News

This new Library of Descriptions has been specifically produced to reflect the requirements of the RICS New Rules of Measurement - Detailed Measurement for Building Works which became effective and replaced the SMM7 on 1st January 2013.

There is no longer a need to use Third Party conversion tools when you receive a pdf drawing as QSCad now includes everything you need to be able to measure from pdf files.

We have taken a closer look at two new RICS Practice Standards to see how Masterbill software supports and embraces these standards in order to assist you in putting them into practice.

Losing your dongle could be a costly experience.

In March we were pleased to be able to visit Doha, Qatar for a few days to provide QSCad Training for a new Masterbill customer

We were pleased to be asked to present a paper at the 1st ever QSi Conference in October 2011

With have given an old friend a facelift

Do you need an excuse to watch YouTube at work? Well here it is!

With the recent release of the latest edition of NRM1 and the first edition NRM2 by the RICS we have had a number of users asking us ‘What are you doing about the NRM?’

A good number of delegates took advantage of the West Africa User Conference to find out more about the latest Masterbill software.

Introducing the latest Masterbill Elite Module

Have you ever wished you could view all the tenders side by side? Now you can...

Use these steps to make sure your importation goes smoothly

Find out how to easily check all your Bill Items have been priced.

What to do when you open a drawing and find a blank screen.

Time’s tight, you are keen to get measuring, and now the drawing won’t open in QSCad!

We are pleased to announce that the next release of QSCad will include the ability to measure from PDF files.

In March we welcomed the latest member of our team - a new QS!

We asked our newest member of staff to write about their 1st Masterbill Conference.

We recently trained the latest office to adopt QSCad in the Habtoor Leighton Group as they face the mammoth task of remeasuring a major road project.

... is a question we were asked by a QS during a Training visit to Aberdeenshire Council.

We take a look at a question that is often asked and explain why we think Excel is not suitable in this instance.

Pricing one project from another has just got better.

If you have ever wanted to simply insert a 'Note' into a Bill the xx unit is just what you need.

If you have ever deleted the wrong dims and struggled to get them back - MB Elite has the answer.

Make sure your company gets the credit when your measurements are presented to others by making use of the latest logo options.

Version 3.10 saw a number of new and improved features added to the Project Manager.

Plans are underway for this year's conferences in London and Edinburgh.

During a recent trip to Abu Dhabi we made the most of an opportunity to look around a project on which our software had been used.

We recently held Roadshows in both Muscat, Oman and Abu Dhabi, UAE and were pleased with the amount of interest.

See how our latest eTendering solution can save you time and money!

We recently completed the development of the Post Contract Module for Masterbill Elite - another step towards a complete costs database.

"Don't talk to me about rounding errors" - recent developments will ensure that they become a thing of the past.

With the inclusion of the revolutionary Freeform Bills facility this is a question that we are often asked.

Obtaining prices for an alternative product, specification or design is now easier than ever with the inclusion of a 'Rate Only' price type within Masterbill Elite.

Have you ever tried using QSCad to measure a series of separate lengths only to find it as not as easy as you thought? We have!

The latest version of QSCad now includes "Hot Keys" to make changing the Snap settings even easier.

We are pleased to announce our plans for Masterbill Roadhsows in Muscat and Abu Dhabi

We are now in the process of issuing a blanket release of Masterbill Elite to all customers with current Software Maintenance.

The Masterbill Cash Flow Forecasting module is now complete and enables users to produce more accurate Cash Flow Forecasts than ever before by making use of the Contractor's Programme.

Users can now import QSCad Measurements into multiple dimstores using filters, allocate Masterbill Elite library descriptions to QSCad items based on a previous project and easily update quantities to reflect changes.

Masterbill Elite makes full use of the MMHW Library of Standard Descriptions and its ‘static variables’ to ensure users can produce professional looking BQs more efficiently than ever before.

QSCad Version 3.10 is on its way to all users with current Software Maintenance so we thought we would give you some idea what to expect.

Did you know you could edit multiple QSCad measurements in a single action? Did you know you can select the items to edit by simply defining an area?

One year on we returned to see if our software had delivered the expected benefits.

Rosemargaret Esubonteng from OshDarley Consult in Ghana shares her experiences of using Masterbill software

Our representatives and customers in West Africa recently took the opportunity to share their experiences of Masterbill with others.

See how you can ensure your Bills generate/refresh at full speed

Are you using the system as efficiently as possible?

Make sure your SQL software won't let you down.

Do you have trouble with hatching? Do you get drawings without their XREFs? This update is just what you need.

If you spend some time creating a Template Component why keep it to yourself?

Earlier this year we were pleased to welcome The Ministry of National Development in the Seychelles to our growing International User Base.

During March we welcomed two new staff to the Masterbill team and we'd like you to meet them.

"It's all very well being able to price in detail but how do I print it?"

A recent visit to a longstanding Masterbill customer reminded us of the value of printed abstracts so we thought we would remind you how to produce them.

Analyse or Filter your documents any way you like.

Now you can send your coloured up drawings to anyone who has a CAD viewer.

"How can I measure the centre line of the wall when it hasn't been drawn?" QSCad has the answer!

Don't spend time looking for items when QSCad can do it for you.

This was a question posed by John Macaulay, of Al Habtoor / Murray & Roberts, when he saw yet another option for the steelwork for the roof of the Central Administration building for the new Zayed University in Abu Dhabi land on his desk.

With the RICS actively promoting their recently published New Rules of Measurement for Cost Planning and soon to publish the Procurement volume which is heralded to replace SMM7 Masterbill customers are beginning to ask how we will be incorporating these new rules into our products.

More and more users are making use of Freeform Bills for Schedules of Rates, Schedules of Descriptions, Preliminaries, Demolitions and Alterations (or Downtakings) and Provisional/PC Sums sections of their Bills. Why?

Masterbill Elite was designed with Measurement in mind - find out how this improves upon MB3

Recent developments to QSCad mean that navigating a drawing using zooming and panning is now easier than ever.

Make your own mark on your drawing using Multiple Line Text

QSCad v3 includes a number of new 'Snap' options that will enable user measure faster and more accurately.

At the recent meeting of the Scottish Local Authority Masterbill User Group we were pleased to hear how users are getting to grips with the latest software and expanding its use.

Over the last few months a number of our users have shared their experience of electronic tendering with us by completing our online survey, the results make interesting reading.

It is not often that we have the opportunity to witness our software delivering real benefits to a customer but we were able to see it first hand during a recent visit to Abu Dhabi where we met Sarah Dichoso, a young QS from the Philippines working for Al Habtoor & Murray & Roberts on the new Zayed University Project.

Following his recent adoption of Masterbill Elite and QSCad in his Muscat office, Adaan Bin Shaaban Qattan has once again led the way for Omani QS's to follow.

Two new MB Elite modules are nearing completion - find out what you can expect.

A number of new features were released in Version 3.09 and the development on the next batch is underway. Why not take a sneak preview?

Your Invitation to our Conference to be held in Scotland on 9th July 2009

"There's a man on the phone called David Windsor, says you know him, do you think it's just another Sales call?"

For as long as I can remember we have had an agent in Kenya, a recent visit has revitalised the relationship and should see an increase in the number of African users.

One of our most common support calls starts with the words "My dims don't seem to be included in my Bill!"

Ever since we formulated the first outline plans for Masterbill Elite we have been determined that it should include the ability to handle Preliminaries and Preambles too.

Doesn't it just infuriate you that you have to wait for a Bill to regenerate and then navigate to find the item you just edited?

As Template Components become more and more popular so users want to do more with them.

Have you ever wanted to print the Drainage and Siteworks Schedules from QSCad only to find that you will need a piece of paper the size of a bedsheet...

How can you measure something you can't see?

During the last month I have been surprised again by a user advising me that they were not aware of the Phrases facility.

Slice and Dice your data as never before!

“The possibilities with Freeform Bills are endless” - all you need to do is get started.

“All I want to do is click on an item and see the rates from all Tenderers” Your wish is our command...

These new features make it possible to make even more use of the Repeat Facilities

See how we created a Lookup List in a Template Component to solve a reinforcement challenge.

Powerful Printing Facilities to impress your clients!

It is not unusual for QSCad to be used for all sorts of things but this is one of the most unusual we have heard about!

Until now Standard Library items could only be used in a Traditional Sorted Bill - that's about to change.

There are now a number of tecnologies which can be employed to enable you to access your software and data from outside your office - we take a look at some.

The Page Layout facilities of MB3 look extremely basic and somewhat limited when compared with Masterbill Elite.

It doesn't matter if it's not a block we'll use the text instead.

Are you making use of this powerful and easy to use feature?

Make sure you don't get left behind as others upgrade their CAD software

Over the last two years we have produced 19 Tips and Tricks - just in case you missed one we have produced an Index.

Could we make it any easier to enter dimensions?

Are you making the most of your existing data?

Locating the library item you require is now easier than ever before.