Why Can't I Find an Item in Accubid Anywhere?
One of the most frustrating moments during an estimate is knowing what material you need but being unable to find it in the database.
Before assuming the item doesn’t exist, there are several things worth checking.
Search Tools
The search bar on the database tab can be very useful
The toggle filter row can help find many things including items
Accubid Anywhere allows searching by an alias, this can be very useful.
Search Terminology
The database may describe the material differently than you do.
Electrical terminology varies between contractors, manufacturers and regions.
Try searching by the generic material name, abbreviation, manufacturer terminology, size, or another common description.
Check Where You’re Searching
The item may exist but not be exposed through the takeoff location you’re currently using.
Remember that the database itself and the takeoff structure aren’t necessarily the same thing.
A material can exist in the database without being immediately available on a particular takeoff pad.
Look at the Assembly
If you’re using an assembly, the component may already be included.
Adding the material separately could actually duplicate it.
Before adding something manually, understand what the assembly is already carrying.
Sometimes the Item Really Isn’t There
No database contains every electrical product ever manufactured.
Specialty equipment, unusual fittings and newly released products may need to be added.
The important question is whether missing material is an occasional exception or a routine part of estimating.
If estimators constantly have to stop and create common electrical materials, the database needs development.
A Database Should Reduce Searching
The objective isn’t to prove that an item technically exists somewhere in the database.
The estimator needs to find and use it efficiently.
A mature database organizes common materials and installations around the estimating workflow so that searching becomes the exception rather than the primary method of performing takeoff.
