InEight Reviews

Pros

The part I like most about InEight is that it can juggle multiple areas of a project at the same time. With this kind of setup, even the finer points in cost estimating get neatly separated into manageable pieces of data which works really well for construction-style projects.

Cons

One downside I've run into is that report generation can take a bit of time when the project has a lot of components. That delay can be pretty frustrating when you're trying to submit reports to clients or other stakeholders on a tight schedule.

Pros

InEight addresses all the frustrations I had with HeavyBid, including connected data, open API, flexibility, customization, sorting, organizing, filtering and various views.

Cons

The level of customization offered can be overwhelming for some users. However, as a chief estimator, I find it beneficial to create relevant views and workflows to simplify the platform for estimators who prefer a more simple approach.

Pros

It gives me access to a database which makes it much easier to compare what's happening now against historical data.

Cons

Reporting features feel pretty lacking, there's not much in the way of solid reports or analytics when I need to summarize results.

Pros

There's a solid set of features that feel well integrated and connect with a bunch of different tools, including SAP, Excel and P6. That interoperability makes the workflow a lot more smooth since you're not constantly switching between systems.

Cons

On bigger projects using the plan feature can really affect performance, specifically, the quantity tracking slows down and some commands don't behave the way they should. It's noticeable enough that it becomes a workaround situation for certain operations.

Pros

Using it feels like having a project manager who never sleeps forgets or needs a break. It's hands-down one of the best purchases our team has made.

Cons

This tool has truly never let us down, everything works exactly as it should and we haven't run into any problems at all.

Pros

I really like how quote management works right at bid time especially the option to update numbers quickly when we're preparing bids. The built-in library is also a big win,being able to organize projects by region, country and client helps us line things up with prior work and makes it much easier to reference past projects.

Cons

Trying to make other programs integrate and work smoothly with it has been a bit of a challenge for our setup.

Pros

Library feature is genuinely impressive, projects can be organized by region, country or client. This setup also makes it simple to connect a current project with previously submitted ones so you can correlate everything without digging through unrelated records.

Cons

It still needs work to be more user-friendly. The interface isn't the easiest to get the hang of and if someone isn't very comfortable with digital tools, learning and adopting it can feel pretty challenging.

Pros

A really solid tool for cost estimating projects!! Actually! The newer format is set up to feel more like Excel which makes it noticeably more comfortable to work with day to day.

Cons

App packs in a lot of features so getting familiar with everything can take some effort if you want to use it to full capacity.

Pros

This tool is handy for construction service companies since it supports the kind of day-to-day work they deal with. It fits the workflow you'd expect in the industry so it feels relevant instead of generic.

Cons

One thing holding it back is the minimal integration with other software. If your team relies on other tools for records, communication or project management, you may still end up doing extra work to connect everything.

Pros

Free-form CBS structure is really helpful because it lets me reconfigure the estimate on the fly whenever my scope or a new idea changes. That flexibility speeds up updates without having to rebuild everything from scratch.

Cons

A concern is that it also makes it possible to change fields/cells in places where edits probably shouldn't be allowed. Ideally, those kinds of changes would require going into a setup screen first so accidental or improper modifications don't slip through while you're working on the estimate.

Pros

I've been using Hard Dollar for about 10 years and it's been a solid tool for getting work in my industry. The software really shines when you're dealing with bigger, more complicated projects and I genuinely think a lot of our success comes from how the Hard Dollar system supports the whole process. My employer has been really happy with the work we've procured using it over the last two and a half years.

Cons

The downside is that it can take quite a while to learn and get comfortable with all the actions needed when you're putting together an estimate.

Pros

My favorite part is the bid wizard for creating a new job. It lets you copy over resources, cost breakdowns, account codes and more from an existing job to the new one which cuts the time needed to build a fresh estimate by a lot. I also really appreciate the export options to scheduling and accounting software... being able to push everything out instead of recreating it from scratch saves even more time.

Cons

Customer support doesn't seem as responsive as it used to. A lot of the questions are time-sensitive and even when you need an immediate answer, it can sometimes take hours to hear back.

Pros

Overall the entire program feels really user-friendly. The quote module is easy to use and the new alternate scenario has been a fantastic addition,it's been handy for exploring value engineering options for our clients.

Cons

There's nothing about the program that I dislike. I honestly can't find anything I don't like.

Pros

Quote management right at bid time has been a big win,being able to grab the best number possible really helps. Also, switching our bids using the short key shortcuts is super convenient so we can adjust quickly without messing around.

Cons

No downsides to report at the moment.