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This blog discusses the ways in which subcontractors can leverage technology to attract more relevant invitations to tender to their inbox.
1. Centralise your data
Having all your documents, invitations to tender and other data in different places costs time and money. If you are still using paper documents, multiple mailboxes, spreadsheets or a combination of any of these, you are probably missing out on a lot of opportunities.
It takes up precious time to search through all your documents, e-mails and sticky notes. So if the information you need is stored in various places, it might be difficult to find or retrieve important information and you run the risk of missing deadlines completely. Ninety-nine per cent of subcontractors who use only e-mails or spreadsheets lose out on multiple prospective jobs every year!
A procurement management system is the simple solution to this problem. A procurement management system like 12Build provides subcontractors with all the tender and project information conveniently in a single, central location. When an invitation to tender is received through 12Build, the tender information will remain archived in your company profile for 15 years. All the more reason to get rid of those piles of paper files!
12Build is a cloud-based solution. The cloud offers you many advantages. There is no need to be glued behind the computer in your office to gain access to your data. It means you can take action anywhere at any time without fear of missing out on potential commissions.
Centralising your data leads to fewer missed deadlines, less stress and ultimately more opportunities for projects.
2. Leverage technology to manage the increase in workload
Receiving many invitations to tender is generally good for business, but things can quickly go wrong if you fail to meet deadlines and show potential clients that you cannot be relied on. Success or failure of winning the project can often depend on submitting a tender on time. The average response time of subcontractors submitting a tender to general contractors through 12Build is 10.4 days. Is that also your average response time?
If you want to submit your tender quickly, it is essential you have access to tools that enable you to work as efficiently as possible. And this is where technology comes in. Do you still draw up all your tenders in empty Word documents? A standard template in the cloud will help you create a tender quickly so that you can submit it to the general contractor's mailbox within a few days. The right technology will help you work smarter and faster, resulting in more tenders submitted in less time.
3. Standardise your process
It is important that your calculations and tenders are accurate, so that you do not have to send e-mails with corrections. Make sure that all costs, quantities and measurements in your tender are specified and correct.
Various solutions are available to automate tasks, such as making templates as we described in the previous point. Using cloud-based tools in a uniform platform will enable you to integrate different workflows at a single location. This will provide better insight into the process and the collaboration with other teams. Using 12Build, for example, will ensure that all important e-mails are not distributed in various mailboxes. All communication between you and the general contractor is stored and accessible in 12Build, irrespective of whether the e-mail was from you or your colleague.
4. Ensure visibility where it matters
LinkedIn. Facebook. Instagram. Google. These are all places where general contractors can find you when looking for a subcontractor for a project. But what if you have a platform that is used for 70% of the turnover in the Dutch construction industry? The ideal location to be found at, right? 12Build offers you the opportunity to promote yourself professionally on the top European database for the construction industry.
General contractors can make better decisions with regards to tenders if they have all the information about various subcontractors at hand. It therefore helps to add your reference projects to your professional company profile in 12Build. It provides a general contractor with direct evidence of your capabilities.
And in addition to your reference projects, you can also add your quality labels, certificates and, of course, your name and address details to your 12Build profile. This means that general contractors will only submit invitations to tender to you for work that completely fits in with your company.
Now is the time to digitalise your tender process
Digitalising your tender process enables you to do more administrative work in less time, remain on track with all your tenders as well as improve their accuracy. The invitations to tender you receive through 12Build are also more complete, because general contractors use an efficient forwarding matrix to only send you the files necessary for your specialisation. And because we have facilitated the whole process, general contractors can send you a preselection of the material, eliminating the need for you to dig through dozens of folders in search of the relevant documents.
Technology in the construction industry enables you to work more efficiently and effectively and also ensures you can be found more easily for the things you are good at. Moreover, your competitors and clients have already embraced it. So when will you collaborate with us?
