ConstructConnect Bid Management vs. InEight

As mentioned before in some of the previous questions, the confidentiality agreement feature is extremely helpful. I have worked on several projects where it's so early in the design phase that the documents are considered confidential and we are required to get a signed NDA from every person who sees the documents. This feature makes it extremely painless. SmartBidNet is less appropriate if you're just doing a quick cost exercise where you might not need to contact several subs. It's easier to just use email and a cloud sharing program like Box or Egnyte.

Incentivized

Compared to other Estimating software I have used, InEight has superior capabilities and features. The ability to use a line item or an assembly to create an estimate is an outstanding feature of the program. The ability to create crew rates and use them in the estimate is a handy feature, especially when estimating construction projects.

Incentivized

• Even with a "Limited Access" free account, you are able to see all the necessary files. When using it to just look at a job and download documents, this is all you should need. With more access you can see more projects that are out to bid but as a sales engineer for a manufacturer, I receive the bid requests from my contractors who are bidding there is no need to upgrade my access level.
• Documents are very easy to download into a .zip file and you can pick and choose which documents you want to download for specific trades. Plus there is a specific tab for Addenda so you don't have to search through the Documents tab. The tabs also show the amount of files in each tab so you can easily stay up to date on current documents.
• The Dashboard of each job shows the project general contractor and for subcontractors, responding to a bid request is as easy as clicking a button to indicate if you will bud or will not bid. This dashboard also shows location and the project description which are particularly helpful for a manufacturers rep/sales engineer that may not see the project description otherwise.

Incentivized

• Tracking labor and equipment hours to specific estimated scope line items
• Creating detailed work breakdown structures within Estimate and using that same structure to apply cost to during the job
• Creating custom data blocks in control to track progress and create forecasts

Incentivized

• iSqFt has one major flaw that makes it a pain to use. I go there to get plans and specs. You think a company that sends you plans and specs would have a faster download speed, it takes forever to get the plans and specs. I usually find a way around iSqFt to get the plans and specs.

Incentivized

• We do not use the search engine since it was last modified. It is no longer user friendly.
• We used to like the way we could change the position of line items. The function has been changed to where it is not user friendly anymore.
• The "Save" and "Delete" options are right next to each other. I have been after Ineight to change these for a long time but they have not.

Incentivized

Some features with InEight's TeamBinder are worthy of single use, however the review feature and subsequent revision and version numbering could be improved. We will be aiming to roll out the package to encompass our internal documentation in the near future and will be in a better position to judge the usability after that point in time.

Incentivized

InEight usability is quite good for viewing the stages of review of those documents. under whose authority, the review process is in. The areas where it is less appropriate is in customizing your viewer for easy filtering. it is also good for viewing documents without the need to download the document to your device.

Incentivized

SmartBid has an excellent support team that is always at your service. Any problem I've had (when I've even had them) has been resolved almost immediately, along with tips on how to avoid them in the future. If you're looking for a program with excellent customer service, look no further than SmartBid.

Incentivized

Every time I have contacted support, they have gotten back to [me] quickly and with a few solutions. I like that they seem to be US-based, so there is no language barrier when I try to communicate my problem. For the few times, they did not have a solution ready, they told me they would respond later after further research, and they actually followed up! Better than most support I have used in the past with other software.

Incentivized

Since the original inception, I have been required to overhaul the system so that it is more user friendly and combines both aspects of our business, documentation and drawings. Being able to control revision and version numbering has been a key struggle that only staff training has been able to mark this as complete.

Incentivized

SmartBid is the first software of its kind that I use. However, comparing it with other software used by colleagues, it is evident that SmartBid has a much higher potential than software of the same category. By allowing easier management of documents and sub-contractors, SmartBid allows a high increase in the overall speed and efficiency of the interventions in the construction sites. Furthermore, using it makes it possible to increase the number of projects we can manage simultaneously.

Incentivized

I've used SAP for more than 10 years before my current job in this company. The best thing in SAP, is exactly what I have commented before, it's a single one tool, that does all what InEight do. Here at CCC, we have COINS for cost management, and I don't know exactly if InEight would be able to do whatever that COINS does, but what I'm trying to say is that, for systems, as much less external communication, better. InEight is covering a great portion on planning, we will see schedule and estimate, it will definitely improve, so, waiting on that to see.

Incentivized

InEight is a good system that has scaled nicely as the company has grown. the tools are still readily available and applicable for our larger scope of work. It has kept up with the growth of the company very nicely

Incentivized

• It has helped increase exposure and the number of General Contractors we can meet and bid with
• It has caused some wasted time by digging through bids that do not have all the relevant information to issue a proposal
• It has made bidding opportunities easier by sending them directly to us.

Incentivized

• We have gone from an $6.5M per year company to over $10M per year since integrating InEight in 2018
• Job costing has really helped us to understand where the money is going and how to manage it better.
• Being able to compare different estimates has sped up the estimation process and allowed us to be more competitive.

Incentivized