4Clicks is excited to open our Getting Started class to our strategic business partner, RSMeans! We are now offering a co-branded online training class to serve e4Clicks and JOCWorks clients alike! This online class is perfect if you don’t have time to make it to one of our 2-Day Introductory regional training classes but could use some...Continue Reading

There are several ways to organize estimates. A very small project can be organized using one estimate, while a large project may require up to 10 or even 15 estimates. In the case of 4Clicks’ Project Estimator users, most have multi-year contracts (3 to 5 years in duration). During a multi-year contract, many projects may...Continue Reading

Join us in Las Vegas, NV for our awesome classes! Take advantage of an opportunity to bring your estimating skills to the next level! 1. The last scheduled 2-day Introductory Course for 2013 – June 19th – 20th 2. 4Clicks’ Estimating with RSMeans – June 18th Our 2-Day Introductory Class is perfect for new e4Clicks...Continue Reading

I recently saw these questions on Linked-in. “Is asking for an estimators/contractors breakdown and takeoff for their proposal a fair request?” “How much information should an estimator give?” In our worlds of JOC and SABER asking detailed unit price breakdowns is not only a reasonably request, but standard practice. Detailed line item estimates, including line...Continue Reading

1-Day Training Class – San Antonio, TX – May 17th, 2013 Who Should Attend? Estimators, Project Managers, Contractors, Owners, AE’s If you currently use RSMeans Cost Data for line item estimating or work on government JOC, SABER, IDIQ, or similar projects…or would like to…this course is for you! REGISTER TODAY Cost: $149.00 per attendee.Continue Reading

Our “2-Day Introductory Class” for e4Clicks Project Estimator is coming up soon, March 13-14, 2013 in Las Vegas, NV. We also are offering a NEW course, “1-Day Construction Cost Estimating 101, featuring RSMeans Cost Data” at NO CHARGE, on March 12, 2013 at the same location. Participants of our 2-Day session are welcome to come...Continue Reading

Just a quick note on the importance of teamwork to you SABER and JOC programs. While we all know the value of Owners, Contractors, and AE’s working together, it’s also important that Procurement, Planning, and PMs/CEs and DPW staff work together. Everyone working with the same data, within software tools; not only saves time, but...Continue Reading

Join us in the Springs! e4Clicks Project Estimator Introductory Class – October 17th and 18th 4Clicks will be hosting our awesome 2-day introductory training session in Colorado Springs. Work directly with e4Clicks Project Estimator and do actual detailed item cost estimates with RSMeans Cost Data. You will even take a quick look at Visual Cost...Continue Reading

“The problem with the AIA approach to IPD is it is inherently anti-architect. It explicitly reduces the traditional influence of architects at early stages of a project when the design is being developed. It reduces the influence of the main driver of design excellence, the architect.” While the AIA implementation of Integrated Project Delivery may...Continue Reading

Maintaining balance across the financial, environmental and operational aspects of every decision, every material and every system. Job Order Contracting – JOC and SABER are great construction delivery methods for sustainability projects. JOC and SABER allow more projects to be done on-time and on-budget, by local contractors who are motivated to succeed.Continue Reading

Some of us may believe that “leaving construction and that in the hands of the professional contractors” is the solution to the inefficiencies of our industry. In reality, lack of a collaborative approach to construction among Owners, Contractors, and AE’s is the primary source of most cost overruns, legal issues, and overall poor project management....Continue Reading

The Value of Dynamic Costs for Job Order Contracts: Adjusting the costs within a Unit Price Book (UPB) on a regular basis, typically each year, helps to mitigate risk for both the Owner and Contractor by more accurately reflecting actual costs. UPBs can be research and republished annually to reflect a higher degree of accuracy...Continue Reading

While accurate, timely, and transparent cost estimating is critical to the success of any renovation, repair, sustainability, or new construction project, most construction cost estimators (over 55%) continue to rely primarily upon manual methods, hard copy documents, or electronic spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel. Lack of robust business processes, management practices, proper education and training,...Continue Reading

It’s amazing how many cost estimators exclusively use spreadsheets. In end, this practice creates more problems than it solves. Certainly spreadsheets play an important role, however, study after study has proven them to be inefficient and prone to error when collaboration is required, or when relatively sophisticated databases are commonly used. The solution for Owners,...Continue Reading

Traditional methods such as design-bid-build and even “newer” methods such as design-build are not fully collaborative. The net result is information is not shared by all parties and adversarial components of these methods typically lead to mistrust and waste. Integrated project delivery (IPD) and Job order contracting (JOC), the later also referred to as “IPD-lite”...Continue Reading

Job Order Contracting (JOC), and Simplified Acquisition of Base Engineering Requirements (SABER) are both forms of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). They are collaborative, transparent, performance-based construction delivery methods that significantly improve productivity vs. traditional design-bid-build. Procurement and project timelines are decreased, change orders are virtually non-existent, and longer term relationships exist between Owners, Contractors and...Continue Reading

Owners, Contractors and Subcontractors, 4Clicks is hosting an upcoming Regional Training Class in Las Vegas, and we’d like to invite you and your team to attend! This two day class is perfect for brand new e4Clicks Project Estimator users and those who could benefit from a refresher course. A great chance to sharpen your estimating...Continue Reading

Reminder to reserve your space before it’s too late! Great if you are new to using e4Clicks for JOC, SABER, IDIQ, SATOC and MATOC projects and RSMeans Cost Data, or simply need a refresher course. Join your fellow estimators, contractors, A/E’s, and contracting professionals for a hands-on and FUN two days of training. Our “teachers”...Continue Reading

Is a Maintenance and Repair under a JOC contract, and/or construction considered “Performance Based Service” or does it have its own category in terms of the FAR interpretation? Administering task orders on an IDIQ Job Order Contract for Maintenance and Repairs should always include appropriate legal review, and we are not qualified to offer, nor...Continue Reading

Masterformat, Uniformat, and reference cost databases such as RS Means Construction Cost Data are important “best practices” for enabling facility Owners, Contractors, AE’s, and oversight groups to achieve higher productivity, accuracy, and transparency for all construction, renovation, repair, and sustainability projects. – MasterFormat is a standard for construction unit price line items for commercial and...Continue Reading

Visit the our new Cost Estimating and Project Management FORUM at 4clicks.com/forums and discuss a wide range of items: Visual Estimating, RSMeans Cost Data, UPBs, BIM, Contract Management, Project Management, JOC, SABER, IDIQs, MATOC, SATOC, MACC, Estimating… it’s up to you! This is an open site for Owners, Contractors, and AE’s to share information. Visit...Continue Reading

As usual it wasn’t the presentations or booths that provided great insight, but rather discussions with key industry thought leaders. All concurred that BIM is NOT what the products currently being offered by Autodesk, Graphisoft, Bentley Systems, et al.  But rather BIM is primarily the INFORMATION required to better manage facilities throughout their lifecycle.  Thus...Continue Reading