[an error occurred while processing this directive] Highlights: Estimating

Whether you build one-of-a-kind homes or build from your own plans, CDCI has estimating to establish the cost, materials and work orders for each home.

 • Stick and brick takeoff
If you what to know what goes into a home, down to the very last nail, then you are looking for a detail takeoff feature. You can build assemblies and work with a digitizer to turn 15+ hours of work into 3 hours.

 • Takeoff for custom options
So you have built this house before, but now with the extended deck with hot tub. How much more is this going to cost you in labor and materials? How much should you increase the contract amount to maintain your profit margin? By merging existing information with you new, custom pieces, you know down to the penny where you stand.

 • CDCI's exclusive BOM Builder
Do you offer a selection of plans with different options and elevations? Our BOM (Bill of Materials) Builder streamlines this process. Create your templates with all of the options, then drop them in the community that your will build it. If you work with specific vendors or have different pricing when in different communities, the system will automatically update your costs and vendors.

 • True integration with Budgeting, Purchasing and Scheduling
Your estimate becomes the baseline for your job cost budgets. All you have to do to generate purchase orders and work orders is click "issue". Your schedule is populated with the trade or supplier responsible for the task and the amount of the purchase order. There is virtually no data entry required to start building once you have created your estimate.


Highlights: Purchasing

Your purchase order system is the focus of full cycle cost control. It gives you key control points for planning and monitoring all job expenditures.

 • No data entry errors
If you have an estimate for the home, you already know what you need and who you plan to buy it from or contract it with. When you create a new job from estimating, we auto-generate your POs and WOs. Of course you can edit, reprice or delete them if necessary.

 • Clone sets of POs and WOs
If you are not working with estimating, but you have built this home before, just clone those previous orders for your new home. Update the pricing from your catalog, change the vendors, add or subtract elements, but don't take the time to enter them again.

 • Use your catalog to completely eliminate mistakes
You don't use an estimate, and cloning POs and WOs is not going to help you build a custom home. CDCI makes that easy for you too. We offer a full catalog that contains purchasing packages, individual items and work performed by trade contractors. Simply select the items from the catalog for your PO or WO and you are set. Download current pricing from your vendors or manually update prices to keep your catalog up to date.

 • Issue your POs and WOs by snail mail, email or fax
Only CDCI stores a default method of delivery for each of your suppliers and trade contractors. If your plumber Jane wants her WO emailed, Jim the electrician wants a paper copy mailed, and Home Depot wants the PO faxed, we can handle that. When you issue your POs and WOs all these documents go their merry way. No standing at the fax machine. No emailing individual documents. Sorry, but yes you still have to lick the envelope yourself for Jim the electrician.

 • No invoice entry
Once a project manager marks an activity as completed, CDCI auto-generates the invoice and waits for you to cut the check. We'll make sure he's current on Worker's Comp and General Liability insurances. You know you won't exceed your budget because unless there's been a change order issued, you are going to pay the agreed amount on the PO or WO, right? We know that it's not always that cut and dry, so we also offer flexibility for customer allowances or pricing that is to be determined.


Highlights: Scheduling

With CDCI's true critical path scheduling, you are on top of the job regardless of delays or problems. If it rains for 12 days straight and you can't grade the lot, we'll make sure that your concrete guy knows when he needs to be there. CDCI identifies the critical points that let you know how much room you have for setbacks before it affects the entire job.

 • Auto-create the schedule from your purchase and work orders
Your POs and WOs know who is responsible for doing what, right? CDCI doesn't believe that you should have to enter that information again. As a matter of fact, we think you should be able to use an established template that has all of your basic activities, the order in which they happen, and how long each one takes. Let's take that chart and populate it with the info from your POs and WOs, and you have a schedule.

 • Use the Gantt chart to identify critical activities
Our interactive Gantt chart gives you a perfect view of your progress. Print our newly improved Gantt chart to post on the wall. Identify where your float is so that you know if you can afford to give you framers a day off to go fishing.

 • Send to-do lists to your trade contractors and suppliers
You need to let Charlie know where you have him scheduled for the next month. His to-do list shows where he needs to be, when to be there, and when you expect him to finish FOR EVERY HOME YOU ARE BUILDING. As your schedule changes, send him an updated report for the next week.  • Use a PDA to update your schedule (purists can still use a clipboard)
Sync your PDA and take it out to the field. Mark off activities that are completed. Sync your PDA. Now you have a new schedule that shows what's completed and makes adjustments for anything behind schedule. If you prefer, print out the worksheet and have someone at the office update the progress. Guess what, you don't have to approve stacks of invoices. Accounting knows that the work is completed to your satisfaction.