13.02 Using the Summary Tab to Analyze Takeoff Results

The Summary Tab shows you a breakdown of:

• Every Takeoff Item for which takeoff has been drawn in this Bid
• Every Takeoff Item Result marked with a "T" in each Takeoff Item's Properties (the Results tab) (these Results are also shown in the Takeoff Items Pane on the Takeoff Tab)

You can reconfigure the Summary Tab to suit your exact needs and even export the information to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

Things you should know about the Summary Tab:

• The Summary Tab does not update immediately when a change is made within the bid. This is by design or else the information would constantly be changing in front of your eyes and the screen would be unusable when working with multiple estimators. When there is a change to bid information that affects the Summary Tab, you are prompted to refresh the information with a notification banner. Click the button (toward the upper-right of the Tab) to recalculate the quantities on the Summary Tab. It can take a few seconds or several minutes to recalculate the Summary Tab completely.
• Changes made to the Filtering and Grouping list on the right side of the Summary Tab are persistent. This means the Summary Tab retains those settings even after you close the Bid or shut down the program. The way you have filtered or grouped the Summary Tab will be the same the next time you open the Bid (on the same computer, of course). The status of the grid however is not persistent meaning that columns' and rows' expanded/collapsed states are not retained during sessions.
• Like Results are summarized - this means if you select the same Result multiple times in Takeoff Item Properties, the Summary Tab summarizes that information. For example, if you are counting something and you add "Count" to your Results three times, only one line item for "Count" shows on the Summary Tab. That row shows the true count and then a subtotal that is 3x that number. If you wanted to see "Count" three separate times on the Summary Tab, you add two Custom Formulas to the Takeoff Item Results, named "Count1" and "Count2", or some variation in name. See Related Articles for more information about Custom Formulas.
• Takeoff Item Results marked with a "T", indicating you want them be displayed in the Takeoff Items Pane on the Takeoff Tab are also displayed on the Summary Tab. This is how you control which Results are shown on the Summary Tab.

The Default View

The first time you open the Summary Tab, you see the "Default View" which is laid it out to provide an easy-to-consume view of your Takeoff Results. The Summary Tab provides powerful tools that allow you to analyse the selected/active Results for every Takeoff Item in this Bid. You can filter and group this information exactly how you want.

There are three main sections to the Summary Tab:

1. The Toolbar - tools to change the view of the grid, collapse/expand groups, lock columns, export to Excel, and Refresh the data (see next article)
2. The Takeoff Items Information and Results grid - this is where your Takeoff Items and all their Results are displayed; grouped and filtered however you configure; you can also select which columns to show/hide (see Showing and Hiding Columns on the Summary Tab)
3. The Pivot Table (Filtering and Grouping) controls - powerful tools that allow you to group and filter your Takeoff Results (see Filtering, Grouping, and Organizing Your Takeoff Results)

We cover the toolbar in the next article.

The data grid shows every Takeoff Item used in the Bid (for which you've drawn takeoff...) and every "Active Result" (those with a check mark in the "T" column in the Takeoff Item Properties Results list - see Related Articles if you need a refresher on setting up Takeoff Items). We explain the Bid Total and Subtotal columns when we start grouping and filtering the grid, for now, they are usually the same.

The data grid consists of two area - the "Takeoff Item information" area, shown in white, and the Quantity breakdown area which starts with the yellow Subtotal column.

Column Groupings

By default, the Summary Tab shows your first tier of Bid Areas as columns to the right of the Subtotal column. You can collapse (hide) and expand (show) them by clicking on the arrow at the top of the Subtotal column.

These "Column Groups" allow you to see how much of each Takeoff Item's Result is allocated to each Bid Area (or Page Area if you do not use Bid Areas).

We detail filtering and grouping in the articles that follow if this default layout does not suit your needs.

Bid Page Areas

Takeoff that is not assigned to a specific Bid Area is automatically assigned to a Page Area (a system Area created for each Page in the Bid).

If you are using Bid Areas in your Bid and see Page Areas on the Summary Tab, that means some takeoff has not been assigned to a Bid Area. Because you can see the Page Area on the Summary Tab, you know where that takeoff exists in your Bid.

• Return to the Takeoff Tab
• Navigate to that Page
• Select the Page Area in the Areas drop-down
• Click the Color Takeoff Toggle ()

The takeoff that remains colored is still assigned to the Page Area. See Related articles for details on using the Color Takeoff Toggle and Assigning Takeoff to a Bid Area.

Lock Columns

Often times, if your Bid contains more than one or two Bid Areas and sub-Areas, you will not be able to see all the columns and you will have to scroll to the right.

By Default, the Takeoff Item Columns (those to the left of the Subtotal column) are frozen, meaning that they stay visible as you scroll to the right.

If you want to disable this, you can just click the button in the toolbar.

Summary and Worksheet Tabs

Summary Tab Toolbar