As the web-based part of the SLIM suite of applications, SLIM-Collaborate was designed to be compatible with SLIM-Estimate, SLIM-DataManager, and SLIM-Metrics desktop tools. Examples of the integration between SLIM-Collaborate and the desktop include Round Trip data exchange with SLIM-Estimate, exporting estimates and closeout projects to the relevant desktop tools, importing estimates and completed project records (closeout projects) from SLIM-Estimate and SLIM-DataManager, importing trends from SLIM-Metrics or SLIM-Estimate workbooks, and using SLIM-Estimate templates, configuration sets, and associated workbooks to streamline the creation of new projects in SLIM-Collaborate.
These functions are all built into SLIM-Collaborate: once the appropriate desktop applications have been installed to the local workstation or network of a user with sufficient permissions, little or no configuration is required on the SLIM-Collaborate end to use them. Some SLIM-Collaborate functions, however, require that SLIM-Estimate be installed on the SLIM-Collaborate server (as opposed to the desktop of a Collaborate user). These functions - collectively referred to as “SLIM on the Server” features - include:
•Breaking out and displaying effort, cost and staffing by skill category on an Estimation project dashboard.
•Updating an Estimation project’s Average Labor Rate based on the mix of skill category labor rates in the project’s associated workbook.
•Automatically updating the associated workbook associated with a project or template to your site’s supported version (usually in concert with an upgrade to the desktop tools).
If your SLIM-Collaborate site is hosted by QSM, all supported versions (10.2, 10.3, and 10.4) of the SLIM Desktop Suite are already available for your use. If your company is hosting your SLIM-Collaborate site, your site administrator can decide whether to install a supported version of the SLIM Desktop Suite on your SLIM-Collaborate server to make these functions available to you within SLIM-Collaborate.
The instructions for installing SLIM on the Server on a self-hosted site are included in the SLIM-Collaborate Self-Hosted Installation document. For licensing and compliance purposes, instances of SLIM-Estimate installed on your SLIM-Collaborate server are considered components of the installed instance of SLIM-Collaborate. For more information on usage and licensing, see the SLIM-Collaborate license agreement on the License page of your Admin site.