Job order contracting (JOC) is a collaborative construction project delivery method that enables organizations to get numerous, commonly encountered construction projects done quickly and easily through IDIQ or multi-year umbrella contracts. JOC reduces unnecessary levels of engineering, design, and contract procurement time along with construction project procurement costs by awarding long-term contracts for a wide...Continue Reading

The RFP just came out.  You have 30 days to win this IDIQ bid. The clock starts now! You have 2 options to execute this bid: Spreadsheets e4Clicks Project Estimator Spreadsheets: Open a spreadsheet, hope that you can copy and paste from the bid schedule and that you don’t have to recreate it by hand...Continue Reading

Fallout is approaching and we know you are busy! Contracts are being awarded and money is being spent. Facility owners and contractors are starting to walk jobs and prepare for this. Make sure you and your team are preparing now. If you are blessed to have a current delivery order contract, you should meet with...Continue Reading

4Clicks Customers:  All of our Training Playlist videos have been refreshed – and a couple have been added. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCiY9-bygonf6o63Uxg86trx-fMQLZUTP Training 101 — Creating a Project Training 102 — Creating an Estimate Training 103 — Opening Your Pricing Guides Training 104 — Searching RSMeans™ with the Index Training 105 — Searching RSMeans™ with the Favorites Training...Continue Reading

COEFFICIENT: A numerical factor that represents costs (generally indirect costs) not considered to be included in JOC Unit Price Book (UPB) unit prices, e.g. general and administrative and other overhead costs, insurance costs, bonding and alternative payment protection costs, protective clothing, equipment rental, sales tax and compliance with tax laws and contractor’s profit. Contingent costs,...Continue Reading

To: Owners, Contractors, Subcontractors, AEs, Facility Managers, Planners, and Procurement Professionals This online class is perfect if you don’t have time to make it to our 2-Day Introductory training classes but could use some help getting started! Getting started is six hours and designed to get you up and going with e4Clicks Project Estimator or...Continue Reading

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

1. Collaboration – “no successful cost estimator is an island”, It is critical to understand the full scope of any project. Collaboration spans discussions with Owners, Contractors, Subs/Trades about the Projects including; site visits and sharing estimates, jointly reviewing/refining, negotiating estimates, and more! 2. Transparency – Despite what you may hear, there is no “secret...Continue Reading

The Unit Price Book and Technical Specifications will be used to support Job Order Contracts for conventional facility construction at the following installations within the USACE Ft. Worth District; Corpus Christi Army Depot, TX, Fort Bliss, TX, Fort Hood, TX, Fort Polk, LA, Fort Sam Houston, TX and White Sands Missile Range, NM.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

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

You wanted it; now it’s here!  This new 1 day class is designed to provide an overview of construction cost estimating, from conceptual to detailed.  We also cover important related topics such as finding opportunities, leveraging site visits to avoid pitfalls, discussing useful tips to ensure complete estimates, and so much more!   This course is...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

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

e4Clicks Project Estimator Users, please consider attending our SPOTLIGHT WebCast, 8/23/2012, 3PM EST. Re-pricing an estimate for year-end that wasn’t awarded last fallout? Have a new year-end project similar to an existing one you’ve already done? Come join us! We want to show you how you can shorten down the time it takes to finish...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

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

Unit price books are unit price-based cost databases referenced by a particular JOC or SABER contract. In some cases UPBs can be task-based; however, this method doesn’t provide a level of detail consistent with the practices of most construction cost estimators. RSMeans is used in the majority of JOC contracts in the United States (over...Continue Reading