Bidding for construction projects is one of the main ways that general contractors, sub-contractors and material suppliers make their way into the most profitable projects. Without this step, it would get extremely difficult for newer construction-related businesses to enter the commercial development market.
Although earlier, bids were often made on paper, the way we do business has evolved. Now that bids happen via email or online channels, it may be time to re-evaluate how we create project proposals in the first place.
Microsoft Excel or Word files just don’t cut it anymore. It’s time to look at and understand why you should start using specialized bidding software.
What Bidding Software Should Do?
Bid management software is essentially programmed to create an automated and streamlined bidding process by helping bidders create and submit construction project proposals.
Bidding software can usually create custom stylized templates, help you keep track of your bids and projects, create visibility and reliability for you. From Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to Requests to Tender (RTT), bidding software provides common ground for owners and bidding parties to build relationships during the bidding process.
Essentially, bidding software should be able to take your project proposal creation process online and virtual. This works especially well if you’re working with a remote project estimation service like us.
Why Use of Bidding Software?
You may be thinking about why you need to switch over to bidding software in the first place. Surely Excel works just fine? For one, spreadsheet processors aren’t automated and integrated software.
Bidding software offers you the opportunity to take all of the components of a project proposal and work on them simultaneously.
Over time, you can even build a robust history on the software, allowing you to refer to inventory archives for cost estimation and takeoffs. More importantly, owners can look at your profile for an additional edge that can win you a bid.
Bidding software has a half-mind of its own, which is why your life is so much easier when you use bidding software.
How to Use Bidding Software Efficiently?
There are a few ways you can start using bidding software efficiently and accurately. First, make sure you build up your inventory to ensure that the estimation and takeoffs later will be accurate.
Second, take some time to ensure your whole team knows how to use the software. Without a trained team, your use of bidding software is likely to be sloppy. You should also try and get software that will help you after the bid as well. Tracking, reporting and request features for the duration of a project are very useful.
Lastly, integrating estimation software is the key to using bidding software. When you work with us, for example, by integrating our software with yours you can allow for the reports we create to automatically become part of your bid.
Contact us today for a consultation on your next bid and we can help advise you on reliable software as well. From structural steel and lumber takeoffs to sitework and masonry estimation, we provide detailed estimation services for general and subcontractors as well as suppliers, owners, managers and engineers.
