B2W Software

P. Flanigan & Sons, a Baltimore-based contracting company specializing in transportation-related construction projects and materials, was seeking a replacement for spreadsheets to streamline their estimating process. The company initially purchased estimating software from another supplier, but the system proved difficult to use. After a 30-day trial, they opted out. The company needed a solution that was easy to use and could provide a comprehensive view of all costs associated with a job. They also required a system that could meet the specific bid structure requirements of large general contractors while maintaining their own established ways of preparing bids.

Pace Construction, a company based in St. Louis providing heavy highway, bridge, and asphalt services, was previously using Hard Dollar (now InEight) to estimate and bid their jobs. However, they were unsatisfied with the system for a number of reasons. The system was described as 'overkill' with many extraneous packages that were not needed, and features like custom reports, which were needed, were not included. The implementation of user suggestions was slow, and there was no way to access information if they decided to switch to another estimating system.

R.D. Johnson Excavating Company, based in Lawrence, Kansas, was facing challenges with their traditional pencil and paper method of estimating projects. The company specializes in excavating, grading, paving, utilities, and materials. The manual method of estimating was not efficient and lacked strategic planning. The company was looking for a solution that could streamline their bidding process, especially for repetitive bids such as utility work and street work projects. The company also wanted a solution that could handle large scale projects with ease and keep track of each item that they bid.

The University of Washington's Civil and Environmental Engineering program aims to prepare its students for real-world construction-related professions. A significant part of this preparation involves familiarizing students with actual tools used extensively in heavy construction, such as the B2W Estimating Software. The challenge lies in effectively integrating this software into the curriculum and ensuring that students gain valuable experience with it. The university also aims to expose students to the estimating concepts and workflows behind the tool.