Finding The Bottom Line Gets A Gradual Lift From Technology
Estimating is a complex, high-risk, individualized mixture of art and science, which makes the choice of the tools an estimator uses quite a personal thing. So it is really no surprise to find that four decades of digital evolution have led estimators to a limited automation of old practices, the acceptance of few new tools and stubborn resistance to the adoption of new ways.
The loudest debate at present has been going on for decades. It involves the fundamental choice of whether to start with a generic spreadsheet or use specialized estimating software. Some estimators prefer to mix their own colors by setting up their own spreadsheets. Others prefer the speed and efficiency of the pallets of features offered by the dozens of competing estimating software packages.