Continued on page 6

New users to Sage Tim-berline Office may sometimes feel that a road map

of sorts would be a useful additionto the extensive texts, pull downmenus and programming intercon-nections associated with thesoftware.

My first task at getting “withthe program” was to attend the2006 TUG National Conference inNashville, Tennessee. The ProjectManagement course was very wellpresented, and, while attending thesessions, I made lots of enquiriesin an effort to understand thebroader picture. While the me-chanics of completing changeorders, renaming fields anddesigning reports were easy forme to understand, I needed to beable to explain to others thecommunication systems andbusiness relationships that Tim-berline was tracking.

When I returned to Calgary,the president of our companyasked me to elaborate for the staffwhat I had learned at the confer-ence and how exactly TimberlineProject Management was going tomake our company better. Toillustrate how Project Manage-ment would help, I built theexplanation around a simplebusiness case.

A Road Map For NewSage Timberline Office Users

by: John Profitt, Construction ManagerAssured Developments, Ltd.

The business case sets itselfup by addressing one of our mostchallenging enterprises: findingand keeping trades and suppliers.The Alberta oil and gas andCalgary real estate booms havestrained the construction trade andsupplier base significantly overthe past five years. For thosetrades and suppliers that are left,it’s been critical to ensure properworking conditions, effectivecommunication and flawlesspayment scenarios.

The single most effectiveway to keep the trade and supplierbase you have is to manage asmooth and well-tuned operatingsystem.

The following is a summaryof the business case we used at

Assured Developments Ltd.,piecing together our Timberlineroad map and also showing howrelatively simple it was to estab-lish our levels of security clear-ance.

Business Case“The need to manage an efficient

operating system”

Business Requirement

The construction industryneeds good trades.

A Road Map For New Sage TimberlineOffice Users ........................... 1

Sage Timberline Office and EstimatingAre the Right Prescription for thisHospital .................................. 2

Estimating Will Help You MasterThe New Standards ofMasterFormat ......................... 3

With a Few Additional Steps, ExtrasWill be Ready for Buyout andBilling ..................................... 4

Formatting Text in a Cell ................ 7

Formula for Success ...................... 7

Importing the Schedule ofValues From Estimating intoAccounting ............................. 8

Retail Lease CommencementChecklist ................................ 10

TUG Calendar ................................ 11

TUG Online Training Opportunities ...11

News & Information for Users of Sage Timberline Office Software for September 2006

IN THIS ISSUE

- 2 -

You know the vital role ofSage Timberline Officeand Estimating by con-

tractors and property managers,but have you ever thought that ahospital can also use these ad-vanced construction and propertymanagement programs? Yes, itcan.

Let me start bytelling you a littleabout Hamot.Hamot MedicalCenter, in Erie,Pennsylvania, iscelebrating its 125th

anniversary. We’veexperienced greatgrowth in thoseyears—from the first single-family home donated by thefamily of Pierre Simon VincentHamot to the current facilities: anearly one-million-square-foot,eight-building campus, plus manyoff-site locations that includediagnostics and family practices.Hamot is a short-term acute carefacility and has 343 staffed beds.

Hamot has enjoyed numerousnational awards:• “America’s Best Hospitals for

Heart and Heart Surgery, USNews, 2006.

• “Nation’s 100 Most Wired,”Hospital & Health Networks,July 2006.

• Safety Award for 2005 and2006 from Highmark Insur-ance.

• Top 100 Hospital bySolucient for two consecutiveyears.At Hamot we have our own

construction crew that consists ofa master electrician, a masterplumber, and many skilled trades-men. We also have our own state-

Sage Timberline Office and EstimatingAre the Right Prescription for this Hospital

by: Denise Proske • Hamot Medical Center

of-the art cabinet shop and do allof our own casework, along withcasework jobs for others. We takecare of 90% of all the renovationsat Hamot, as well as some newconstruction. We currently have anumber of large projects underway totaling more than $40

million. Some ofthose are:• Remodel of theWomen’s andChildren’s Hospital.• Women’s BreastHealth at HamotSterling Square.• A generatorproject on campus.• Addition of three

floors to one of our currentbuildings.

• Expansion of the Pharmacy.• Expansion of the Same Day

Surgery Building.• Replacement of the Main

campus piping.We also have many buildings

to maintain, manage and renovatethat are not located at our maincampus, as well as leases to betracked, and tenant-associatedcosts with the tenants that werenot previously captured.

I’ve been a member ofTimberline Users Group since1994, and I can’t tell you howmuch help the other membershave been. There is a wealth ofknowledge that can be tapped intoat any time, and TUG has agenuine “We are here to help”attitude.

For us, Timberline and TUGhave been the right prescription.

This is why we are activemembers of TUG and use SageTimberline Office, PropertyManagement and Sage TimberlineEstimating.

the TUG PulsePublished by the

Timberline Users Group, Inc.and sent to all members.

Board of DirectorsMike Suhovecky, President

Sharon Hessong,Vice President

Robin Peterson, SecretaryCharlie Auger, Treasurer

Lynn BitarTom Moore

Melissa EakmanJon Banse

Dennis StejskalTom Love

Wayne Newitts

Publications CommitteeEire Stewart

Robin PetersonTom Moore

George MurphyAlan Cusson

Carolyn Boettner, EditorMaureen Connolly,

Consultant

National AdministratorBoettner Business

ProfessionalsP.O. Box 697

Sylvania, OH 43560Phone: 419.885.9004

Fax: 419.885.9007

Toll Free: 800.884.4630

Web Site

- 3 -September 2006

CSI. No, notthe TV folkswho run around in

coveralls, lab coats and rubbergloves. This CSI is a reality andis also known as the ConstructionSpecifications Institute. As mostof you have probablyheard, CSI recentlycame out with a newMasterFormat.MasterFormat is oneof the two or threeconstruction industrystandards for organiz-ing specifications.

The changes inthe new format aredramatic. For in-stance, divisions 15and 16 have disap-peared; plumbing isnow division 22; and HVAC getsits own division, 23. Electrical hasbecome division 27, and most ofsitework has moved from division2 and is distributed in divisions 31through 35. In addition to movingscope around, MasterFormatincludes a number of new sectionsnot covered in the 1995 version.

The other major changes arein the numbering scheme itself.The 1995 version used a five-digitnumbering scheme. The 2004version grows the numberingsystem to six and sometimes eightdigits, allowing for a finer level ofdetail. The first pair of digitsrepresents the division or level 1;the second pair is level 2; and thethird pair is level 3. In a few cases,a pair of digits preceded by adecimal point represents level 4.

Estimating Will Help You MasterThe New Standards of MasterFormat

by: Gary Simpson, Director of Estimating Product ManagementSage Software, Inc.

You can see all the changes atwww.csinet.org/MasterFormat.

MasterFormat and You

So what does all this mean toyou as a Timberline Estimatinguser? How do you modify yourdatabase to accommodate the newcodes?

First, remember that theestimating phase record in v9.3and before is nine characters long.This means that if you are goingto use all four levels, you willNOT include spaces betweengroupings. In addition, the GroupPhase/Phase level only includestwo levels of detail, so somesummarization will need to occur.For instance, you may need tocombine level 1 and 2 and level 3and 4 to make it read correctly.Note, version 9.4, due to bereleased in September, willincrease the size of the phase fieldto 18 characters.

The best method of con-verting your database to the newphase format is to use DatabaseEditor. Database Editor wasincluded free for all Estimating

Standard and Extended clientswith the version 6.5 release.

First, open yourdatabase in DatabaseEditor and click thePhase icon. Create thenew phase structure byinserting a blank rowand entering each newphase. Next click theItem icon. Both theold phase structuresand new phase struc-tures appear in theitem navigator pane.The items appear inthe item detail pane.

Highlight the items in the oldphase by clicking on the rowheader (Crtl click and Shift clickto select multiple items). Drag anddrop the items to the correct phasein the item navigator. DatabaseEditor takes care of all the dataintegrity issues such as correctlychanging items in assemblies andmodels. Once you have moved theitems to the correct phases, clickthe Phase icon and delete the oldphases.

The additional functionalityin Estimating Extended allowsyou to more fully take advantageof the new MasterFormat struc-ture. You can perform takeoff andview the spreadsheet in both theold Masterformat and the newMasterformat structures. This will

Continued on page 12

03 00 00 CONCRETE03 01 00 Maintenance of Concrete03 01 10 Maintenance of Concrete

Forming and Accessories03 01 20 Maintenance of Concrete

Reinforcing03 01 30 Maintenance of Cast-in-Place Concrete03 01 30.51 Cleaning of Cast-in-Place Concrete03 01 30.61 Resurfacing of Cast-in-Place Concrete

“This CSI is a reality and isalso known as the ConstructionSpecifications Institute.”

- 4 -

With a Few Additional Steps,Extras Will be Ready for Buyout and Billing

by: Mathew Cunningham • Gross Builders, Inc.

This is the secondpart of a two-partseries on using the

Extras feature, from JobCost to Estimating, toBuyout, to Billing. In thefirst part, we discussedidentifying your company’sbuyer options, preparingJob Cost for extras, creat-ing a template job, settingup an estimate to workwith Extras, setting up a setof values, and creating a tem-plate estimate ready for export.

In this article, we’ll export thetemplate estimate to Job Cost,sort by extras, and use extras inBuyout and Billing.

We’ve created thetemplate estimate, andnow we’re ready toexport it.

Go to the Inter-face menu, Job Cost,for the Job CostTransfer Wizard. Onthe Step 1 tab, checkthe Job Cost Numberto be the template job.

On the Step 2 tab,choose Skip.

On Step 3, check the boxcalled Map estimate informationto Extras in Job Cost, and select

Part 2: Using Extras

the Extras Sort Level. Select AllWBS values.

Continue to the Step4 tab, moving the desiredReport destination toPreview, enabling you toback out and make acorrection if the transac-tion previews as Rejected.Check the box to Auto-matically launch Job Cost.Then click GenerateTransactions.

The preview shouldshow Total warnings 0. If

so, then click Print to create thetransaction file. If warnings aregenerated, then close thePreview. The warnings must berepaired prior to printing thepreview.

The Job Cost Import

The Job Cost Import willlaunch. A blank textbox appearsin the Extra line in the estimate.Click inside this box and thefile will pre-fill with the

“Estimate will beapplied to” informa-tion: job number, jobdescription, extravalue, and extrasdescription.

Click Start. Thisloads the template jobwith the same valuesas those in the esti-mate which are thesame values in theEstimate Database.The template job in

Job Cost is now pre-loaded withextras and is ready to be used.

“…from Job Cost toEstimating, to Buyout,to Billing.”

- 5 -September 2006

Continued on page 9

In Job Cost, go toSetup menu, Copy Job. Asthe estimates are used fortakeoff, in the Extrascolumn, simply define theextras as you go. Since thetemplate job in Job Costwill be creating the jobs inJob Cost, the extras willalready be set up andwaiting for amounts.

Item Takeoff Settings

In Estimating, ifseveral items will be takenoff, or if assemblies will beused, it may prove helpfulto get into the habit ofsetting the Item TakeoffSettings. This adjustmentsets the default for itemsadded to the estimate afterthe Takeoff Settings havebeen set.

Click from theEstimating menu. TheItem Takeoff Settingswindow opens. Noticethat Extras is nowavailable to select defaultvalues. By choosing adefault value, all items orassemblies taken afterthe default is set will then pre-set the Extras column to theValue selected. If the defaultvalue is blank, mouse over theValue column and right clickthe Value Extras row. List thevalues already set in the data-base. Of course, if doingtakeoff for standard portions ofthe job or one-to-one upgrades,the default value for Extras isblank.

Sorting by Extras

After a few extras aregiven values in the estimate, it’stime to sort the estimate by extras.Go to Item Takeoff, EstimateInformation, Spreadsheet Se-

quence. Select a sequence numberand give it a name.

Choose the available ele-ments to sort. We use Extras and

Phase. Optionally, you cancheck the box called Usethis sequence for newestimates. Click OK. Thewindow closes, and the tabsat the bottom of the estimatealso change.

Click on your New Sorttab and look at the Extras/Phase sort Sequence. Gothrough the Reports menuand see what’s available.There’s a new sort forExtras.

In the case of theSunroom Extras shownabove in the screenshot, weinstall the same sunroom onany number of houses. Thesunroom will get its ownestimate with no job num-ber specified. Anytime a

buyer selects a SunroomExtra, the sunroomestimate will be im-ported into Buyout as anadditional file, after theoriginal standard esti-mate.

Finish theestimate(s) and create aBuyout Work File.

Import the work fileinto Buyout, and close theEstimating application.

On to the Buyout Phase

Open Buyout and open thework file you just created. Goto the Actions menu, and selectWork File Information. Clickthe Sort Sequences tab. As inEstimating, choose the sortnumber and extras, then phase.Check the box called Set asdefault Item window sequencesfor new work files. Click OK.

The View menu’s Sort,Extras/Phase is now available.

Go through the work file anduse it as you normally would.

- 6 -

Continued from page 1

Problem

The construction industry is ina high demand cycle, and tradesare in short supply.

Premise

Trades work where they canmake the MOST money. Trades arepaid on production.

Theory

Time = Money• Production rates are a function

of efficiency.• Efficiency is measured

relative to time.• Operating systems are devel-

oped to streamline efficiency.• Good operating systems will

increase efficiency andproduction.

• Good production can increasesales volume.

• Increased sales may increasecorporate revenues.

Conclusion

An efficient operating systemwill help trades make money.

An efficient operating systemwill help increase corporaterevenues.

Effect

The problem of finding goodtrades will be reduced once thetrades base is aware that they canmake good money with a particu-lar company that manages anefficient operating system.

Ways & Means

• Optimize the use of our SageTimberline Office operating

system by integrating theAccounting, Estimating andProject Management mod-ules.

• Utilize only those functionsin Timberline that will bestsuit our business model andensure that the staff thatoperates the system areproperly trained.

• Ensure that the Timberlineoperators are well-versed inthe flow directions of infor-mation and that the necessary

LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4

Site Coordinator Senior Coordinator Manager Senior Administrator

Correspondence Correspondence Address Book Address Book

Requests for Information Requests for Information Job Setup General Ledger

Requests for Pricing Change Orders Job Costs Cash Management

Change Order Requests Transmittals Contracts Accounts Payable

Minutes Submittals Change Orders Accounts Receivable

Photos Assembly Takeoff Commitments Payroll

Enter Estimates Reporting Financial Statements

Data Security

Reporting

THE PLAYING FIELD

© John Profitt, Assured Developments Ltd. 2006; Formatted by Jennifer Abel

A Road Map

- 7 -September 2006

Formatting Text in a Cellby: James Coyle • Event 1 Software, Inc.

Formula forSuccess!

Do you know your look-ups from your asums?Have you designed

the perfect formula for aspecific need! Get the credityou deserve ~ in TUG MastersPoints that is. Submit yourbest, slickest, or just plainmost useful design formulas toTUG’s Resource Library andget Masters Points in return.Simply e-mail your formula toTUGadm@aol.com with abrief description of what fieldsit uses and the result. Includea description how you mightuse the formula in a design.Help make TUG’s ResourceLibrary a Formula for success!

operating security levels arewell defined and in place.

Set Security & ResponsibilityLevels

Security levels are quicklyviewed in the shaded areas on thechart. Whatever is within thesphere of the department deter-mines the extent of securityclearance. From the shaded areason the diagram, security levels areoutlined in the table.

The Outcome

At this point, we are realizingthe efficiencies that Timberlinehas to offer. The system is produc-ing very positive results. Projectsare on schedule, information isflowing smoothly, and the tradesand the company are makingmoney.

Training on Timberline hasbeen easier for new employees bycompleting Timberline’s “AnytimeLearning” modules and by visual-izing the big picture through our

PunchlistJob Startup

• Identify projectmanager

• Identify projectteam

• Schedule startupmeeting

• Aquire estimate• Review estimate• Assign tasks

“Timberline road map.” Employ-ees are quickly buying in andbecoming well aligned in terms ofthe communication systems andbusiness relationships that Tim-berline tracks.

Issue: I’d like tocreate formatted textwithin a cell in aMicrosoft® Excelworksheet. Each timeI click Enter to add anew line of textwithin that cell, Excelmoves me to the nextcell. How do I addmultiple lines?

Solution: Let’ssay you want tocreate formattedcontent such as thefollowing example that shows acomplete list of Job Startup itemswithin a cell and each item in thelist as a separate line.

To do this, after you formatthe cell for word wrap, and youhave typed the first line (i.e.,Identify project manager), clickthe F2 function key to get intoEdit Mode within that cell. Next,to move to the beginning of thenext line, click Alt+Enter (holddown the Alt key and then click

the Enter key). After you completethe creation of the cell contents,format the width and height todisplay the contents.

It’s that easy.

This is the first installment ofa new TUG Pulse monthly feature.Next month, learn more abouthyperlinks in Excel.

We welcome your questionsabout how to make the most ofExcel.

Power to the User

ExcelTip of the Month

ExcelTip of the Month

- 8 -

Importing the Schedule of ValuesFrom Estimating into Accounting

by: Erin Todd Hansen, Product Director Project ManagementGary Simpson, Product Director Estimating Sage Software

Have you ever wanted toquickly take the schedule of values you set up

in Estimating and drop it intoAccounting?

Well, here’s an experiencethat underscores the value ofthe TUG National Conference andthe Sage Summit. I’ve never beento one of these events withoutbeing impressed by someone’sclever use of the software. A casein point happened at this year’sTUG National Confer-ence in Nashville.

Gary and I wereleading a session onupcoming features thatare included in the newJob Central feature.Along with several newjob and contract setupfeatures is the ability tocopy and paste contractamounts into the soft-ware. The ability to copyand paste info intoTimberline is a standard featurethat will be rolling into all thesoftware over time.

Well, one clever TUG mem-ber asked, “Hey, can you paste theschedule of values from Estimat-ing into Job Central?” The answeris “yes.” Here’s how:

1. Create Estimate: Create theestimate and do takeoff.Assign the items in yourestimate to a WBS code thatcorresponds to the scheduleof values.

2. Create a SpreadsheetLayout: Create a spreadsheetlayout that looks like the one

pictured below. (Save thespreadsheet layout for futureuse.) Note: You’ll need ablank column between theDescription and TotalAmount fields. In this

example, the blank column isthe Takeoff Quantity column,but it can be any blankcolumn.

3. Export to Excel: Go toReports, Spreadsheet Report,Report Options and click thePrefill from spreadsheetoption. Next select Export toMicrosoft® Excel and give thefile a name. Select MicrosoftExcel Workbook (.xls) in the

“Save as” box.

4. Copy fromSpreadsheet: Open theestimate in Excel andthen highlight thevalues you want. Theblank column you leftin when setting up thespreadsheet layout isfor the Status of the

01 FOUNDATIONS 14,825

02 VERTICAL STRUCTURE 18,844

03 FLOOR AND ROOF STRUCTURE 19,119

04 EXTERIOR CLADDING 64,345

05 THERMAL PROTECTION 18,344

06 INTERIOR PARTITIONS, DOORS 30,394

08 FUNCTION EQUIPMENT 3,147

10 PLUMBING 19,267

11 HVAC 9,094

12 ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS 10,981

14 SITE PREP AND DEMOLITION 3,470

15 SITE PAVING, STRUCTURES 11,453

16 UTILITIES 3,759

17 GENERAL CONDITIONS 187

Continued on page 12

“…Here’s an experience thatunderscores the value of the TUGNational Conference…”

- 9 -September 2006

Continued from page 5

We use Buyout tocreate purchase orders.After issuing, the file is sentto Job Cost via the Interfacemenu, Export Commit-ments. To do this, in theExport Commitmentswindow, select the Optionstab. In the Job Cost ExtraSetup area, check thebox for Map work fileinformation to extrasin Job Cost. Select thesort that representsextras in Job Cost.

The drop down list in theExport Commitments windowunder the Options tab has theExtras sort available. If this is notdone, the extras will not work. Ifyou plan to regularly track extras,use Save Default on the right, inthe Export Commitments window.

Click to Export the informa-tion.

The Billing Phase is Next

Now that the commit-ments are sitting in JobCost, the Purchase Agree-ment and Buyer files willsoon arrive. For somecompanies, the salesinformation can interfacewith Billing through an A/RImport file. In Job Cost, go toHelp and search for “ImportAccounts Receivable file” to workin this time-saving import.

For now, open Job Cost. Goto Task, Enter Billings. All of thebuyer-paid information can beallocated on this screen. When thescreen is first opened, the secondcolumn in the layout will be Draw.When you enter a job in the Jobcolumn, if the job has an extraallocated to it, the Extras column

is added automatically to thelayout.

Also notice the Detail col-umn. This is where the cost codesfor one-to-one items will go. Thecost code (Detail) is required, andthe Extras column is optional.Also a Revenue Account and ARAccounts are also required.

For us, the Revenue is thebank account and the AR accountsare the various places to allocate

the funds. The cost codes that holdthe primary sales data are similarto the AR accounts numbering.For example, if the account thatholds the base sale price is4300.00, and the correspondingcost code is 40-300, the premiumsgo to account 4305.00, and thecorresponding code is 40-305.Finally, the upgrade sales go to4310.00, with a code of 40-310.These cost codes and accountshold all the allocations for thebase house, the premiums/incen-tives, and anything allocated in an“extra.”

As for the upgrade costcodes, we use the 4310.00AR account, but allocate tothe actual cost codes thatwere used in Buyout andsubsequently sent to Com-mitments. Our upgrade costcodes begin with 19-xxx.The easiest way to input thedata is at closing when allthe money has actually been

received. That way, noretainage is held; it isall billed. Once you’remore familiar withthis, you can retain the

entire sum and bill the retainageas monies arrive. Either way, nowyou can make a fairly simplereport using only JC_Job,JC_Cost_Code, and JC_Extras.All are Master files and thesimplest to implement in ReportWriter. There is also a cannedreport in Sage Timberline Office,Accounting, Reports, but thisdoesn’t contain billings informa-tion.

Finally, just rememberthat the process of plantingthe information where itbelongs and then harvest-ing the data as you need itis much easier than pilingthe information together—for hours on end—into aspreadsheet that has to be

done weekly, monthly, or quar-terly.

In our experience, once youhave about 100 units sold, thesystem history can eventuallygenerate a forecast.

For more information onthese processes, here’s a list ofKnowledgebase resources to helpyou:

“In our experience, once you haveabout 100 units sold, the system historycan eventually generate a forcast.”

With a Few Additional Steps

KB166149KB46902KB150463KB140993KB127783

KB136471KB61575

KB133689KB183176

- 10 -

1) Setup Standard Lease Files:1) ___ Lease File2) ___ CAM and Billing File3) ___ Correspondence File4) ___ Insurance File

2) Send Initial Lease Letter / Invoices, including:1) ___ First rental invoice (use standard Excel spreadsheet template)2) ___ Improvements invoice (if applicable)3) ___ Improvement Note (if applicable)4) ___ Sample certificate of insurance with relevant sections highlighted.5) ___ Request for Taxpayer Identification Number Form W-9.6) ___ Initial Tenant Address Record7) ___ Lease Term Agreement (if applicable). Send two copies executed by us plus a separate return envelope.8) ___ Cover letter.9) ___ Return envelope(s).10) ___ Reminder to switch over utility bills11) ___ Supervisor review.

3) Update Tenant Files:1) Lease File

___ Lease Term Agreement when returned by Tenant.___ Request for Address and Federal ID# when returned by Tenant.

2) CAM and Billing File___ Copies of invoices only.

3) Correspondence File___ Cover letter and all attachments.

4) Insurance File___ Certificate of Insurance when returned by Tenant.

5) Other Files___ Copy of Tenant Improvement Invoices for tax files.

4) Setup Loan File (If Applicable)1) ___ Setup loan log and record initial balance.2) ___ Include copy of amortization table.

5) Timberline Update:1) ___ Activate Timberline Lease.2) ___ Record initial Invoices for rent and Improvements.3) ___ Activate recurring charges and test run rent roll for next month for proper calculation.

6) Third Party Commission1) ___ Prep standard commission request form.2) ___ Supervisor review.3) ___ Release to AP after receipt of first month rent / TI charges

7) Supervisor Updates:1) ___ Lease abstract prepared and reviews.2) ___ Tax review complete.3) ___ Short term and forecasted contracted rent scheduled updated.

Retail Lease Commencement ChecklistLast Update November 2, 2005

TUG Checklist of the Month

- 11 -September 2006

September 22, 2006

Houston Local Chapter Meeting

11:30 - 2:30 - Lunch Provided

ccole@qcimarine.com

September 27, 2006

Iowa Local Chapter Meeting

loriel@marickinc.com

October 6, 2006

Nebraska Local Chapter Meeting

cmaddox@hampton1.com

October 18, 2006

Iowa Local Chapter Meeting

loriel@marickinc.com

October 18, 2006

Tampa Bay Chapter Meeting

tugadm1@aol.com

October 25, 2006

Central Indiana Local Chapter Meeting

rlawyer@meyer-najem.com

November 6, 2006

Nebraska Local Chapter Meeting

cmaddox@hampton1.com

December 13, 2006

Iowa Local Chapter Meeting

loriel@marickinc.com

December 13, 2006

Tampa Bay Chapter Meeting

tugadm1@aol.com

May 9-11, 20072007 TUG National

Workshops & ConferenceGrapevine, Texas

April 30 - May 2, 20082008 TUG National

Workshops & ConferenceNashville, Tennessee

September 1 Modifying Crystal Reports

September 8 Beginning Payroll

September 13 Beginning Report Designer

September 15 PJ Job Setup

September 20 Payroll II

September 22 Beginning Financial Statements

September 27 Basics of Forecasting

September 29 Basic Takeoff

October 4 Reconciliation

October 11 Beginning Report Designer

October 13 On Center Takeoff

October 18 Estimating Buyout Operations

October 20 Beginning ODBC

October 25 Custom Fields

October 27 Advanced Report Designer

November 1 PJ Correspondence Log

November 10 Estimating Tips & Tricks

November 15 Desktop Tips & Tricks

November 17 Payroll I

November 29 Estimating: Tools & Settings

December 1 Cash Management

December 6 PJ Drawing Log

December 8 Database Editor

December 13 Payroll II

December 15 Advanced ODBC

January 10 Reconciliation

There is no charge for online training. This is one of the manybenefits of membership in the Timberline Users Group. Webinars areheld at 12:00 noon Eastern time at TUG.webex.com.To participate,email the TUG office at tugadm@aol.com. You will receive an emailconfirming your participation and with instructions for logging on andjoining the audio portion of the session. Keep watching the Pulse foran updated calendar.

Register Early. Space is limited to 30 seats.

Online Training Opportunitiesfrom TUG

help you especially during thetransition period when you willget plans and specifications inboth old and new MasterFormats.

Set up four WBS codes forthe new format (if you want totake advantage of all four levels)and assign the new Masterformatvalues to the correct WBS code.You can then create a estimatespreadsheet sequence using theseWBS codes to view the estimatein the new format. In addition,with the release of version 7.1 ofTimberline Estimating, you canassign a sort sequence to the itemsin the database using the ItemSorting feature (Database>Database Settings>Item Sortingtab). See the Help topic Itemsorting tab for more informationon using this feature. This allowsyou to view the items in the newphase sequence in all item listssuch as Quick Takeoff.

To set up the newMasterFormat as a WBS code, youmust first set up the WBS codes inEstimating in Database, Databasesettings, WBS tab. Set up theWBS codes as Item WBS codeswith a length of at least 12 charac-ters. Next, open Database Editorand assign the MasterFormatphase values in the new phasestructure to the WBS fields youjust created. (The fill down, copy,and paste features will be veryhelpful.)

How soon the industry adoptsthe new MasterFormat standards,and to what extent it adopts themis anyone’s guess. However, it’sreasonable to assume that therewill be some level of adoptionover the next couple of years. Restassured that when you need totransition to the new format,Timberline Estimating has thetools to help you do it success-fully.

Continued from page 3

contract items. This will bebased on the default in JobCentral.

5. Paste Into Job Central: Gointo Job Central, click in thefirst field, and paste. I use theshort-cut keys Ctrl+V as aquick way to paste in themultiple rows. If any of thefields are incorrect or too big,the software stops at that spotand tells you.

TIP: For the Accounting side,be sure the description is nolonger than 30 characters.

These five simple steps (fourafter you’ve created the spread-sheet layout) will quickly get yourcontract amounts into Accountingwithout retyping and withouterror.

Continued from page 8

Estimating Will Help You Importing the Schedule