Digital Takeoff Extensions
November 09, 2009
The days of manual takeoff procedures in construction are slipping more and more by the wayside. As the desire for digital content accelerates, the role of construction technology providers in facilitating the proper tools continues to evolve.
Digital takeoff technology, which allows estimators to measure areas and lengths on the computer rather than through paper-based methods, is gaining in prominence across the industry. Construction technology providers continue to enhance offerings and form new alliances to help further this trend.
On Center Software, www.oncenter.com, The Woodlands, Texas, announced its newest business partner, Hard Dollar, www.harddollar.com, Tempe, Ariz., which specializes in project cost management systems for heavy/highway contractors. Under the agreement, On Center’s On-Screen Takeoff software will be available for purchase through Hard Dollar, but much more than that, it will create a new level of integration between the two that aims to help streamline the process of managing cost and productivity.
Hard Dollar says this will allow users to apply quantity results from On-Screen Takeoff directly into Hard Dollar's Project Cost Management 5D-BIM (building information modeling) server. This is a product Hard Dollar introduced in April, which integrates CAD (computer-aided design), estimating, scheduling, project control data, and accounting together, enabling access to all of this data at any point during the project. The company defines the fourth-dimension as scheduling and the fifth dimension as cost.
The integration with On Center continues on a trend for Hard Dollar of integrating with some of leading technology applications. Most notable are its integrations with scheduling applications from Oracle Primavera, www.oracle.com/primavera, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., and Microsoft Project, www.microsoft.com, Redmond, Wash., which allows users the ability to convert CAD data into a production-based cost and resource-loaded schedule.
This announcement also continues on a trend for On Center as well, partnering with leading technology providers across the construction space. Rather than reinventing the wheel--so to speak--many leading estimating providers have partnered with On Center, providing users with access to this digital takeoff tool. Such partners include MC2, www.mc2-ice.com, Memphis, Tenn., and McCormick Systems, www.mccormicksys.com, Chandler, Ariz., among others.
Results from the 2009 Constructech IT Playbook showed On Center’s On-Screen Takeoff was the most widely used digital takeoff tool. A poll of Constructech readers showed roughly 55% of respondents use it as their primary digital takeoff application.