Procore Bid Board VS Downtobid’s Bid Board - 2024 Update

Construction bid managers rely on data and statistics to create winning bids. Technology has simplified the process by handling administrative tasks, reducing the need for expansive teams. A construction bid management team requires advanced and efficient software to streamline the entire process. Procore Bid Board and Downtobid’s Bid Board are industry leaders, providing the latest bid management technology and features to simplify the process. 

This guide reviews the two platforms, focusing on key features, pricing plans, and pros and cons to help you choose one that suits your needs. Let’s begin with the tool we understand best – Downtobid’s Bid Board. 

Note: Schedule a demo today to see firsthand how our comprehensive bid board can optimize your bidding process, enhance collaboration, and ensure timely project execution. Transform your project management with just one click. Sign up here.

Downtobid’s Bid Board - Best for Lead Generation

Downtobid’s Project Bid Board is construction bid management software for material vendors and subcontractors. It streamlines the construction bid management process by handling administrative tasks like bid package review, deadline monitoring, reporting, and bid monitoring. 

We created the software as an alternative to generic bid management platforms in the industry. Our Bid Board automates everything, including data entry, to free up valuable time for our clients and help them focus on other aspects, such as negotiations. We also help our clients find new opportunities and grow their business. 

Key Features

Here are a few reasons why we’re the best at what we do. 

Centralized Bid Management

Using Excel files to manage your bids is outdated. It’s a lengthy and error-prone process that many people are abandoning. Our Bid Board has assembled a lot of the features from various bid management tools to simplify the process. 

Our software helps you to identify potential opportunities right from your email inbox. The algorithm scans your emails for bid invites and transforms them into detailed reports useful in the estimating process. We’ll discuss later how our Bid Board works and how you can refine your search results. 

The software reviews every construction project scope to identify material, labor, and equipment requirements. It also identifies deadlines to help the team stay on top of every project. Project managers can assign tasks and monitor progress from a central location. 

Collaborative Tools

We understand the importance of collaboration in the bidding process. Our Bid Board has every tool to boost teamwork and timely project delivery. Centralized communication facilitates real-time information sharing between clients and subcontractors. Team members can also send progress updates and feedback through inbuilt communication channels to ensure everyone is on the same page. 

Our document management tool ensures the estimating teams can access construction plans and other crucial paperwork required in bid management. They can also upload and download specific documents in real time, improving collaboration and saving time. 

Team leaders can assign tasks to specific members and track progress to identify performance and overall impact on the team. They can develop processes by establishing quality control checkpoints to achieve desired objectives.

Automated Calendar Integration

Subcontractors receive hundreds of bid invites daily, making it hard to track every deadline. Our software integrates with your calendar and automatically populates it with bid deadlines. Doing so ensures the team stays on top of every project and never sends late bids. 

The software also sends timely reminders to ensure the team has enough preparation time. For instance, you’ll receive deadline notifications a few days earlier to ensure you review your bid documents before submission. Our Bid Board works with almost any calendar, even mobile phone calendar apps. 

Custom Filters

Our software helps subcontractors identify opportunities more efficiently through custom filters. You can use two filter types to refine your job search. Creating rules is the most common method, where you define the types of projects our system detects. For instance, you can target projects based on size, location, budget, and timeline. Our algorithm relies on this information to accept and reject projects. This approach helps you target multiple projects without hiring additional help.

Keyword searching is another option for identifying construction opportunities. Our Bid Board shows all the keywords in the project plans. You can use these keywords to pinpoint opportunities without reviewing lengthy documents. For instance, if you’re an electrician, you can focus your search on electrical projects within the plans. 

Combining these two features maximizes your chances of winning projects related to your skills. 

Now that we know about Downtobid’s Bid Board, let’s see how the software works.

How to Use Downtobid’s Bid Board

Our software is straightforward to use and requires no technical skills. 

Click here to sign up for a demo.

You must first log in to access the dashboard. If you’re new, you can create a demo account to follow along with this tutorial. 

First, you must integrate our system into your email address. It’s a straightforward process with the following steps. 

Go to ‘Profile Settings’ and click ‘Integration.’ Click ‘Add Account’ and select ‘Outlook.’ You’ll be redirected to Outlook’s login page where you must sign in to your email account and grant permission. 

The software then integrates with your email, and two new folders appear - one in your email dashboard and another in Downtobid’s Bid Board. Both folders contain the detected bid invites matching your experience and interest. 

The tool scans every bid invite to detect crucial construction project details like material requirements, timeline, budget, project size, and location. It then compiles this information into detailed reports for the estimating team. 

You can create rules to help target specific projects or general contractors. These rules narrow your job search and are useful if you receive hundreds of bid invites. This feature has allowed our clients to focus on projects they qualify for and not waste time reviewing every bid invite. 

Our Bid Board detects and lists every keyword in construction plans. It also shows the keyword density to help you detect similar opportunities within the same plans. The keyword section speeds up bidding since you don’t have to review the entire plan sets to find opportunities. 

The calendar also detects project timelines and creates reminders at appropriate intervals. Every team member can access the calendar and track every deadline. 

You can download detailed reports to help the bidding team better understand each project. These project reports are in Excel files, and you don’t need to fill them in manually. 

Why Downtobid’s Bid Board?

If you’re like us and hate manual data entry into a bid tracking spreadsheet and working with Excel files, then this program is for you. It automates everything, from identifying opportunities to tracking bids. It saves you valuable time that you can use to research the market or negotiate contracts. The centralized bid management offers all the tools to streamline the bidding and estimating process. It’s also straightforward to use, and you can get started today with our demo account. 

Procore Bid Board - Best for Estimating Process

Procore is a reputable name within the construction industry. The Bid Board is an extension of the company, focusing on bid management. The Bid Board integrates perfectly with the Procore estimating tool, allowing users to transition from reviewing documents to creating takeoffs and comprehensive bids within the same platform. 

Key Features

Procore Bid Board stands out from the rest due to the following features. 

Centralized Bid Management

Forget about using other tools to manage your bids. The Bid Board provides all tools, from identifying opportunities to creating and submitting bids. A general contractor can also categorize and filter bids based on priority, awarding status, size, and location. You also get a dedicated workspace for every bid to access project plans, specifications, and other relevant documents. Customer satisfaction is the primary goal of this tool.

Integrated Estimating

The Bid Board integrates with the Procore estimating tool to smoothen the transition. A general contractor can share material, labor, and equipment requirements with estimating teams to create accurate takeoffs. The estimating process reduces the chances of errors and eliminates the need for manual data entry. 

The integration speeds up the bidding process, ensuring the team focuses on other important aspects, like bid tracking. 

Collaboration Tool

Procore Bid Board offers communication and document management features to help promote teamwork. Trade contractors can communicate with clients and other members in real time, speeding up information sharing. 

Stakeholders can access the latest project documents, like plans and specifications, in one platform. They can download, review, edit, and upload documents to share with others for updates and feedback. 

Pricing Plan

Procore Bid Board offers a tiered plan supporting unlimited users and data. It also offers free training to help you understand the software better. You can also access the Procore community of over 40,000 users to ask questions or network with like-minded people. Unfortunately, you must contact Procore for a quotation. 

Pros

• Streamlined workflow
• Automated data entry
• Easy-to-use platform

Cons

• Limited customization
• Lack of pricing transparency
• Limited mobile functionality
• Requires a learning curve

Final Thoughts

Bid management software streamlines the bidding process by handling administrative tasks. Downtobid’s Bid Board is a clear standout, helping you identify new opportunities by reviewing different bid invites, building detailed project reports, creating accurate estimates, and monitoring progress. You can use the calendar to monitor project timelines to ensure you never miss a bid. You can assign tasks and review the bid-win ratio to refine your bidding strategy. Centralized communication helps to improve collaboration, ensuring everyone has access to the latest information. Think of it as a complete bid management software in a box. Try our demo today and take advantage of our cutting-edge technology.