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Best Practices

Best Practices

Section titled “Best Practices”

Darwin gives you a structured environment for building consistent, transparent, and reusable cost estimations.
These best practices will help you take full advantage of the platform and keep your projects clean, traceable, and easy to maintain.

1. Keep Modules Focused and Reusable

Section titled “1. Keep Modules Focused and Reusable”

Modules should represent one construction assembly — not an entire system or a vague grouping.

Good examples:

  • “Masonry Wall 20cm”
  • “Reinforced Concrete Slab 15cm”
  • “Aluminum Window Type A”

Avoid:

  • “Walls”
  • “General Concrete”
  • “Openings”

A well-defined module library lowers friction for everyone.

2. Separate Logic From Prices

Section titled “2. Separate Logic From Prices”

Remember the core principle:

Modules define how, Price Lists define how much.

This separation ensures:

  • clean updates when market prices change
  • consistent assumptions across projects
  • transparent revisions and audits

Never place cost values inside modules.

3. Use IFC When Available — But Don’t Depend on It

Section titled “3. Use IFC When Available — But Don’t Depend on It”

IFC models accelerate:

  • quantity extraction
  • mapping
  • visual inspection

But you can estimate without BIM at any time.
Use IFC as a speed boost, not a requirement.

4. Validate Mapping Before Estimating

Section titled “4. Validate Mapping Before Estimating”

When using IFC mapping:

  • inspect groups
  • check quantities
  • review outliers
  • make sure each element has the correct module

A few minutes of validation avoids hours of cleanup.

5. Review Price Lists Regularly

Section titled “5. Review Price Lists Regularly”

Prices change.
Labor rates change.
Fuel and logistics change.

Good habits:

  • refresh your price list at project start
  • review before finalizing a proposal
  • re-run the estimate after major price updates

Darwin recalculates automatically — use that power.

6. Keep the Project Document Repository Clean

Section titled “6. Keep the Project Document Repository Clean”

Organize files into folders such as:

  • Drawings
  • Specifications
  • Quotes
  • Contracts
  • IFC

Replace outdated files instead of uploading duplicates.

Your future self will thank you.

7. Use Tasks for Collaboration

Section titled “7. Use Tasks for Collaboration”

Tasks are ideal for:

  • price validations
  • module reviews
  • document requests
  • internal approvals

Clear assignments = fewer misunderstandings.

8. Leverage Revisions Instead of Overwriting

Section titled “8. Leverage Revisions Instead of Overwriting”

Never overwrite an estimation to create a new version.
Instead:

  • duplicate it
  • rename it
  • continue working in the new iteration

This preserves traceability and historical context.

9. Build Your Catalog Gradually

Section titled “9. Build Your Catalog Gradually”

Don’t try to build the perfect Catalog on day one.

Start with:

  • a handful of modules
  • the core materials
  • the primary labor trades

Expand as real projects require it.

10. Use Clear Naming Conventions

Section titled “10. Use Clear Naming Conventions”

Good naming conventions help all users:

  • “Partition – Gypsum – 2x Layers 5/8in”
  • “Concrete – Slab – 15cm – Reinforced”
  • “Door – Metal – Type A”

Clear naming speeds up mapping, filtering, and training.

11. Document Assumptions

Section titled “11. Document Assumptions”

Add notes inside modules or projects to explain:

  • production assumptions
  • supplier references
  • design constraints
  • exclusions

Good documentation saves time and prevents misinterpretations.

12. Check Activity Logs for Project History

Section titled “12. Check Activity Logs for Project History”

Use the activity feed to:

  • confirm who changed what
  • see IFC reprocess events
  • track price list updates
  • monitor task progress

This is especially valuable in multi-user environments.

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”

Explore advanced topics: