spreadsheets and by the time you reach the summary, someone missed a number, or skipped a row, and it throws the numbers out to lunch. Sometimes you could find the error, sometimes you couldn't.

It has made a difference when doing very similar jobs because now I have the ability to take an existing estimate in a given location and quickly convert it to another location. For example, we are doing an office improvement project over in London. Well, we had a very similar exercise done in Miami that we converted to Chicago and then to London. It was a simple convergence of currency, and we were done in about two hours.

Can you estimate how much time or money you saved or other measurable benefits your firm realized using this tool?
I would say I have seen productivity increase by 20%.

What are the best features (for your business) in this tool?
I find consistent use of the same pricing to be very useful.

Do you think it's a fair value for the price you paid?
Yes.

I would like to see improved user manuals.

Are there features that you don't use? Why not?
No. I haven't discovered all of the program's capabilities yet.

Who would you recommend use this tool?
All estimators.

How much computer experience do you think someone needs to use this tool effectively?
More than two years experience using Excel spreadsheets is important.

Did it take much training (or studying) to learn to use this tool?
You're in a continuous training mode with this program.

Have you ever called the company's support lines and asked for help? What was your experience like?
Yes

The user documentation leaves a lot to be desired. I think the user manual is much more important.

When the next version of this software comes out, will you upgrade to it?
Yes.

Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this tool?
6.5