BaseBuild software - http://www.basebuild.co.uk/ has been serving the conservatory industry since 2003. They specialize in software for estimating building costs for Conservatory bases and as we will see, have created a very attractive and user friendly application designed to make the software very easy to use for the small builders and their staff who undertake this kind of work.
The Base Build Standard edition software works out the quantities and costs of the basic materials (bricks, blocks, squints, wall ties building sand, cement, ballast). A Professional edition adds printing of Estimates and Purchase Orders, a customer contact list and more materials estimating (DPC, membrane, subbase fill, blinding screed, subbase topping, floor & wall insulation, floor screed, plaster) and labour costs.
Why VDF?
Previously, the system was written using MS Access and Visual Basic, but problems with controlling the installation on end user PCs that could be at very different patch levels for the Microsoft components involved lead to a search for a new platform.
After a lot of research and talking to people Base Build decided to go for Visual DataFlex and commissioned a redevelopment using Visual DataFlex v15. With the first release of this now completed, Base Build v4.2 is now available to new and existing users.
User Friendly Graphics
So far, so unremarkable as a development story! What makes the Base Build system distinctive is its use of images within the data entry facilities. This screen shot shows how the details of the construction are very realistically represented within the Base Build system
This is very neat, but it gets better! The next screen shot shows how the image changes according to the selections made and the data – thicknesses etc - entered.
That is not the only use of “data aware” images. This image shows how the actual layout of the conservatory is also visualised, allowing for instant adjustment to both the site dimensions and customer preference.
Dereck Appleby, who runs Base Build says
“We estimate that to work out a conservatory base including all materials labour and costs will take at least 2.5 hours. Base Build V4.2 will take no more than 10 minutes depending on how fast the user can enter the sizes. If they are charging £20.00 an hour that’s a saving of £10,000.00 per year. That’s a massive saving!
However BaseBuild is not something for the office staff alone. Customers don’t understand numbers, but they understand pictures, and being able to see exactly what the numbers mean can be a deal clincher, particularly as the changes to materials and costs are immediately available every time the layout and other specifications change.”
Future Plans
Dereck now intends to push on with the next phase of development, an extra module that will calculate all work outside the conservatory (walls, steps, paths, patios, paving slabs, block paving, tarmac, labour, over-site & footing dig & disposal of waste, etc.) using the same graphical presentation to make the design process easy for the customer to understand and for office staff to use.
BaseBuild Builders Estimating