Has anybody used SpecPoint for an actual project (not just testing it out)? If so, what are your comments? Thanks.
Sorry, I tested it out about a month ago and found it to be a very tedious and aggravating experience even after watching the tutorials.
I plan to check it again in 6 months or so. I am hopeful that if they put a lot more development effort into it, it could be a decent product.
Deltek is REALLY pushing SpecPoint. They wanted me to renew my subscribtion more than 2-1/2 months early!
My understanding is that SpecPoint is the main product and we have to download the individual MasterSpec guide specifications.
David, same for us. And I agree with your synopsis.
So if nobody is currently using SpecPoint, is anybody going to use SpecPoint?
As much as I hate Word and MasterWorks?
No.
What happened to Deltek e-specs? Too costly or ?
We still use E-Spec but it lacks alot of Sections- Like 13 11 00 Swimming pools… DOES ANYONE HAVE A WORD DOCUMENT SWIMMING POOL SPEC THAT THEY CAN SHARE?
With E-Spec- we have typically been editing the E-Spec for project types, and then re-using that spec for new projects (editing as required.)
I think I heard that they got rid of it or E-Specs or it was merged into SpecPoint. There again, I am not sure but it is no longer on Deltek’s website.
Look at www.e-specs.com
I liked e-specs when I used it in the past but it’s not for everyone. The database is lacking compared to SpecLink from my point of view. I do like their connection to Revit but what they have out of the box frankly sucks; you have to completely reconfigure it to suit your company’s Revit system which means that independent consultants probably won’t derive much benefit. Plus the cost is prohibitive for most firms from what I’ve seen.
I would like to TRY SpecPoint out. But the Deltek rep I have been talking to says that there is no trial. Without trying it first, I can’t recommend purchasing it.
The videos appealed to me. I like the text from MasterSpec better than SpecLink (though I appreciate the less “chatty” nature of the SpecLink text.)
Just my three cents. (The price of opinions has gone up due to inflation.)
Our company has been using e-Specs since 2009. We have a love/hate relationship with it. (Sorry I’m posting as an unregistered guest BTW…it’s been awhile since I’ve posted so don’t remember my credentials.) Anyway, from what I understand, e-Specs will be around for the next few years (whatever that means), but eventually SpecPoint will replace it. I hope to be retired by then. Many of our project teams in various offices edit their own project specs. The notion of educating them to wrap their brains around thinking in Uniformat will definitely result in an increase in architectural and engineering PTSD!
I believe we are missing the boat. Compare Masterspec from Deltek to Spec Cloud from BSD. I belive the focus of specpoint will be to remove the word document step in the process. You will enter your edits into a data base, and the data base will spit out a PDF of your finished spec. That is basically how BSD Transitioned, and I think that is whats going on here.
I have not yet tried out Specpoint.
I agree that with Deltek Masterspec or with BSD (now RIB) Speclink on your desktop or in the cloud, you can do all your work within the program and export individual section PDFs or a single combined project manual PDF. You can still export to individual Word Docs if you want to.
The problem with these programs is that for overall workflow, there is still usually a need to maintain a separate folder to combine the total of everyone’s work, including outside consultant and forms that are not formatted for these programs.
Both of the current programs have issues with formatting. They are not always user-friendly.
As long as you are not adding custom text, working within these programs goes smooth enough.
When you have a need to add text, it’s usually easier to do it within a word doc and not within these frequently quirky programs.
For both of the current main programs, I have very mixed feelings about the way it is now and I suspect that Specpoint isn’t going to make it any easier.
What have users’ experience been with preparing modified sections for addenda and change orders in SpecPoint, both within the individual documents themselves and also with managing addenda with multiple documents including documents coming from consultants?
During todays Specpoint Introduction Training, I asked a “crafted” Question, designed to elicit the answer I wanted them to Answer: I asked, "When will Specpoint become the dominant application in the Deltek arsenal? "
Their response was 2023. Or in layman’s terms, By next year they will putting all their eggs in the Specpoint Basket!
Get on Board or get left behind…
I have the impression that Deltek has been funneling their resources to SpecPoint for some time now. It does not make business sense to improve a program that is just going to be discontinued.
MasterSpec Product Name listings have dropped substantially as they are now “pay-to-play.” Masterworks no longer connects to the Supporting Documents. The Masterworks bulk PDF utility no longer plays nice with Dropbox. Signs of things to come.
Am following up on this, but there is a glitch with Masterworks and cloud-based Word365. According to the Deltek support people, Masterworks only works with the desktop versions of Word
Pay-to-play isn’t such a big problem since, unlike SpecLink, MasterSpec wasn’t exactly great at maintaining manufacturer and product lists anyway.
MasterWorks requires that you change your security settings. Typically you need to get the newest certificate from Deltek since they haven’t figured out how to issue updates with the latest certificates attached.
Very disappointing. I would have expected Deltek to be more professional. They seem to just be another shlock operation now. “We don’t care; we don’t have to.”