B2W Software, Inc.€¦ · B2W Software, Inc. END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR LICENSED PRODUCTS....
38
Transcript of B2W Software, Inc.€¦ · B2W Software, Inc. END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR LICENSED PRODUCTS....
B2W Software Inc END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR LICENSED PRODUCTS IMPORTANT-READ CAREFULLY This B2W Software Inc ndash (fka BID2WIN Software Inc)End-User License Agreement (EULA) together with the Proposal and Sales Agreement (collectively the Agreement) is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single entity) and B2W Software Incorporated (B2W) for the B2W software product(s) identified above which may include associated software components media printed materials and online or electronic documentation (LICENSED PRODUCT) By installing copying or otherwise using the LICENSED PRODUCT you agree to be bound by the terms of this EULA If you do not agree to the terms of this EULA do not install or use the LICENSED PRODUCT If the LICENSED PRODUCT was purchased by you you may return it to your place of purchase for a full refund The LICENSED PRODUCT is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties The LICENSED PRODUCT is licensed not sold 1 GRANT OF LICENSE The LICENSED PRODUCT is licensed as follows
Installation and Use B2W grants you the right to install and use copies of the LICENSED PRODUCT on your computers as described on the Proposal and Sales Agreement
The license granted under the Agreement may not be leased assigned or sublicensed including but not limited to the transfer of the LICENSED PRODUCTS to a successor in interest of Customers business The license granted hereunder is solely for the benefit of the Customer as named on the Proposal and Sales Agreement
Acceptance In the case that the LICENSED PRODUCTS are initially installed directly on your computer system completion of installation shall constitute your acceptance of the LICENSED PRODUCTS However during the initial phase of implementation a copy of the LICENSED PRODUCTS may be installed for your use on a staging server located at B2W headquarters in Portsmouth NH following which you will be provided login information via email to access the LICENSED PRODUCTS In this case you agree that acceptance of all of the LICENSED PRODUCTS shall occur upon the earlier of (a) the first time you access the LICENSED PRODUCTS or (b) fifteen (15) days after the date of the email from B2W providing the login information to access the LICENSED PRODUCTS or (c) fifteen (15) days after the date you signed the PROPOSAL For purposes of clarification if acceptance of the LICENSED PRODUCTS is based upon either the email containing the login information to access the LICENSED PRODUCTS as set forth in (b) or the signing of the PROPOSAL as set forth in (c) such acceptance of all of the LICENSED PRODUCTS shall be effective regardless of whether you have actually accessed any portion of the LICENSED PRODUCTS if at all
Backup Copies You may also make copies of the LICENSED PRODUCT as may be necessary for backup and archival purposes
2 DESCRIPTION OF OTHER RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS
Maintenance of Copyright Notices You must not remove or alter any copyright notices on all copies of the LICENSED PRODUCT
Distribution You may not distribute copies of the LICENSED PRODUCT to third parties Prohibition on Reverse Engineering Decompilation and Disassembly You may not reverse engineer
decompile or disassemble the LICENSED PRODUCT except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation
Tampering With Database You may not bypass the user interface to create or edit data directly within the SQL database Doing so immediately voids your B2W Software Maintenance Agreement B2W Software is not responsible for repairing damage caused by tampering with production data in this fashion
Rental You may not rent lease or lend the LICENSED PRODUCT Support Services B2W will provide you with Training and Support Services as set forth in the Training and
Support Schedule to the Proposal and Sales Agreement (SUPPORT SERVICES) Compliance with Applicable Laws You must comply with all applicable laws regarding use of the
LICENSED PRODUCT 3 TERMINATION Without prejudice to any other rights B2W may terminate the Agreement if you fail to comply with the terms and conditions contained in the Agreement In such event customer shall cease to have any rights in the LICENSED PRODUCTS or use thereof Customer shall destroy any and all copies of the LICENSED PRODUCTS
4 COPYRIGHT All title including but not limited to copyrights in and to the LICENSED PRODUCT and any copies thereof are owned by B2W or its suppliers All title and intellectual property rights in and to the content which may be accessed through use of the LICENSED PRODUCT is the property of the respective content owner and may be protected by applicable copyright or other intellectual property laws and treaties The Agreement grants you no rights to use such content All rights not expressly granted are reserved by B2W
5 US GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS The LICENSED PRODUCT is provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS Use duplication or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252227-7013 or subparagraphs (c)(1) and (2) of
the Commercial Computer Software Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52227-19 as applicable Manufacturer is B2W Software IncorporatedMartingale Wharf99 Bow StreetSuite 500Portsmouth NH 03801
6 EXPORT RESTRICTIONS You agree that you will not export or re-export the LICENSED PRODUCT to any country person entity or end user subject to USA export restrictions Restricted countries currently include but are not necessarily limited to Cuba Iran Iraq Libya North Korea Sudan and Syria You warrant and represent that neither the USA Bureau of Export Administration nor any other federal agency has suspended revoked or denied your export privileges
7 LIMITED WARRANTY For a period of thirty (30) days after delivery of the LICENSED PRODUCTS B2W warrants and represents that the LICENSED PRODUCTS will operate and perform substantially in conformance with the requirements and specifications set forth in the Product Specifications and Pricing Schedule to the Proposal and Sales Agreement During the term of this Limited Warranty B2W will investigate issues reported by Customer in writing in the then current version of the LICENSED PRODUCTS
8 WARRANTIES ASIDE FROM THE EXPRESS WARRANTIES SET FORTH IN SECTION 7 ABOVE THERE IS NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE B2W DOES NOT WARRANT THE RESULTS OF ANY PROGRAMS OR SERVICES OR THAT THE LICENSED PRODUCTS WILL MEET CUSTOMERS REQUIREMENTS OR EXPECTATIONS
9 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law in no event shall B2W or its suppliers be liable for any special incidental indirect or consequential damages whatsoever (including without limitation damages for loss of business profits business interruption loss of business information or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use the LICENSED PRODUCT or the provision of or failure to provide Support Services even if B2W has been advised of the possibility of such damages In any case B2Ws entire liability under any provision of the Agreement shall be limited to the amount actually paid by you for the LICENSED PRODUCT Because some states and jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability the above limitation may not apply to you
10 GOVERNING LAW This agreement is made under and shall be governed by the laws of the State of New Hampshire USA Any claim dispute action or proceeding arising under this agreement shall be maintained only in a state or federal court located in the State of New Hampshire and you agree to such governing law and venue for all purposes
11 SEVERABILITY If any provision of the Agreement is held invalid or otherwise unenforceable the enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not be impaired thereby
Should you have any questions concerning the Agreement or if you desire to contact B2W for any reason write B2W Software IncorporatedMartingale Wharf99 Bow StreetSuite 500Portsmouth NH 03801
The information contained in this document represents the current view of B2W Software Inc fka BID2WIN Software Inc on the issues discussed as of the date of publication Because B2W Software must respond to changing market conditions it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of B2W Software and B2W Software cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication
This document is for informational purposes only B2W SOFTWARE MAKES NO WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT
Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user Without limiting the rights under copyright no part of this document may be reproduced stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise) or for any purpose without the express written permission of B2W Software Incorporated
B2W Software may have patents patent applications trademarks copyrights or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from B2W Software the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents trademarks copyrights or other intellectual property
The example companies organizations products people and events depicted herein are fictitious No association with any real company organization product person or event is intended or should be inferred
copy 2013 B2W Software Inc All rights reserved
B2W Software Inc B2W are either registered trademarks or tradenames of B2W Software Incorporated in the United States andor other countries
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners
5th Revision 12013
Contents
About This Guide 1
Getting Help 2 Frequently Asked Questions 2 B2W Knowledge Base 2 24-hour Technical Support 2 Context-Sensitive Online Help 2 B2W Support Website Alerts 3
Technical Overview 4 System Components 4
Database Server 4 License Pool 4 B2W Estimate Database 5 Client Software 5 Administration Software 5
Configuration Options 6 Stand-Alone 6 ClientServer 6 Windows Terminal Services Citrix 7
Mobile Estimating 8 Mobile Estimating Requirements 9 More Information 9
Installing and Configuring B2W Estimate 10 Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements 10 Installing B2W Estimate 10 Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool 10 Activating B2W Estimate 10 Changing the Administrator Password 11 Managing Add-Ins 12 Configuring Users and Groups 15
Managing Groups 15 Managing Users 16 Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions 18
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases 24 Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate Databases 24
Shared License Pool 24 Unique Users and Groups 24
Creating Additional Databases 25 Administering Different Databases 27
Command Line Switches 28
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate Database 29 Purge Deleted Data 29 Archiving Estimates 29
Archive estimates 29 Restore estimates 30 Access an archive database 31
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About This Guide
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide outlines the process of installing B2W Estimate in several different configurations including stand-alone clientserver and Windows Terminal Services or Citrix In addition it describes the features of the B2W Estimate Administration tool that are related to a successful and complete installation
The installation guide is separated into five chapters
Chapter 1 ndash Technical Overview discusses the system components that comprise a B2W Estimate installation and briefly describes the two main installation types
Chapter 2 ndash Installing and Configuring B2W Estimate describes the administrative functions that are found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool such as creating groups and users and installing add-ins
Chapter 3 ndash Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases discusses the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases and gives you some pointers on managing multiple B2W Estimate databases
Chapter 4 ndash Maintaining Your B2W Estimate Database describes two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
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Getting Help
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide is one of many tools at your disposal as you install B2W Estimate B2W Software provides a host of technical support resources to help you get the answers you need when you need them
Frequently Asked Questions
Have you ever wondered how to do a certain task in B2W Estimate Chances are other users have as well Check the Frequently Asked Questions page on B2W Softwarersquos premium support web site for the latest answers to your questions
The frequently asked questions page is located at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomfaq
B2W Knowledge Base
B2W Software provides an extensive online knowledge base of known problems bugs and tips accessible via the internet The knowledge base is continually updated with important bug notifications and workarounds
Access the B2W Knowledge Base on our premium support website and use it to find fast solutions to technical problems with B2W Estimate
The knowledge base is located at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomknowledgebase
Note If you want to receive an e-mail each time a new KB article is published you can subscribe to our free alert service at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
24-hour Technical Support
B2W Software is home to the finest technical support call center in the industry The B2W technical support staff is at your service providing quick professional resolutions to your technical support issues answers to your questions and responses to your feedback and suggestions
We are available 24 hours a day seven days a week at (888) 390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Context-Sensitive Online Help
The fastest way to get your questions answered is to refer to B2W Estimates context-sensitive help system
Access the help system by clicking Help on the toolbar or by pressing F1 on your keyboard
The online help system is designed to automatically display a topic which corresponds to exactly what you were doing in B2W Estimate Once inside the help
Page 3 of 32
system you can navigate to other help topics by using the table of contents the index or by performing a keyword or text search
B2W Support Website Alerts
The B2W Support Website allows you to subscribe to an e-mail alert system which can be configured to send you an automatic e-mail every time a product add-in report or piece of documentation is published or updated You can even subscribe to receive alerts when new knowledge base articles are published
These e-mail alerts ensure you are among the first to know whenever one of your subscribed files has been updated and is ready for download You will receive an e-mail clearly listing which files have been updated
You can subscribe to this free alert service at httpwwwsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
Page 4 of 32
Technical Overview
Before installing B2W Estimate itrsquos important to become familiar with B2W Estimatersquos five system components Understanding these components and knowing where each resides helps to ensure a smooth implementation
System Components
Every B2W Estimate implementation consists of the following five system components
Database server
License pool
B2W Estimate database
Client software
Administration software
On a single-user workstation or in a terminal server environment all five components reside on one computer In a clientserver environment all five components reside on your dedicated B2W Estimate server but the client software and administrative software are also installed on network workstations
Note If you install B2W Estimate on a server with Windows Terminal Services capabilities your workstations that connect to the B2W Estimate database through a LAN can still do so in a traditional clientserver fashion In this case B2W Estimate would be installed on those workstations as ldquoNetwork Workstationsrdquo which means that the client software and administrative software would also reside on the workstations
Database Server
The database server is an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 200820122014 that stores and manages one or more B2W Estimate databases Depending on your installation environment the database server may reside on a dedicated network server or may just be a SQL Server Express instance on an individual workstation
License Pool
The license pool resides on the database server and contains a number of concurrent licenses that allow access to B2W Estimate by the client software After you have installed B2W Estimate you will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses purchased by your company When an estimator launches B2W Estimate one license from the license pool becomes ldquoin userdquo When that estimator closes their B2W Estimate program window the license becomes ldquoavailablerdquo
Note Using the B2W Estimate Administration tool does not consume a license
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B2W Estimate Database
The B2W Estimate database resides on the database server and contains the following information
B2W Estimate user accounts A user account is created for each estimator or manager who requires access to the system
Resources Resources consist of cost-related information such as labor equipment and materials as well as other information such as subcontractors vendors and customers
Item templates Item templates allow estimators to configure the cost structure of bid items for subsequent use while creating estimates Item templates are contained in what is referred to in the client application as ldquoitem databasesrdquo
Estimates All estimates created in the system reside in the B2W Estimate database
During the installation process the B2W Estimate setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WData This is an empty database intended for your company-specific users resources item templates and estimates
B2WSample This database contains a complete set of sample users resources item templates and estimates The B2W Estimate Getting Started Guide uses this sample data as a basis for walking estimators through the system It provides a good reference as your estimators get up to speed with the ldquorealrdquo company-specific database
Companies who purchase B2W Estimate Enterprise Edition have the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases at any time This is typically useful for larger companies with several divisions that share a dedicated server but bid very specific types of work The process of creating and administering multiple B2W Estimate databases is discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Client Software
The B2W Estimate client software allows the creation and editing of resources item templates and estimates In a traditional clientserver environment the client software is installed on your estimator workstations The client computer runs the B2W Estimate client software but saves and retrieves data to and from the B2W Estimate database on the database server
Administration Software
The B2W Estimate Administration software allows a system administrator to manage the B2W Estimate installation including the configuration of B2W Estimate users and groups as well as system extensions called ldquoadd-insrdquo
The administration software is installed with every installation type allowing the administration of the system from any server or workstation as long as the administrator password is known
Page 6 of 32
Configuration Options
There are three different ways B2W Estimate can be configured
Stand-Alone
In a stand-alone configuration all five system components (database server license pool B2W Estimate databases client software and administration software) reside on a single computer No information is shared and no networking capabilities are required
This type of installation is typically only recommended for very small companies with only one estimator
The single-user workstation
ClientServer
A clientserver environment as the name implies consists of a dedicated network server and one or more client workstations In this environment the database server the license pool and the B2W Estimate database all reside on the dedicated network server (For convenience instances of the B2W Estimate Administration tool and the client software also reside on the server) The client software is installed on each estimator workstation which can then connect to the dedicated server for the other components
The advantage of the clientserver environment is that all estimators share a central B2W Estimate database From an administratorrsquos standpoint a central database is easy to maintain and back-up From a managerrsquos standpoint a central database leads to great consistency from one estimator to another and in the long run a vast array of cross-estimate reporting capabilities
For these reasons the clientserver environment is the recommended installation environment for the vast majority of B2W Estimate users
Page 7 of 32
The clientserver environment
Windows Terminal Services Citrix
Having Windows Terminal Services or Citrix installed on your dedicated B2W Estimate database server often provides a very efficient way for estimators to remotely connect to their database server via WAN or dial up connection
The terminal services option gives estimators the ability to connect remotely to the database server even when away from the office As long as an estimator has Internet connectivity and a minimum connection speed of 56kbps they can use B2W Estimate as though they were at their own desks They can access B2W Estimate using the Remote Desktop Connection software which is somewhat analogous to the idea of turning on a new monitor that just shows ldquowhatrsquos happeningrdquo on the terminal server
Note that a terminal server is not a requirement and is typically best utilized in conjunction with a traditional clientserver installation In other words when an estimator uses B2W Estimate at the office he would do so within a traditional clientserver environment If the estimator needs to connect to the B2W Estimate server from a remote location via WAN or modem he would utilize the Remote Desktop Connection software to access the system
Page 8 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W Estimate server When he returns he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified estimates back to the B2W Estimate server
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to the B2W Estimate server is not reliable for example in a job trailer or remote office with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity A temporary connection can be established to the B2W Estimate server estimates can be transferred to the remote computer and work can proceed while disconnected Changes to the estimate can
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
the Commercial Computer Software Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52227-19 as applicable Manufacturer is B2W Software IncorporatedMartingale Wharf99 Bow StreetSuite 500Portsmouth NH 03801
6 EXPORT RESTRICTIONS You agree that you will not export or re-export the LICENSED PRODUCT to any country person entity or end user subject to USA export restrictions Restricted countries currently include but are not necessarily limited to Cuba Iran Iraq Libya North Korea Sudan and Syria You warrant and represent that neither the USA Bureau of Export Administration nor any other federal agency has suspended revoked or denied your export privileges
7 LIMITED WARRANTY For a period of thirty (30) days after delivery of the LICENSED PRODUCTS B2W warrants and represents that the LICENSED PRODUCTS will operate and perform substantially in conformance with the requirements and specifications set forth in the Product Specifications and Pricing Schedule to the Proposal and Sales Agreement During the term of this Limited Warranty B2W will investigate issues reported by Customer in writing in the then current version of the LICENSED PRODUCTS
8 WARRANTIES ASIDE FROM THE EXPRESS WARRANTIES SET FORTH IN SECTION 7 ABOVE THERE IS NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE B2W DOES NOT WARRANT THE RESULTS OF ANY PROGRAMS OR SERVICES OR THAT THE LICENSED PRODUCTS WILL MEET CUSTOMERS REQUIREMENTS OR EXPECTATIONS
9 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law in no event shall B2W or its suppliers be liable for any special incidental indirect or consequential damages whatsoever (including without limitation damages for loss of business profits business interruption loss of business information or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use the LICENSED PRODUCT or the provision of or failure to provide Support Services even if B2W has been advised of the possibility of such damages In any case B2Ws entire liability under any provision of the Agreement shall be limited to the amount actually paid by you for the LICENSED PRODUCT Because some states and jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability the above limitation may not apply to you
10 GOVERNING LAW This agreement is made under and shall be governed by the laws of the State of New Hampshire USA Any claim dispute action or proceeding arising under this agreement shall be maintained only in a state or federal court located in the State of New Hampshire and you agree to such governing law and venue for all purposes
11 SEVERABILITY If any provision of the Agreement is held invalid or otherwise unenforceable the enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not be impaired thereby
Should you have any questions concerning the Agreement or if you desire to contact B2W for any reason write B2W Software IncorporatedMartingale Wharf99 Bow StreetSuite 500Portsmouth NH 03801
The information contained in this document represents the current view of B2W Software Inc fka BID2WIN Software Inc on the issues discussed as of the date of publication Because B2W Software must respond to changing market conditions it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of B2W Software and B2W Software cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication
This document is for informational purposes only B2W SOFTWARE MAKES NO WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT
Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user Without limiting the rights under copyright no part of this document may be reproduced stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise) or for any purpose without the express written permission of B2W Software Incorporated
B2W Software may have patents patent applications trademarks copyrights or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from B2W Software the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents trademarks copyrights or other intellectual property
The example companies organizations products people and events depicted herein are fictitious No association with any real company organization product person or event is intended or should be inferred
copy 2013 B2W Software Inc All rights reserved
B2W Software Inc B2W are either registered trademarks or tradenames of B2W Software Incorporated in the United States andor other countries
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners
5th Revision 12013
Contents
About This Guide 1
Getting Help 2 Frequently Asked Questions 2 B2W Knowledge Base 2 24-hour Technical Support 2 Context-Sensitive Online Help 2 B2W Support Website Alerts 3
Technical Overview 4 System Components 4
Database Server 4 License Pool 4 B2W Estimate Database 5 Client Software 5 Administration Software 5
Configuration Options 6 Stand-Alone 6 ClientServer 6 Windows Terminal Services Citrix 7
Mobile Estimating 8 Mobile Estimating Requirements 9 More Information 9
Installing and Configuring B2W Estimate 10 Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements 10 Installing B2W Estimate 10 Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool 10 Activating B2W Estimate 10 Changing the Administrator Password 11 Managing Add-Ins 12 Configuring Users and Groups 15
Managing Groups 15 Managing Users 16 Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions 18
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases 24 Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate Databases 24
Shared License Pool 24 Unique Users and Groups 24
Creating Additional Databases 25 Administering Different Databases 27
Command Line Switches 28
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate Database 29 Purge Deleted Data 29 Archiving Estimates 29
Archive estimates 29 Restore estimates 30 Access an archive database 31
Page 1 of 32
About This Guide
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide outlines the process of installing B2W Estimate in several different configurations including stand-alone clientserver and Windows Terminal Services or Citrix In addition it describes the features of the B2W Estimate Administration tool that are related to a successful and complete installation
The installation guide is separated into five chapters
Chapter 1 ndash Technical Overview discusses the system components that comprise a B2W Estimate installation and briefly describes the two main installation types
Chapter 2 ndash Installing and Configuring B2W Estimate describes the administrative functions that are found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool such as creating groups and users and installing add-ins
Chapter 3 ndash Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases discusses the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases and gives you some pointers on managing multiple B2W Estimate databases
Chapter 4 ndash Maintaining Your B2W Estimate Database describes two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Page 2 of 32
Getting Help
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide is one of many tools at your disposal as you install B2W Estimate B2W Software provides a host of technical support resources to help you get the answers you need when you need them
Frequently Asked Questions
Have you ever wondered how to do a certain task in B2W Estimate Chances are other users have as well Check the Frequently Asked Questions page on B2W Softwarersquos premium support web site for the latest answers to your questions
The frequently asked questions page is located at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomfaq
B2W Knowledge Base
B2W Software provides an extensive online knowledge base of known problems bugs and tips accessible via the internet The knowledge base is continually updated with important bug notifications and workarounds
Access the B2W Knowledge Base on our premium support website and use it to find fast solutions to technical problems with B2W Estimate
The knowledge base is located at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomknowledgebase
Note If you want to receive an e-mail each time a new KB article is published you can subscribe to our free alert service at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
24-hour Technical Support
B2W Software is home to the finest technical support call center in the industry The B2W technical support staff is at your service providing quick professional resolutions to your technical support issues answers to your questions and responses to your feedback and suggestions
We are available 24 hours a day seven days a week at (888) 390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Context-Sensitive Online Help
The fastest way to get your questions answered is to refer to B2W Estimates context-sensitive help system
Access the help system by clicking Help on the toolbar or by pressing F1 on your keyboard
The online help system is designed to automatically display a topic which corresponds to exactly what you were doing in B2W Estimate Once inside the help
Page 3 of 32
system you can navigate to other help topics by using the table of contents the index or by performing a keyword or text search
B2W Support Website Alerts
The B2W Support Website allows you to subscribe to an e-mail alert system which can be configured to send you an automatic e-mail every time a product add-in report or piece of documentation is published or updated You can even subscribe to receive alerts when new knowledge base articles are published
These e-mail alerts ensure you are among the first to know whenever one of your subscribed files has been updated and is ready for download You will receive an e-mail clearly listing which files have been updated
You can subscribe to this free alert service at httpwwwsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
Page 4 of 32
Technical Overview
Before installing B2W Estimate itrsquos important to become familiar with B2W Estimatersquos five system components Understanding these components and knowing where each resides helps to ensure a smooth implementation
System Components
Every B2W Estimate implementation consists of the following five system components
Database server
License pool
B2W Estimate database
Client software
Administration software
On a single-user workstation or in a terminal server environment all five components reside on one computer In a clientserver environment all five components reside on your dedicated B2W Estimate server but the client software and administrative software are also installed on network workstations
Note If you install B2W Estimate on a server with Windows Terminal Services capabilities your workstations that connect to the B2W Estimate database through a LAN can still do so in a traditional clientserver fashion In this case B2W Estimate would be installed on those workstations as ldquoNetwork Workstationsrdquo which means that the client software and administrative software would also reside on the workstations
Database Server
The database server is an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 200820122014 that stores and manages one or more B2W Estimate databases Depending on your installation environment the database server may reside on a dedicated network server or may just be a SQL Server Express instance on an individual workstation
License Pool
The license pool resides on the database server and contains a number of concurrent licenses that allow access to B2W Estimate by the client software After you have installed B2W Estimate you will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses purchased by your company When an estimator launches B2W Estimate one license from the license pool becomes ldquoin userdquo When that estimator closes their B2W Estimate program window the license becomes ldquoavailablerdquo
Note Using the B2W Estimate Administration tool does not consume a license
Page 5 of 32
B2W Estimate Database
The B2W Estimate database resides on the database server and contains the following information
B2W Estimate user accounts A user account is created for each estimator or manager who requires access to the system
Resources Resources consist of cost-related information such as labor equipment and materials as well as other information such as subcontractors vendors and customers
Item templates Item templates allow estimators to configure the cost structure of bid items for subsequent use while creating estimates Item templates are contained in what is referred to in the client application as ldquoitem databasesrdquo
Estimates All estimates created in the system reside in the B2W Estimate database
During the installation process the B2W Estimate setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WData This is an empty database intended for your company-specific users resources item templates and estimates
B2WSample This database contains a complete set of sample users resources item templates and estimates The B2W Estimate Getting Started Guide uses this sample data as a basis for walking estimators through the system It provides a good reference as your estimators get up to speed with the ldquorealrdquo company-specific database
Companies who purchase B2W Estimate Enterprise Edition have the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases at any time This is typically useful for larger companies with several divisions that share a dedicated server but bid very specific types of work The process of creating and administering multiple B2W Estimate databases is discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Client Software
The B2W Estimate client software allows the creation and editing of resources item templates and estimates In a traditional clientserver environment the client software is installed on your estimator workstations The client computer runs the B2W Estimate client software but saves and retrieves data to and from the B2W Estimate database on the database server
Administration Software
The B2W Estimate Administration software allows a system administrator to manage the B2W Estimate installation including the configuration of B2W Estimate users and groups as well as system extensions called ldquoadd-insrdquo
The administration software is installed with every installation type allowing the administration of the system from any server or workstation as long as the administrator password is known
Page 6 of 32
Configuration Options
There are three different ways B2W Estimate can be configured
Stand-Alone
In a stand-alone configuration all five system components (database server license pool B2W Estimate databases client software and administration software) reside on a single computer No information is shared and no networking capabilities are required
This type of installation is typically only recommended for very small companies with only one estimator
The single-user workstation
ClientServer
A clientserver environment as the name implies consists of a dedicated network server and one or more client workstations In this environment the database server the license pool and the B2W Estimate database all reside on the dedicated network server (For convenience instances of the B2W Estimate Administration tool and the client software also reside on the server) The client software is installed on each estimator workstation which can then connect to the dedicated server for the other components
The advantage of the clientserver environment is that all estimators share a central B2W Estimate database From an administratorrsquos standpoint a central database is easy to maintain and back-up From a managerrsquos standpoint a central database leads to great consistency from one estimator to another and in the long run a vast array of cross-estimate reporting capabilities
For these reasons the clientserver environment is the recommended installation environment for the vast majority of B2W Estimate users
Page 7 of 32
The clientserver environment
Windows Terminal Services Citrix
Having Windows Terminal Services or Citrix installed on your dedicated B2W Estimate database server often provides a very efficient way for estimators to remotely connect to their database server via WAN or dial up connection
The terminal services option gives estimators the ability to connect remotely to the database server even when away from the office As long as an estimator has Internet connectivity and a minimum connection speed of 56kbps they can use B2W Estimate as though they were at their own desks They can access B2W Estimate using the Remote Desktop Connection software which is somewhat analogous to the idea of turning on a new monitor that just shows ldquowhatrsquos happeningrdquo on the terminal server
Note that a terminal server is not a requirement and is typically best utilized in conjunction with a traditional clientserver installation In other words when an estimator uses B2W Estimate at the office he would do so within a traditional clientserver environment If the estimator needs to connect to the B2W Estimate server from a remote location via WAN or modem he would utilize the Remote Desktop Connection software to access the system
Page 8 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W Estimate server When he returns he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified estimates back to the B2W Estimate server
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to the B2W Estimate server is not reliable for example in a job trailer or remote office with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity A temporary connection can be established to the B2W Estimate server estimates can be transferred to the remote computer and work can proceed while disconnected Changes to the estimate can
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
The information contained in this document represents the current view of B2W Software Inc fka BID2WIN Software Inc on the issues discussed as of the date of publication Because B2W Software must respond to changing market conditions it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of B2W Software and B2W Software cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication
This document is for informational purposes only B2W SOFTWARE MAKES NO WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT
Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user Without limiting the rights under copyright no part of this document may be reproduced stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise) or for any purpose without the express written permission of B2W Software Incorporated
B2W Software may have patents patent applications trademarks copyrights or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from B2W Software the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents trademarks copyrights or other intellectual property
The example companies organizations products people and events depicted herein are fictitious No association with any real company organization product person or event is intended or should be inferred
copy 2013 B2W Software Inc All rights reserved
B2W Software Inc B2W are either registered trademarks or tradenames of B2W Software Incorporated in the United States andor other countries
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners
5th Revision 12013
Contents
About This Guide 1
Getting Help 2 Frequently Asked Questions 2 B2W Knowledge Base 2 24-hour Technical Support 2 Context-Sensitive Online Help 2 B2W Support Website Alerts 3
Technical Overview 4 System Components 4
Database Server 4 License Pool 4 B2W Estimate Database 5 Client Software 5 Administration Software 5
Configuration Options 6 Stand-Alone 6 ClientServer 6 Windows Terminal Services Citrix 7
Mobile Estimating 8 Mobile Estimating Requirements 9 More Information 9
Installing and Configuring B2W Estimate 10 Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements 10 Installing B2W Estimate 10 Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool 10 Activating B2W Estimate 10 Changing the Administrator Password 11 Managing Add-Ins 12 Configuring Users and Groups 15
Managing Groups 15 Managing Users 16 Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions 18
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases 24 Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate Databases 24
Shared License Pool 24 Unique Users and Groups 24
Creating Additional Databases 25 Administering Different Databases 27
Command Line Switches 28
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate Database 29 Purge Deleted Data 29 Archiving Estimates 29
Archive estimates 29 Restore estimates 30 Access an archive database 31
Page 1 of 32
About This Guide
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide outlines the process of installing B2W Estimate in several different configurations including stand-alone clientserver and Windows Terminal Services or Citrix In addition it describes the features of the B2W Estimate Administration tool that are related to a successful and complete installation
The installation guide is separated into five chapters
Chapter 1 ndash Technical Overview discusses the system components that comprise a B2W Estimate installation and briefly describes the two main installation types
Chapter 2 ndash Installing and Configuring B2W Estimate describes the administrative functions that are found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool such as creating groups and users and installing add-ins
Chapter 3 ndash Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases discusses the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases and gives you some pointers on managing multiple B2W Estimate databases
Chapter 4 ndash Maintaining Your B2W Estimate Database describes two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Page 2 of 32
Getting Help
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide is one of many tools at your disposal as you install B2W Estimate B2W Software provides a host of technical support resources to help you get the answers you need when you need them
Frequently Asked Questions
Have you ever wondered how to do a certain task in B2W Estimate Chances are other users have as well Check the Frequently Asked Questions page on B2W Softwarersquos premium support web site for the latest answers to your questions
The frequently asked questions page is located at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomfaq
B2W Knowledge Base
B2W Software provides an extensive online knowledge base of known problems bugs and tips accessible via the internet The knowledge base is continually updated with important bug notifications and workarounds
Access the B2W Knowledge Base on our premium support website and use it to find fast solutions to technical problems with B2W Estimate
The knowledge base is located at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomknowledgebase
Note If you want to receive an e-mail each time a new KB article is published you can subscribe to our free alert service at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
24-hour Technical Support
B2W Software is home to the finest technical support call center in the industry The B2W technical support staff is at your service providing quick professional resolutions to your technical support issues answers to your questions and responses to your feedback and suggestions
We are available 24 hours a day seven days a week at (888) 390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Context-Sensitive Online Help
The fastest way to get your questions answered is to refer to B2W Estimates context-sensitive help system
Access the help system by clicking Help on the toolbar or by pressing F1 on your keyboard
The online help system is designed to automatically display a topic which corresponds to exactly what you were doing in B2W Estimate Once inside the help
Page 3 of 32
system you can navigate to other help topics by using the table of contents the index or by performing a keyword or text search
B2W Support Website Alerts
The B2W Support Website allows you to subscribe to an e-mail alert system which can be configured to send you an automatic e-mail every time a product add-in report or piece of documentation is published or updated You can even subscribe to receive alerts when new knowledge base articles are published
These e-mail alerts ensure you are among the first to know whenever one of your subscribed files has been updated and is ready for download You will receive an e-mail clearly listing which files have been updated
You can subscribe to this free alert service at httpwwwsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
Page 4 of 32
Technical Overview
Before installing B2W Estimate itrsquos important to become familiar with B2W Estimatersquos five system components Understanding these components and knowing where each resides helps to ensure a smooth implementation
System Components
Every B2W Estimate implementation consists of the following five system components
Database server
License pool
B2W Estimate database
Client software
Administration software
On a single-user workstation or in a terminal server environment all five components reside on one computer In a clientserver environment all five components reside on your dedicated B2W Estimate server but the client software and administrative software are also installed on network workstations
Note If you install B2W Estimate on a server with Windows Terminal Services capabilities your workstations that connect to the B2W Estimate database through a LAN can still do so in a traditional clientserver fashion In this case B2W Estimate would be installed on those workstations as ldquoNetwork Workstationsrdquo which means that the client software and administrative software would also reside on the workstations
Database Server
The database server is an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 200820122014 that stores and manages one or more B2W Estimate databases Depending on your installation environment the database server may reside on a dedicated network server or may just be a SQL Server Express instance on an individual workstation
License Pool
The license pool resides on the database server and contains a number of concurrent licenses that allow access to B2W Estimate by the client software After you have installed B2W Estimate you will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses purchased by your company When an estimator launches B2W Estimate one license from the license pool becomes ldquoin userdquo When that estimator closes their B2W Estimate program window the license becomes ldquoavailablerdquo
Note Using the B2W Estimate Administration tool does not consume a license
Page 5 of 32
B2W Estimate Database
The B2W Estimate database resides on the database server and contains the following information
B2W Estimate user accounts A user account is created for each estimator or manager who requires access to the system
Resources Resources consist of cost-related information such as labor equipment and materials as well as other information such as subcontractors vendors and customers
Item templates Item templates allow estimators to configure the cost structure of bid items for subsequent use while creating estimates Item templates are contained in what is referred to in the client application as ldquoitem databasesrdquo
Estimates All estimates created in the system reside in the B2W Estimate database
During the installation process the B2W Estimate setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WData This is an empty database intended for your company-specific users resources item templates and estimates
B2WSample This database contains a complete set of sample users resources item templates and estimates The B2W Estimate Getting Started Guide uses this sample data as a basis for walking estimators through the system It provides a good reference as your estimators get up to speed with the ldquorealrdquo company-specific database
Companies who purchase B2W Estimate Enterprise Edition have the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases at any time This is typically useful for larger companies with several divisions that share a dedicated server but bid very specific types of work The process of creating and administering multiple B2W Estimate databases is discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Client Software
The B2W Estimate client software allows the creation and editing of resources item templates and estimates In a traditional clientserver environment the client software is installed on your estimator workstations The client computer runs the B2W Estimate client software but saves and retrieves data to and from the B2W Estimate database on the database server
Administration Software
The B2W Estimate Administration software allows a system administrator to manage the B2W Estimate installation including the configuration of B2W Estimate users and groups as well as system extensions called ldquoadd-insrdquo
The administration software is installed with every installation type allowing the administration of the system from any server or workstation as long as the administrator password is known
Page 6 of 32
Configuration Options
There are three different ways B2W Estimate can be configured
Stand-Alone
In a stand-alone configuration all five system components (database server license pool B2W Estimate databases client software and administration software) reside on a single computer No information is shared and no networking capabilities are required
This type of installation is typically only recommended for very small companies with only one estimator
The single-user workstation
ClientServer
A clientserver environment as the name implies consists of a dedicated network server and one or more client workstations In this environment the database server the license pool and the B2W Estimate database all reside on the dedicated network server (For convenience instances of the B2W Estimate Administration tool and the client software also reside on the server) The client software is installed on each estimator workstation which can then connect to the dedicated server for the other components
The advantage of the clientserver environment is that all estimators share a central B2W Estimate database From an administratorrsquos standpoint a central database is easy to maintain and back-up From a managerrsquos standpoint a central database leads to great consistency from one estimator to another and in the long run a vast array of cross-estimate reporting capabilities
For these reasons the clientserver environment is the recommended installation environment for the vast majority of B2W Estimate users
Page 7 of 32
The clientserver environment
Windows Terminal Services Citrix
Having Windows Terminal Services or Citrix installed on your dedicated B2W Estimate database server often provides a very efficient way for estimators to remotely connect to their database server via WAN or dial up connection
The terminal services option gives estimators the ability to connect remotely to the database server even when away from the office As long as an estimator has Internet connectivity and a minimum connection speed of 56kbps they can use B2W Estimate as though they were at their own desks They can access B2W Estimate using the Remote Desktop Connection software which is somewhat analogous to the idea of turning on a new monitor that just shows ldquowhatrsquos happeningrdquo on the terminal server
Note that a terminal server is not a requirement and is typically best utilized in conjunction with a traditional clientserver installation In other words when an estimator uses B2W Estimate at the office he would do so within a traditional clientserver environment If the estimator needs to connect to the B2W Estimate server from a remote location via WAN or modem he would utilize the Remote Desktop Connection software to access the system
Page 8 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W Estimate server When he returns he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified estimates back to the B2W Estimate server
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to the B2W Estimate server is not reliable for example in a job trailer or remote office with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity A temporary connection can be established to the B2W Estimate server estimates can be transferred to the remote computer and work can proceed while disconnected Changes to the estimate can
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Contents
About This Guide 1
Getting Help 2 Frequently Asked Questions 2 B2W Knowledge Base 2 24-hour Technical Support 2 Context-Sensitive Online Help 2 B2W Support Website Alerts 3
Technical Overview 4 System Components 4
Database Server 4 License Pool 4 B2W Estimate Database 5 Client Software 5 Administration Software 5
Configuration Options 6 Stand-Alone 6 ClientServer 6 Windows Terminal Services Citrix 7
Mobile Estimating 8 Mobile Estimating Requirements 9 More Information 9
Installing and Configuring B2W Estimate 10 Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements 10 Installing B2W Estimate 10 Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool 10 Activating B2W Estimate 10 Changing the Administrator Password 11 Managing Add-Ins 12 Configuring Users and Groups 15
Managing Groups 15 Managing Users 16 Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions 18
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases 24 Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate Databases 24
Shared License Pool 24 Unique Users and Groups 24
Creating Additional Databases 25 Administering Different Databases 27
Command Line Switches 28
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate Database 29 Purge Deleted Data 29 Archiving Estimates 29
Archive estimates 29 Restore estimates 30 Access an archive database 31
Page 1 of 32
About This Guide
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide outlines the process of installing B2W Estimate in several different configurations including stand-alone clientserver and Windows Terminal Services or Citrix In addition it describes the features of the B2W Estimate Administration tool that are related to a successful and complete installation
The installation guide is separated into five chapters
Chapter 1 ndash Technical Overview discusses the system components that comprise a B2W Estimate installation and briefly describes the two main installation types
Chapter 2 ndash Installing and Configuring B2W Estimate describes the administrative functions that are found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool such as creating groups and users and installing add-ins
Chapter 3 ndash Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases discusses the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases and gives you some pointers on managing multiple B2W Estimate databases
Chapter 4 ndash Maintaining Your B2W Estimate Database describes two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Page 2 of 32
Getting Help
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide is one of many tools at your disposal as you install B2W Estimate B2W Software provides a host of technical support resources to help you get the answers you need when you need them
Frequently Asked Questions
Have you ever wondered how to do a certain task in B2W Estimate Chances are other users have as well Check the Frequently Asked Questions page on B2W Softwarersquos premium support web site for the latest answers to your questions
The frequently asked questions page is located at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomfaq
B2W Knowledge Base
B2W Software provides an extensive online knowledge base of known problems bugs and tips accessible via the internet The knowledge base is continually updated with important bug notifications and workarounds
Access the B2W Knowledge Base on our premium support website and use it to find fast solutions to technical problems with B2W Estimate
The knowledge base is located at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomknowledgebase
Note If you want to receive an e-mail each time a new KB article is published you can subscribe to our free alert service at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
24-hour Technical Support
B2W Software is home to the finest technical support call center in the industry The B2W technical support staff is at your service providing quick professional resolutions to your technical support issues answers to your questions and responses to your feedback and suggestions
We are available 24 hours a day seven days a week at (888) 390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Context-Sensitive Online Help
The fastest way to get your questions answered is to refer to B2W Estimates context-sensitive help system
Access the help system by clicking Help on the toolbar or by pressing F1 on your keyboard
The online help system is designed to automatically display a topic which corresponds to exactly what you were doing in B2W Estimate Once inside the help
Page 3 of 32
system you can navigate to other help topics by using the table of contents the index or by performing a keyword or text search
B2W Support Website Alerts
The B2W Support Website allows you to subscribe to an e-mail alert system which can be configured to send you an automatic e-mail every time a product add-in report or piece of documentation is published or updated You can even subscribe to receive alerts when new knowledge base articles are published
These e-mail alerts ensure you are among the first to know whenever one of your subscribed files has been updated and is ready for download You will receive an e-mail clearly listing which files have been updated
You can subscribe to this free alert service at httpwwwsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
Page 4 of 32
Technical Overview
Before installing B2W Estimate itrsquos important to become familiar with B2W Estimatersquos five system components Understanding these components and knowing where each resides helps to ensure a smooth implementation
System Components
Every B2W Estimate implementation consists of the following five system components
Database server
License pool
B2W Estimate database
Client software
Administration software
On a single-user workstation or in a terminal server environment all five components reside on one computer In a clientserver environment all five components reside on your dedicated B2W Estimate server but the client software and administrative software are also installed on network workstations
Note If you install B2W Estimate on a server with Windows Terminal Services capabilities your workstations that connect to the B2W Estimate database through a LAN can still do so in a traditional clientserver fashion In this case B2W Estimate would be installed on those workstations as ldquoNetwork Workstationsrdquo which means that the client software and administrative software would also reside on the workstations
Database Server
The database server is an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 200820122014 that stores and manages one or more B2W Estimate databases Depending on your installation environment the database server may reside on a dedicated network server or may just be a SQL Server Express instance on an individual workstation
License Pool
The license pool resides on the database server and contains a number of concurrent licenses that allow access to B2W Estimate by the client software After you have installed B2W Estimate you will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses purchased by your company When an estimator launches B2W Estimate one license from the license pool becomes ldquoin userdquo When that estimator closes their B2W Estimate program window the license becomes ldquoavailablerdquo
Note Using the B2W Estimate Administration tool does not consume a license
Page 5 of 32
B2W Estimate Database
The B2W Estimate database resides on the database server and contains the following information
B2W Estimate user accounts A user account is created for each estimator or manager who requires access to the system
Resources Resources consist of cost-related information such as labor equipment and materials as well as other information such as subcontractors vendors and customers
Item templates Item templates allow estimators to configure the cost structure of bid items for subsequent use while creating estimates Item templates are contained in what is referred to in the client application as ldquoitem databasesrdquo
Estimates All estimates created in the system reside in the B2W Estimate database
During the installation process the B2W Estimate setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WData This is an empty database intended for your company-specific users resources item templates and estimates
B2WSample This database contains a complete set of sample users resources item templates and estimates The B2W Estimate Getting Started Guide uses this sample data as a basis for walking estimators through the system It provides a good reference as your estimators get up to speed with the ldquorealrdquo company-specific database
Companies who purchase B2W Estimate Enterprise Edition have the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases at any time This is typically useful for larger companies with several divisions that share a dedicated server but bid very specific types of work The process of creating and administering multiple B2W Estimate databases is discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Client Software
The B2W Estimate client software allows the creation and editing of resources item templates and estimates In a traditional clientserver environment the client software is installed on your estimator workstations The client computer runs the B2W Estimate client software but saves and retrieves data to and from the B2W Estimate database on the database server
Administration Software
The B2W Estimate Administration software allows a system administrator to manage the B2W Estimate installation including the configuration of B2W Estimate users and groups as well as system extensions called ldquoadd-insrdquo
The administration software is installed with every installation type allowing the administration of the system from any server or workstation as long as the administrator password is known
Page 6 of 32
Configuration Options
There are three different ways B2W Estimate can be configured
Stand-Alone
In a stand-alone configuration all five system components (database server license pool B2W Estimate databases client software and administration software) reside on a single computer No information is shared and no networking capabilities are required
This type of installation is typically only recommended for very small companies with only one estimator
The single-user workstation
ClientServer
A clientserver environment as the name implies consists of a dedicated network server and one or more client workstations In this environment the database server the license pool and the B2W Estimate database all reside on the dedicated network server (For convenience instances of the B2W Estimate Administration tool and the client software also reside on the server) The client software is installed on each estimator workstation which can then connect to the dedicated server for the other components
The advantage of the clientserver environment is that all estimators share a central B2W Estimate database From an administratorrsquos standpoint a central database is easy to maintain and back-up From a managerrsquos standpoint a central database leads to great consistency from one estimator to another and in the long run a vast array of cross-estimate reporting capabilities
For these reasons the clientserver environment is the recommended installation environment for the vast majority of B2W Estimate users
Page 7 of 32
The clientserver environment
Windows Terminal Services Citrix
Having Windows Terminal Services or Citrix installed on your dedicated B2W Estimate database server often provides a very efficient way for estimators to remotely connect to their database server via WAN or dial up connection
The terminal services option gives estimators the ability to connect remotely to the database server even when away from the office As long as an estimator has Internet connectivity and a minimum connection speed of 56kbps they can use B2W Estimate as though they were at their own desks They can access B2W Estimate using the Remote Desktop Connection software which is somewhat analogous to the idea of turning on a new monitor that just shows ldquowhatrsquos happeningrdquo on the terminal server
Note that a terminal server is not a requirement and is typically best utilized in conjunction with a traditional clientserver installation In other words when an estimator uses B2W Estimate at the office he would do so within a traditional clientserver environment If the estimator needs to connect to the B2W Estimate server from a remote location via WAN or modem he would utilize the Remote Desktop Connection software to access the system
Page 8 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W Estimate server When he returns he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified estimates back to the B2W Estimate server
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to the B2W Estimate server is not reliable for example in a job trailer or remote office with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity A temporary connection can be established to the B2W Estimate server estimates can be transferred to the remote computer and work can proceed while disconnected Changes to the estimate can
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 1 of 32
About This Guide
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide outlines the process of installing B2W Estimate in several different configurations including stand-alone clientserver and Windows Terminal Services or Citrix In addition it describes the features of the B2W Estimate Administration tool that are related to a successful and complete installation
The installation guide is separated into five chapters
Chapter 1 ndash Technical Overview discusses the system components that comprise a B2W Estimate installation and briefly describes the two main installation types
Chapter 2 ndash Installing and Configuring B2W Estimate describes the administrative functions that are found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool such as creating groups and users and installing add-ins
Chapter 3 ndash Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases discusses the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases and gives you some pointers on managing multiple B2W Estimate databases
Chapter 4 ndash Maintaining Your B2W Estimate Database describes two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Page 2 of 32
Getting Help
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide is one of many tools at your disposal as you install B2W Estimate B2W Software provides a host of technical support resources to help you get the answers you need when you need them
Frequently Asked Questions
Have you ever wondered how to do a certain task in B2W Estimate Chances are other users have as well Check the Frequently Asked Questions page on B2W Softwarersquos premium support web site for the latest answers to your questions
The frequently asked questions page is located at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomfaq
B2W Knowledge Base
B2W Software provides an extensive online knowledge base of known problems bugs and tips accessible via the internet The knowledge base is continually updated with important bug notifications and workarounds
Access the B2W Knowledge Base on our premium support website and use it to find fast solutions to technical problems with B2W Estimate
The knowledge base is located at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomknowledgebase
Note If you want to receive an e-mail each time a new KB article is published you can subscribe to our free alert service at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
24-hour Technical Support
B2W Software is home to the finest technical support call center in the industry The B2W technical support staff is at your service providing quick professional resolutions to your technical support issues answers to your questions and responses to your feedback and suggestions
We are available 24 hours a day seven days a week at (888) 390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Context-Sensitive Online Help
The fastest way to get your questions answered is to refer to B2W Estimates context-sensitive help system
Access the help system by clicking Help on the toolbar or by pressing F1 on your keyboard
The online help system is designed to automatically display a topic which corresponds to exactly what you were doing in B2W Estimate Once inside the help
Page 3 of 32
system you can navigate to other help topics by using the table of contents the index or by performing a keyword or text search
B2W Support Website Alerts
The B2W Support Website allows you to subscribe to an e-mail alert system which can be configured to send you an automatic e-mail every time a product add-in report or piece of documentation is published or updated You can even subscribe to receive alerts when new knowledge base articles are published
These e-mail alerts ensure you are among the first to know whenever one of your subscribed files has been updated and is ready for download You will receive an e-mail clearly listing which files have been updated
You can subscribe to this free alert service at httpwwwsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
Page 4 of 32
Technical Overview
Before installing B2W Estimate itrsquos important to become familiar with B2W Estimatersquos five system components Understanding these components and knowing where each resides helps to ensure a smooth implementation
System Components
Every B2W Estimate implementation consists of the following five system components
Database server
License pool
B2W Estimate database
Client software
Administration software
On a single-user workstation or in a terminal server environment all five components reside on one computer In a clientserver environment all five components reside on your dedicated B2W Estimate server but the client software and administrative software are also installed on network workstations
Note If you install B2W Estimate on a server with Windows Terminal Services capabilities your workstations that connect to the B2W Estimate database through a LAN can still do so in a traditional clientserver fashion In this case B2W Estimate would be installed on those workstations as ldquoNetwork Workstationsrdquo which means that the client software and administrative software would also reside on the workstations
Database Server
The database server is an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 200820122014 that stores and manages one or more B2W Estimate databases Depending on your installation environment the database server may reside on a dedicated network server or may just be a SQL Server Express instance on an individual workstation
License Pool
The license pool resides on the database server and contains a number of concurrent licenses that allow access to B2W Estimate by the client software After you have installed B2W Estimate you will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses purchased by your company When an estimator launches B2W Estimate one license from the license pool becomes ldquoin userdquo When that estimator closes their B2W Estimate program window the license becomes ldquoavailablerdquo
Note Using the B2W Estimate Administration tool does not consume a license
Page 5 of 32
B2W Estimate Database
The B2W Estimate database resides on the database server and contains the following information
B2W Estimate user accounts A user account is created for each estimator or manager who requires access to the system
Resources Resources consist of cost-related information such as labor equipment and materials as well as other information such as subcontractors vendors and customers
Item templates Item templates allow estimators to configure the cost structure of bid items for subsequent use while creating estimates Item templates are contained in what is referred to in the client application as ldquoitem databasesrdquo
Estimates All estimates created in the system reside in the B2W Estimate database
During the installation process the B2W Estimate setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WData This is an empty database intended for your company-specific users resources item templates and estimates
B2WSample This database contains a complete set of sample users resources item templates and estimates The B2W Estimate Getting Started Guide uses this sample data as a basis for walking estimators through the system It provides a good reference as your estimators get up to speed with the ldquorealrdquo company-specific database
Companies who purchase B2W Estimate Enterprise Edition have the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases at any time This is typically useful for larger companies with several divisions that share a dedicated server but bid very specific types of work The process of creating and administering multiple B2W Estimate databases is discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Client Software
The B2W Estimate client software allows the creation and editing of resources item templates and estimates In a traditional clientserver environment the client software is installed on your estimator workstations The client computer runs the B2W Estimate client software but saves and retrieves data to and from the B2W Estimate database on the database server
Administration Software
The B2W Estimate Administration software allows a system administrator to manage the B2W Estimate installation including the configuration of B2W Estimate users and groups as well as system extensions called ldquoadd-insrdquo
The administration software is installed with every installation type allowing the administration of the system from any server or workstation as long as the administrator password is known
Page 6 of 32
Configuration Options
There are three different ways B2W Estimate can be configured
Stand-Alone
In a stand-alone configuration all five system components (database server license pool B2W Estimate databases client software and administration software) reside on a single computer No information is shared and no networking capabilities are required
This type of installation is typically only recommended for very small companies with only one estimator
The single-user workstation
ClientServer
A clientserver environment as the name implies consists of a dedicated network server and one or more client workstations In this environment the database server the license pool and the B2W Estimate database all reside on the dedicated network server (For convenience instances of the B2W Estimate Administration tool and the client software also reside on the server) The client software is installed on each estimator workstation which can then connect to the dedicated server for the other components
The advantage of the clientserver environment is that all estimators share a central B2W Estimate database From an administratorrsquos standpoint a central database is easy to maintain and back-up From a managerrsquos standpoint a central database leads to great consistency from one estimator to another and in the long run a vast array of cross-estimate reporting capabilities
For these reasons the clientserver environment is the recommended installation environment for the vast majority of B2W Estimate users
Page 7 of 32
The clientserver environment
Windows Terminal Services Citrix
Having Windows Terminal Services or Citrix installed on your dedicated B2W Estimate database server often provides a very efficient way for estimators to remotely connect to their database server via WAN or dial up connection
The terminal services option gives estimators the ability to connect remotely to the database server even when away from the office As long as an estimator has Internet connectivity and a minimum connection speed of 56kbps they can use B2W Estimate as though they were at their own desks They can access B2W Estimate using the Remote Desktop Connection software which is somewhat analogous to the idea of turning on a new monitor that just shows ldquowhatrsquos happeningrdquo on the terminal server
Note that a terminal server is not a requirement and is typically best utilized in conjunction with a traditional clientserver installation In other words when an estimator uses B2W Estimate at the office he would do so within a traditional clientserver environment If the estimator needs to connect to the B2W Estimate server from a remote location via WAN or modem he would utilize the Remote Desktop Connection software to access the system
Page 8 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W Estimate server When he returns he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified estimates back to the B2W Estimate server
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to the B2W Estimate server is not reliable for example in a job trailer or remote office with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity A temporary connection can be established to the B2W Estimate server estimates can be transferred to the remote computer and work can proceed while disconnected Changes to the estimate can
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 2 of 32
Getting Help
The B2W Estimate Installation Guide is one of many tools at your disposal as you install B2W Estimate B2W Software provides a host of technical support resources to help you get the answers you need when you need them
Frequently Asked Questions
Have you ever wondered how to do a certain task in B2W Estimate Chances are other users have as well Check the Frequently Asked Questions page on B2W Softwarersquos premium support web site for the latest answers to your questions
The frequently asked questions page is located at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomfaq
B2W Knowledge Base
B2W Software provides an extensive online knowledge base of known problems bugs and tips accessible via the internet The knowledge base is continually updated with important bug notifications and workarounds
Access the B2W Knowledge Base on our premium support website and use it to find fast solutions to technical problems with B2W Estimate
The knowledge base is located at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomknowledgebase
Note If you want to receive an e-mail each time a new KB article is published you can subscribe to our free alert service at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
24-hour Technical Support
B2W Software is home to the finest technical support call center in the industry The B2W technical support staff is at your service providing quick professional resolutions to your technical support issues answers to your questions and responses to your feedback and suggestions
We are available 24 hours a day seven days a week at (888) 390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Context-Sensitive Online Help
The fastest way to get your questions answered is to refer to B2W Estimates context-sensitive help system
Access the help system by clicking Help on the toolbar or by pressing F1 on your keyboard
The online help system is designed to automatically display a topic which corresponds to exactly what you were doing in B2W Estimate Once inside the help
Page 3 of 32
system you can navigate to other help topics by using the table of contents the index or by performing a keyword or text search
B2W Support Website Alerts
The B2W Support Website allows you to subscribe to an e-mail alert system which can be configured to send you an automatic e-mail every time a product add-in report or piece of documentation is published or updated You can even subscribe to receive alerts when new knowledge base articles are published
These e-mail alerts ensure you are among the first to know whenever one of your subscribed files has been updated and is ready for download You will receive an e-mail clearly listing which files have been updated
You can subscribe to this free alert service at httpwwwsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
Page 4 of 32
Technical Overview
Before installing B2W Estimate itrsquos important to become familiar with B2W Estimatersquos five system components Understanding these components and knowing where each resides helps to ensure a smooth implementation
System Components
Every B2W Estimate implementation consists of the following five system components
Database server
License pool
B2W Estimate database
Client software
Administration software
On a single-user workstation or in a terminal server environment all five components reside on one computer In a clientserver environment all five components reside on your dedicated B2W Estimate server but the client software and administrative software are also installed on network workstations
Note If you install B2W Estimate on a server with Windows Terminal Services capabilities your workstations that connect to the B2W Estimate database through a LAN can still do so in a traditional clientserver fashion In this case B2W Estimate would be installed on those workstations as ldquoNetwork Workstationsrdquo which means that the client software and administrative software would also reside on the workstations
Database Server
The database server is an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 200820122014 that stores and manages one or more B2W Estimate databases Depending on your installation environment the database server may reside on a dedicated network server or may just be a SQL Server Express instance on an individual workstation
License Pool
The license pool resides on the database server and contains a number of concurrent licenses that allow access to B2W Estimate by the client software After you have installed B2W Estimate you will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses purchased by your company When an estimator launches B2W Estimate one license from the license pool becomes ldquoin userdquo When that estimator closes their B2W Estimate program window the license becomes ldquoavailablerdquo
Note Using the B2W Estimate Administration tool does not consume a license
Page 5 of 32
B2W Estimate Database
The B2W Estimate database resides on the database server and contains the following information
B2W Estimate user accounts A user account is created for each estimator or manager who requires access to the system
Resources Resources consist of cost-related information such as labor equipment and materials as well as other information such as subcontractors vendors and customers
Item templates Item templates allow estimators to configure the cost structure of bid items for subsequent use while creating estimates Item templates are contained in what is referred to in the client application as ldquoitem databasesrdquo
Estimates All estimates created in the system reside in the B2W Estimate database
During the installation process the B2W Estimate setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WData This is an empty database intended for your company-specific users resources item templates and estimates
B2WSample This database contains a complete set of sample users resources item templates and estimates The B2W Estimate Getting Started Guide uses this sample data as a basis for walking estimators through the system It provides a good reference as your estimators get up to speed with the ldquorealrdquo company-specific database
Companies who purchase B2W Estimate Enterprise Edition have the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases at any time This is typically useful for larger companies with several divisions that share a dedicated server but bid very specific types of work The process of creating and administering multiple B2W Estimate databases is discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Client Software
The B2W Estimate client software allows the creation and editing of resources item templates and estimates In a traditional clientserver environment the client software is installed on your estimator workstations The client computer runs the B2W Estimate client software but saves and retrieves data to and from the B2W Estimate database on the database server
Administration Software
The B2W Estimate Administration software allows a system administrator to manage the B2W Estimate installation including the configuration of B2W Estimate users and groups as well as system extensions called ldquoadd-insrdquo
The administration software is installed with every installation type allowing the administration of the system from any server or workstation as long as the administrator password is known
Page 6 of 32
Configuration Options
There are three different ways B2W Estimate can be configured
Stand-Alone
In a stand-alone configuration all five system components (database server license pool B2W Estimate databases client software and administration software) reside on a single computer No information is shared and no networking capabilities are required
This type of installation is typically only recommended for very small companies with only one estimator
The single-user workstation
ClientServer
A clientserver environment as the name implies consists of a dedicated network server and one or more client workstations In this environment the database server the license pool and the B2W Estimate database all reside on the dedicated network server (For convenience instances of the B2W Estimate Administration tool and the client software also reside on the server) The client software is installed on each estimator workstation which can then connect to the dedicated server for the other components
The advantage of the clientserver environment is that all estimators share a central B2W Estimate database From an administratorrsquos standpoint a central database is easy to maintain and back-up From a managerrsquos standpoint a central database leads to great consistency from one estimator to another and in the long run a vast array of cross-estimate reporting capabilities
For these reasons the clientserver environment is the recommended installation environment for the vast majority of B2W Estimate users
Page 7 of 32
The clientserver environment
Windows Terminal Services Citrix
Having Windows Terminal Services or Citrix installed on your dedicated B2W Estimate database server often provides a very efficient way for estimators to remotely connect to their database server via WAN or dial up connection
The terminal services option gives estimators the ability to connect remotely to the database server even when away from the office As long as an estimator has Internet connectivity and a minimum connection speed of 56kbps they can use B2W Estimate as though they were at their own desks They can access B2W Estimate using the Remote Desktop Connection software which is somewhat analogous to the idea of turning on a new monitor that just shows ldquowhatrsquos happeningrdquo on the terminal server
Note that a terminal server is not a requirement and is typically best utilized in conjunction with a traditional clientserver installation In other words when an estimator uses B2W Estimate at the office he would do so within a traditional clientserver environment If the estimator needs to connect to the B2W Estimate server from a remote location via WAN or modem he would utilize the Remote Desktop Connection software to access the system
Page 8 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W Estimate server When he returns he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified estimates back to the B2W Estimate server
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to the B2W Estimate server is not reliable for example in a job trailer or remote office with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity A temporary connection can be established to the B2W Estimate server estimates can be transferred to the remote computer and work can proceed while disconnected Changes to the estimate can
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 3 of 32
system you can navigate to other help topics by using the table of contents the index or by performing a keyword or text search
B2W Support Website Alerts
The B2W Support Website allows you to subscribe to an e-mail alert system which can be configured to send you an automatic e-mail every time a product add-in report or piece of documentation is published or updated You can even subscribe to receive alerts when new knowledge base articles are published
These e-mail alerts ensure you are among the first to know whenever one of your subscribed files has been updated and is ready for download You will receive an e-mail clearly listing which files have been updated
You can subscribe to this free alert service at httpwwwsupportb2wsoftwarecomalertsdefaultasp
Page 4 of 32
Technical Overview
Before installing B2W Estimate itrsquos important to become familiar with B2W Estimatersquos five system components Understanding these components and knowing where each resides helps to ensure a smooth implementation
System Components
Every B2W Estimate implementation consists of the following five system components
Database server
License pool
B2W Estimate database
Client software
Administration software
On a single-user workstation or in a terminal server environment all five components reside on one computer In a clientserver environment all five components reside on your dedicated B2W Estimate server but the client software and administrative software are also installed on network workstations
Note If you install B2W Estimate on a server with Windows Terminal Services capabilities your workstations that connect to the B2W Estimate database through a LAN can still do so in a traditional clientserver fashion In this case B2W Estimate would be installed on those workstations as ldquoNetwork Workstationsrdquo which means that the client software and administrative software would also reside on the workstations
Database Server
The database server is an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 200820122014 that stores and manages one or more B2W Estimate databases Depending on your installation environment the database server may reside on a dedicated network server or may just be a SQL Server Express instance on an individual workstation
License Pool
The license pool resides on the database server and contains a number of concurrent licenses that allow access to B2W Estimate by the client software After you have installed B2W Estimate you will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses purchased by your company When an estimator launches B2W Estimate one license from the license pool becomes ldquoin userdquo When that estimator closes their B2W Estimate program window the license becomes ldquoavailablerdquo
Note Using the B2W Estimate Administration tool does not consume a license
Page 5 of 32
B2W Estimate Database
The B2W Estimate database resides on the database server and contains the following information
B2W Estimate user accounts A user account is created for each estimator or manager who requires access to the system
Resources Resources consist of cost-related information such as labor equipment and materials as well as other information such as subcontractors vendors and customers
Item templates Item templates allow estimators to configure the cost structure of bid items for subsequent use while creating estimates Item templates are contained in what is referred to in the client application as ldquoitem databasesrdquo
Estimates All estimates created in the system reside in the B2W Estimate database
During the installation process the B2W Estimate setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WData This is an empty database intended for your company-specific users resources item templates and estimates
B2WSample This database contains a complete set of sample users resources item templates and estimates The B2W Estimate Getting Started Guide uses this sample data as a basis for walking estimators through the system It provides a good reference as your estimators get up to speed with the ldquorealrdquo company-specific database
Companies who purchase B2W Estimate Enterprise Edition have the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases at any time This is typically useful for larger companies with several divisions that share a dedicated server but bid very specific types of work The process of creating and administering multiple B2W Estimate databases is discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Client Software
The B2W Estimate client software allows the creation and editing of resources item templates and estimates In a traditional clientserver environment the client software is installed on your estimator workstations The client computer runs the B2W Estimate client software but saves and retrieves data to and from the B2W Estimate database on the database server
Administration Software
The B2W Estimate Administration software allows a system administrator to manage the B2W Estimate installation including the configuration of B2W Estimate users and groups as well as system extensions called ldquoadd-insrdquo
The administration software is installed with every installation type allowing the administration of the system from any server or workstation as long as the administrator password is known
Page 6 of 32
Configuration Options
There are three different ways B2W Estimate can be configured
Stand-Alone
In a stand-alone configuration all five system components (database server license pool B2W Estimate databases client software and administration software) reside on a single computer No information is shared and no networking capabilities are required
This type of installation is typically only recommended for very small companies with only one estimator
The single-user workstation
ClientServer
A clientserver environment as the name implies consists of a dedicated network server and one or more client workstations In this environment the database server the license pool and the B2W Estimate database all reside on the dedicated network server (For convenience instances of the B2W Estimate Administration tool and the client software also reside on the server) The client software is installed on each estimator workstation which can then connect to the dedicated server for the other components
The advantage of the clientserver environment is that all estimators share a central B2W Estimate database From an administratorrsquos standpoint a central database is easy to maintain and back-up From a managerrsquos standpoint a central database leads to great consistency from one estimator to another and in the long run a vast array of cross-estimate reporting capabilities
For these reasons the clientserver environment is the recommended installation environment for the vast majority of B2W Estimate users
Page 7 of 32
The clientserver environment
Windows Terminal Services Citrix
Having Windows Terminal Services or Citrix installed on your dedicated B2W Estimate database server often provides a very efficient way for estimators to remotely connect to their database server via WAN or dial up connection
The terminal services option gives estimators the ability to connect remotely to the database server even when away from the office As long as an estimator has Internet connectivity and a minimum connection speed of 56kbps they can use B2W Estimate as though they were at their own desks They can access B2W Estimate using the Remote Desktop Connection software which is somewhat analogous to the idea of turning on a new monitor that just shows ldquowhatrsquos happeningrdquo on the terminal server
Note that a terminal server is not a requirement and is typically best utilized in conjunction with a traditional clientserver installation In other words when an estimator uses B2W Estimate at the office he would do so within a traditional clientserver environment If the estimator needs to connect to the B2W Estimate server from a remote location via WAN or modem he would utilize the Remote Desktop Connection software to access the system
Page 8 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W Estimate server When he returns he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified estimates back to the B2W Estimate server
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to the B2W Estimate server is not reliable for example in a job trailer or remote office with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity A temporary connection can be established to the B2W Estimate server estimates can be transferred to the remote computer and work can proceed while disconnected Changes to the estimate can
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 4 of 32
Technical Overview
Before installing B2W Estimate itrsquos important to become familiar with B2W Estimatersquos five system components Understanding these components and knowing where each resides helps to ensure a smooth implementation
System Components
Every B2W Estimate implementation consists of the following five system components
Database server
License pool
B2W Estimate database
Client software
Administration software
On a single-user workstation or in a terminal server environment all five components reside on one computer In a clientserver environment all five components reside on your dedicated B2W Estimate server but the client software and administrative software are also installed on network workstations
Note If you install B2W Estimate on a server with Windows Terminal Services capabilities your workstations that connect to the B2W Estimate database through a LAN can still do so in a traditional clientserver fashion In this case B2W Estimate would be installed on those workstations as ldquoNetwork Workstationsrdquo which means that the client software and administrative software would also reside on the workstations
Database Server
The database server is an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 200820122014 that stores and manages one or more B2W Estimate databases Depending on your installation environment the database server may reside on a dedicated network server or may just be a SQL Server Express instance on an individual workstation
License Pool
The license pool resides on the database server and contains a number of concurrent licenses that allow access to B2W Estimate by the client software After you have installed B2W Estimate you will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses purchased by your company When an estimator launches B2W Estimate one license from the license pool becomes ldquoin userdquo When that estimator closes their B2W Estimate program window the license becomes ldquoavailablerdquo
Note Using the B2W Estimate Administration tool does not consume a license
Page 5 of 32
B2W Estimate Database
The B2W Estimate database resides on the database server and contains the following information
B2W Estimate user accounts A user account is created for each estimator or manager who requires access to the system
Resources Resources consist of cost-related information such as labor equipment and materials as well as other information such as subcontractors vendors and customers
Item templates Item templates allow estimators to configure the cost structure of bid items for subsequent use while creating estimates Item templates are contained in what is referred to in the client application as ldquoitem databasesrdquo
Estimates All estimates created in the system reside in the B2W Estimate database
During the installation process the B2W Estimate setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WData This is an empty database intended for your company-specific users resources item templates and estimates
B2WSample This database contains a complete set of sample users resources item templates and estimates The B2W Estimate Getting Started Guide uses this sample data as a basis for walking estimators through the system It provides a good reference as your estimators get up to speed with the ldquorealrdquo company-specific database
Companies who purchase B2W Estimate Enterprise Edition have the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases at any time This is typically useful for larger companies with several divisions that share a dedicated server but bid very specific types of work The process of creating and administering multiple B2W Estimate databases is discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Client Software
The B2W Estimate client software allows the creation and editing of resources item templates and estimates In a traditional clientserver environment the client software is installed on your estimator workstations The client computer runs the B2W Estimate client software but saves and retrieves data to and from the B2W Estimate database on the database server
Administration Software
The B2W Estimate Administration software allows a system administrator to manage the B2W Estimate installation including the configuration of B2W Estimate users and groups as well as system extensions called ldquoadd-insrdquo
The administration software is installed with every installation type allowing the administration of the system from any server or workstation as long as the administrator password is known
Page 6 of 32
Configuration Options
There are three different ways B2W Estimate can be configured
Stand-Alone
In a stand-alone configuration all five system components (database server license pool B2W Estimate databases client software and administration software) reside on a single computer No information is shared and no networking capabilities are required
This type of installation is typically only recommended for very small companies with only one estimator
The single-user workstation
ClientServer
A clientserver environment as the name implies consists of a dedicated network server and one or more client workstations In this environment the database server the license pool and the B2W Estimate database all reside on the dedicated network server (For convenience instances of the B2W Estimate Administration tool and the client software also reside on the server) The client software is installed on each estimator workstation which can then connect to the dedicated server for the other components
The advantage of the clientserver environment is that all estimators share a central B2W Estimate database From an administratorrsquos standpoint a central database is easy to maintain and back-up From a managerrsquos standpoint a central database leads to great consistency from one estimator to another and in the long run a vast array of cross-estimate reporting capabilities
For these reasons the clientserver environment is the recommended installation environment for the vast majority of B2W Estimate users
Page 7 of 32
The clientserver environment
Windows Terminal Services Citrix
Having Windows Terminal Services or Citrix installed on your dedicated B2W Estimate database server often provides a very efficient way for estimators to remotely connect to their database server via WAN or dial up connection
The terminal services option gives estimators the ability to connect remotely to the database server even when away from the office As long as an estimator has Internet connectivity and a minimum connection speed of 56kbps they can use B2W Estimate as though they were at their own desks They can access B2W Estimate using the Remote Desktop Connection software which is somewhat analogous to the idea of turning on a new monitor that just shows ldquowhatrsquos happeningrdquo on the terminal server
Note that a terminal server is not a requirement and is typically best utilized in conjunction with a traditional clientserver installation In other words when an estimator uses B2W Estimate at the office he would do so within a traditional clientserver environment If the estimator needs to connect to the B2W Estimate server from a remote location via WAN or modem he would utilize the Remote Desktop Connection software to access the system
Page 8 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W Estimate server When he returns he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified estimates back to the B2W Estimate server
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to the B2W Estimate server is not reliable for example in a job trailer or remote office with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity A temporary connection can be established to the B2W Estimate server estimates can be transferred to the remote computer and work can proceed while disconnected Changes to the estimate can
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 5 of 32
B2W Estimate Database
The B2W Estimate database resides on the database server and contains the following information
B2W Estimate user accounts A user account is created for each estimator or manager who requires access to the system
Resources Resources consist of cost-related information such as labor equipment and materials as well as other information such as subcontractors vendors and customers
Item templates Item templates allow estimators to configure the cost structure of bid items for subsequent use while creating estimates Item templates are contained in what is referred to in the client application as ldquoitem databasesrdquo
Estimates All estimates created in the system reside in the B2W Estimate database
During the installation process the B2W Estimate setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WData This is an empty database intended for your company-specific users resources item templates and estimates
B2WSample This database contains a complete set of sample users resources item templates and estimates The B2W Estimate Getting Started Guide uses this sample data as a basis for walking estimators through the system It provides a good reference as your estimators get up to speed with the ldquorealrdquo company-specific database
Companies who purchase B2W Estimate Enterprise Edition have the option of creating additional B2W Estimate databases at any time This is typically useful for larger companies with several divisions that share a dedicated server but bid very specific types of work The process of creating and administering multiple B2W Estimate databases is discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Client Software
The B2W Estimate client software allows the creation and editing of resources item templates and estimates In a traditional clientserver environment the client software is installed on your estimator workstations The client computer runs the B2W Estimate client software but saves and retrieves data to and from the B2W Estimate database on the database server
Administration Software
The B2W Estimate Administration software allows a system administrator to manage the B2W Estimate installation including the configuration of B2W Estimate users and groups as well as system extensions called ldquoadd-insrdquo
The administration software is installed with every installation type allowing the administration of the system from any server or workstation as long as the administrator password is known
Page 6 of 32
Configuration Options
There are three different ways B2W Estimate can be configured
Stand-Alone
In a stand-alone configuration all five system components (database server license pool B2W Estimate databases client software and administration software) reside on a single computer No information is shared and no networking capabilities are required
This type of installation is typically only recommended for very small companies with only one estimator
The single-user workstation
ClientServer
A clientserver environment as the name implies consists of a dedicated network server and one or more client workstations In this environment the database server the license pool and the B2W Estimate database all reside on the dedicated network server (For convenience instances of the B2W Estimate Administration tool and the client software also reside on the server) The client software is installed on each estimator workstation which can then connect to the dedicated server for the other components
The advantage of the clientserver environment is that all estimators share a central B2W Estimate database From an administratorrsquos standpoint a central database is easy to maintain and back-up From a managerrsquos standpoint a central database leads to great consistency from one estimator to another and in the long run a vast array of cross-estimate reporting capabilities
For these reasons the clientserver environment is the recommended installation environment for the vast majority of B2W Estimate users
Page 7 of 32
The clientserver environment
Windows Terminal Services Citrix
Having Windows Terminal Services or Citrix installed on your dedicated B2W Estimate database server often provides a very efficient way for estimators to remotely connect to their database server via WAN or dial up connection
The terminal services option gives estimators the ability to connect remotely to the database server even when away from the office As long as an estimator has Internet connectivity and a minimum connection speed of 56kbps they can use B2W Estimate as though they were at their own desks They can access B2W Estimate using the Remote Desktop Connection software which is somewhat analogous to the idea of turning on a new monitor that just shows ldquowhatrsquos happeningrdquo on the terminal server
Note that a terminal server is not a requirement and is typically best utilized in conjunction with a traditional clientserver installation In other words when an estimator uses B2W Estimate at the office he would do so within a traditional clientserver environment If the estimator needs to connect to the B2W Estimate server from a remote location via WAN or modem he would utilize the Remote Desktop Connection software to access the system
Page 8 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W Estimate server When he returns he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified estimates back to the B2W Estimate server
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to the B2W Estimate server is not reliable for example in a job trailer or remote office with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity A temporary connection can be established to the B2W Estimate server estimates can be transferred to the remote computer and work can proceed while disconnected Changes to the estimate can
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 6 of 32
Configuration Options
There are three different ways B2W Estimate can be configured
Stand-Alone
In a stand-alone configuration all five system components (database server license pool B2W Estimate databases client software and administration software) reside on a single computer No information is shared and no networking capabilities are required
This type of installation is typically only recommended for very small companies with only one estimator
The single-user workstation
ClientServer
A clientserver environment as the name implies consists of a dedicated network server and one or more client workstations In this environment the database server the license pool and the B2W Estimate database all reside on the dedicated network server (For convenience instances of the B2W Estimate Administration tool and the client software also reside on the server) The client software is installed on each estimator workstation which can then connect to the dedicated server for the other components
The advantage of the clientserver environment is that all estimators share a central B2W Estimate database From an administratorrsquos standpoint a central database is easy to maintain and back-up From a managerrsquos standpoint a central database leads to great consistency from one estimator to another and in the long run a vast array of cross-estimate reporting capabilities
For these reasons the clientserver environment is the recommended installation environment for the vast majority of B2W Estimate users
Page 7 of 32
The clientserver environment
Windows Terminal Services Citrix
Having Windows Terminal Services or Citrix installed on your dedicated B2W Estimate database server often provides a very efficient way for estimators to remotely connect to their database server via WAN or dial up connection
The terminal services option gives estimators the ability to connect remotely to the database server even when away from the office As long as an estimator has Internet connectivity and a minimum connection speed of 56kbps they can use B2W Estimate as though they were at their own desks They can access B2W Estimate using the Remote Desktop Connection software which is somewhat analogous to the idea of turning on a new monitor that just shows ldquowhatrsquos happeningrdquo on the terminal server
Note that a terminal server is not a requirement and is typically best utilized in conjunction with a traditional clientserver installation In other words when an estimator uses B2W Estimate at the office he would do so within a traditional clientserver environment If the estimator needs to connect to the B2W Estimate server from a remote location via WAN or modem he would utilize the Remote Desktop Connection software to access the system
Page 8 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W Estimate server When he returns he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified estimates back to the B2W Estimate server
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to the B2W Estimate server is not reliable for example in a job trailer or remote office with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity A temporary connection can be established to the B2W Estimate server estimates can be transferred to the remote computer and work can proceed while disconnected Changes to the estimate can
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 7 of 32
The clientserver environment
Windows Terminal Services Citrix
Having Windows Terminal Services or Citrix installed on your dedicated B2W Estimate database server often provides a very efficient way for estimators to remotely connect to their database server via WAN or dial up connection
The terminal services option gives estimators the ability to connect remotely to the database server even when away from the office As long as an estimator has Internet connectivity and a minimum connection speed of 56kbps they can use B2W Estimate as though they were at their own desks They can access B2W Estimate using the Remote Desktop Connection software which is somewhat analogous to the idea of turning on a new monitor that just shows ldquowhatrsquos happeningrdquo on the terminal server
Note that a terminal server is not a requirement and is typically best utilized in conjunction with a traditional clientserver installation In other words when an estimator uses B2W Estimate at the office he would do so within a traditional clientserver environment If the estimator needs to connect to the B2W Estimate server from a remote location via WAN or modem he would utilize the Remote Desktop Connection software to access the system
Page 8 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W Estimate server When he returns he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified estimates back to the B2W Estimate server
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to the B2W Estimate server is not reliable for example in a job trailer or remote office with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity A temporary connection can be established to the B2W Estimate server estimates can be transferred to the remote computer and work can proceed while disconnected Changes to the estimate can
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 8 of 32
The Terminal Services Environment
Mobile Estimating
B2W Mobile Estimating allows an estimator to quickly and easily take estimates with him on his notebook computer and work on them while disconnected from the B2W Estimate server When he returns he can seamlessly transfer the new or modified estimates back to the B2W Estimate server
B2W Mobile Estimating can also be used in an environment where the connection to the B2W Estimate server is not reliable for example in a job trailer or remote office with slow or intermittent Internet connectivity A temporary connection can be established to the B2W Estimate server estimates can be transferred to the remote computer and work can proceed while disconnected Changes to the estimate can
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 9 of 32
be transferred back to the main B2W Estimate server at any time by re-establishing the temporary connection
Mobile Estimating is included with the Professional and Enterprise editions of B2W Estimate If you purchased the Basic edition and would like to take advantage of Mobile Estimating please contact B2W Estimate sales at salesb2wsoftwarecom or (800) 336-3808
Mobile Estimating Requirements
To use Mobile Estimating here are a few technical requirements
Clientserver installation To use Mobile Estimating B2W Estimate must be configured in a clientserver environment as described earlier in this chapter It is possible to have a Terminal Services or Citrix environment configured for non-mobile users and a clientserver environment configured for mobile users For more information about this option consult your B2W Implementation Services specialist
Local database on mobile client workstation Each mobile notebook workstation must have a local database to hold resources item database and estimate information for use when disconnected The B2W Estimate client software installation requires that a local SQL Express 0812 instance be present before the install will succeed If no instance of SQL Server exists the B2W Estimate setup wizard will install an instance of SQL Server Express 2012 named B2W Mobile on workstations connected to the internet
Note In order to use Mobile Estimating a mobile user must be a member of the local Administrators or the local Power Users group on the mobile workstation If the user is a member of the local Power Users group the database service on the mobile workstation will need to be configured with a startup type of ldquoAutomaticrdquo Otherwise the user will not be allowed to disconnect from the server
The Installing B2W Estimate on a Network Client Workstation section in Chapter 3 describes the configuration of Mobile Estimating on the network client workstation
More Information
For more information about how B2W Mobile Estimating works from the estimatorrsquos perspective see the Mobile Estimating Overview white paper available on the B2W Estimate support Web site at httpsupportb2wsoftwarecom (login required)
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 10 of 32
Installing and Configuring B2W
Estimate
In the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will find an assortment of utilities which help you put the finishing touches on your installation
In this section you will learn how to use this tool to activate your B2W Estimate licenses set your administrator password install add-ins and configure group and user accounts for employees who will access B2W Estimate
Verify Hardware and Operating System Requirements
Before you install B2W Estimate please verify that your server and workstations have the appropriate hardware configuration and operating system
Refer to the B2W Software Hardware and Software Requirements Guide available on the B2W Support Website
Installing B2W Estimate
Access the latest version of the B2W Estimate software from the Downloads page of B2W Software Support Website Download and run the software to install B2W Estimate on new servers and workstations and to update computers where it has already been installed
Running the file you download opens a wizard that provides on-screen instructions to guide you through the installation process
If you have questions about installing the software contact B2W Software Technical Support at 888-390-8822 or supportb2wsoftwarecom
Configuring B2W Estimate with the Administration Tool
You can access the B2W Estimate Administration tool from any computer on which the B2W Estimate client software is installed including the dedicated network server Use the Administration tool to configure your installed B2W Estimate software
To launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool follow these steps
1 Click Start point to Programs point to B2W Software then point to
Estimate
2 In the Estimate program group click Estimate Administration
Activating B2W Estimate
The first time you launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool you will be prompted for a code that activates your B2W Estimate licenses This code is obtained by calling
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 11 of 32
B2W Technical Support The activation code you are given will activate your license pool for the number of B2W Estimate licenses your company has purchased
The Activation dialog
Remember B2W Estimate uses a concurrent licensing scheme This means that the client software can be installed on any number of workstations but only the number of licenses that were purchased will be accessible at any given time
Changing the Administrator Password
When B2W Estimate is first installed the administrator password is blank allowing any user to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool
For security it is recommended that you set an administrator password immediately and that you change the password regularly
Note If your company utilizes multiple B2W Estimate databases each database needs to be configured with an administrator password
To set an administrator password or change the existing one follow these
steps
1 In the B2W Estimate Administration tool click the Tools menu point to
Security and then click Change Administrator Password
2 The Change Password dialog appears Enter the old administrator password Leave this field blank if you are setting the administrator password for the first time
3 Enter the new administrator password Write this password down and keep it somewhere safe B2W Technical Support personnel cannot retrieve your administrator password if you forget it
4 Enter the new password again for confirmation
5 Click OK
Once you have set an administrator password the Logon dialog will appear any time a user tries to access the B2W Estimate Administration tool The user must enter the correct administrator password to open the B2W Estimate Administration tool
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 12 of 32
The Administration Tool Logon dialog
Managing Add-Ins
The B2W Estimate Administration tool includes an Add-Ins Manager This allows you to install update and manage system extensions that provide additional functionality for your estimators
There are four types of add-ins
B2W-Supplied Item Databases ndash You can install any number of state item databases at no additional charge Each of these add-ins gives your estimators access to a list of pay items from a specific state or authority A unique DOT database will appear in the Item Databases area of B2W Estimate
Estimate Detail Exports ndash These optional add-ins provide your estimator the ability to send detailed estimate cost information to a file which can be imported by your accounting or project management software
Pay Item ImportExports ndash This type of add-in allows your estimators the option to import and export pay item lists to and from external formats such as Microsoft Excel or AASHTO Expedite EBS
Authority Bid Forms - B2W Estimates Authority Bid Forms allow you to print approved bid forms for submittal to government authorities
Reports ndash There are many standard B2W Estimate reports that are automatically added during the B2W Estimate client software installation Additional custom reports are available by request at an additional cost In addition new reports are released periodically on the B2W Support Website The Add-Ins Manager is used to add these new or updated reports to the system
To access the Add-Ins Manager click Manage Add-Ins in the left hand pane of
the B2W Estimate Administration tool or click the Tools menu then select Add-
Inshellip
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 13 of 32
The Add-Ins Manager
The Add-Ins Manager displays a list of all currently installed add-ins The version number for each add-in that you have installed is displayed in parentheses after the description which helps you determine if you have the latest add-ins installed by comparing the versions to those on the B2W Support Website
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 14 of 32
Install a New Add-In or a New Version of an Already Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click AddUpdate
2 Browse to and double click the add-in file Locations for each type of add-in are described in the table below
Add-In Icon File
Extension
Where to find the add-in
B2W-Supplied
Item Databases bdb
Estimate Detail
Exports bde supportb2wsoftwarecom
Pay Item
ImportExports bpi
Authority Bid
Forms bbf
Standard
Reports
brd
Standard B2W Estimate reports are automatically added during the client software installation Updated standard reports are available on the B2W Support site
Custom
Reports brd Custom reports add-ins are
provided via e-mail
Remove a Currently Installed Add-In
1 In the Add-Ins Manager click the name of the add-in you want to remove
2 Click Remove
3 Click OK to verify the removal
Note Some add-ins such as standard B2W Estimate reports and the Microsoft Excel importexport can not be removed Please use caution when removing other add-ins as some may contain user defined settings that will be lost if the add-in is removed
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 15 of 32
Configuring Users and Groups
The B2W Estimate Administration tool features a User amp Group Manager which helps you create new B2W Estimate users and groups and manage the information associated with each You can also configure each group with a unique set of permissions allowing you to control the ability for users within the group to create modify and edit information in various parts of B2W Estimate
Key points to remember
You can create a virtually unlimited number of users and groups
A user can exist in one and only one group
Note If you are administering multiple B2W Estimate databases each has its own unique set of users and groups If an estimator needs to access multiple B2W Estimate databases you must create a user account for that estimator inside each B2W Estimate database Multiple databases are further discussed in Chapter 5 - Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
To access the User amp Group Manager click Manage Users amp Groups on the home
page of the Administration tool or click the Tools menu then point to Security then
select Users amp Groups
The User amp Group Manager
Managing Groups
B2W Estimate allows you to create an unlimited number of groups Inside each group you can create a virtually unlimited number of users
Create a new group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click New Group
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 16 of 32
2 Enter a name for your group and then click OK
3 The new group is created and the Group Information page is displayed
Delete an existing group
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog select the group you want to delete When you delete a group all users within that group are also deleted
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Note The Estimators group is a system group and may not be deleted
Managing Users
User accounts allow you to control access to B2W Estimate Using individual user accounts as opposed to a generic password-protection scheme to control access to the program has several advantages in B2W Estimate
If an estimator leaves the company their user account can be deleted without affecting other users
A user account can easily be moved from one group to another
Individual user accounts allow B2W Estimate to record which estimator created or last modified each resource or item template
When you select a user on the left hand side of the User and Group Manager information pertaining to that user is displayed on the right
Create a new user
1 In the User amp Group Manager dialog click the group where the new user will be a member
2 Click New User
3 Enter a User name This name is used when the user logs on to B2W Estimate
4 Enter the userrsquos Initials Initials can consist of 1 to 5 characters and will be used to tag resource records and comments B2W Estimate forces your entry to uppercase as you type
5 Click OK
6 The user account is created and the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described in the next section
Configuring user information
When you select a user in the left hand pane of the Users amp Groups Manager the User Information page is displayed You can now enter additional user information as described below
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 17 of 32
Field Description
User name A read only field which displays the user name of the selected user
Initials Initials of the selected user B2W Estimate uses these initials to track which user created each resource or item template record and also which user was the last to modify each record
Windows
account
The Windows domain account assigned to the selected user
By entering a Windows domain account the user will be authenticated automatically if logged into Windows under the specified account even if this user account has a password
Enter the Windows account in the format ltdomain namegtltuser namegt For example ESTIMATING_DOMAINMWILLIAMS
For security purposes it is strongly recommended to assign a non-blank B2W Estimate password even when authenticating to a Windows account (The B2W Estimate password does NOT need to be the same as the Windows password)
Password The password assigned to the selected user For security purposes the system will always display dots in this field when you view user information even if the userrsquos password is blank
You can reset a users password by entering a new value here without knowing the users current password
Enter a password to force a user to log on each time they start the estimating client software B2W Estimate stores the last-entered user name on each computer If the last-entered user name does not have a password assigned or if the system can authenticate the user using the specified Windows domain account the user will be logged in without the display of the logon dialog
Confirm
Password
To set a new password re-enter the password in this field
Full name The users full name If a name is entered in this field it is displayed on the userrsquos home page instead of the user name
Title The users title
Company name The users company name
Phone The users phone number
E-mail address The users e-mail address
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 18 of 32
Move a user from one group to another
1 If necessary double click the group name to expand the group where the user is currently a member
2 Drag the user from the present group to another releasing your mouse button when the target group name is highlighted
Delete a user
1 Select the user you want to delete
2 Click Delete or press DEL on your keyboard
3 Click OK to verify the deletion
Configuring B2W Estimate Security and Permissions
Assigned at the group level permissions specify what group members can or cannot do within specific areas in B2W Estimate such as Resources Item Databases or the Options dialog
For example a managerial group can use B2W Estimate to review estimates that others have created so they would not need full permissions to the Resource area Or you can have a group of estimators with permissions to create crew templates and task templates but no permissions to create or modify labor and equipment costs
By allowing you to assign restrictive rights to some groups and less restrictive rights to other groups B2W Estimate protects your data from accidental deletion or alteration
The Group Information tab
The Group name field is a read only field which displays the name of the current B2W Estimate user
The Resource Security tab
The Resources area in B2W Estimate contains labor equipment materials and other types of cost resources that can be added to estimates By configuring resources security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete individual resources
You can define permissions for all resource types or on a per-resource type basis For example you can allow a certain user to create customers and vendors but he or she may not create new labor or equipment records
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve resources ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete resources without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve resources that were created by other users More
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 19 of 32
information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following permissions for all resources ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign the same permissions for all resource types
Users have the following permissions for individual resources ndash This setting allows you to assign unique permissions for each type of resource For example you can assign different rights for labor than you do for equipment
If you choose the second or third option there are three types of operations for which users can be given specific permissions
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new resources
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new resources that only they can see or utilize These resources require review and approval before they become available to other users The resources created by members of this group will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve the resources
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new resources are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating resources that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new resources
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying resources
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 20 of 32
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify any resources
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting resources
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting resources
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete resources that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete resources
The Item Database Security tab
The Item Databases area in B2W Estimate contains item templates that can be added to estimates By configuring item database security for each group you can specify whether or not group members can create modify or delete item databases and the item templates contained within
Choose the security option that will apply to members of the selected group by choosing one of the following options
Users have all permissions and can approve templates ndash This setting is for managerial groups whose members should have permission to create change and delete item templates without any restrictions In addition members of this group can approve item templates that were created by other users More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
Users have the following item permissions ndash Choose this setting if you want to assign one set of permissions for item databases and another for the item templates contained within those databases
If you choose the second option you can assign unique permissions for item databases and item templates
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 21 of 32
Permissions for item databases ndash Choose from the following permission settings
Create ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can create new item databases
Rename ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can rename existing item databases
Delete ndash If you place a checkmark here group members can delete existing item databases
Permissions for item templates ndash The following permission settings apply to the item templates that are stored within item databases
Create ndash Select one of three permission levels for creating new item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on creating new item templates
o Approval ndash A special permission that allows group members to create new item templates that only they can see or utilize These item templates require review and approval before they become available to other users The item templates that these group members create will be visible to only the individual who created it and to any managers who have permissions to approve item templates
This way managers are comfortable in knowing that they have control over what new item templates are added to the system without forcing the estimators to be restricted from creating item templates that they may need for a particular estimate
More information on the approval process can be found within the help system of the B2W Estimate client application
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to create new item templates
Modify ndash Select one of three permission levels for modifying existing item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on modifying item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only modify item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to modify item templates
Update ndash The update permission pertains to the process of saving estimate items or tasks as item templates Specifically it determines whether or not a user is allowed to overwrite existing information in the event the item or task they are saving matches an item template already present in the Item Databases area Select one of the three following permission levels for updating existing item templates
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 22 of 32
o All ndash There is no restriction on updating existing item templates Users can freely overwrite existing information when saving estimate items or tasks as item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only update item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to update existing item templates
Delete ndash Select one of three permission levels for deleting item templates
o All ndash There is no restriction on deleting item templates
o Own ndash Each group member can only delete item templates that they created
o None ndash Group members are not allowed to delete any item templates
The Other Security tab
There are several additional options on the Other Security tab
Users have permissions to make changes in Options ndash Specify whether or not group members have the ability to make changes within the B2W Options dialog - a behind the scenes area which stores system-wide default settings
Users not restricted by estimate security ndash This option allows you to remove all estimate security restrictions for a particular group This can be helpful if yoursquod like to ensure that critical permissions are not accidentally removed for key users
Users have permission to use mobile estimating ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to use mobile estimating the ability to check out bids and licenses to a laptop for access away from your B2W Estimate server
Users have permission to view archived estimates ndash Specify whether or not the members of this group have permission to view archived estimates
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 23 of 32
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 24 of 32
Configuring Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
(Enterprise Edition Only)
Some companies typically those that have several divisions or regional offices need more than one B2W Estimate database Each B2W Estimate database has its own resources item templates estimates and a unique set of users and groups
When you first install B2W Estimate the Setup program installs two unique B2W Estimate databases on your database server
B2WSample is a database that is pre-populated with sample users resources item templates and estimates from various construction industries
B2WData is a blank database inside of which you can begin building your own companyrsquos resource and estimate data
Note The option to create new B2W Estimate databases is only available in the Enterprise Edition of B2W Estimate
Considerations for Managing Multiple B2W Estimate
Databases
Shared License Pool
The B2W Estimate license pool is shared by all B2W Estimate databases on your database server Licenses are available on a first-come first-served basis If your license pool has been activated for 10 users and 8 estimators are currently logged in to one B2W Estimate database then 2 more users can connect to other B2W Estimate databases at that time Later in the day if only 6 estimators are logged in then 4 more users could connect and so on
In other words if your company has multiple divisions that share a database server but those divisions require unique B2W Estimate databases users from all divisions utilize licenses from the same pool when they log in to B2W Estimate regardless of which B2W Estimate database they connect to
Unique Users and Groups
Each B2W Estimate database has a unique set of users and groups associated with it This means that if an estimator or manager needs to access more than one B2W Estimate database they will need to have a user account created inside each B2W Estimate database to which they need to connect
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 25 of 32
Multiple B2W Estimate Databases
Creating Additional Databases
Additional B2W Estimate databases can be created through the Setup utility
To create additional B2W Estimate databases follow these steps
1 Log on to your database server as the user who originally installed B2W Estimate ndash typically the Administrator (You cannot create additional B2W Estimate databases from a client workstation)
2 To launch the B2W Setup utility do any one of the following
Launch the self-extracting installation file you downloaded from the support Web site
Run Setupexe from the root of the B2W Estimate Installation CD
In your Windows Control Panel go to Add-Remove Programs select
B2W Estimate and then click Change
3 The Setup utility appears in ldquomaintenance moderdquo as shown below Click
Install New Database
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 26 of 32
4 The Install Additional Databases page appears as shown on the next page
Verify the Server where the new B2W Estimate database is to be created then enter a unique name for your new B2W Estimate database Click
Create
5 If the database was created successfully you will see a message that
confirms the database has been created Click OK
6 If applicable repeat steps 4 and 5 to continue creating additional databases
Once you have created all the databases you need click Next then click
Finish
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 27 of 32
Note As your new B2W Estimate databases will not have any user accounts you will need to use the B2W Estimate Administration tool to log in to each new database as described in the following sections and then set its administrator password and create and configure the appropriate user accounts as described in Chapter 4 - Configuring Your B2W Estimate Installation
Administering Different Databases
Each B2W Estimate database must be administered separately For example if your company has two divisions that connect to unique B2W Estimate databases and each division needs to utilize the Microsoft Excel Pay Item ImportExport add in you will need to install the add-in twice ndash once for each B2W Estimate database
When you access the B2W Estimate Administration tool you do so for one specific database at a time To connect to a different B2W Estimate database if you are
already within the Administrative tool just click the Tools menu point to Security
and then select Connect to a Different Database as shown below
The Administrative Logon dialog appears as shown below allowing you to specify which B2W Estimate database to connect to
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 28 of 32
Command Line Switches
To facilitate the administration of multiple databases it is recommended that you create a series of unique B2W Estimate Administration tool shortcuts For each shortcut you will modify the target with a special switch that opens the Administration tool for a specific B2W Estimate database
1 Right-click your Estimate Administration shortcut
2 Select Properties
3 On the Shortcut tab click into the Target field
4 Move the cursor to the end of the target path so that it is positioned after ldquoAdminrdquo and enter the database switch in using the format
Database=ltdatabasegt where ltdatabasegt is the name of the database to connect to
Example ldquoCProgram FilesB2W SoftwareEstimateBID2WINEXErdquo Admin
Database=B2WConcrete
5 Click OK
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 29 of 32
Maintaining Your B2W Estimate
Database In this section yoursquoll learn about two features found within the B2W Estimate Administration tool which will help ensure your database stays well organized for optimum performance
Purge Deleted Data
When data is deleted from B2W Estimate the record is just marked for deletion The data still exists behind the scenes in the SQL database Over time many deleted records will be left in the database consuming valuable space and contributing to the overall size of the database file
B2W Estimates Purge Deleted Data feature allows you to permanently remove deleted records from your B2W Estimate database
To purge deleted data from your B2W Estimate database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Purge Deleted Data The Purge Deleted Data Wizard appears
2 On the Purge Deleted Data Wizard Welcome page click Next
3 On the Select Backup Location page click Browse to select the directory
where your database backup will be created and then click Next
4 On the Enter Number of Days to Exclude page select a number of days The value you enter specifies that data deleted within the last X days will not be
purged Click Next to continue
5 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the impending purge
action To begin the process click Finish Note that the actual run time of this process will vary depending on the number of records flagged for deletion in the database
Note All users should be logged out of B2W Estimate while running this utility as it could place a considerable load on the server
Archiving Estimates
B2W Estimate allows you to archive estimates you no longer want to store in your main B2W Estimate database Archiving old estimates is a good way to ensure your database is free of unnecessary clutter
Archive estimates
To archive one or more estimates follow these steps
1 Log on to your B2W Estimate server as a user with Administrative permissions
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 30 of 32
2 Launch the B2W Estimate Administration tool On the B2W Estimate
Administration home page click Archive Estimates Alternately you can
also click the Tools menu then click Archive Estimates The Archive Estimates Wizard appears
3 On the Archive Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
4 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database where you
want to store your soon-to-be-archived estimates and then click Next If youve not yet created an archive database - or if you just want to create a new one - follow these steps
a Click the Create New Archive Database button The Create New Archive Database dialog appears
b Use the Server combo box to select the SQL server instance where the archive database will be created
c In the Database field enter a name for your archive database
d You can use the Browse buttons to the right of the Data Path and Log Path fields to select alternate locations for the mdf and ldf files that will be created
e Click OK to create your archive database Once the new database
has been successfully created click OK to return to the Archive Estimates Wizard
5 On the Select Estimates Folder page use the Browse button to select - or create - the folder within your archive database where your soon-to-be-archived estimates should be stored Alternately to preserve the same folder structure currently used within your main B2W Estimate database just check
the Retain source estimate folder structure checkbox Click Next to proceed
6 On the Select Estimates to Archive page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
7 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to archive You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the
Archive Estimates Wizard and then click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be archived To begin the archive process click Finish
9 Once the archive process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been moved from your main B2W Estimate database to the selected archive database
Restore estimates
To return estimates you had previously archived to your main database follow these steps
1 On the B2W Estimate Administration home page click the Tools menu then
click Restored Archived Estimates The Restore Archived Estimates Wizard appears
2 On the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard Welcome page click Next
Page 31 of 32
3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
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4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
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3 On the Select Archive Database page select the archive database which
contains the estimates you want to restore and then click Next
4 On the Select Estimates to Restore page click the Add Estimates button The Add Estimates dialog appears
5 Use the various sorting searching and filtering tools within the Add Estimates dialog to locate and select the estimates you want to restore You
can select individual estimates or entire folders Click Add to return to the Restore Archived Estimates Wizard
6 In the Action column you can specify for each estimate one of the following two actions
Copy - This action makes a copy of the archived estimate in your main database The archived estimate remains in the archive database
Restore - This action moves the archived estimate back to your main database and deletes the archived estimate
7 Once you have verified your actions click Next to proceed
8 On the Summary page review the brief summary of the estimates that are
about to be restored To begin the restore process click Finish
9 Once the restore process has completed click OK to the confirmation message that appears The estimates you selected have been restored from your archive and are once again accessible within your main B2W Estimate database
Note Typically when restoring an archived estimate B2W Estimate assigns the original estimate title to the restored estimate Under very rare conditions however B2W Estimate may add the phrase Copy of when assigning a title to your restored estimate rather than using the original estimate title
The two rare occasions which lead to this scenario are when a B2W support engineer has worked with you to manually un-delete an archived estimate between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it or when a full database restore took place between the time you archived the estimate and the time you attempted to restore it
Access an archive database
B2W Estimate allows you to connect to an archive database in order to view read-only copies of the estimates that have been archived Note that reports can be previewed and printed when viewing read-only estimates within an archive database
To access an archive database follow these steps
1 Close the B2W Estimate Administration tool and launch B2W Estimate
2 Click the Tools menu point to Security then click Log On as a Different
User
3 Your current B2W Estimate windows will close and the Logon dialog for a new B2W Estimate session will be displayed
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
Page 32 of 32
4 Enter a valid user name and password just as though you were logging on to your main database and then choose the archive database you want to
connect to then click OK
5 The B2W Estimate Home Page appears Note that the name of the archive database you are connected to is visible in the bottom left corner
6 To reconnect to your main database follow the same steps but selecting your main database in the Logon dialog
Note For easy switching between an archive database and a main database you can create two unique shortcuts on your desktop with each one pointing to a specific database Learn how to do this in the Customize How B2W Estimate Starts help topic
Note You should always purge deleted data after archiving a large set of estimates in order to reclaim the database space they once occupied
