Q & A
Anders Howmann Migrating off of ZZ Takeoff (If needed in the future)
Our team raised a concern regarding out data in ZZ Takeoff. If we need to move off of the platform in the future, is there or will there be a way for us to export our data? I did see a post which stated that we currently cannot export ZZ Takeoff files back to Planswift. So we are thinking there is no way to currently export our data en masse.
We are happy with the product so far and don't foresee us needing to do this. But we would feel safer knowing there is an export option if needed.
Thanks!
Hi Anders, I read your question on the community and there is one thing I wish I did better and would advise you to do. Knowing that there is a lot of valuable information in your projects, I would recommend creating a standard report by item as well as by takeoff property and export them to an excel or csv file. Keep them in a safe place and combine them often. Some day all of this information can be imported into ZZ or an outside software that will allow you to budget future jobs, create mass lists for material purchases for combined jobs, and create an accurate searchable pricing structure for future use.
I did this when I was using PlanSwift as a request for one of my estimating clients and we combined about twenty active jobs in an excel file and then put that into MS Access to combine, sort and shop materials... it was pretty cool to see how this type of information can be used, it gave him buying power.
If you ever decide to leave ZZ and pay a lot more for a lesser software, this information can be used to build in that software.
Hope this helps...
+1 Todd's point. There's a reason CSV's been around over fifty years.
ZZ gives you pretty decent tools for exporting but there's no incentive for a software company to create an export function to a competing product. I'm amazed how much work they've put in on the import side with Revu and Planswift and there's a business case for that.
Understandable to want to hold onto prior work, for example when we get off OST we will still want to access it for a few months till we can really have a funeral for the old beast.
I would imagine if you ever decide to leave zzTO your data will be accessible for a certain timeframe till you have your funeral for zzTO.