Company ProfileThreeKeysSoftware(theholdingcompanyofQSProject Services)wassetupin1992withaviewtocreatingamorecost efectiveandefficientmeansofproducingconsistantlyaccurate estimates for use in the Construction Industry.Overathreeyearperiodsome10,000detailedratebuildups wereproducedcoveringallthestructuralandfinishingtradesfor usewiththeDosVersionofBuildsoft.Withthelaterintroduction ofMicrosoftWindowstheserateshadtobere-writtenforthe newlyupdatedBuildsoftSoftware.Duringthisprocessanother 2,000rateswereadded.andfinallyin1998thePricebookwas realseased onto the market.InthebeginningItwasaftermanyyearsemployedasa ChiefEstimator/EstimatingManagerwithvariousmajor ‘AustralianConstructionCompanies’,spendingthousandsof countlesshoursbuildinguprateafterratethatIdecidedthat therehadtobeamorecosteffectiveandefficentwayofpricing projectswhilststillbeingabletocompeteinthemarketplace. Usingmyknowledgegainedovermanyyearsinestimating usingthe‘BuildsoftEstimatingSoftware’,Islowlybecanto computerisemyratesintoaworkablemodelwhichall estimatorscoulduse.Becauseratesarebuiltupindetailand allowtheestimatortochangeproductionlevels,wastefactors andprofitmargins,theserateswouldnotbelimitedtoanyone countrybutcouldbeusedworldwide.Itwasnomeantask, takingaroundsixyearsfromstarttofinish,Ihadtomakesure rateswereconsistantandeasytofind.Thefirstrecalcofthe databasetookaround24hourstorecalconceresourceshad beenupdated.ThesedaysusinganI73.95GHzcomputerwith 32 GB or ram, It takes around 7to 8 minutes.