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- Newsletter Article -

 

DS|Manage Continues to Grow

By Harry Ludwig
Product Manager - Business Solutions

DynaSCAPE Software

Since the release of the Sales and Estimating module of our new DynaSCAPE Manage Software, we have been getting a lot of positive feedback from our customers.  Our customers are now able to produce accurate estimates in much less and are now able to produce Proposals, Material Lists and Work Orders right from the estimate.  Also, companies have reported greater profitability on a job by job basis than with projects based on their previous estimates.  Companies have also been able to effectively manage their sales pipeline using the integrated sales tracking tools.

We are currently working on some improvements to the Sales and Estimating module.  Among other things we will be adding the following features:

  • A tool for incorporating general conditions into each estimate and spreading these general conditions across the different price groupings of the estimate.  For example, you will now be able to include your design fees in the estimate and then spread this fee across the different price groupings of the estimate.  This can also be used for Disposal Bins, Permits, Site Preparation, Travel Time or any other general condition.
  • We will also be adding the ability add rich text to your proposals to give you the “Word” look and feel that most contractors prefer.  This will enable you to add different font styles, sizes and colors, bullet points, indentation and other rich text content to your proposals.   
  • We will also give users the ability to specify production rates by plant size making it easier to estimate labor for planting jobs.  For instance, if you specified that a three gallon plant would take five minutes to install; thirty minutes will automatically be added to your estimate if you added six plants of this size.

We are also beginning work on the Job Tracking and Costing module which is due out next spring.  This module will give users the ability to track the amount of hours by employee that were spent on a job by task and compare this to the time that was estimated for the job.  This will enable you to ensure that jobs stay on track and that adjustments can be made to your production rates where necessary.  DS|Manage will then allow you to produce a payroll report based on this information.  You will also have the ability to track the actual materials used on the job as well as equipment usage, subcontractor and miscellaneous costs.

This information can then be used to analyze the profitability of each job broken down by work area, category and cost book item.  You will also be able to analyze the profitability of your jobs by sales person, supervisor, foreman, labor type, etc.  You will also be able to determine the accuracy of your estimates and efficiency of your crews by analyzing the differences between your estimated and actual costs for each job or for any segment of your company.

 

Fall 2009 Newsletter Article Links:

  1. Much Anticipated DS|Design v5.3 Released

  2. John Cavill Wins Royal Horticultural Society Medal Again

  3. Pacifica Landscape Works Featured in GardenWise Magazine

  4. 3D Design Survey Results

  5. Understanding the Difference Between Imaging and 3D Software

  6. DS|Manage Continues to Grow
  7. STOP GUESSTIMATING! How a cost-based approach can ensure that your quotes are more accurate, competitive, and profitable