Autoscan: Software for Bill of Quantities from Autocad Drawings
Be it a builder, contractor or an architect; the cost of the project is a prime consideration in making the most decisions in a project
- Sunil Nevagi, Director, Newton Software Pvt. Ltd
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When a builder / developer works on a project the risks involved is in crores of rupees and a correct calculation of bill of materials can save a lakh of rupees per project. Newton Software has developed a quality innovation in calculating the quantities from the Autocad drawings. The Autoscan is the software that works within Autocad and is a very useful tool that converts major elements in an Autocad drawing into the quantities.
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How does it work?
Autoscan software works as an add-on tool within Autocad and helps to arrive at the bill of quantities one by one. The software blends well with Autocad and stays resident within Autocad and helps to filter all the major items into an Excel or Access sheet.
What are the major items calculated thru this software?
The software helps to build all the quantities including
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Foundation: Footing, PCC below footing, excavation, soling, anti-termite and many more
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RCC: Columns, beams, slabs, RCC pardi lintels, chhajjas lofts
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Finishing: Plaster, paint, doors, windows, flooring, skirting, dado
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Electrical and Plumbing as well
What is the background required for a person?
Normally most of the drawings are already on Autocad, only the mode of drafting varies. A civil engineer with a little background in Autocad is perfect.
How do you arrange for training?
We mostly give training through internet with tools like Teamviewer, Skype or many are available where the users drawing can be accessed by us from our office. So the training on the software is very simple.
How long does it take for training?
We usually require approximately 2 to 3 sittings of 3 hours each and a person can start working out the BOQ very easily. The training can be easily given online through Skype or ShowMyPc where the distance of the company is not a problem. Once internet is activated, the engineer can be given online training through internet.
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Are you providing hands on training in user’s office?
The software is very simple and the physical presence is not at all required at the user’s office as everybody has internet these days.
The major benefit is that a person can be made available for support within minutes on the internet, so service time is not more than 10 to 15 minutes. Even classroom type training can also be arranged on the internet through Skype and ShowMyPC tools. Otherwise it will be a difficult proposition to depute a person by train and send him to client and so on. The world is changing and so also the concepts about the training.
Therefore we can say, training is available at a phone call on internet, the old method of onsite training is now a history.
Companies are being trained across US and Middle East round the clock without visiting personally. So, why not in India?
How simple is it?
As the training is available on internet and software is simple to use, the implementation is fast and cheap as well.
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What is the need?
In most of the construction offices, the civil engineers of new generation are aware of Autocad and similar software packages. Hence it is very easy to train them on the software for bill of quantities and save the time and money both.
One engineer, well trained on Autoscan can draw the quantities of approximately a Lakh sq. ft. in a span of one week including the cross checking.
One can also make a combination of one Autocad draftsman to modify the drawing and the estimation engineer to work out the quantities.
Do you also supply the estimation services?
We have a team of trained staff who is calculating the quantities 24X7. We are servicing the software across India and overseas and have more than 2000 installations. People are calculating the quantities of lakhs of sq. ft. using our software AUTOSCAN.
For estimation services, one just needs to send the Autocad drawings and the specifications on the internet and we send the estimates in phases. The payment can also be made in phases.
The time that the manual estimation engineer takes is far more. By the time he finishes one floor, the entire estimate can be delivered by us.
Our endeavour is to save lakhs of rupees for our builder/clients across India and the globe.