Estimate Time Better - Maintenance

Creating Production Rate Calculators will help you store production rate information so that your estimators are consistent in using the same labor hours and rates.

How Do I Create a Production Calculator?

1. Click the Item Catalog menu in LMN (left-hand menu)
2. Click the Prod Rates sub-menu
3. Click New to create your first production rate calculator

1. Now you need to give your production rate calculator a name (e.g. Planting Calculator).  
2. Next, you want to add Tasks your calculator.  Each task has a name, units of measure and a standard installation rate.  Here are some examples:

Note:  these are all random examples of tasks and wouldn't all be included in the same Production Rate Calculator.  

• Task Name:  Install 1G Plant
• Units of Measure:  each
• Install Rate:  10 / man hour

• Task Name:  Install 5G Plant
• Units of Measure:  each
• Install Rate:  5 / man hour

• Task Name:  Excavate + Dispose 12"
• Units of Measure:  sq. feet
• Install Rate:  50 sq. ft / man hour

• Task Name:  Mowing w/ Zero Turn - 60" Deck
• Units of Measure:  sq. feet
• Install Rate:  120,000 sq. feet/man hour

• Task Name:  Trimming
• Units of Measure:  lin. feet
• Install Rate:  9,000 lin. ft/man hour

• Task Name:  Install 3" Mulch (wheelbarrow)
• Units of Measure:  sq. feet
• Install Rate:  160 sq. ft/man hours

Finally, use the ORDER column to put the tasks in a logical order from start to finish. 

See the screenshot below for an example of a completed Production Rate Calculator  (the example below is a bed planting calculator).

Using A Production Rate Calculator

1. Create a new standard or service estimate
2. Anytime you add a labor item to an estimate, a calculator button will appear
3. Click the calculator button to open a Production Rate Calculator
4. Choose your production rate calculator from your list  hint: you can use the SEARCH if you have a big list
5. Enter the measurements according to your rate calculator.  The production rates will already be filled out for you.
6. You can adjust your production rates if this job is harder/easier than your average job
7. The LMN Production Rate Calculator will calculate a total time, which you can round up (optionally)
8. Click UPDATE ESTIMATE to set your labor item to the hours calculated by the production rate calculator.