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3 Tips for Accelerating Bids without Sacrificing Accuracy

Published Date
Author Jenn Pratt

What if your estimators could produce a higher volume of bids with greater accuracy to help you win more work? 

While estimators may follow the same basic workflow, several practices are proven to streamline and optimize the estimation process. If you’re still producing estimates the same way you did in 1990, there are likely a dozen companies within 50 miles bidding on and winning more jobs. 

Incorporating these three practices into your estimating process will accelerate workflows for more accurate, profitable and competitive bids.

  1. Scalable, Repeatable and Consistent Processes

  2. Leverage Up to Date, Accurate Labor and Material Cost Data

  3. Go Digital and Automate Tedious Tasks 

Read on to see why leading MEP contractors swear by these best practices.

  1. Create Scalable, Repeatable and Consistent Processes

Trading manual processes and standalone software for cloud-based connected estimating solutions that connect people, data and processes will no doubt accelerate the bidding process. A cloud-based estimating solution allows multiple estimators to work simultaneously on the same bid. It also ensures estimators are working from a single source of truth with access to the same items, assemblies and projects.

Enabled by the cloud, these estimating practices drive consistency and are repeatable. Once submitted, bids can be used as a starting point for similar jobs, eliminating the need for estimators to start new bids from a blank slate.

  1. Leverage Up to Date, Accurate Labor and Material Cost Data

Material and labor costs are sometimes a shot in the dark, generated by the most experienced team member, or based on outdated figures that no longer reflect the current market conditions. In both cases, the risk of under or over-estimating project costs can lead to missed opportunities and profit fade. 

Access to comprehensive labor and material cost data is critical to ensuring accurate bids. With an estimating solution that provides integrated, up-to-date information on labor rates, material costs and productivity rates, your estimators can make informed decisions during the bidding process. Not only will they work faster, but they’ll also generate more precise, competitive bids so you can confidently negotiate and bring your best bid to the table.

  1. Go Digital and Automate Tedious Tasks

Estimating any job is a detailed process full of tedious, manual tasks that can slow down even the most experienced estimator. Counting fixtures, handling multiple elevations and incorporating changes can stall bid progress, but they don’t have to. A solution that integrates takeoff and estimating will automate repetitive, tedious steps, such as counting and generating fittings. With bi-directional graphical takeoff, these solutions also track changes in real-time, saving estimators from double raw data entry. 

Profitability is the key to sustainable business growth and often begins with your estimators, who map out every detailed figure, from material and labor costs to the margin of error before costs cut into profit. Expecting estimators to turn out a higher volume of bids without errors requires access to technology that streamlines and automates their workflows, provides them with the data they need to make informed decisions and opens the door to information sharing and collaboration. 

To learn more about how a cloud-based system like Trimble Accubid Anywhere can transform your estimating process and help you win more bids, watch this webinar.