Sharpe News
Quarterly Construction Newsletter
Inside...
Colorado Civil Takeoffs Finds a Family with SharpeSoft.
Upcoming Updates for Estimator 2024B/2025.
Resilience in the face of disaster.
SharpeSoft Employee Spotlight.
SharpeSoft Estimator Tips and Tricks, featuring the Rounding Sheet!
What does it mean to have a servant's heart?
Colorado Civil Takeoffs Finds a Family with SharpeSoft
The Story
Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, Colorado Civil Takeoffs is a fresh face in the mountainous state’s construction industry. Founded just last year in 2023, it nonetheless still offers decades of rich experience thanks to its accomplished staff. Specializing in the construction takeoff process and estimating for many kinds of civil projects, Colorado Civil Takeoffs promises to bring expert efficiency to the entire Front Range.
The Challenge
With years of experience as an estimator and project manager for fellow Colorado-based companies GLH Construction and NRE Excavation, Colorado Civil Takeoffs owner and head estimator Rick Becvarik has had ample opportunity to build his expertise in project takeoffs and estimating. But after being at the forefront for so many years, Rick decided it was time to take a step back.
“We started Colorado Civil to give me a little more leeway on time, so that I’m not in the same grind of working those 10-hour-a-day jobs.”
Wanting to take charge of his work-life balance and have more free time to spend with his family, Rick stepped away from his previous roles at his previous companies, setting himself up as his own boss and using his time as he saw fit. With that done, he began the search for the software that would be best suited for him.
“I’ve previously used Bid2Win. We only used it for a short period of time… So I only got a month or two’s use of it, but that was actually the time when I first reached out to SharpeSoft because the owner wanted to do an estimating program comparison. They decided not to do anything at that time, but that was my initial correspondence with SharpeSoft.”
Estimator 2024B/2025
Listed below are the enhancements and improvements that will be included in the next release of the SharpeSoft Estimator. This information will also be available to all users in the "What's New" topic in the on-screen Help.
Workflow Navigator
A brand new visualization tool is coming to the SharpeSoft Estimator. Easily steer through the bidding process, from job creation to producing a final report, all thanks to this new interactive dashboard. Ergonomic flow guides the eye through each step, guaranteeing users find exactly what they’re looking for when they need it.
Duct Bank Support in Trench Profiler
The Trench Profiler is already an enormous benefit and tool to users of the SharpeSoft Estimator, which is why we plan on making its success even more refined with the addition of duct bank support. Duct banks are integral to the support process for underground pipe and cable work, and SharpeSoft is proud to add this support in Estimator’s upcoming release.
Catastrophe can occur at any moment, and especially when you least expect it. This autumn’s storm season has proven once again that despite preparedness and expectation, things will never work out how you intend for them to happen.
Hurricane Helene has devastated many communities in the Southeast United States, while the effects of Hurricane Milton upon the area still remain to be seen. There’s no need to recount the tragedy of the destruction wrought upon the people and the environment of the affected areas; we can only hope for their continued safety in these increasingly common troubled times.
It would also be a disservice to all involved to continue doing what clearly isn’t working. Rebuilding efforts are already underway in North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, with millions of dollars already committed. That said, if reconstruction isn’t happening with resilience in mind, these sorts of disasters will continue to happen.
Innovation is Needed
First and foremost is the adoption and implementation of new technological solutions. Climactic events are unlikely to ever go away, or be under control by an acceptable margin. The need for risk management strategies that can account for these deficits is at an all-time high.
Weather has been a historical bottleneck for construction projects all over the country, but especially when compared against delayed work day rates in the Gulf Coast area. Predictive analysis based on past records is the best way to prepare. Products such as EHAB, WeatherWise, and ClimaCover all have proven results.
Building Techniques
Practical solutions must follow reliable data. While there is no easy and cost-effective solution to reducing storm damage risk entirely, there are still methods the construction industry as a whole could be making even greater efforts to adopt.
One such example is permeable pavement. Made up of a solid porous material or composed of nonporous blocks, permeable pavement allows for rain and snowmelt to seep into the underlying layers of dirt and gravel. As an acre of regular pavement produces 10 to 20 times the amount of runoff as an acre of grass, pervious material can help avoid dangerous flooding conditions.
Working Examples
The United States is not the only country that suffers from extreme weather. Looking to some of these other countries that have implemented effective flood aversion techniques may be an ideal way to see success with more immediate results.
The Netherlands is a nation that historically has been heavily affected by storms and flooding, as one of the few countries below sea level, and home to three major rivers. Most recently, the Netherlands has had to prove its resilience against Storm Poly in 2023, and Storm Friederike in 2018. While these storms contributed to huge damages and unfortunate casualties, proportionately the Netherlands came out of these storms alright.
Part of the reason for this is the Netherlands' extensive flood management programs. The Delta Program consists of a series of dikes that protect the country from the worst storm winds while also ensuring clean drinking water is protected. Similar efforts might be what the affected areas of the United States need.
Construction Leads the Way
This isn't all to say that things are hopeless: far from it. With millions of dollars already invested towards rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast and Southeast, it stands to men and women in the construction industry to rebuild our communities.
Recovery efforts are already underway. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has just awarded a Progressive Design-Build contract--the first of its kind--to rebuild two bridges which had been destroyed by Hurricane Helene.
As funding continues to roll out, it's important for companies of all sizes and all work levels to embody this sense of resilience into the future.
Meet Johnathan Craig
How long have you been with SharpeSoft?
"Since the summer of 2018."
What does your job entail?
"I'm responsible for onboarding new clients, getting their database set up, and training them to be successful."
What does your perfect weekend look like?
"Spending time with my family, playing sports with my kids, or a more lazy day filled with video or board games."
What do you think is the most important skill that you bring to the table?
"My adaptability. I'm a quick learner and you typically only need to show me something once for me to pick it up."
What inspired you to join the team?
"Local company. Family values. Wonderful atmosphere."
Take Control of Your Money
The Rounding Sheet is used to round off the bid unit price of your top-level bid items as the final step before printing and submitting your final bid proposal. You can have the system automatically round each item or you can enter the rounded amount for one or all items yourself. Items may be rounded up or down depending on the nearest whole dollar amount.
Make use of dedicated tools to alter your bid until it's ready for that final proposal.
Key Performance Indicators
Key Performance Indicators (or KPIs) are a series of color-coded warning thresholds that will trigger when your chosen parameters are exceeded. Want a warning if your rounded item price is above a certain percentage? Estimator will let you know. KPIs can be set up in the Preferences window, accessible from the Defaults menu.
Bid Item Locks
Once a bid item has been finished or you no longer want it to be affected by the rounding rules, lock it away for later. This will prevent any further editing, cutting back on costly mistakes.
Unit Price to Balance
See exactly how much is left to balance any individual bid item in the Unit Price to Balance field. This allows the freedom to move money where it's needed, while providing a helpful guideline to refer back to.
Having a Servant's Heart
What does it mean to have a servant’s heart?
For the team here at SharpeSoft it means to care for and love others and to put their needs before our own. That is what we strive to put into practice at SharpeSoft with all of our interactions, whether that be with support calls, training, our implementation process, onboarding new clients, and even showing that servant’s heart for those people and companies that are not yet customers.
We take this so seriously that we encourage those we interact with to let us know if we are not walking out what we speak. We want to know if you don’t feel that servant’s heart attitude coming from anyone that you may interact with on the SharpeSoft team.
Why have we taken on this attitude? Because that is what Jesus modeled for us, and we see it here in Mark 10:44-45 which reads:
“And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for man.”
Also, in Philippians 2:3-4:
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Imagine a world where we all had this heart posture. Our hopes and prayers are you feel the love of Jesus in all that you see SharpeSoft doing!
Andy Kitts
Senior Solutions Specialist
SharpeSoft is proud to announce its referral program for all current clients. Ever want some extra cash in your pocket? The referral program provides a $500 Amex gift card for any referral given that results in a new customer of SharpeSoft Estimator.
To take advantage of this huge opportunity, simply follow the link in the button below to fill out a referral form. That's it!
After successfully filling the referral form, keep an eye on your email. Our team may reach out to you to get more information.