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The Sage Construction Suite includes a range of solutions tailored to meet the diverse needs of construction companies. The suite includes Sage Intacct Construction, Sage Construction Management, Sage 300 CRE, Sage 100 Contractor, Sage Estimating, Sage Fie...Read more about Sage Construction Suite
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Procore Construction Management Software offers a comprehensive and integrated platform designed to revolutionize the construction industry. The platform serves as a central hub that connects all stakeholders and streamlines project management processes fr...Read more about Procore
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Meet Ressio, the ideal companion for builders and contractors to manage their construction projects. With a modern design and a simple interface, Ressio is tailored to suit the needs of all users regardless of tech expertise. Ressio streamlines your projec...Read more about Ressio Software
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HeavyBid is a construction estimating and bidding software used by estimators across multiple companies including ENR heavy civil contractors. Offered in three different levels to fit companies of all sizes, from small contractors to large enterprises, Hea...Read more about HeavyBid
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e-Builder is a cloud-based construction program management solution for capital projects that provides performance data across the project lifecycle. Facility owners can track business processes with centralized project information, while business intellig...Read more about Trimble e-Builder
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B2W Estimate software for heavy civil construction estimating and bidding enables contractors to bid with speed, accuracy, and strategy. Users can pre-populate a centralized database with cost data and structures for labor, tasks, materials, and equipment ...Read more about B2W Estimate
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PreconSuite™ (formerly PipelineSuite ) is a leading end-to-end cloud-based bidding software that allows general contractors and subcontractors to perform their bidding functions in a fraction of the time. PreconSuite's modules allow users to create and s...Read more about PipelineSuite Bid Management
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CoConstruct is a construction project management software that provides custom home builders and remodelers with tools for managing projects, financials and clients. It allows users to sync data from estimates, specifications, selections, bids, change orde...Read more about CoConstruct
BuildingConnected provides the largest crowd-sourced network in commercial construction, empowering builders to save time and increase accuracy with efficient bids. Help general contractors and owners find the right subcontractors for every project, send c...Read more about BuildingConnected
ConWize is a cutting-edge cloud-based software utilized today by general contractors, developers, subcontractors, and management companies. Our customers' biggest challenge in bidding and estimating is entirely solved by a sophisticated yet user-friendly t...Read more about ConWize
Swiftender is an easy to use, modern tender management software for General Contractors who perform work in the ICI sector. With Swiftender, General Contractors can easily and quickly create projects, build invitation lists, track subcontractor engagement,...Read more about Swiftender
ContractComplete is a web-based tendering and contract management system that assists construction, building and engineering firms with bid automation, project estimation and post-bid negotiations. Its key features include an addendum question builder, cha...Read more about ContractComplete
BasisBoard is a construction bid management software targeting commercial subcontractors, supply houses, and material vendors. Key attributes include cost database, project & bid management, RFP & task management, file sharing, quotes, version control, sup...Read more about BasisBoard
WeBuild is a cloud-based, all-in-one software platform that enables zero-cost, frictionless project collaboration. WeBuild empowers contractors, engineers, architects, developers, subs, and consultants alike to collaborate like never before. From docu...Read more about WeBuild
General contractors spend too many hours filtering leads, preparing quotes, and chasing invoices. The Billdr PRO app is an all-in-one software that simplifies general contractors’ workflow by automating their administrative tasks. Contractors can now focus...Read more about Billdr PRO
Aurigo provides modern, cloud-based solutions for capital infrastructure and private owners to help plan with confidence, build with quality, and manage their assets efficiently. It streamlines the complexities of large-scale capital projects and program m...Read more about Aurigo Masterworks
SmartBid is an online construction bid software designed for general and prime contractors to manage subcontractor data, prequalify subcontractors, share project documents and send invitations to bid. As a web-based system, all communications, files, proje...Read more about SmartBid
Bidtracer is a cloud-based construction business management solution that helps companies to manage bids, documents, projects, equipment tracking and more. It is suitable for a number of construction industries such as piping, commercial plumbing, HVAC, el...Read more about Bidtracer
With iSqFt, contractors of any size can streamline their entire pre-construction process and bid effectively. Designed to address the unique challenges of general contractors, design-build firms, and construction managers, iSqFt's customizable, web-ba...Read more about iSqFt for General Contractors
Pantera Tools provides construction professionals with customized solutions to fit their brand, company, and workflows. From our invitation to bid, to project management products, we aim to provide an easy-to-use solution, at a cost below the rest. ...Read more about Pantera Tools
PlanHub is a construction project and bid management software. It helps contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and owners streamline their preconstruction processes. The solution allows contractors to post projects, send bid invites, share information wit...Read more about PlanHub
BuildCircle is a cloud-based construction management solution designed for construction teams to bid, build and track projects. Key features include file management, contacts management and report generation. BuildCircle’s online plansroom functionali...Read more about BuildCircle
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TURN LEADS INTO WORK LIKE NEVER BEFORE Track your leads with the click of a button & never miss an opportunity again. Turn that lead into work in record time by measuring the job sites, creating accurate estimates & sending out your proposals, all within ...Read more about PavementSoft
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JobTread provides end-to-end construction management software that helps jobs-based businesses manage all of their processes, from pre-construction to project completion. The software serves as a central location to manage jobs, teams, documents, photos, f...Read more about JobTread
PandaDoc is an all-in-one tool to create, edit, send, track, and eSign documents quickly and easily. Discover a better way to generate professional-looking and error-free proposals, quotes, and contracts with PandaDoc. Win more deals with unlimited eSignat...Read more about PandaDoc
This detailed guide will help you find and buy the right construction bidding software for you and your business.
Last Updated on March 16, 2023Soliciting bids from contractors and suppliers is a function as old as the commercial construction industry. Over time, many building industry technology developers have emerged to automate the bid solicitation process. Those responsible for the procurement function now have a choice of many best-of-breed bid solicitation systems, as well as specialty modules offered within existing construction suites. We wrote this guide to help buyers understand their bid invitation software options.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
What Is Bid Management Software?
In most construction organizations, bid solicitation is a largely manual process that involves email, spreadsheets, faxes and phone calls. There is little automation outside of Microsoft Outlook or similar personal productivity tools. This specialized technology streamlines the bidding process with tools for managing contact, requesting proposals, purchasing and managing and organizing contracts.
A full-featured bid management system will typically include the following features:
Contact management | Enables the tracking of all contacts and communications between organizations and contractors and suppliers. |
Custom form builder | Allows users to build custom bid forms. |
Project calendar | Enables the tracking of all of an organization's past, present and future projects. |
Subcontractor portal | Enables subcontractors to view upcoming projects, view information about project insurance and more. |
Communication template library | Allows users to customize emails and other forms of communication between the organization and contractors and suppliers. |
Other features can include:
Prequalifications
RFI/RPF
Invitations for bidding
Online planroom
Bidding programs for construction are available as both on-premises and SaaS solutions, although the general trends seems to be toward SaaS systems.
Before you dive into the details of various bidding oversight and productivity systems, you will want to identify yourself with one of the buyer types we’ve detailed below.
Procurement buyer. This category of buyer is highly specialized in procurement processes and demands sophisticated functionality. Their firm prioritizes cost control and efficient procurement processes, and is therefore focused intently on sophisticated functionality. These buyers will typically seek top best-of-breed construction bid management software systems.
Project manager. This type of buyer works at a firm where procurement is managed from within the project managing function. These project managers are responsible for selecting suppliers and subcontractors and it therefore makes sense to use bidding technology modules offered within the firm’s project system, rather than implement a separate bidding manager system.
General estimator. This buyer works in the estimating function at a firm that places procurement responsibility within the estimating department. The estimator is primarily focused on getting high-level pricing from subs, and then comparing those bids. As such, these buyers prefer to use the basic solicitation tracking and management functionality available within commercial estimating systems.
Integrated suite buyer. This type of buyer values integration of data and processes across the firm, even if it means forgoing some specialized procurement functionality. This buyer is more likely to make use of the procurement modules available within their accounting or enterprise resource planning system.
The bidding technology vendor landscape is less complex than many other construction markets. Best-of-breed products include eBid eXchange, SmartBidNet, and Pipeline Suite. Some project management software companies, such as Procore, Prolog and HeadsUp, also offer feature-rich bidding applications that can be purchased on a standalone basis. Finally, construction estimating and accounting suites will offer procurement functionality to varying degrees.
Here are some of the benefits realized from successfully adopting modern, top-rated construction technology solutions. The best bidding software construction companies can implement will yield all of the below benefits.
Improved efficiency. Traditional bid-solicitation processes are fraught with error and require substantial time and expense to execute. By automating the process with project managing technology, there can be a substantial reduction in errors, printing costs and labor.
Better estimates and visibility. Bid builder software can produce more effective procurement processes and in turn, provide a company with better data as they develop estimates for their clients. Moreover, they will gain better visibility into costs throughout the project by holding suppliers accountable to their bids.
Lower costs. The best bidding system will establish highly effective procurement processes that lower costs substantially. By soliciting more bids and creating a more professional, competitive process, buyers will lower their cost of materials and subcontractors.
Perhaps the biggest challenge with these kind of implementations is adoption. Even if internal users adopt the invitation to bid software, it can be difficult to get suppliers to respond to the new model of submitting their bids or RFP responses. Overcoming these issues may require mandating use of the system. Contractors should consider whether they have enough leverage with subcontractors and suppliers to make such a mandate. Properly implemented, these solutions can be the best project bidding tool money can buy. But shoppers should checkout bid software reviews, demos and pricing before making any final decisions.