D-Tools System Integrator: Well-Suited for Integrators Across All Market Sectors

System Integrator Tip of the Month

While we typically discuss features within the System Integrator (SI) and are always mindful of feedback from our users, this time we are focusing on specific aspects of the software that can greatly assist commercial integrators.

The term "commercial integrator" can refer to teams selling into sectors such as Hospitality, Houses of Worship, Government, Higher Education, etc. SI and its mechanisms can decrease bid creation time, enhance design standards, and enable your team to create and maintain proficient workflow models and best practices for your overall bid submission process.

If your team also issues bids to other sectors, including residential, you may find the following information useful as well.

---

“As a Commercial integrator, we routinely quote large scale quantities. How can SI help?”

One of the best recent innovations on the SI platform, implemented with commercial integrators in mind, is the Quantity-Based Project.

The Quantity-Based project in SI allows users to modify the number of any line item (Product or Labor value) and for that total quantity value to be displayed in the same, single line presentation of that item. This is an improvement over the traditional Unit-Based project structure, which displays all quantities as separate line items.

The benefit of using this Quantity-Based SI Project structure is the ease of quantity adjustment, enabling users to make sweeping changes to the overall bid submission with just a few clicks. Estimators can click into the Quantity data field to enter the necessary adjustment.

Design

If your SI Project is Quantity-Based, all same model number items are grouped as one shape or block in Visio or AutoCAD. If this is not preferred, your design team can convert any group of quantities to the desired number to be plotted in the design environment. Users can also convert the entire Project from Quantity-Based to Unit-Based.

Procurement

For the Procurement team, using a Quantity-Based project will group like items in the purchase order. Conversion options allow for purchasing any desired quantity.

Deployment

Project Managers will encounter the same grouping if the Project is still Quantity-Based at the time of scheduling. Converting items or the entire Project is the remedy to free up specific items for deployment.

It is recommended for users unfamiliar with these practices to secure time with the Professional Services Group to establish the appropriate methodology for your team.

---

“As a Commercial integrator, we need the ability to adjust multiple assemblies and locations very easily. How can SI help?”

Another recent innovation is the addition of a new type of Package called a Solution. This was added with large-scale commercial integrators in mind.

For any bid where the requirement is the same across multiple rooms, locations, or floors, assembling these items into a Solution gives your team the ability to make changes to any one Solution present in the Project, and that modification will flow to all the same Solutions within the bid.

For example, if your team is bidding a series of executive conference rooms with identical details, you can create the first room as a Solution-based Package and assign it to each location. As requirements evolve, adjusting one Solution will affect all linked Solutions. If a specific location needs a unique standard, it can be unlinked from the rest.

---

“As a Commercial integrator, we need labor and other values related to deployment to calculate automatically as we create the bid design. How can SI help?”

This need can be addressed with SI’s Labor Types. Labor Types allow you to compound various aspects of labor exertion on a single product based on the time necessary to complete the required work (installation, programming, design, commissioning, etc.).

In your SI Control Panel, SI Catalog, or SI Project Explorer, navigate to the Labor Type icon or Project Settings. You will find default SI values and any others your team has created. You can create Labor Types for Design, Project Management, and any Miscellaneous Labor your team performs. Each Labor Type evaluation allows for the incremental addition of these labor executions.

Once your team creates all necessary Labor Types, populate the pricing, factor, and difficulty data fields to ensure your team is capturing the required aggregated labor evaluation for any product or labor item.

When focusing on any one Product, you can apply multiple aspects of work to be performed on the item. Upon addition to any SI Project, SI will compound the labor evaluation for all Labor Types present as well as the Unit Price for the item itself. This ensures that multiple quantities are compounded with the same evaluation so that work for redundant items is not overlooked.

Labor Type assignments for Products can be mass updated in your Catalog. Group your items, right-click to access Update Labor Types, and apply multiple Labor Types with unique time evaluations to your list of items.

Labor Type usage is also valuable for Labor items. Once you have created your Labor Items in the SI Labor Explorer, you can source Labor Types for your variable or time-based labor executions. This practice ensures all labor estimates can be traced to appropriate executions in the Project, which is critical for evaluating Project profitability once the job is completed.

---

“As a Commercial integrator, we need to evaluate our team’s labor success both during the deployment phase and at the end when it is completed. How can SI help?”

Once your team has entered the deployment Phase, the Job Cost report mechanism can give your management team insight into the success of your bid efforts regarding labor estimates.

Available in the Project Explorer, the Job Cost report icon allows you to review your Project data with regard to Labor, by Phase or by Labor Type. You can select either Labor or Hours from the Layout dropdown to see the actual result of your team’s budgeted labor versus actual labor.

Using Labor Types for all Products and Labor items allows your team to successfully track and evaluate all Labor executions while in progress and after job completion. This is an effective tool in SI for project reconciliation.

---

While only a few mechanisms and methodologies are covered here, this is merely scratching the surface of what SI can achieve for commercial integrators. Each team will leverage these features in their own unique way, so it is recommended for new and experienced SI users to reach out to the Professional Services Group for further insight.

SI’s features enable commercial integrators to quickly and effectively complete bid estimates and design submissions, allowing your team to build a profitable future. Stay tuned for future installments on SI’s v21 and beyond.

Our team is continually evaluating ways to improve and enhance your team’s usage of and experience with our SI platform. Explore these and other features by securing time with our Professional Services Group to maximize your team’s ability to succeed with the software.

---

In Summation…

• ​Update to v21 if you have not already.
• ​Review, utilize, and deploy the features listed above to ensure success as a “commercial” integrator.
• ​Sign-up for webinars, training, or visit our online documentation for tutorial assistance.
• ​Get focused, get serious, and make money.

There’s plenty more in store for you with SI and forthcoming product releases, so keep an eye out for future updates. We are always reviewing your feature requests to determine our best step forward and next course of action with future SI product releases.

For more information on these and other features of SI, see the D-Tools v21 documentation. You can also review other videos and support documentation, attend webinars, and enroll in SI training with the PSG team. Check out the "What’s New in v21" webinar for more details.

That’s why we are here—to ensure your success with our product! Check back next time for more on v21!