Frequently Asked Questions
Below you will find a list of the most common questions that you may have as you start using MAESTRO Estimator. If you have a question that is not listed, but that you feel would benefit others as well, please submit your question to us via e-mail by clicking here.

Manual Preparations

Question 1 - What Information is Needed Before Using MAESTRO?
Question 2 - Can I start using MAESTRO without defining everything first?

Login

Question 1 - What is the default Administrative login and password?
Question 2 - Are passwords case sensitive in MAESTRO?
Question 3 - Can the default Admiministrative login be changed?
Question 4 - What are the Company, Division and Location buttons for?
Question 5 - Can the terms Company and Division be changed?
Question 6 - Can I disable the Company, Division or Location buttons?
Question 7 - How is Security Enabled in MAESTRO?

Create a New Estimate

Question 1 - How Do I Create a New Estimate?
Question 2 - What Information is Copied from the Master Database?
Question 3 - What is the Relationship between Job and Estimate Information?
Question 4 - What Does the DOE Job selection do?

MAESTRO Menu and Toolbar

Question 1 - What Do the ToolBar Buttons Mean?
Question 2 - What Are Hot Keys?

MAESTRO Windows

Question 1 - What are the Different Types of Windows?
Question 2 - Can I Move and Resize Windows in MAESTRO?
Question 3 - Does MAESTRO Remember My Window Positions?
Question 4 - How Do I Reset to the Default Window Positions?

Estimate Setup and Preferences

Question 1 - Can I Change the Selections for Industry and Estimate Type?
Question 2 - Where are the Prepared By, Reviewed By, etc. Fields Used?

Master Databases

Question 1 - What is the MAESTRO Master Database?
Question 2 - What purposes does the Master Database Serve?
Question 3 - How Many Master Databases Can There Be?
Question 4 - Can an Estimate Use Multiple Master Databases?
Question 5 - Can the Master Database be Located on a Shared Drive?

WBS Information

Question 1 - What is the Work Breakdown Structure Used For in MAESTRO?
Question 2 - How Do I Set the Format of the Work Breakdown Structure?
Question 3 - How Do I Enter the WBS Values?
Question 4 - What Happens if I Delete a WBS Value?

Sort Fields

Question 1 - How Many Sort Fields Are Available?
Question 2 - Can the Sort Fields be Renamed?
Question 3 - What are the Sort Fields Used For?

Labor Rates

Question 1 - Are Labor Rates Burdened or Unburdened?
Question 2 - What is the Expiration Date Used For?
Question 3 - How are Non-Labor Resources Entered in MAESTRO?

Equipment Usage

Question 1 - Where is the Equipment Usage Information Used in MAESTRO?
Question 2 - How are the Rental Percentage and Operating Percentage Used?

Crews

Question 1 - How are Crews Used in MAESTRO Estimator?
Question 2 - Change I Change the Term "Crew"?

Materials, Subcontracts and Equipment

Question 1 - How Are Materials, Subcontracts and Equipment Used?

Standard Unit Costs

Question 1 - How Are Standard Unit Costs Used in MAESTRO Estimator?
Question 2 - Can I Change the Term "Standard"?

Assemblies

Question 1 - How Are Assemblies Used in MAESTRO Estimator?
Question 2 - Does MAESTRO Estimator Support Nested Assemblies?
Question 3 - How Are Assemblies Shown in Detail Reports?
Question 4 - What does the Expand Assemblies option in the Tools menu do?

Estimate Line Items

Question 1 - What Fields Are Required to be Entered in Estimate Line Items?
Question 2 - What Designates a Duplicate Estimate Line Item?
Question 3 - What is Override Used For?
Question 4 - Can I Change the Names of the Sort Codes?
Question 5 - How Do I Access the Remainder of the 8 Sort Codes?
Question 6 - How Do I Access the Fiscal Year Information?
Question 7 - Why Is the Fiscal Year Breakdown Button Disabled?

Fiscal Year Escalation

Question 1 - How Does MAESTRO Apply Escalation by Fiscal Years?
Question 2 - Can I Define Reporting Periods Other Than Years?
Question 3 - Can I Change the Term "Fiscal Year"?

DOE Markups and Indirects

Question 1 - How Are the DOE Markups and Indirects Applied?
Question 2 - Where Do I See the Results Including Markups?

Non-DOE Markups

Question 1 - How are the Non-DOE Markups Applied?
Question 2 - Where Do I See the Results Including Markups?

Cost Elements 6 & 7

Question 1 - How are Cost Elements 6 & 7 Different from Cost Elements 1-5?
Question 2 - When is the Cost Element 6 & 7 Calculation Applied?
Question 3 - What Does the Lock Field Do For Cost Elements 6 & 7?

Factors

Question 1 - How Do the Factors Work?
Question 2 - When Would I Use Factors as opposed to Markups?
Question 3 - Can I Factor the same Estimate Line Item twice?
Question 4 - Where Can I See the Factor Results?

Project Reports

Question 1 - What are the Default Reports Available?
Question 2 - Can I Change the List of Default Reports?
Question 3 - Can I Create Custom Project Reports?
Question 4 - How Do I Access the Custom Reports?

Database Reports

Question 1 - What is the Difference between Project and Database Reports?
Question 2 - Can I Create Custom Database Reports?

Import / Export

Question 1 - What information can be Imported and Exported in MAESTRO?
Question 2 - What data formats are supported by Import / Export?
Question 3 - What are the different Import and Export choices used for?

Convert from Other Software

Question 1 - What Conversions are Available in MAESTRO?

Global Change Utilities

Question 1 - What are the Global Utilities and What Can I Do With Them?

Backup and Restore

Question 1 - Where Can I Backup My Estimate To?
Question 2 - How Do I Backup to a Network Server?
Question 3 - Can I Restore Data from other Estimating Systems?

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