The rapid pace of contemporary business is bundled with expediency and complexity. In commercial construction this trend means contractors must be able to provide information, specifically "numbers," on short notice.

Driven by a combination of improved building practices, time-sensitive financial considerations, and technological advances, customer expectations now include a nearly immediate turnaround on new numbers.

"If a customer wants to make changes in the design, he needs to know ASAP how the bottom line is going to be affected."

        Gene Embry, Estimator/Project Manager
        The Corcoran Company

"Customers need a much faster response these days," says The Corcoran Company Estimator/Project Manager Gene Embry. "They come at you all the time with plans and drawings, and they don’t want to hear ‘I’ll get back to you in a day or two.’ If a customer wants to make changes in the design, he needs to know ASAP how the bottom line is going to be affected."

Gene, who helps with the installation and support of the in-house technology at The Corcoran Company is particularly pleased with The Edge estimating software from Advanced Estimating Systems. "This software plays a major role in serving the fluid and rapid pace of our customers’ needs," he says.

Accurate estimates reduce surprises later in the project...