The flexibility and simplicity that Boral required to improve their estimating processes was found with Benchmark Estimating.
Boral Asphalt is a national supplier of asphalt with over 35 plants producing asphalt and other materials for surfacing and maintenance of road networks in Australia and the Pacific. Kevin McCullough, Business Development Manager for Boral Queensland, shows how Benchmark Estimating was able to improve the estimating practices for Boral.
The challenges Boral faced
Boral needed a consistent approach to its estimating as many of the estimators had their own methods of estimating using spreadsheets. Because these were personalised there was a problem with consistency within the organisation. Boral also needed a flexible tool for its estimating to be able to handle both big and small jobs.
Boral’s estimating system needed to be flexible and easy to use to accommodate their broad user group. Benchmark Estimating provides the flexibility and simplicity that Boral required. Because of this, Kevin thinks that “Benchmark is a great program for Boral.”
The Benchmark Estimating solution
Kevin states that one of the primary benefits to Boral was that “Benchmark Estimating was ready to go. Employees can do the whole project and do not have to get other people involved in the estimating process. This reduces the amount of wasted time with doubling up on work.” The flexibility of the software’s connectivity means that connecting and sharing information with Boral’s other management software was done with ease.
Kevin believes that “Benchmark Estimating is useful as a consistent format to review – as a manager I can see where the costs are and I am able to trace the logic through the estimate that I am reviewing.” This means that time and money are saved with the improved accuracy and consistency from both the estimators and the managers within Boral.
Summary
Benchmark Estimating and Boral have had a good relationship for many years and this is planned to continue into the future. Kevin agrees with Benchmark Estimating’s other clients about the broad nature and flexibility of Benchmark Estimating's cost module when he affirms that “both simple and complex jobs need to be done within our organisation – Benchmark Estimating makes this possible”. This flexibility has led to Boral’s use of Benchmark Estimating within its Timber Flooring and Linemarking businesses.
