Cloud-based Technology Powers Improved Bid Rate
The Challenge
DMI needed to efficiently build out estimates for larger and increasingly complex projects. Their use of spreadsheets in the bidding process was beginning to drag the process down, and was even leading to bottom line miscalculations.
The Solution
DMI’s research and product vetting brought them to Procore Estimating (formerly Esticom), a software product whose intuitive interface and ease-of-use allowed a single worker to quickly, efficiently, and accurately produce an estimate of any complexity with confidence.
The Results
“The more we build with Procore Estimating, the easier it becomes to use. DMI Technologies recommends Procore Estimating for its ease of use and innovative approach to estimating.”
Allan Throneberry
VP Sales and Marketing
DMI’s Spreadsheet-based Estimates Hit the Wall
Based out of Fort Worth, TX, DMI Technologies provides premier cabling and infrastructure for organizations in the commercial sector. Composed of a full team of dedicated professionals who are highly skilled in innovative network technologies, DMI continually exceeds both industry standards and customer expectations.
DMI was facing the challenge of being able to quickly and accurately build estimates, specifically for larger and more intricate projects. Their outdated, spreadsheet-based method of producing estimates caused severe delays and miscalculations of the project’s bottom line, leading to an over-dependence on the organization’s operational and project management teams to make necessary adjustments. This spreadsheet-driven process significantly slowed the bidding down, resulting in up to a 75% increase in the time it took to build estimates.
DMI recognized that they needed to radically improve and innovate their estimating process to increase time to market and generate more revenue-generating projects, while providing the timely, expert service to which their customers had grown accustomed.
DMI understood that as technology continues to innovate, so too must their organization. If they were to continue to provide the level of excellence on which they’d built their longstanding reputation, DMI would need to upgrade and streamline their bidding process.
Estimating Efficiency Through Innovation
DMI began their careful evaluation process, looking into a range of estimating software products and ultimately deciding on Procore Estimating, for both its ease of use and efficient estimate creation. Procore Estimating’s simplicity allows one person to perform a quick and accurate estimate, where previously their spreadsheet-centric methodology typically required several individuals, and a series of corrections and adjustments.
Allan Throneberry, VP of Sales and Marketing at DMI, explained the improvement in the timeliness of bidding once Procore Estimating was adopted. DMI’s estimates had been drastically slowing the efficiency of their operation staff, who were often called in to assist.
"Estimating staff numbers were low, so the task fell to project managers, for whom estimating was not a primary job function. Without Procore Estimating, it took much more time to populate and create an estimate, up to 75% longer depending on the size of project."
A Significant Reduction in Time-to-Bid
Procore Estimating has minimized DMI’s time to bid to a fraction of what it was, drastically decreasing the overhead once necessary to produce an estimate. With Procore Estimating, the task has become more strategic, informed, and streamlined, allowing DMI the ability to vastly improve time to market and generate more revenue. Throneberry summed up the DMI win.
"As a company that strives to adopt new and innovative processes as a company standard, Procore Estimating enables us to broaden that standard. Procore Estimating not only provides us with ease of use—it gives us the tools to stay on top of ever-advancing technologies."
