A system that links estimating, planning, site evaluation and cash flow prediction to produce information that facilitates the control of all an organisation's functions is a goal sought by many. If at the same time the system can reduce the likelihood of conflict with the client, is quick to operate, accurate and cheap to run, then surely we have discovered every contractor's dream. This paper reports on an application of the 'significance philosophy', developed in the CMRU at Dundee University, which allows the rationalisation of a contract estimate into a series of work elements that can be used for planning, site evaluation and cash flow prediction. The system which links these functions together is termed IPES and promises to become a powerful management tool for contractors. The paper reviews the design problems of the system, the capabilities of other systems, the modules that go together to make IPES and the implementation and cultural difficulties that can be faced when trying to implement such systems.

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