Admicom Estima has supported Skanska’s construction cost estimation for three decades

Skanska is one of the world’s leading construction and project development companies, operating in selected home markets across the Nordic countries, Europe and the United States. In Finland, the company’s operations cover construction services as well as residential and commercial property development.

“Together with our clients and diverse teams, Skanska creates innovative and sustainable solutions that promote healthy living across generations,” says Rickhard Ekman, Development Manager of Estimating at Skanska Oy.

Sustainability is a core value guiding Skanska’s operations, and according to Ekman, its importance continues to grow across the entire construction sector.

“Sustainability is part of our value base and it is visible in many ways in our everyday operations. For example, we have worked systematically to improve occupational safety, building a culture of care that extends not only to Skanska employees but also to our partners. Going forward, sustainability will affect the whole construction industry even more widely. New requirements, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, will demand increasingly detailed information on supply chains down to raw material sources.”

New technologies reshape construction cost estimation

In his role, Ekman is responsible for developing and ensuring the efficiency of Skanska’s tendering and construction cost estimation processes together with the estimating teams. He works closely with estimators to improve methods and tools that support their daily work.

“My task is to make sure our cost estimation processes are efficient, accurate and up to date. Tendering is team-driven, involving experts from design, procurement and production. By working together, we can leverage diverse expertise to ensure every tender is comprehensive and high quality.”

Emerging technologies have also significantly influenced construction cost estimation in recent years.

“Cost estimation in construction has advanced considerably. One of the most significant changes is the adoption of digitalisation and new technologies. These tools have increased accuracy and efficiency while enabling the use of real-time data in decision-making.”

Ekman believes this trend will continue, especially in the area of Building Information Modelling (BIM).

“BIM brings accuracy, transparency and collaboration opportunities to both cost estimation and project management. Its role will only grow in the future. We also expect that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning will become increasingly integrated with BIM, enabling smarter solutions and forecasting.”

Admicom Estima – a reliable construction cost estimation tool for 30 years

To ensure consistent quality in estimating, Skanska has invested heavily in standardising processes, methods and tools in recent years.

“We have clear processes in place that help us reduce errors and improve efficiency. We use uniform classifications and coding across projects, which allows for better data comparison. We also emphasise continuous training and development.”

Supporting this work is Admicom Estima, which has been Skanska’s primary construction cost estimation tool for over three decades.

“Estima speeds up the estimating process by providing tools for generating and reporting quantities and cost data. The system enables the use of consistent classifications, codes and resource price lists across all projects, ensuring uniformity. Estima also automates many parts of the process, reducing manual work and freeing time for critical analysis and decision-making.”

In the highly competitive construction industry, where margins are tight, accuracy in construction cost estimation is key to project profitability.

“Estimation must be as precise as possible to keep costs under control later on. Estima integrates with BIM, enabling accurate quantity take-offs while reducing the risk of errors and improving data accuracy. The system also provides detailed cost information by location, helping us better understand the cost structure of different parts of a project and make optimised financial decisions.”

Ekman also highlights adaptability as a crucial feature.

“Estima makes it easy to update and adjust calculations as a project progresses or conditions change. This flexibility is essential in our line of work.”

Enhancing collaboration and site resource planning

Accurate construction cost estimation depends not only on robust tools but also on collaboration. Skanska values Estima’s ability to support multiple users working on the same project simultaneously.

“When several estimators can work on a project at the same time, collaboration improves, knowledge flows more effectively, and the quality of estimates increases. This is especially important when deadlines are tight. Having multiple team members involved also reduces the risk of errors, as additional reviews can catch omissions or mistakes, leading to more reliable final estimates.”

Beyond the estimating team, Estima also enhances cross-functional collaboration by allowing read-only access for those not directly involved in construction cost estimation.

“In practice, almost everyone outside the estimating team uses Estima with read-only access. This way, colleagues can follow the progress of estimation and access up-to-date information when needed.”

Estima also contributes to more efficient site operations. For example, location-based data on structures and work quantities is valuable for scheduling and resource allocation on site.

“When we know exactly which stage a project is in and what resources are needed at a specific location, we can plan site resources more effectively. This ensures the right materials and workforce are in the right place at the right time.”

Long-term partnership in developing cost estimation tools

Skanska is one of Estima’s longest-standing users and has been actively involved in the software’s development from the very beginning. The company looks forward to further innovations and seamless integrations, including more advanced analytics and reporting capabilities for deeper insights.

“We are excited to see how Estima develops in the future and hope Admicom continues to provide innovative solutions that meet the industry’s rapidly changing needs. We would like to see more automation opportunities, as well as the use of AI and machine learning to further improve accuracy and speed. With increasing environmental requirements, we also expect Estima to provide more tools for sustainability considerations, such as lifecycle cost analysis and carbon footprint assessment.”

Skanska values Admicom’s active product development model and has joined the customer advisory board to contribute feedback more closely.

“We feel our feedback has always been taken seriously. This ongoing dialogue ensures the software evolves to meet our needs even better.”

In addition to product development, Ekman highlights the importance of support and training.

“The Estima support team has always been ready to help us in any situation. Training sessions have also been highly valuable in building our team’s skills. We expect continuous training opportunities to ensure our staff stays up to date with new updates and features.”

Overall, Skanska is highly satisfied with the long-term collaboration with Admicom.

“Although Estima has developed from a basic tool into an advanced system that meets today’s requirements, there is always room for improvement. We have already seen significant progress, and we are confident that by working closely together, we will continue to achieve meaningful advancements.”

Interested in making your construction cost estimation more accurate and efficient? Get in touch with us to explore how Admicom Estima can support your business.