ProjectXpert Frequently Asked Questions

Project management software can help you formalise your thoughts on how the project should be managed considering the tasks to be completed, the time it is likely to take, the order in which tasks are to be undertaken, the labour, plant and material required, the cost of the works, the period you must complete the project in.

ProjectXpert will help you to…

• Monitor the progress of each task and compare it to the original plan
• Determine whether you will meet the dates you set out to meet
• Highlight potential insuffient resource availability
• Determine the Critical work at any one time
• Investigate the potential effects changes will make to the original plan
• Produce clear reports and charts to show others information in an easy to understand format

Whether you are managing lots of small jobs (e.g. multiple extensions on the go / insurance work) or housing developments or office blocks, ProjectXpert is the only project management software that we know of which is dedicated exclusively to the building industry. Cheaper than alternatives such as Primavera or Microsoft Project and much quicker to, you’ll find ProjectXpert is perfect for planning your projects.

ProjectXpert is one of most affordable construction project management software packages on the market and in fact much cheaper at £498 ex VAT than Primavera (around £3000) or Microsoft Project (around £800).

Not to mention, how much do you value YOUR time. How many times have you created a build program in Microsoft Excel or on paper than had to completely re-do it when things change? You’ll never waste your time with ProjectXpert – one click and any change you make to the gantt chart will affect the entire build program (if you want it to!)

On top of which when time is money and going over schedule will cost you money – can you afford not to?

We understand that moving from manual methods of project management (paper based, spreadsheet, or even magnetic bars on the office wall) can seem a bit daunting.

Customers tell us that ProjectXpert helps them manage jobs the same way that they do. For instance, when you start a project you list the phases of work that need carrying out and assign the tasks within each phase. You then need to say how long you think that phase will last and its start date – as well as tell the software the order that the works need to be in and if any phases are dependent on others.

From there you get masses more benefits such as the ability to email your build program or reprogram the chart in one click if you’ve linked the dependencies when things change. You can store a baseline of the build program so customers know the affects of them changing their mind have on the overall program! You can when you’ve under or over-allocated your men and all lots more quickly and more affordably than other software! All in all you should be more efficient, productive and best of all come in on time and on budget.

The main reason to adopt project management software is so that your projects come in on budget and on time.

• Have you ever forgotten to order materials far enough in advance so you get delays on site? ProjectXpert will make sure you are planning further ahead.
• Have you ever forgotten to book subcontractors on site? ProjectXpert will make sure you are speaking to contractors earlier.
• Have you ever changed a build program but not advised other people on the project and they turn up? ProjectXpert will improve your communications with everyone on and off site.
• Have you ever wondered the affect delays in the project will have on your cashflow? ProjectXpert will tell you.

With ProjectXpert you’ll be in total control.

Size doesn't matter. Any builder, contractor, house builder, project manager or contracts manager needs to have a computer and project management software to increase business efficiency. Many small companies, where the owner or manager does the project management, can use ProjectXpert to free more time for administration, building, and winning new business.

It depends on your experience with computers and estimating. Those that have lots of experience will be estimating in a matter of hours using the tutorial that comes shipped with the software. For those with less experience or who want to speed up their adoption of ProjectXpert may choose to go on a Group Training Workshop for £269 + VAT, sign up to online training for just £49 per session or have an ex-Builder and ProjectXpert expert come to your home or office for a 1-2-1 full day of training.

Yes ProjectXpert is a lifetime licence which means once you purchase it, it’s yours forever to use on one machine.

In year one we request that all Users get a Support & Updates package included within your software purchase which is renewable annually if you choose. Your Support & Updates package gives you access to telephone and Internet support and all software updates and upgrades. If you decide you're happy with your current version, don't use the telephone support and don't want the software updates or upgrades then you can choose not to renew and continue to use your software.

The ProjectXpert licence only entitles you to use the package on one computer and in accordance with the Licence terms. However we do massive discounts on the purchase of additional licences for your company if you require.

An extra User licence of ProjectXpert costs just £299 + VAT for any edition.

Support & Updates for all editions of ProjectXpert is free in year one of software ownership and covers you for 12 months worth of unlimited telephone, email technical support, live material price downloads and all software updates and upgrades.

Support and access to software updates and upgrades can only be provided with a valid Support & Updates subscription. On the expiry of your annual Support & Updates subscription, you can choose whether you want to renew for a further year. Should you renew, you will receive a further 12 months unlimited telephone and email technical support and all software upgrades for that period.

The cost of renewing Support & Updates for ProjectXpert is currently £99 + VAT per annum.

No sorry!

ProjectXpert is available as part of our repayment plans. You can build your own repayment plan package by selecting any two (or more) HBXL software products from ProjectXpert©, ContractsXpert®, EstimatorXpress®, PlansXpress® and Health & Safety Xpert®.

Minimum requirements are:

• Windows XP (SP2) / Windows Vista / Windows 7;
• Pentium P4 700GHz;
• 256MB Ram;
• 100MB Disk space;
• Internet Connection;
• SVGA monitor;
• Pointing Device;
• Printer & CD ROM drive.

ProjectXpert can run on a MAC but is not compatible with the Macintosh Operating System and therefore there are certain requirements that need to be met. Modern Mac’s which are based on Intel Core processors can run Microsoft Windows on them.

This can be done using either Bootcamp or a virtual environment such as Parallels or Fusion2. You will need to have an installable Microsoft Windows 7, XP or Vista disk, to load onto your installed copy of Windows. Once this has been done you can install ProjectXpert onto your Windows installation.

Running ProjectXpert in this environment is only recommended for advanced computer users and is not supported by HBXL in the event of errors caused by this environment. If you want to run ProjectXpert with EstimatorXpress, bear in mind you will also need a Microsoft Office disk (Windows compatible version) for EstimatorXpress.

For more advice you can email our Support Team at support@hbxl.co.uk or visit our MAC Advice pages

You can download a 14 day free trial of ProjectXpert from our website. You will be able to use all parts of the software during your trial and ensure it's the right software for you

Yes. ProjectXpert works with Windows 7.