Goldenseal Estimating Software Topics-- Field Estimates

Field Estimates

How can I create an Estimate when I'm on a jobsite / at a client's place / not at my office?

With the help of laptops and portable printers, it's now possible to use Goldenseal estimating software to create a professional estimate for customers, right when you are in their office, home or jobsite.

Here is some information on how to do that.

WARNING-- Before you start preparing field estimates, check this link for a discussion on field vs office estimating.

Single User

If only one person uses Goldenseal, you can put your company file on a laptop, and carry it anywhere. It's very easy then to produce an estimate at any location, and print it out for your clients. How you handle the file depends on how many computers you use.

One Computer

If you only use a laptop, life is easy. Just carry it with you, and make estimates wherever you are. There's no need to worry about file synching, since there's only one company file.

NOTE-- Since there is only one copy of your company file, be sure to have a good backup system that stores multiple copies at other locations. It's bad enough to have a laptop stolen or destroyed, but far worse when you also lose all the data that is on it!

MULTIPLE COMPUTERS

If you use both a laptop and a desktop machine, you'll need to keep track of the location of the most recent copy of your company file. If you accidentally start using the machine with an older copy, you'll lose any data that was entered on the other machine. Click here for more info about synchronizing files between two computers.

Multi-User

If more than one person uses Goldenseal multi-user, then the master copy of your company file will be stored on a server computer in your office, and you'll have to be careful to synchronize your data entry so it all ends up on the master copy. There are three basic methods you can use to get data from the field, and into your office storage.

VPN Connection

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is the most reliable way for remote users to link to the 'master copy' of your company file. You can use it if there is a fast internet connection at your office, and at the location where you're making the field estimate.

To enter an estimate via a VPN, you'll sign on as a client, and access the company file that is stored on the server at your office. You'll get the latest, official unit costs from there. Any estimates you create will be saved immediately to the server machine.

Click here for more about VPN setup for Macintosh and Windows.

Importing and Exporting

If you can't get a VPN at the location of the field estimate, you can use a copy of your company file on a laptop, and then transfer any field estimates to the server machine, when you return to the office.

To set up before you leave the office, follow these steps:

Quit/Exit from Goldenseal on your server machine (and on your laptop, if it's currently running there).
Copy your company file from the server, and onto the laptop.
Reopen your company file on the server.

When you are ready to prepare a field estimate, follow these steps:

Open the local copy of your company file on your laptop. It will include the most recent unit costs.
Enter details of the estimate.
If you want to give an immediate quote, use the Print Forms command to print a copy for the client.

When you return to the office, follow these steps to get the field estimate(s) into the "master" company file on the server:

Open the estimate that you prepared in the field.
Choose Export from the File menu, and choose This Record from the submenu.
You'll be asked to save a file on your laptop's hard drive. Pick a file name and location that you can remember.
Copy the file from step 3 from the laptop to the server. You can use file sharing on a local network, a flash disk, a CD, or any other method to move the file from one machine to the other.
On the server machine, choose Import from the File menu, and choose Other Update from the File menu.
Locate the file that you just moved onto the server, and import it.
If you made more than one field estimate, repeat steps 1 to 6.

File Checkout

If you have a small office, and other employees don't need to enter new data at the same time that you're giving field estimate, you may be able to use a "file checkout" system to ensure that you don't lose data. To create a field estimate, you would do the following:

Quit/Exit from Goldenseal on your server machine (and on your laptop, if it's currently running there).
Copy your company file from the server, and onto the laptop.
Use some system to prevent other employees from entering new data into the server. NOTE-- employees can still look up data from the server; they just can't add or change any records.
Use the laptop to create a field estimate.
When you return to the office, Quit/Exit from Goldenseal on both the laptop and the server.
Copy your company file from the laptop, and back onto the server.
Open your company file on the server, and return to using it as normal.

WARNING-- This kind of checkout system is prone to errors. You can reduce the risk of data loss by making a backup copy first on both computers, before swapping the master copy of your file from one machine to another. You'll also need some sort of reliable checkout system so employee's don't accidentally enter new data into a copy of the file that will be replaced later with a different copy.

Click here to return to estimating topics.