GLEN’S SOAPBOX – A history of Expert Estimation

It’s been thirty years since the first Expert Estimation licence was sold. From a DOS-based product to the wild west of Windows and the internet, the software has come a long way.

But in 2010 we recognised that a new iteration was needed – but it had to be planned. Billions of dollars worth of project work depend on our software being accurate, so we made sure we took the time to do it right.

The multi-million dollar rewrite of Expert Estimation into C# took four years, and marked a fundamental restructuring of the software into a tiered product. A cleaner, sleeker version of Expert Estimation was split into Excelerate, Express and Genesis, meaning that clients could pay only for the features they needed.

We also introduced subscription licencing to improve ease of access and help clients manage cash flow. The CD Rom printer was long since defunct, with distribution via internet download and license keys. Several overseas clients started to come knocking at our door, and my son Ben took over as Managing Director in 2015.

Every year the software gets better. Every year we renew our dedication to providing the best support we can to our clients, listening to what they want and building that into the product where we can. We train and support our staff to be the best they can be, and enjoy watching new talent come in and grow.

It has been my honour to lead this company these past three decades, and watch the next generation come in and build on the foundations of integrity, professionalism and customer service. I look forward to seeing where Pronamics and Expert Estimation will venture to next.

Glen Townsley is the founder of Pronamics, and has spent over 30 years building estimating software after a successful career as a civil estimator and project manager.