Factors influencing the acceptance of computer assisted estimating

In spite of its advantages over manual estimating methods,computer assisted estimating (CAE) lacks acceptance in the printingindustry today. Possible reasons for non-acceptance are: 1) the costof CAE, 2) CAE's lack of versatility, 3) printing manager's lackof knowledge on the subject of CAE and/or computers in general, and4) the small size of the majority of the printing companies doesnot warrant the use of CAE.A survey questionnaire was designed for the purpose of findingout how printing companies feel about CAE, and if the reasons listedabove are, in fact, major influences on their decision not to useCAE. The responses of the survey were analyzed by use of the StatisticalPackage for the Social Sciences (SPSS).There were 312 survey responses used in data analysis. Fromthis data, it was concluded that the major reason for CAE rejectionamong the responding population is the cost of CAE. The factor ofcompany size must be considered also when stating this conclusion,since 55 percent of the printing companies responding employ betweenone and twenty-five people. In the overall population, when the numberof employees in printing companies increases, so does CAE usage,which indicates the size of the company is an important factor towardsCAE acceptance among the respondents to the survey.The major factor influencing the acceptance of CAE in theform of a problem with CAE itself (and not the printing company)is CAE's lack of program versatility. The author feels that thisproblem will be overcome in the near future with improved customizedand semi-customized system programming.