Our material schedules service is a concrete work package that we at OutsourceCAD regularly take over from clients who lack the drafting capacity to keep such an overview up to date themselves. A material schedule looks simple, a list of components, dimensions and quantities, but on a larger project it quickly becomes error-prone once someone maintains it by hand alongside a model that keeps changing.
That is why, wherever possible, we build with parametric Revit families, smart components where the material schedule automatically follows the model.
If a component changes, the schedule changes with it, without anyone having to update it by hand. Our team consists of drafters with more than ten years of CAD experience, led by Sam, our team leader, who has a background of more than fifteen years in architecture. We work with the latest versions of Revit, AutoCAD and Rhino, and deliver in the format you need further down the process.
Cable tray routing in the model, built with parametric families that carry the material schedule with them.
From First Conversation to Delivered Material Schedules
The process starts with a conversation in which you provide the details, and usually also existing drawings or an existing model that the material schedule needs to match. From that, we can see how many components there are, how much repetition they involve and whether the model is already built parametrically or is still entirely static. We then deliver in stages, so you do not receive a complete overview all at once at the end of the project without any interim checks. After a first partial delivery, you give feedback, after which we make adjustments and carry on.
That prevents a wrong assumption about a component from only surfacing late in the process. We agree the consultation rhythm with each client, sometimes every two days, sometimes weekly, depending on how fast the project needs to move. Files usually go back and forth by email. On larger projects, for example in greenhouse construction, we use software that you can log into to follow the progress of the project. Day-to-day contact takes place by email, phone and meetings, and where needed we visit you or you visit us, although the work itself is carried out remotely.
The work passes through at least three review layers before we deliver: a drafter works out the schedule, a second team member checks it, Sam then reviews it as team leader, and Barry, our project manager, carries out the final check. That keeps the number of errors in an extensive material schedule to a minimum in practice. This way of working also holds up on an ongoing project that changes shape along the way, so an interim change does not mean starting all over again.
Software and Formats for Our Material Schedules Service
We mainly build material schedules from Revit, supplemented by AutoCAD and Rhino where the project calls for it. We also work with Inventor and Grasshopper and, to a limited extent, Dynamo and Vault. We always use the latest versions of these packages, so the schedule ties in well with what you use yourself. We deliver in Revit formats, but also in DXF, DWG or STEP, and in practice almost any common CAD format.
We work in our own environment with our own licences, not in yours, so no time is lost setting up an unfamiliar workstation before the real work begins. We follow your standard and drawing conventions, not a fixed template of our own, so the schedule fits straight into the existing set. If an existing model relies on an outdated or cluttered family set, we first assess whether cleaning it up is enough or whether rebuilding is quicker. If the existing set is very messy, rebuilding is sometimes faster than repairing, even though it feels like a bigger first step.
With a material schedule in particular, this is an important trade-off, because a messy family set quickly produces an unreliable schedule, however carefully the drafter works otherwise. We discuss which approach is appropriate in the first conversation, based on the files you supply. That way you do not have to judge for yourself whether an old family set is still usable, because we look at that up front.
No ongoing payroll costs and no idle staff once the peak is over. If one of our people is off sick or on holiday, we replace them and the work simply carries on.
Scaling Up Our Material Schedules Service
A material schedules project can vary considerably in size, from a single overview for a small component to an extensive schedule for a complete piping system or a large installation. With our large, flexible team, we therefore scale up or down per project, depending on what the work requires. We do this with people from our existing, permanent team, not by hiring someone new for the occasion. Everyone involved has more than ten years of CAD experience, so new people get up to speed on a project quickly without a long induction period. When things are urgent, we add extra capacity immediately, so a peak in your drawing office does not automatically lead to delays. If someone drops out due to illness or holidays, we replace that person so the project keeps running. You pay no ongoing payroll costs for that replacement, which is a clear difference from having your own permanent drafter.
When a deadline could not slip, we have in practice worked through evenings and weekends, with days of fourteen to fifteen hours, to hit a delivery date, even during a planned holiday of Sam's. That kind of commitment is not a standard promise for every project, but it shows that we adapt when the situation calls for it. If you expect a material schedule to grow as the project progresses, it is best to discuss that in advance so we can have the right capacity ready in time. If the scope still turns out to be larger than expected during the project, we simply discuss it in the ongoing consultations, without you having to arrange anything separately.
Getting Started With Our Material Schedules Service
We start as soon as enough information is available, usually after a first conversation in which you provide the details and the existing model or drawings. We respond to a new enquiry within 1 to 2 working days, so you quickly know where you stand. It helps to have a picture in advance of how many components there are, whether the model is already built parametrically, and which standard and drawing conventions apply.
If that information is still missing, we simply go through it together in the first conversation. A short first assignment is possible, so you can assess our speed and accuracy before we agree on a larger project.
We charge by the hour or per project at a fixed price, billing only net working hours, and we decide together which form suits best. The intellectual property of the delivered material schedule belongs to you. So far we have not signed a non-disclosure agreement, because clients have not asked for one before, but we are open to it if you request one.
As soon as the first documents are in, we can actually get started, without first having to recruit or train anyone. That way, if you have a cluttered family set or an outdated schedule, you do not have to tidy everything up yourself before the work can start. We simply include cleaning up or rebuilding that set as part of the first piece of work we deliver.
Frequently asked questions about our material schedules service
Let us handle your material schedules
Send us your documents and drawing conventions and we will let you know within one to two working days what we can take on and when.