Here’s how it works:

Recruitment of Beta Testers:

• A specific group of users were invited to participate in the beta program. Others may apply to join the beta group by subscribing.

Beta Software Distribution:

• Once a subscription is approved and a Beta Site agreement is in place, Beta versions of the software are distributed to beta users via a download link on the Download page.

Testing and Feedback:

• Beta testers use the software in real-world scenarios and provide feedback. Feedback can include bug reports, feature suggestions, usability issues, and any other concerns they encounter while using the software. Feature requests are submitted using the “Feature Requests” option on the News page.

Bug Reporting:

• Beta testers actively search for bugs and issues within the software. When they encounter a problem or see an opportunity for improvement, they report it using the Consult page. If additional details are required, an online session is scheduled by Support.

Iterative Development:

• Based on the feedback received, developers make necessary improvements, fix reported bugs, and refine the software. New beta versions are released periodically to address the identified issues and test the fixes.

Closure and Software Release:

• After several rounds of testing, feedback collection, and iterative development, the software will reach a stable state where most of the critical issues have been resolved. At this point, the beta program concludes, and the developers prepare for the official release of the software to the public.

Benefits of Beta Testing:

• Participants receive a one-year subscription to Ironworks, free of charge under the terms of the Beta Site Agreement.
• By participating in a beta program, users make sure that Ironworks meets the needs of their company.

The Ironworks ECM Platform’s four modules enable expert equipment cost management.

The AI-assisted, Excel-based Cost Estimator module (ICE) estimates future machine employment costs, resource requirements, and associated charge rates, helping contractors bid more successfully and build more profitably.

ICE charts all cost estimate results, making it easy to visualize forecast monthly utilization, mechanic labor hours, and fuel consumption.

ICE produces machine-specific or “blended” charge rate files that are easily imported into job cost estimating and job cost accounting systems.

The cloud-based  Ironworks Machine Catalog provides answers about construction equipment. It contains millions of data points about tens of thousands of make-model-year machines. Using that data and purpose-built AI Assistants, it provides answers about everything from OEM specs to charge rate and cost factor guidance – to parts numbers – and everything in between.

The answers it provides guides:

• estimators producing machine employment cost estimates and charge rates,
• equipment managers deciding which machines to buy, sell, and overhaul,
• executives measuring the performance of equipment maintenance programs,
• maintenance staff researching machine specifications and finding parts,
• project managers searching for the right machine for the job.

The cloud-based AI-assisted Ironworks Data Miner module (IDM) analyzes the millions of data points about construction equipment in Ironworks’ data warehouse, delivering insights about machine employment, demand,  cost factors, and charge rates to contractors, rental houses, and OEMs.

It presents results in a variety of formats that enhance understanding, making complex data relationships accessible:

• Interactive Tables for easy navigation.
• Charts and Graphs such as bar charts and scatter plots to reveal trends and correlations.
• Heatmaps for visualizing intensity or demand distribution.
• Dashboards combining multiple visualizations for a holistic view of metrics.
• Geospatial Maps to show regional demand or usage distribution.

The cloud-based AI-assisted Ironworks Cost Analyst module (ICA) automatically forecasts future costs based on actual machine employment cost history, delivering insights and trends to contractors and equipment rental houses. 

Equipment Cost Modeling

ICE machine employment models involve the following components:

• The Estimate Setup sheet is used to specify the rate period, scheduled cost factors, and certain cost calculations rules.

• The Equipment List sheet is used to specify the properties of each machine in the fleet.

• The Custody Plans sheet is used to specify the nature of each machine’s custody and forecast its monthly employment for the rate period.

• The Overhead Estimate is used to specify those costs for the rate period associated with the fleet as a whole and not attributable to any one machine.

• The Employment Cost Factors sheet is used to specify employment cost factor values for each machine for the rate period.

The models are then used to estimate each machine’s forecast monthly monetary cost and resource requirements for the Rate Period based on Ironworks’ copyrighted Heavy Equipment Cost Breakdown Structure.

Then, a Charge Rate for the Rate Period is automatically calculated for each machine in the fleet based on the respective machine’s total monetary cost and forecast employment for the Rate Period.

Then, forecast monthly machine-specific monetary cost and resource requirement quantities are aggregated at the fleet level and charted for fleet management purposes.

The Charge Rates and monthly monetary cost forecasts are then exported to the subscriber’s job cost estimating and equipment cost accounting systems respectively.

To assist in the specification of employment cost factor values, Ironworks de-identifies and deconstructs all models by all users and uploads the resulting cost factor value datapoints to its cloud repository. There the datapoints are sorted by machine make-model-year and statistically characterized for reporting on demand to users while estimating.

Reports

Machine employment models are reported in the following system components:

• The Machine Employment Cost Estimate sheet calculates and reports in detail by CBS component the monetary cost and resource requirements calculations performed for each machine employment model.

• The Fleet Employment Cost Schedules sheet reports for every machine a monthly cost schedule by CBS Component.

• The Visualization sheets chart monetary costs and resource requirements by the specified rate period, year, and month for any set of machines.

• The Fleet Employment Cost Summary sheet reports for every machine a total estimated cost breakdown and a Charge Rate breakdown for the Rate Period for export to subscribers’ job cost estimating, job cost accounting and equipment cost accounting systems.

• The RXP Charge Rates sheet reports employment-weighted average charge rates for groups of Machine Records defined by the user and enables export of the resulting charge rates to an Excel workbook for loading third-party job cost estimating and job cost accounting systems.

• The RXP Forecast Cost sheet reports forecast costs for groups of Machine Records defined by the user and enables export of the resulting values to an Excel workbook for analysis.

• Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS)
  • An outline of costs.
  • Ironworks’ copyrighted CBS decomposes machine employment cost into segments (Overhead, Custody, Operation) and then subdivides each segment into elements to enable granular cost estimates.
  • Ironworks’ CBS organizes all Machine Employment Estimates.

• Cost Factor
  • A variable value used to calculate an element of the CBS; e.g., fuel consumption per hour.

• Cost Recovery Method
  • An accounting device used to recover the cost of machine employment. Two are available in Ironworks:
    • If the “Charge Rate” option is elected, both a total cost AND a Charge Rate is calculated in the respective MECE using the Cost Factor Values and Settings specified. Charge rates are used in practice 1) in bidding systems as part of the job cost estimating process; 2) in accounting systems as part of the job cost accounting process; 3) in accounting systems as part of the equipment cost accounting process; 4) in accounting systems as part of the A/R accounting process.
    • If the “Non-pay Equipment” option is elected, ONLY a total cost is calculated and that cost is automatically included in the Non-Pay Equipment cost estimate component of the Overhead Cost Estimate. NPE employment costs are thus recovered along with all other overhead costs and expenses through overhead allocations to individual machines that “burden” or increase that machine’s cost and its charge rate.

• Custody
  • The state of control of a machine. Three types are possible in Ironworks: rented, leased, owned. See Custody Type.

• Custody Period
  • The period defined by a machine’s custody start and end dates specified in the Custody Plans sheet.

• Custody Plan
  • A model of the nature of a machine’s planned custody consisting of a custody period, a custody type, and forecast employment for the custody period.
• Custody Type
  • The nature of the state of control of a machine. Three types are available in Ironworks for every Machine Record: rented, leased, owned.
  • Custody Type election in the Custody Plans sheet drives machine employment cost calculations based on CBS Component Cost Applicability specified in the Estimate Setup sheet.
    • For example, if preventive maintenance is made to be applicable to an owned machine but not a rented machine, changing a Machine Record’s custody type from owned to rented will reduce the cost of preventive maintenance to ZERO for that Machine Record.

• Fleet Employment Cost Estimate (or “Estimate”)
  • The set of cost calculation rules, forecast overhead costs, forecast wages for maintenance labor, forecast fuel prices, individual Machine Records and their associated custody plans and forecast employment cost factor values that model the employment of an equipment fleet and forecast its employment cost for a specified period of time.
  • An “Estimate” can involve any number of individual machine employment cost estimates.

• Forecast Employment for the Rate Period (FERP)
  • The total quantity of employment forecast to occur within the Rate Period for an individual Machine Record.

• Global Datapoints Warehouse
  • The cloud repository of de-identified datapoints extracted from Local Datapoints Databases produced by all Ironworks’ users.

• Ironworks ECM.exe
  • The Ironworks application file.

• Knowledge Base
  • The collection of documentation about the operation and use of Ironworks that is available on the support.ironworksecm.com website’s Support page

• Library
  • The Excel file stored in the Shared Files Folder that contains lists of valid machine property values used to define the nature of a machine as specified in the Equipment List sheet.

• Local Datapoints Database
  • A set of Excel tables containing the datapoints associated with a fleet employment cost estimate.

• Machine
  • A piece of equipment represented in the Equipment List by its Equipment Number.

• Machine Properties
  • Those attributes of a machine documented in the Equipment List for modeling/estimating purposes.

• Machine Employment Cost Estimate (MECE)
  • The forecast of the monthly cost of a machine’s employment during the Rate Period.

• Machine Record
  • The set of machine property, custody period, forecast employment, and employment cost factor values that define one employment case for one specific machine.

• Rate Period
  • The period used to calculate charge rates for ALL of Machine Records in an Estimate. An Estimate’s Rate Period is specified as one, two, or three years in the Estimate Setup Sheet and can start on any calendar day.

• Resource Requirements
  • The quantity of those resources forecast to be required to employ one or more machines. Ironworks calculates in each MECE a monthly, annual, and Rate Period total for maintenance labor and fuel resources.

• Scheduled Cost Items
  • Those items of cost whose value can be specified by the month in the Estimate Setup sheet including various maintenance personnel wage rates, and fuel prices.

• Shared Files Folder
  • The folder containing system files that in a multi-user environment can be shared by all if located on a drive accessible to all users.

• Subscription
  • The annual agreement to purchase one or more licenses to use Ironworks on an authorized computer.

• System ID
  • The code identifying the computer hosting Ironworks.

• Sheets
  • Short for worksheet in an Excel workbook.

• Tabs
  • The visual device at the bottom of an Excel workbook that represents a worksheet.

• Workbook
  • A workbook is a spreadsheet program file that you create in Excel. A workbook contains one or more worksheets. The Ironworks ECM application file is a VBA-heavy, fully compiled Excel workbook.

• Worksheet
  • A worksheet (also known as a spreadsheet or sheet) consists of cells in which you can enter and calculate data. The cells are organized into columns and rows. A worksheet is always stored in a workbook. There are multiple sheets in the Ironworks ECM application.

Estimates are stored in the system’s Ironworks ECM folder/Shared Files/Estimates folder.

Use the Manage Command in the Estimates Command Group in the Ironworks toolbar to open the Manage Estimates Form and open, copy, or delete an Estimate.

Clear an ICE Estimate file

Use the Clear Command in the Estimates Command Group in the Ironworks toolbar to clear the then active Estimate of all data, except the data in the Estimate Setup sheet. All other sheets and charts are made “blank” with this command.

Note: This command is very useful when you want to “start from scratch” developing machine employment cases and want to use an existing estimate’s Estimate Setup settings. Be sure to save the original estimate file under a new name BEFORE you clear it.

The Ironworks Data Miner (IDM) module uses AI to analyze data points about construction equipment in Ironworks’ cloud-based data warehouse and online, delivering insights to contractors, rental houses, and OEMs about machine properties, employment, demand, cost factors, and charge rates.

Ask it anything. Its purpose-built AI assistants give you the answers you need to manage your equipment smarter.

Example Questions