As I mentioned last month, most
estimating software programs can be
broken down into five parts: (1) the
price book or database; (2) the takeoff
or bidding section; (3) the report section;
(4) the utilities section; and (5)
the user/computer interface.
Everyone that sells estimating software
has a different name for the
database. Price book, work code list,
items listing, repair list, parts list, and
so on. Whatever the programmers
decide to call it, this is the part of the
program where you record the list of
things that you do in your business.
Most of the folks who author estimating
software include their own
database as a part of their program.
Their list should be used only