The typical implementation process for McCormick Electrical Estimating Software involves several key steps, designed to help electrical contractors streamline their estimating process. Here's the step-by-step breakdown along with a brief explanation of each stage:

1. Initial Consultation and Requirements Assessment

• The McCormick team meets with the client to understand their specific business needs, such as the scope of their electrical projects, estimating workflows, and team structure.

• This ensures the software is configured to align with the client’s project requirements.

   

2. Software Installation and System Setup

• McCormick software is installed on the company’s hardware or cloud systems. This step includes setting up user profiles, roles, and permissions based on the organization’s structure.

• System setup may include configuring databases for electrical materials and labor units.

   

3. Data Migration (if needed)

• If the company has existing data, such as past projects or material databases, this information is migrated into McCormick’s system.

• The process involves importing electrical items, pricing lists, and previous estimates to avoid starting from scratch.

   

4. Customization and Template Setup

• The software is customized to match the client’s specific estimating practices, including setting up pre-built templates for typical estimates or customizing reports for specific project types.

• Custom fields and workflows are created to ensure the software can handle both standard and custom estimating requirements.

   

5. Integration with Third-Party Tools (if applicable)

• Integration with third-party tools like accounting software (QuickBooks), job costing systems, or project management platforms is set up.

• This ensures seamless data flow between McCormick and other tools in the company’s workflow.

   

6. User Training and Onboarding

• Training sessions are conducted for key personnel and estimators. McCormick offers both in-person and virtual training to familiarize users with the software’s interface, features, and functionalities.

• Estimators are trained on creating accurate estimates, managing job costs, and generating detailed reports.

   

7. Testing and Troubleshooting

• Once the software is set up, the team performs testing to ensure it runs smoothly. This includes generating test estimates, reviewing material pricing, and verifying that project workflows are properly configured.

• Any issues identified during testing are resolved before the full go-live.

   

8. Go-Live

• After testing and troubleshooting, the software is fully deployed for regular use.

• Estimators can now begin using McCormick for live project estimates, takeoffs, and cost calculations.

   

9. Ongoing Support and Updates

• Post-implementation support is provided for any troubleshooting, additional customization, or software updates that are required after deployment.

• McCormick also offers continuous updates to ensure the software remains up-to-date with industry changes and new features.

   

Total Timeframe:

• Typically: 7-14 days, depending on the complexity of the client’s setup, data migration, and customization needs. For larger organizations with more advanced integration needs, the process may take slightly longer.

• Customizable database: The software comes with a fully customizable database that users can modify to suit their specific requirements.

   

• Unlimited database expansion: Users can add as many parts and assemblies as they want, allowing for extensive customization.

   

• Customizable assemblies: The pre-built assemblies (over 25,000) are 100% customizable, allowing users to tailor them to their specific needs.

   

• Customizable job screens: The software offers customizable job screens for bid management.

   

• User-defined reports: Users can create custom reports for job breakouts.

   

• Customizable symbols: In the design-build aspect of the program, users can customize symbols for various electrical components.

   

• Customizable pricing: The software allows for customizable prices on items.

   

• Labor unit customization: Users can customize labor units for different tasks.

   

• Customizable takeoff process: The software allows users to build preferences while performing takeoffs, enabling faster and more personalized estimating over time.

   

• Customizable filters: Users can create custom filters for plan review and takeoff processes.

   

• Customizable material lists: The extension feature allows for customized sorting and viewing of material lists.

• Setup Fees: Some software providers may charge a one-time setup fee to cover the cost of onboarding and configuring the software for a new customer. This fee can vary depending on the complexity of the implementation and the level of support provided by the vendor.

   

• Maintenance Fees: McCormick may charge ongoing maintenance fees to cover the cost of software updates, patches, and technical support. These fees are often billed on a recurring basis, such as annually, and may be calculated as a percentage of the software's license cost.

   

• Support Charges: McCormick might offer various levels of support services, ranging from basic email support to premium phone support with guaranteed response times. Depending on the level of support chosen, there may be associated charges.

   

• Training Fees: If additional training beyond initial onboarding is required, McCormick may offer training services for an additional fee. This could include onsite training, webinars, or access to training materials and resources.

   

• Add-On Modules: McCormick may offer optional add-on modules or features that extend the functionality of the base software. These modules may be available for an additional cost and could include features such as advanced reporting, integration with other systems, or specialized estimating tools.

   

• Customization Services: If customization or integration with existing systems is required, McCormick may offer professional services for an additional fee. This could include tailoring the software to specific workflow requirements or integrating it with other software solutions.

• Training Videos: McCormick provides a series of step-by-step training videos covering various aspects of their software. These videos are available on their website and include:

   

  • Design Estimating Pro overview
  • Job setup and management
  • Label creation and organization
  • Digital takeoff techniques
  • Extension report generation

  • Bid summary creation

     

• Interactive Educational Classes: The company offers interactive educational estimating classes to help users learn how to use the software effectively

   

• Basic Training Sessions: McCormick provides basic training on database management and assembly building, as demonstrated in the YouTube video

   

• Customization Training: Users are taught how to customize the software to fit their specific needs, including building temporary and permanent items and assemblies

   

• Online Resources: The McCormick Systems website hosts a dedicated resources section with training videos for both electrical and plumbing/mechanical estimating.

   

• Version-Specific Training: The training materials are updated to cover the latest versions of the software, such as McCormick v14/v15.

   

• Practical Demonstrations: The training includes full demonstrations of key features like digital takeoff, automated counting, and item review.

   

• Comprehensive Coverage: The training covers the entire estimating process, from setting up jobs to creating final bid summaries.

• Automatic System Backups: The software performs regular automatic backups to protect against data loss.

   

• High-Level Data Security: McCormick emphasizes high-level data security for protecting user information.

   

• Cloud-Based Solution: McCormick Hosted is designed as a secure cloud-based solution for gathering estimates and performing digital takeoff.

   

• Security Updates: The system receives automatic security updates to maintain protection against evolving threats.

   

• Compliance: McCormick mentions adherence to various security frameworks and standards, including SOC2 and GDPR, indicating a commitment to established security practices.

   

• Multi-Layered Detection: The IT security guide recommends configuring multi-layered detection to prevent various forms of spam, malware, and other threats.

   

• Strong Password Policies: The IT security guide emphasizes the importance of strong passwords, suggesting this is likely enforced in the software.

   

• Regular Backups: In addition to automatic backups, the guide recommends performing off-site backups at least once a year and testing these backups regularly

McCormick regularly releases updates for its estimating software. These updates are designed to improve functionality, enhance security, and introduce new features. The management of updates is streamlined through the cloud-based platform, ensuring that all users have access to the latest version of the software

• Data Ownership: McCormick Electrical Estimating Software may assert ownership over the software itself, including any proprietary algorithms, code, and intellectual property used to develop the software. However, regarding the data inputted by users (such as project information, estimates, etc.), the policy might stipulate that users retain ownership of their data.

   

• Portability: McCormick may have policies in place to ensure that users have access to their data and can export it from the software in a portable format. This might include features to export data to common file formats like CSV (Comma-Separated Values) or Excel, allowing users to migrate their data to other systems if needed.

   

• Usage of Data: The software provider's policy may include provisions outlining how user data is used and protected. This could involve commitments to data security, confidentiality, and compliance with relevant privacy regulations, such as GDPR or CCPA.

   

• Data Retention: McCormick's policy might specify how long user data is retained within the software platform and how users can request deletion of their data if necessary.

   

• Third-Party Integration: If McCormick's software integrates with other systems or services, their policy may address how data is shared between these platforms and any implications for data ownership and portability.

McCormick Electrical Estimating Software allows businesses to scale their use of the software according to their needs. This flexibility is facilitated through customizable features and the ability to handle various types of projects, from small residential jobs to large industrial estimates

• Subscription Model: McCormick Electrical Estimating Software operates on a subscription model, with a starting price of $300.00 per month per user. This indicates that users are likely entering into a periodic subscription agreement, which may require renewal based on the terms set forth at the beginning of the subscription.

   

• Cancellation Policy for Training Events: While not directly related to the software subscription, McCormick's cancellation policy for training events may reflect the company's general approach to cancellations. For training events, refunds, minus a $50.00 administration fee, may be given for cancellations sent at least one month prior to the event start date. Cancellations between 30 days and 1 day in advance may receive a 50% refund of registration fees paid. No refunds are given for no-shows or cancellations on the day of the event. This policy indicates that McCormick does have structured cancellation policies in place for some of its services.

   

• General Terms of Use: McCormick's general terms of use include provisions that allow the company to revise and modify the agreement at any time, and to impose new or additional terms or conditions on the use of their digital services. This suggests that terms related to software subscriptions, including renewal and cancellation, could potentially be updated by McCormick at their discretion.

   

• Dispute Resolution: The terms of use also contain provisions that generally require disputes to be resolved on an individual basis rather than via class actions. While this is more related to dispute resolution than contract renewal or cancellation, it's an important aspect of the terms that users agree to.

McCormick Electrical Estimating Software meets several compliance standards to ensure data security and privacy. These include PCI, SOC2, and GDPR, which are critical for protecting sensitive information and ensuring that the software adheres to international data protection regulations