Estimating Standard / Professional / BIM / Enterprise Solutions Due to the modern market needs and the cut-throat competition, the estimators today must be quick and precise in their estimates. The upper management must have real time access on cost data and take measured risk when bidding. After carefully exploring the modern estimating needs and incorporating the experience of major European companies in the technical field, Nomitech created CostOS. CostOS is regarded today as one of the most advanced cost estimating software system within the European region. Due to the fact that Nomitech cooperates closely with its local representatives CostOS is also fully customized to support the local estimating needs. The system is based on the fundamental theory of cost estimating and thus it can be easily used in various industry types such as Construction, Oil and Gas, Energy, Shipyards, and Aerospace. The Graphical User Interface | | The graphical user interface of CostOS is the result of many years of studying. Specifically designed to become the everyday tool of the cost estimator. Common routines such as sorting, indexing, searching, filtering, grouping and organizing resource data become much easier to achieve. While working with the CostOS graphical interface you will discover how to reuse older estimates to prepare new ones. |  |
At the same time you will find ways to optimize the direct cost by trying different cost scenarios. Abilities that seem extremely time consuming and almost impossible become simple with CostOS. Resource Cost Databases - The Core of Cost Estimating
There are many times when cost estimators waste valuable time by searching on old cost spreadsheets or papers in order to find cost data.
| This fact is the reason why the Cost Database of CostOS is regarded as a very valuable tool that accelerates Cost Estimating to a great extend. Thanks to CostOS the estimator can easily go through the primary cost data (equipment, subcontractors, material, suppliers, labor, consumables) update the rates and use them in current estimates. In addition CostOS is integrated with Online Databases (Knowledge Bases) that are provided on a subscription basis. |
This means that the estimator has the ability to search for cost data in more than 1,000,000 entries in total and will never be left without a price, not even for a single BOQ Item.
read more >> Building Information Modeling - Estimating Directly on 3D models CostOS BIM Estimating makes full use of all the benefits you can get by using the 3D model of your project (building, civil, oil & gas, energy, aerospace, shipyard etc). Its embedded 3D viewer allows you to navigate easily through it and autoselect entities. 
| The quantity takeoff of your project (Architectural, Structural, Mechanical, HVAC, Electricaletc) can be massively accelerated and the accuracy you can achieve is unprecedented. Create your Bill of Quantities directly on your 3D model and see how it is built up while your estimate progresses. Use both your local/server cost database and the online commercial databases (Means, Richardson, Spon’s, NODOC) to find cost data that match the selected entities and directly assign this data to your model. | The Cost Data is not just line items or percentages. The Data you assign includes all the resources (material, equipment, labor, subcontractor and consumables), resource rates and productivities required. Eventually you can amend all these to fit your own way of working and you can create and synchronize your resource loaded schedule with your estimate. CostOS works with open standards and thus it supports all major designing systems like ArchiCAD, AllPlan, AutoDesk REVIT, DDS etc . You do not have to buy any of these systems, unless you want to make the designer’s work, as CostOS will provide you with the visualization of the model. read more >> |
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Connecting with other Software  | All the cost data that you have collected until now can be easily imported in CostOS thanks to its co-operation with Microsoft Excel™. You can easily import and export primary cost data in the database from Microsoft Excel™. In addition you can massively import the Bill of Quantity Items from Excel. |
CostOS also allows you to export your estimate into Microsoft Project and synchronize all of your resources with Primavera P6 in order to easily prepare the schedule of your tender.
The software reports can be exported to PDF files or Microsoft Word ™ or Excel ™ files, password protected or not.
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Real-Time Synchronization with Oracle Primavera P6 CostOS enables you to keep your project estimate in line with the schedule. Whichever way you prefer working it is now feasible with CostOS: - Set up the Project Programme in P6 with its WBS and import it to CostOS for Cost Estimating/ resource loading
- Start with your estimate in CostOS, set up the WBS, use either your local cost database or the online databases, and export the CostOS project as a resource loaded programme in P6. The activity durations are calculated based on the productivities or the manhours you used on your estimate. All you have to do in P6 is just assign the logic.
- Work in parallel in CostOS and in Primavera P6. With a click of a button you can see the effect of altered durations on your estimate, as well as the effect of changed quantities or changed estimated cost on your schedule. Changes you make on WBSs, descriptions, durations, resources etc are automatically picked up by the synchronization module
Things do not end here, as due to the ability that you have in CostOS to takeoff quantities from the Building Information Model or from On-Screen Takeoff® you can see the effect of altered designs or changed orders on the total project duration instantly. Watch the Primavera Video >> Quantity Surveying with On-Screen Takeoff® | CostOS is integrated with the On-Screen TakeOff® Software, and becomes in this way the ultimate Estimating Package for various industries. While working with your Estimate in CostOS, you can now connect to the On-Screen Takeoff® to calculate quantities from PDF or DWG Drawings. This integration allows you to increase by 80% your estimating speed and most importantly avoid making Costly Mistakes. | 
| Moreover, through CostOS you can assign as many Takeoff Conditions as you like to one Bill of Quantity Item, apply factors on them and select which unit of measurement to be taken into account. In addition, you can import different quantity take off conditions from different drawings and even from different projects, just to a single BOQ Item. Off course, changes that are made on the take-off conditions can be synchronized with your estimate, by the click of a button. Using On-Screen Takeoff® for your take-off process is an efficient, accurate and fun way to work. The integration with CostOS enables you to increase the productivity of your Estimating Team and become more productive against your competitors. read more >> |
Equipment Depreciation in Cost Estimating |  | CostOS allows you to calculate precisely the operating and the depreciation cost of your equipment. The software supports three methods of depreciation calculation: - Linear depreciation (also known as the Caterpillar method)
- German Standards BGL 1991 depreciation method
- Precise Method (suitable for countries with high inflation) |
After defining the consumption and the type of fuel for each equipment, CostOS enables the user to update the operating costs simply by defining the fuel rate (e.g. 1.03 €/lt) in the project area. CostOS Pro and Enterprise versions come with a pre-installed database of about 100 machines that allow you to cost estimate even big infrastructure projects. Team Working All those engaged in Cost Estimating of big projects know that Cost Estimating is a team working procedure. Information must be transferred quickly within the team members and be supervised by the person responsible for the final offer. The Enterprise version of CostOS allows the estimators to have real time access on the data that their colleagues enter in the database. The date and time when a cost entry was created as well as the user ID of the person that entered the data are stored in the database. |  |
In addition the system administrator can define roles for each user allowing or prohibiting their accessibility and the functions they can perform (read, write, delete, edit) on the database. Depending on the progress that is made while pricing a Bill of Quantities Item, (under review, completed, approved) there is the respective color coding. This allows the team leader to quickly define the overall progress of the estimate. Cost Statistics Cost Statistics while estimating can be very useful and may ring a bell when mistakes are made, especially if you have to price a large amount of BOQ Items. Depending on the type of project you have to estimate, CostOS can extract statistical data such as cost per square meter for basement or superstructure, cost per linear meter for pipes etc. These data is very useful especially for the senior estimators who can immediately recognize any errors in the estimate. |  |
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