Extreme Estimating 2010 features a host of new tools that have been introduced to save time and reduce costs in this key business area. Tighter integration with pricing data is combined with higher visibility of core information and enhanced communication with suppliers. Many of these new features are designed to help users tailor the software to their preferred way of working and bypass time consuming routines.

Finding favourites fast
Frequently used items in the pricing database can now be added to a favourites list that is accessible from the take-off screen, just like favourite sites can be stored in a web browser, allowing fast access as the estimate is created. For even greater flexibility, the favourites list can be customised to group items within a folder tree, so you can organise your own favourites to suit the way you work using a familiar hierarchical folder configuration of main and sub folders. Favourites can also be accessed from the pricing database browsing screen.

Automatic supplier discounts
Exchange of information with wholesalers and merchants has been greatly streamlined with the ability to export discount groups from the pricing database to spreadsheets. This time saving feature is particularly useful when a large discount group containing many items has been built up using the wizard, as this can now be exported directly to Excel for emailing to suppliers. Suppliers can then enter their discounts directly and return the completed spreadsheet – which is imported directly into your database, saving time and reducing the risk of typing errors.

Quick price check
Many of our users like to double-check prices as they build the estimate so it’s useful to be able to access current pricing information as quickly as possible. To save time, therefore, a new feature allows you to check product prices
from anywhere in the software simply by pressing the F12 shortcut key.

Cost break down by area
Analyse estimate cost breakdown by area (sq m) using the BCIS standard form of cost analysis (SFCA) structure, to be adopted by the UN, to aid budget estimating and cost comparison.

‘Instant’ calculator facility
To save time when entering take-off quantities for items, you can now instantly call up an on-screen calculator to speed up calculations such as ductwork lengths or cable drops.

Keeping prices up to date
With rapid fluctuations in materials prices it’s important to keep the pricing database up to date to ensure that estimates are based on the most current prices. A new feature introduced to the main estimating screen shows the date and issue number of the last update, and will also generate a warning when no update has been run for four weeks or more, prompting the person responsible for data maintenance and downloads and installs the most current pricing database.

Higher visibility of cost distribution
New audit visibility features provide you with the ability to see, at a glance, what values have been distributed on takeoff lines.

Extended customisation
Built-in customisation features have long been a feature of Extreme Estimating and these have been extended to make it easier for you to tailor the software to your preferred working methods. In addition, the customisation of reports has been augmented to assist personalisation, such as the addition of your logo to estimate reports.

Extreme Estimating 2010 features a host of new tools that have been introduced to save time and reduce costs in this key business area. Tighter integration with pricing data is combined with higher visibility of core information and enhanced communication with suppliers

As well as incorporating new features for managing electronic transactions more efficiently,in line with changing work practices and preferences, Costing & Accounts 2010 incorporates a host of productivity features designed to save time in everyday tasks. Record keeping functions have also been upgraded to facilitate fast access to key information.

Job Costing™ and Accounts™ 2010
As well as incorporating new features for managing electronic transactions more efficiently, in line with changing work practices and preferences, Costing & Accounts 2010 incorporates a host of productivity features designed to save time in everyday tasks. Record keeping functions have also been upgraded to facilitate fast access to key information.

Meets new VAT requirements
A separate VAT ledger has been introduced in Accounts which enables you to keep track of your submitted VAT returns and payments. It also enables you to submit electronic VAT returns directly to HMRC using the Government gateway. This ensures that you comply with new regulations designed to phase out paper returns coming into force on 1st January 2010. The new regulations apply to new companies registering for VAT and any company with an annual turnover above £100,000.

Improved logging of communications
A Contact Log has been added to the job screen in Costing which allows you to keep a record of all communication made to the client, site, suppliers, subcontractors or additional contacts assigned to the job. The Contact Log has the ability to generate emails and log telephone calls, site visits, reminders etc. It also automatically records the emailing of purchase orders and sales invoices to your suppliers and clients.

Enhanced job forecasting screen
The popular job forecasting feature in Job Costing has now been extended to allow users to also forecast and analyse their project revenue.

Full integration with latest Sage Line 50
Full integration between Job Costing and the Sage Line 50 2010 release ensures ongoing compatibility for transferring Job Costing information to this popular accounts package.

New and enhanced reporting functions
Costing & Accounts are vital in controlling the financial health of your business, job by job and across all projects. New and enhanced reporting functions ensure high visibility and easier sharing of business-critical information.

New profit and loss report
Brand new to Job Costing is the Profit and Loss report, which displays estimated and actual costs, sales and profit – all grouped at job level – and also calculates the variance between the estimated and actual profit. This powerful new feature allows you to keep an even tighter rein on project costs and home in on issues before they become major problems.

Enhanced payroll costing functions

• Show running totals for the pay elements to aid checking
• Automatically flag up any new employees which have been added to Sage Payroll
• Enhanced Payroll Summary and Payroll Analysis report
• Enhanced Payroll Summary report now includes the Cost Type description

Electronic payment definitions
The newly introduced user-defined output option provides greater flexibility in how electronic payments are managed, allowing output files to be defined before passing to the bank for non-BACS electronic payments. The BACS export facility has also been enhanced to collate multiple payments to the same account into a single payment

Faster management of incorrect postings
A new ‘Corrections’ facility in accounts allows you to delete individual transactions or batches of transactions that have been incorrectly posted. This feature is controlled by user permissions and the details of the deleted transactions are stored in the database so that they can be reported on for auditing purposes.

• Display company registration number on reports
• Ability to filter labour detail across jobs and report by period in Costing
• Use VAT code assigned against supplier as default VAT code on direct invoice
• New and enhanced reporting functions, plus the ability to include MCD or retention
• Fail-safe facility to prevent documents being deleted in Costing when they have been posted in Accounts
• Enhanced notification of subcontractor CIS/insurance expiry details.

Service Manager Plus 2010 introduces a range of powerful and innovative new features that enable more efficient and detailed management of service and maintenance activities – contract by contract and across the entire operation. Improved integration with other programs is combined with refined information management functionality to save time on everyday tasks while also enriching the level of information that is quickly and easily accessible about each contract and about each job.

Integration with AMTECH’s FastTest Test & Inspection software
Close integration with FastTest, the market leading electrical Test & Inspection software, means that the electrical test element of a maintenance task can now be added to the Service Manager Plus job. This new feature ensures that electrical test information is included in the overall Service Manager Plus report, while also saving time by eliminating duplication of data entry.

Enhanced printing of the engineer worksheet
Reporting features have been developed in a number of areas, including the ability to print information returned from SMP Mobile for maintaining hard copy files. Crucially, information that can be retained in both hard copy and electronic format includes the customer’s signature on the worksheet – along with a wide selection of other details relating to each job.

Enhanced filtering functions
Filters provide an easy and fast way to sort information and home in on the data you need - and SMP 2010 incorporates a number of refinements to the inherent filtering functionality. As well as broadening the range of default grid filter options, we have enhanced all filter options to make them more flexible and easier to use. Users can also delete any filters they do not want to use.

Simplified data storage
Another great new feature is the simplified storage of data within the database, making it easier to understand table relationships when producing your own reports. As a result, it is now much easier to produce detailed reports that make full use of the information available.

System-wide job cost grid
Higher visibility and improved analysis of costs have been greatly facilitated by the introduction of a system-wide costs grid that allows you to view Service Manager Plus costs for contracts/site.

Enhanced job response history
New features to improve the flow of information through the software include the function to update the Response History of SMP jobs when material requisitions are raised within the Job Costing package.

Enhanced capture of signatures and images
Information about each job can now be enriched by attaching a wide range of additional files while on site, such as photographs of the equipment etc. This new feature within SMP Mobile greatly enhances the information management functionality of the program and facilitates more detailed record keeping. For example, an engineer may choose to photograph plant room conditions if these affect the ability to maintain certain plant items, providing evidence for discussion with the customer. All additional information can also be printed onto worksheets if required.