QuickPen Introduces Rapid Reports for AutoBid® SheetMetal

Scottsdale - QuickPen today announced the release of Rapid Reports, a new feature in AutoBid SheetMetal 2009 v2, QuickPen's HVAC estimating software. Rapid Reports allows HVAC and sheet metal estimators to quickly produce a final estimate using a single Microsoft® Excel® workbook that contains duct/fitting and labor costs. Using the Rapid Reports feature eliminates data entry steps, speeding up report creation and improving accuracy.

The announcement was made here today at the QuickPen 2009 Educational User Conference, a hands-on training event for QuickPen customers featuring more than 50 sessions from product and industry experts.

In today's highly competitive construction marketplace, HVAC and sheet metal estimators are being asked to produce more bids in less time. Rapid Reports for AutoBid SheetMetal helps estimators generate bids much more quickly to achieve the high bid volumes necessary to win jobs in the current competitive bidding climate. Rapid Reports makes it much easier to analyze and manage bids by bringing all estimate data together on one screen, with all General & Administrative costs, subcontractors, and material quotes in one Excel workbook.

Rapid Reports is a fully integrated, customizable Microsoft Excel worksheet that utilizes the powerful pivot table functionality of Excel to let estimators view data in detail or summary format for a project estimate. Users can filter data and/or easily add additional available information to view the exact bid information they want to see. With the summary data provided by Rapid Reports, customers can review and modify their productivity in units they already use such as pounds per hour, pieces per hour, or feet per hour. Rapid Reports allows estimators to view an estimate broken down by more than twenty categories and provides raw calculation data in XML format for easy export to virtually any other Windows application.

"High bid volumes are absolutely critical to success in our current construction environment," said Stacy Zerr, QuickPen's Director of Product Management. "Rapid Reports gives HVAC and sheet metal estimators the ability to go from TakeOff to final bid far more quickly and accurately than conventional reporting methods. The Rapid Reports pivot table lets estimators break down project costs instantly in any way they want, enabling companies to bid more competitively and more profitably as well as highlight potential trouble spots in a bid."

Other new features in AutoBid SheetMetal 2009 v2 include the addition of several new settings options in the New Project Wizard, the ability to import multiple drawings into On-Screen View TakeOff, faster On-Screen View TakeOff, and faster takeoff of similar systems due to enhanced repeat capabilities in both Graphical and On-Screen View Takeoff.