With the property sector beginning to emerge from the downturn, busy builders are turning to the latest estimating software to help them deal with a widely anticipated uplift in business.
Taking the hassle out of supplying quotes and estimates, HBXL’s EstimatorXpress has been saving building firm’s valuable time and as inquiries show signs of returning to pre-2007 levels, is a must for those wanting a totally accurate idea on how much a project is going to cost.
Joanna Mulgrew, marketing director at HBXL said the firm’s software had proved its worth through the downturn handling everything from quotes to health and safety compliance and keeping paperwork watertight while builders got on with finding new work.
She now believes those wanting to steal a march on their competitors would be well advised to take a look at the award-winning EstimatorXpress.
Joanna said: “Now we are finally seeing signs of a recovery building firms large and small are looking at significant increases in business inquiries but fast and accurate estimates remain as important now as they were in the midst of the recession.
“The recovery will be driven by two main factors, increasing confidence in the national housebuilding sector coupled with the widespread relaxation in planning regulations.
“This will make it easier for people to add considerably larger home extensions without having to obtain planning permission and will keep the average builder busy over the foreseeable future.”
At the Helm
One company that is already ahead of the game is Pilning-based Helm Construction which has been using a range of HBXL’s software for nearly four years including EstimatorXpress, Health & Safety Xpert, Project Xpert and ContractsXpert.
Specialising in extensions, conversions and new builds for private, commercial and public sector customers across the South West, the business, which employs around 30 people, has witnessed an increase in work and in particular small to medium sized new property developments.
Senior Project Manager, Richard Haworth is now confident that the recovery is well on the way and sees HBXL’s software helping Helm Construction deal with increase in orders.
Richard said: “In the past we would have worked out our estimates using excel spreadsheets or via a bill of quantities. But since using EstimatorXpress our estimating department has become more productive, is less frantic, is more accurate and has speeded up.
“We’re now pricing much more competitively and our win ratio has improved which is great for business.
“Health & Safety Xpert has also helped enormously and means we can produce all the relevant paperwork quickly and easily. Every job we work on is issued with a site pack which outlines all the health and safety issues that the team needs to be aware of.
“It’s much better than getting someone in the office to do it as they would be spending an awful lot of time getting the right paperwork together. We even include example health and safety documentation when tendering for bigger jobs which impresses the customer further.
“We also use Contracts Xpert. It produces plain English contracts stating precisely what work the quotation includes which helps avoid misunderstandings further down the line. Quality and value for money is critical to our ability to provide complete customer satisfaction.”
Joanna Mulgrew concluded: “Helm Construction is a brilliant example of a business taking on board new technology and using it to its advantage. By demonstrating precisely where the money is being spent builds trust and ultimately helps win new contracts.”
For further information on any of HBXL’s software visit www.hbxl.co.uk or call 0845 1234 065.
