Company Updates
Streamlining the Estimating and Bid Process for Speed, Accuracy, and Efficiency.
June, 2024
The search for increased efficiency and added speed is constant across every industry. One of the ways LCS leverages technology to improve both speed and efficiency in construction estimating process is through advanced takeoff, estimating, and bidding software.
LCS uses integrated software platforms for both the process of estimating quantities, man-hours, and material types (Takeoff), while also submitting and receiving electronic quotes on those estimates from various suppliers (Quick Bid). This saves our team countless hours in the estimating process while increasing accuracy, allows for a better bid process with suppliers, and empowers our team to be much more responsive to our clients’ tight deadlines. Here’s how:
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More efficient and accurate:
Manual processes are labor intensive and slow. Instead of poring over documents and “guesstimating” square footage, lengths, and the amount of materials needed to account for all aspects, our estimators can quickly draw out the walls and perimeters, set the parameters, and have the software build out the material estimations. The software then automatically tallies up all of the various elements and builds out the materials list accordingly – saving massive amounts of time. From initial bids to change orders, these semi-automated systems strike a perfect balance between automation and control, allowing the skilled estimator to quickly and accurately build out estimations and material lists.
Better supplier bid process:
Once the initial takeoff is output, and the materials list is generated, our team can automatically submit e-quotes electronically to our supplier network with the click of a button. These bids go out to multiple vendors who then compete for the opportunity to supply the materials. The suppliers then bid out each item on the e-quote, and submit them electronically back to our team. Once received, these bids can be evaluated, re-imported back into the system, and synced back out to the final estimate total.
Being more responsive with our clients:
Once the initial takeoff and the material estimation processes are complete, our team can then use the software to package up all of the variables, including labor and other line-itemed costs, and seamlessly compile them together directly within the estimation software. All items are directly integrated, with no double input, leading to a process that is significantly faster and more accurate than with other methods. With these seamless integrations and optimized processes, bids can be completed and submitted within hours, rather than days. This allows our team to hit the timelines that our customers demand for their bids and change orders.
No software is a total replacement for the expertise of a skilled estimator, but when put in the right hands, it can be a valuable tool in creating accurate bids quickly and efficiently. The bid process is mission-critical in that it is the key to not only being competitive within the market, but also ensuring that we can actually execute the job both effectively and profitably. In an effort to provide our clients with the highest level of service, getting this process right is key in many ways.
