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This is the third article in the series on Job Spec ... refer to previous issues of Solutions newsletter for related articles. 
When you take off material in IntelliBid, you are presented with one or more questions on the Quantity Dialog screen. We refer to these as Takeoff Prompts. IntelliBid has built-in formulas that use the answers to these prompts to calculate the quantity of each item needed and possibly the labor factor as well. Over the course of a job, you may find yourself answering the same prompts over and over again. Obviously it would be easier and faster if you could answer those questions once at the beginning of the job, and let IntelliBid apply your answers to everything you take off from that point forward. This is the third article in a series covering Job Spec…Takeoff Prompts.
For this article, we will illustrate a fixture takeoff. Begin by registering a new job and setting up three subphases in the phase tree, 1st Floor, 2nd Floor and 3rd Floor. Then go to the Access Bar on the left side of the screen, click on Job Spec, then on Takeoff Prompts. 
Suppose the architectural drawings indicate all bar joist in the building is ten feet above the floor and all T-bar is eight feet. You also generally feed two fixtures from one box. Let’s take care of these prompts first. On the left side of the screen you see the Master Variables used in the program. The first column is the symbol used in the formulas and the second column is the description, which is the exact wording used as a prompt in the Quantity Dialog screen. These are sorted alphabetically by symbol. Highlight AE, Conduit Mounting Height, and click on the Add button to copy this variable to the ‘Preset Job Variables’ list. Double-click the 0.00 in the Value column and enter 10.00. Now select AR, add that to right side. Double-click the value and enter 8. Then scroll down to P and add that in with a value of 2.
Suppose our drawings show the average feet per box is 17 and the average number of wires is 4. Highlight PP, add that with a value of 17. Then scroll back to C and add that with a value of 4. The sequence that you put these in doesn’t matter; they will arrange themselves alphabetically. Finally, for ‘Floors above Grade’, scroll to AB and add this variable with a value of 1. The prompt for ‘Floors Above Grade’ only displays when you set the Labor Factor to ‘Auto’, which we will be doing here. Click on the Save Settings button. Now we’re almost set, except for one thing. Not all of these fixtures are going on the first floor, so we need to address that situation as well. Notice the radio buttons for ‘All Phases’ and ‘Selected’. Click on ‘Selected’ and click the plus sign to the left of ‘Fixture/Branch’ to open up the Subphases. We’ve taken care of the 1st floor. Highlight the 2nd Floor phase and click on the Select Phase button. All of the values we just entered disappear, but don’t worry; we’ve taken care of them. Highlight AB, ‘Floors Above Grade’, click on Add button, use a value of 2 and click on Save Settings again. Click the Phase button again and repeat the process for the 3rd floor, using a value of 3 and finish by clicking on the Save Settings button, then the Close button. 
To set the Auto Labor Factor, select Job Settings from the Access bar and select Auto from the Lab-Fact drop down list. (See the ConEst Summer 2004 Newsletter.) Click on Save Settings and Close.
In Takeoff, select the 1st Floor Phase for Fixture/Branch and take off ‘Fixture Asmy w/Branch’, the first Assembly List:: ‘T-Bar / B-Joist ½” EMT’ and the first assembly: ‘Fluor Prelamp 1x4 Lay-in T-Bar #12.’ Select the type of coupling, connector and ground wire you want. Notice there is only one question: # of Fixtures. Put in 10 for the value and it’s done. Make note of the labor total for this phase. (Note: some IntelliBid databases have a slightly different formula; if you see the ‘Pipe Length’ prompt, enter 17.) Close the Item Library completely, select the 2nd floor and repeat the same process, using 10 for the value again. Notice that the labor total for this subphase is the same as it was for the 1st floor since the labor factor for the number of floors is the same for the 1st and 2nd floor. Finally, close the Item Library completely again, change your subphase to 3rd Floor and take off the same fixture again, using a value of 10 again. Now the labor total is higher because more labor is needed for installations above the second floor and the Auto Labor Factor has taken care of this for you. Note: If you don’t close the Item Library between takeoffs, the program retains the values from the previous takeoff and will not calculate the increased labor for the 3rd floor. So there you have the three parts of Job Spec. When you preset Auto Labor Factor, your estimates will become more accurate and more consistent. When you preset Assembly Groups and Takeoff Prompts your estimates will be faster and easier. For more information on these advanced features refer to the IntelliBid online Help menu under Job Spec, or contact our Training Department at 1-800-662-7687 x 319. | ||
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