/ RIB Candy FAQs

RIB Candy is an integrated construction application designed for estimating, planning and project control throughout the construction lifecycle.

It connects information such as the Bill of Quantities, estimate, resources, programme, cash flow and project-control data so that cost and time do not have to be managed as completely separate processes.

Candy has traditionally been installed as a desktop application.

RIB also supports different application and data-location configurations, including hosted environments, depending on the organisation’s requirements and IT setup.

Candy is designed as an integrated suite, with its estimating, planning and project-control functionality working together through the same system.

Candy is commonly used by estimators, planners, quantity surveyors, commercial managers and project-delivery teams.

Its information can also provide useful management visibility for directors and senior decision-makers responsible for construction performance.

The important difference is the structure and connection of the information.

Candy supports first-principles, resource-based estimating and retains the detail behind how rates and costs were calculated. That information can then connect with planning, forecasting and project-control functions.

With separate spreadsheets, those relationships often have to be created and maintained manually.

First-principles estimating means building a price from the actual resources required to carry out the work rather than simply assigning an assumed or historical rate.

Resources can include labour, materials, plant, equipment and subcontractors, together with the relevant quantities, costs and production assumptions.

Yes. BOQ information prepared externally, including information from spreadsheets, can be brought into Candy rather than having to recreate the complete bill manually.

Master Libraries allow estimators to store and reuse established estimating information across different tenders.

This can include resources, worksheets, activity information and rate build-ups that can be adapted for the requirements and conditions of a particular project.

Candy includes alternative tendering functionality that can be used to test different estimating scenarios or approaches within a tender.

Candy includes functionality for incorporating changes to the Bill of Quantities during the tender process, allowing the working estimate to be adjusted as revised tender information or addendums are received.

Candy includes an integrated Quantity Takeoff (QTO) function for taking quantities from digital drawings and connecting that quantity information with the BOQ and estimating process.

Candy provides calculation functionality within its quantity and estimating workflows, allowing calculations to be built around the requirements of individual items rather than relying only on manually entered quantities.

Candy’s quantity and estimating functions are designed to integrate with the Bill of Quantities so that measured or calculated quantity information can feed into the relevant BOQ items.

Candy connects estimating information with the construction programme.

Resources and costs from the estimate can be allocated to programme activities, helping the project team understand not only what work and resources are required, but when they are required.

This relationship also supports functions such as resource analysis, cash flow and forecasting.

Cost-versus-allowable analysis compares the cost allowed for the work with the costs actually being incurred.

It gives the project and commercial team a way to identify differences between the project’s resource-based allowances and actual expenditure and investigate areas that require attention.

Candy includes subcontract-management functionality for managing subcontract packages and progress information.

When Candy is integrated with BuildSmart, the process can extend from subcontract adjudication and package award through period measures, payment and final retention release.

Yes. Candy can draw information from both the estimate and the project programme to create a financial model of the project.

Changes to programme and cost information can therefore be reflected in the project’s cash-flow analysis and forecasts.

Candy and BuildSmart can work together to connect estimating and project-control information with procurement, accounting and actual project costs.

This makes it possible to compare what was budgeted or allowed for with what is actually being committed and spent.

There are several ways to continue learning.

RIB provides official Candy client resources, while RIB Candy Assist provides free practical resources aimed at helping users understand and apply Candy and BuildSmart in their day-to-day work.

Our free resources include:

• RIB Candy Practical Knowledge Base
• RIB BuildSmart Practical Knowledge Base
• Practical RIB Candy Course Notes

Explore Free Digital Resources

Yes. RIB currently provides a free Candy evaluation version through its official client-resources website.

This can be useful if you want to explore the software before committing to it.