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B2W Software empowers and
inspires heavy civil construction
companies to win more work and
complete it more profitably. The
company's ONE Platform includes
unified applications to manage
estimating, scheduling, field tracking,
equipment maintenance, data
capture and business intelligence.
b2wsoftware.com • (800) 336-3808
Muench has a pre-built database for estimating that includes bid items
and labor, equipment and material costs. This database – a foundational
component of B2W Estimate and something contractors using the
software maintain to bring speed, consistency and accuracy to their
estimating process – is updated slightly every year. Students sometimes
initiate the updates, looking at the project creatively and questioning
whether they could do it more efficiently or cost effectively with
different equipment, crew makeups or materials.
"We are grateful to have free access to the software," says Muench.
"I also take advantage, along with my teaching assistant, of a few hours
of training each year to refresh our knowledge and get up to speed with
new features B2W adds continuously."
The construction sector – including contractors, engineering and
inspection firms and project owners – is the largest employer for
graduates of the UW Civil and Environmental Engineering program.
Experience with B2W Software is an obvious head start for the ones
that go into construction engineering and project management roles,
where they will eventually work with B2W or a similar system, according
to Muench. He says it may be more significant for graduates that pursue
fields that do not involve them with estimating directly, as they might
not otherwise be exposed to and appreciate the process and the type
of software tools that are used.
"One thing students really appreciate in a college course is the
opportunity to learn an actual skill; and B2W is a great skill for them to
learn," Muench concludes. "They learn estimating in a realistic manner,
and it gives them a valuable bullet point on their resume that really
resonates with potential employers."
More information on the B2W College Program is available by contacting
Nicole Mendes at nmendes@b2wsoftware.com. Steve Muench is the Tom
and Marilyn Draeger / The Beavers Charitable Trust Professor of Civil and
Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington. He can be
reached at stmuench@u.washington.edu.
