INTRODUCTION
Ryan is an electrical estimator at Lake of the Woods Electric located in Kenora, ON. Lake of the Woods services include service calls, house renos as well as residential/commercial new builds and industrial projects. Ryan first found PataBid at NECA conference in Texas.
THE STORY OF RYAN LONGE
Ryan went to NECA with the intention of finding an electrical estimating software to implement at Lake of the Woods. PataBid was the only company on the market able to service Canada which initially stood out to him. According to Ryan, Accubid did not have any Canadian data and Conest only had a few features that met their estimating needs. Ryan noted that PataBid offered a better price point than most software and also has the Suderman labour manual integrated into the software directly.
THE CHALLENGE
"I like the ability to customize the software in Quantify. From the way that takeoffs are done, the colours, shapes, even custom symbols that can be used. The ability to create drawings for smaller projects is a nice bonus."
Ryan Longe
Electrical Estimator
Before choosing Quantify, Ryan was not using any estimating software, but rather, was doing all his estimates by hand. Ryan noted that estimates took so much time to complete by hand that their company often missed out on potential job opportunities. Missing out on potential projects due to time consuming estimating practices eventually led Ryan to go to NECA in 2022 in search of an estimating software solution.
WHY QUANTIFY
PataBid stood out to Ryan because of it’s affordable price point and ability to service Canadian and American electrical contractors. Ryan further explained that what caused him to convert to Quantify during his free 2 week trial period was PataBid’s unique estimating features and the company’s excellent customer service. Ryan noted that PataBid staff are very prompt in responding to calls and emails from clients and are willing to provide onboarding support as often as it is needed. Some of the onboarding methods Ryan used while learning Quantify software included online video tutorials and 1:1 virtual training sessions. Ryan described PataBid as a company that listens and makes new features based on client feedback. According to Ryan, this makes Quantify a flexible estimating software that helps contractors bid electrical work easily, accurately and effectively.
THE RESULTS
Ryan is primarily using Quantify for all his electrical estimating needs - even for smaller projects such as renovations in a house. Ryan commented that Quantify’s features make it much easier to import and export drawings and data. Ryan stated that since using Quantify, Lake of the Woods is able to complete takeoff faster and improve the overall accuracy of project estimates. Ryan concluded that estimating productivity has increased significantly since switching from manual estimating to PataBid Quantify.
AT A GLANCE
Challenges
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Time consuming
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Missed opportunities
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Slower business growth
Benefits
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Faster takeoff
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Increased productivity
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Affordable electrical estimating software
INTRODUCTION
John M. Wiesel is an electrician, estimator and trainer with Suderman Estimating Systems. Suderman provides electrical estimating courses to contractors and as well as for hire estimating services. John has used PataBid Quantify extensively to bid electrical work for their own clientele. John began using Quantify in 2021 when Suderman and PataBid struck a partnership to have the Suderman labour manual integrated into PataBid’s software.
THE STORY OF JOHN M. WIESEL
Before adopting PataBid Quantify, Ron relied on Excel for estimating. While functional, the process was linear, required extra effort, and was prone to errors. Ron notes that Excel lacks features like automatic labor or material rate application, prompting Ron to search for a dedicated estimating platform tailored to his needs.
AT A GLANCE
Challenges
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Estimating redundancies
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Slower overall estimate completion
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Slow software bug fixes
Benefits
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Expanded business opportunities
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Increased productivity
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Customer focused service
THE CHALLENGE
Before adopting PataBid Quantify, Ron relied on Excel for estimating. While functional, the process was linear, required extra effort, and was prone to errors. Excel lacked features like automatic labor or material rate application, prompting Ron to search for a dedicated estimating platform tailored to his needs.
WHY QUANTIFY
Since switching to Quantify, John noticed that his estimates are completed faster because of the software’s full graphical takeoff capabilities. No need for additional digital tools to complete estimates. In addition, John said he uses Quantify’s marketplace feature regularly as it allows him to send and share estimates from one place to their clientele – making estimating and training significantly easier. John also stated that PataBid is a unique company in that they focus on what is best for the client. Initially, John had reservations about switching to a new estimating software company, however, he stated that PataBid is not like other corporate software companies. He has been impressed by PataBid’s innovative feature set and personal care that they provide their customers. John continued to add that when there are software glitches in Quantify, he is able to talk to a member of the PataBid team directly and the issue is resolved quickly. Also, John reported that PataBid’s ability to help their customers is like no other estimating company on the market. He believes that PataBid will become a legacy company in the field of electrical estimating software in the future.
THE RESULTS
John expressed that since using Quantify estimating software, their team has been able to increase productivity as well as save clients money. In a little over one year of using this software, Suderman has been able to expand their for hire estimating services through Quantify’s marketplace feature. John claimed that he has seen triple the growth this year in estimating services, and at least a third of that growth is from Quantify. John concluded that PataBid’s estimating software and customer focused culture put them in a unique position to make a positive difference in the construction industry. He stated that PataBid is an appealing option to contractors because the company cares about you as a client and your business success.
"Quantify software has features that I haven't seen with any other options. It is easy to use and has new features coming online all the time. No add on costs; you get everything that is available and anything new that gets implemented along the way."
John M. Wiesel
Electrician/Estimator
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INTRODUCTION
Ryan Dumontier works for GRD Electric, based out of Winnipeg, MB. GRD primarily does small residential and commercial build projects. The estimating team at GRD Electric initially heard about PataBid Quantify through a tradeshow hosted by their electrical wholesaler in 2022.
THE STORY OF RYAN DUMONTIER
Before finding PataBid Quantify, GRD Electric was using Accubid electrical estimating software. Ryan reported that this particular software was unable to provide accurate material costs for the Canadian construction market and ended up costing the company time and money. Ryan and his boss were hesitant to try Quantify as an alternative to Accubid, however, they are very pleased they made the switch.
THE CHALLENGE
AT A GLANCE
Challenges
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Inaccurate material pricing
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Unreliable estimates
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Slower estimating processes
Benefits
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Accurate Canadian material pricing
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Increase in jobs bid
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Improved confidence in entire estimate data
“We were so sick of the software we had; every time we did an estimate through Accubid it was a struggle and it cost us a lot of time. With PataBid Quantify, we can quote a lot more jobs and have confidence in them.”
Ryan Dumontier
Electrical Estimator
Ryan noted that while using a competing electrical estimating software, their estimates at GRD were often inaccurate and required them to be completed twice. Ryan found that the biggest issue was that other estimating software companies do not provide accurate material prices for the Canadian construction market. Since switching to PataBid, Ryan has observed that Quantify can accurately estimate materials so that quotes are precise and there are no additional costs required during the build. With Quantify, GRD Electric can accurately estimate builds and feel genuinely confident buying necessary project materials using Quantify’s estimate data.
WHY QUANTIFY
GRD Electric had two main criteria when selecting a new electrical estimating software: accurate assemblies and accurate material pricing. Ryan discovered that Quantify’s software fulfills both of these criteria and also provided many additional features. Ryan noted that he was particularly impressed with Quantify’s drafting feature which allows users to import drawings and edit them or create completely custom drawings that map out the build using symbols. Ryan liked how the drafting feature can be customized to each specific job so that everyone involved can visualize the project outcome. Another feature Ryan mentioned was closeout. Quantify’s closeout feature allows users to download estimate data directly into Excel, making it easy to import the data into Quickbooks. Ryan recounted that the PataBid team was reachable and incredibly helpful in answering questions during the onboarding process. Ryan commented that the decision to start using Quantify was a turning point in GRD Electric’s ability to bid electrical work accurately and save time in the process.
THE RESULTS
Ryan noted that estimating has increased in productivity since switching to PataBid Quantify. He continued to say that Quantify allows him to estimate more jobs than ever before while maintaining estimate precision. Ryan is pleased to have found a customizable electrical estimating software that is able to provide accurate material pricing for the Canadian market.
AT A GLANCE
Challenges
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Error prone
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Inefficient estimating workflows
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Software not tailored to fire protection
Benefits
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Increased accuracy
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Confidence in project bids
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Increase in awarded jobs
INTRODUCTION
Founded in 2017, Contender Fire Sprinkler has expanded to offices in Virginia and Texas, employing 20 team members across both locations. Owner Ron Foster has been leveraging PataBid Quantify as an effective fire sprinkler estimating software since the summer of 2023 after finding PataBid on Google.
THE STORY OF RON FOSTER
Before adopting PataBid Quantify, Ron and his team at Contender Fire Sprinkler used a highly customized Excel spreadsheet for estimating projects. While this worked for smaller jobs, it became unsustainable as the company scaled, leading to inefficiencies and frequent errors. Excel's limitations, including its lack of automated labor and material rates, prompted Ron to seek a dedicated fire sprinkler estimating software. This search ultimately led him to PataBid Quantify, a solution tailored to meet the specific needs of the fire protection industry.
THE CHALLENGE
In 2023, Ron began searching for fire protection estimating software to address the limitations of Excel. Ron and his team were frustrated estimating projects with Excel because of inaccurate formulas, unlocked/locked cells causing errors and the use of multiple tabs needed to complete an estimate. He explored several platforms, participating in demos and trials to evaluate their capabilities. However, he quickly discovered that many of these solutions, despite marketing themselves as fire protection estimating software, fell short. They lacked robust item databases and failed to provide pre-loaded labor rates tailored to the industry's unique needs, leaving him still searching for a truly effective solution.
WHY QUANTIFY
What drew Ron to Quantify was its focus on the fire protection industry, offering a database pre-loaded with relevant items and labor rates right out of the box. His favorite feature, manual drafting, allows him to create custom fire sprinkler layouts for projects while the software simultaneously builds the estimate. Given the design-build nature of fire protection, where full drawings are rarely provided, this feature has proven invaluable. It enables Ron to produce accurate estimates and generate visual layouts that are essential during project execution. Quantify’s flexibility is another key advantage, allowing Ron to set labor units by item or task and tailor the software to his specific business needs. He also highlights the exceptional customer service provided by the PataBid team, who are readily available to assist with onboarding, customization, and ongoing support, ensuring the software fits perfectly with his business needs. Ron encourages all fire protection contractors to invest in a fire protection estimating software to ensure predictable and profitable bids.
THE RESULTS
Since implementing Quantify, Ron has adopted a “set it and forget it” approach, confident that the software’s customizable settings and vast database of over 50,000 items eliminate errors and inefficiencies. While initial setup and learning required effort, Ron found that the result is a reliable, accurate, and efficient tool that has transformed Contender Fire Sprinkler’s estimating process. Ron notes that Contender is able to bid a higher volume of fire protection projects with greater accuracy because they use Quantify fire protection estimating software.
"PataBid Quantify is a flexible and reliable fire sprinkler estimating software platform. I use the manual drafting feature often to draft customized fire sprinkler layouts. The software builds the estimate as I draft. $1,200 USD per license is a small fee to pay to increase efficiency, accuracy and awarded jobs."
Ron Foster
Owner
