Tag: estimateone

Can tech help tighten supply chains and boost project efficiency?

The construction sector’s supply chains remain under extreme pressure. Despite the worst effects of the pandemic now slowly subsiding, other factors, such as labour shortages and inflation, are likely to remain amplified. Delays can seriously impact a contractor’s balance sheet if not accounted for. Simon Herod from EstimateOne digs deeper… 

Even pre-COVID, the intricacies of the supply chain often gave rise to inefficiencies and delays, ultimately hindering construction projects’ progress. Now, with labour shortages and rising inflation, the industry must turn to digital technology to help them centralise and reshape their supply chains. While these problems may appear to be ‘on-site’ issues, steps taken by the estimating and procurement teams is the first step towards alleviating risk. 

Having engaged in daily conversations with estimators over the past six years, it is apparent that the workings of the industry’s supply chain are far from simple. The process of sending out project specifications, obtaining quotes, and aligning subcontractor services with the main project contractor can often result in a mixed-matched supply chain that’s confusing for everyone. Online tendering is part of the solution. 

So, let’s get into the tips and tricks to ensure your supply chain is running like a well-oiled machine…

Casting a Wider Net

Due to insolvencies, no one’s subcontractor network looks like it did pre-pandemic, and as the availability of skilled labour continues to dwindle, main contractors must now look to expand their horizons and seek out new sources of supply beyond their usual go-to pool of subbies. For these working partnerships to succeed, seamless collaboration throughout the build is non-negotiable.

Digital tendering platforms, like EstimateOne, aim to create a buffer against construction delays and disruptions, ensuring smoother project execution. Empowering main contractors and subbies alike is the aim. With automated platforms, contractors can advertise job opportunities and extend invitations to potential subcontractors to submit quotes, cutting out the back and forth.

Constantly refreshing your network is important to keep a competitive edge. Broadening your pool of suppliers, main contractors can bolster their resilience and reduce their dependency on a limited set of subbies.

Automate, Centralise & Collaborate 

In the face of challenges, the evolving landscape of the construction industry has compelled main contractors to reimagine their supply chain strategies all together. The persistent labour and material shortages have pushed contractors to evaluate and adopt alternative approaches to sourcing subcontractors. Even the smallest blip holds the potential to throw your supply chain into chaos; having a centralised digital platform could mitigate this risk.

In the hustle and bustle of the construction game, when it comes to tendering, it’s all about building connections, not drowning in a sea of paperwork. Trusting old-school methods for managing tenders can lead to missed chances and quotes that are way past their prime. Collaborative networks offered by these platforms make it easy to keep documents safe, work together seamlessly, and track quote progress in real-time. Your estimators won’t be wasting time sifting through quotes or splitting doc packages, but investigating the real deal – actual quotes. 

Automation doesn’t always mean relying on a robot to get the job done. This automation equals faster processes that remove the repetitive tasks and let you get back to the build at hand. Automated addenda management can remove the risk of document superseding mistakes. Access to digital document audit trails provides a helpful overview of which subcontractor has which document and reduces the risk of document disputes.  

The future supply chain

The rocky supply chain shows that it’s time the industry looks towards automation in order to diversify – the tendering process is no exception. When both parties do better, subbies win more work, and you have more accurate quotes, it’s simple! We aren’t calling for a complete tech-infused makeover, but instead start to embrace the streamlined processes that let you get back to fostering solid relationships. Because, in the end, our aim is all about bringing things together for enhanced teamwork and smooth builds.

 

Construction Tendering Tech Specialist EstimateOne Launches in the UK and Ireland

EstimateOne, a market leader in digital commercial construction tendering, announces its launch in the UK and Ireland.

Established in 2009, EstimateOne is a pioneering digital solution specifically designed to combat the obstacles faced by estimators during the tendering process. Drawing from his expertise as an estimator, Co-founder Mike Ashcroft, alongside Andrew Ritchie, built a platform that has revolutionised the engagement of main contractors and subcontractors in the construction industry.

Amidst skilled labour shortages and supply chain challenges, EstimateOne emerges as a game-changer for the UK and Irish Construction industry.

The platform, which is already well established in Australia and New Zealand, takes the complexity out of tender send-outs. For main contractors, it allows them to send requests for quotes (RFQ’s) to their established network of contacts, while also tapping into a vast public network for areas requiring additional quote coverage. Further, EstimateOne’s automated document audit trails ensure any quotes they receive are based on the most current tender documentation, ensuring accuracy and reliability.

Even better, this streamlined process works both ways. Subcontractors on EstimateOne are able to grow their business network, unlocking an array of public tenders and main contractors seeking subcontractor quotes.

With an impressive Australian and New Zealand customer base of over 50,000, EstimateOne has recognised the demand to improve the cumbersome tendering process on a global scale. The UK and Irish market with its growing appetite for digital solutions, and vibrant ConTech market, has provided the perfect Launchpad for international expansion.

  

EstimateOne Co-Founders Andrew Ritchie and Michael Ashcroft

There has been immediate uptake for EstimateOne’s services in both countries, with a number of highly-respected contractors adopting the platform, including Structure Tone, Britcon, LST Projects, JJ Rhatigan, Collen, Mercury, Conack, and King  & Moffatt.

Commenting on the platform’s efficacy, Bernard Bartley, Estimating Director at JJ Rhatigan says, “Unlike other vendors who focus on take-offs, EstimateOne is all about saving time during the tender enquiry process. We can save hours each tender breaking up trade packages in their document matrix, issuing tender enquiries, and tracking our subcontractor response.”

Chris Dobbyn, CEO at EstimateOne concludes: “We see immense potential in the UK and Irish markets and are eager to lead the industry into the next steps towards digitalisation. As a company founded by estimators, we understand the frustrations frequently encountered in the tendering process, particularly around the manual re-work required in the send-out process. EstimateOne tackles this head-on.”

“We are confident that EstimateOne will continue to bring significant benefits to contractors, subcontractors, and the overall construction ecosystem in the UK and Ireland. The next six months will also see the platform benefit from a range of new enhancements, taking away even more pain points from the Estimator’s day-to-day operations.”

To find out more about EstimateOne click here