4 Reasons to Ditch Excel for Bid Leveling and Bid Tabulation in Preconstruction

As with most businesses, time is money and accuracy is everything. The construction business is no exception. In fact, accuracy could be the difference between being profitable or not. While Microsoft Excel has long been a staple for many businesses, it's not built for the complexity of modern bid management. Excel can turn into more of a problem than an asset when it comes to handling many subcontractor estimates, side by side comparisons, automatically highlighting discrepancies and accurately tracking costs.

Here are four compelling reasons why it’s time to ditch your Excel spreadsheets and upgrade to software that specializes in the preconstruction bidding process and provides tools such as Bid Leveling and Bid Tabulation.

1. Excel requires manual data entry

Excel is a nice, robust spreadsheet, but it requires time consuming manual data entry. A web-based bid management system captures and stores data automatically from bidders during the bidding process. This includes which vendors will be bidding, which have viewed your plans and specs, which have received any addendum notices, and more. Excel lacks the structure, automation, and smart features needed to efficiently organize subcontractor bids.

With dedicated Bid Leveling and Bid Tabulation tools specifically for general contractors, you can:

• Easily compare apples to apples
• Normalize data across various bid formats
• Easily recognize where there are gaps
• Highlight inclusions and exclusions
• Avoid manual formulas that are prone to error
• Create shared notes visible to your estimating team

2. Manual Errors Cost You Time and Money

Even the most experienced estimator can make a simple formula error or data entry mistake in Excel that can cost them the job or eat into margins.

With automated Bid Tabulation:

• Errors from manual entry or broken formulas are eliminated, since the data is entered by the bidder.
• Subcontractor totals and scope breakdowns are calculated with precision.
• Data validation is built-in, with options to automatically highlight line items that differ significantly from average amounts.

3. Collaboration in Excel Is Clunky and Risky

Preconstruction is a team effort, often involving estimators, project managers, and executives reviewing bids and making decisions, and not always in the same office. Excel isn’t designed for collaboration, especially not in real-time.

Bid management software with Bid Leveling and Bid Tabulation tools provides:

• Real-time access for teams across departments and locations
• Subcontractor response tracking where your team has visibility into the the history of the bid(s) submitted and changes made
• User permissions for security
• Centralized cloud-based software, so no one is using an outdated version
• Continuity to maintain consistency

This transparency improves collaboration, speeds up the decision-making process, and eliminates confusion over which version is the most current.

4. You Need Clear, Consistent Comparisons Across Bidders

Bid Leveling isn’t just about comparing numbers, it's about understanding what’s included, what’s missing, and how each subcontractor stacks up within their trade. In Excel this process is manual, which can create inconsistencies and potential risks.

Using a software that is specific to bidding is not just a faster solution; but a smarter one.

In Summary

If your team is still relying on Excel to manage and compare subcontractor bids, it’s time to step up your game. Excel may have worked in the past, but it simply can’t keep up with the demands and ever-changing bid environment of today’s complex bidding scenarios.

If you are ready to move beyond spreadsheets, schedule a demo with PreconSuite today and see how streamlined Bid Leveling and Bid Tabulation can elevate your preconstruction process.

Excel® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.