How Does LiveCount Work With Accubid Anywhere?

LiveCount connects digital drawing takeoff with the Accubid Anywhere estimating workflow.

Instead of manually transferring quantities from drawings into an estimate, estimators can perform takeoff directly from the plans while maintaining the connection between what was counted and what appears in the estimate.

Why LiveCount Matters

Electrical estimates can contain thousands of individual takeoff selections.

Anything that reduces duplicate entry can save significant time.

LiveCount allows the estimator to work visually from the drawing while using the estimating information established in Accubid Anywhere.

That means the drawing and estimate aren’t two completely separate processes.

Database Development Still Matters

LiveCount can make takeoff faster, but it doesn’t eliminate the importance of the database.

In fact, a developed database makes LiveCount considerably more powerful.

If a drawing selection connects to a well-developed assembly, a relatively simple takeoff action can carry a significant amount of material and labor information into the estimate.

The efficiency comes from the combination:

Drawing takeoff + developed assemblies + estimating database ‍

Visual Takeoff Also Helps With Review

One advantage of digital takeoff is being able to visually identify what has already been counted.

That can make estimate review easier and reduce the possibility of missing or duplicating work.

‍But the tool still depends on the estimator.

‍Software can show you what you selected. It cannot determine whether you understood the scope correctly.‍ ‍

Build the Workflow as a System

The biggest productivity gains happen when LiveCount and Accubid Anywhere aren’t treated as unrelated applications.

‍Takeoff organization, database structure, assemblies, drawing workflow and estimate review should work together.

‍That’s when digital takeoff stops being simply an electronic highlighter and becomes part of the estimating system.‍ ‍