Construction Estimating Kent Limited doubles its delivery of tender estimates and improves accuracy
Business size
Small
Industry
Estimating Consultancy
Product
Access ConQuest
Challenge
Construction Estimating Kent Limited (CEKL) faced increasing demand for their services but faced limitations from manual processes that restricted capacity. CEKL also wanted to move away from Excel spreadsheets to ensure accuracy of estimates.
Approach
CEKL chose to implement Access ConQuest Estimating software, due to its modular flexibility and powerful quote comparisons module. Access ConQuest enabled rapid adjustments "at the click of a button" and allowed the team to use the features they needed for their workflow.
Results
CEKL have doubled their tender estimate output while increasing accuracy. Positive ROI was achieved within months, transforming their business capacity and enhancing their competitive position in the market.
Construction Estimating Kent Limited (CEKL) is a UK-based estimating consultancy firm specialising in providing detailed and accurate cost estimates for construction projects across the South of England. With a reputation for precision and reliability, CEKL has established itself as a trusted partner for governmental, commercial and residential contracts with its clients.
Results At-A-Glance: CEKL and Access ConQuest
Since implementing Access ConQuest, CEKL has achieved remarkable improvements in their operations:
- Doubled Output: CEKL has successfully doubled the number of tender estimates they can deliver without needing to expand their team. The automation and efficiency gains provided by Access ConQuest have been transformative.
- Improved Accuracy: Despite the significant increase in output, CEKL has also improved the accuracy of their estimates, eliminating human errors.
- Robust Pricing Analysis: The ‘Comparisons’ module in Access ConQuest has proven particularly valuable, allowing CEKL to thoroughly analyse quotes from multiple subcontractors in one place.
- Enhanced Responsiveness: The construction industry often requires rapid adjustments to estimates based on changing project specifications. Access ConQuest has dramatically improved CEKL's ability to respond to these changes.
“We were working in the realms of everything being done in Excel, which was brilliant until people realise that you've got to be careful that you're picking up all the tabs, all the columns, and all the formulas. I've seen so many mistakes over the years with Excel, like we all have, so I knew we needed a new approach.”
Howard Law, Director, CEKL
Doubling The Volume of Tender Output
CEKL implemented Access ConQuest over two decades ago and has seen the construction estimating solution evolve alongside the sector.
When approached by contractors and subcontractors to price jobs, the CEKL team take the specification documents and ask the Quantity Surveying team to quantify the documents.
These are then converted into a zip file for importing into Access ConQuest to price up as a Bill of Quantities.
The CEKL team then send out enquiries to local suppliers and subcontractors for quotes which can be compared in Access ConQuest.
"With Access ConQuest, we've been able to double our output whilst increasing the same high level of accuracy our clients expect from us, because the manual work you would normally have to do is taken away by the Access ConQuest process. This has been crucial for our business growth."
Howard Law, Director, CEKL
How do Construction Estimating Kent Ltd use Access ConQuest?
Quote Comparisons in Access ConQuest: A Game-Changer
The flexibility of Access ConQuest means that CEKL can choose which functionality within the software is appropriate for their way of working from project-to-project.
The quote comparisons module has been highlighted as particularly transformative for CEKL's operations. This functionality allows the team to:
- Have a fail-safe to ensure that everything is included in the estimate
- Compare pricing from different suppliers side-by-side
- Validate that subcontractor proposals are compliant with project specifications
- Make data-based decisions based on comprehensive analysis
"The comparisons module gives us capabilities we simply didn't have before. Once you’ve got your quotes in Access ConQuest, you've can compare and select the supplier you want, or you also have the facility to use an average rate with a click of a button. And for any items that you don’t have quotes for, you can simply plug in rates to ensure “like for like” comparisons.”
Howard Law, Director, CEKL
Providing A Quality Service
By using Access ConQuest, the number of projects CEKL can work on at any one time has increased. Tenders are thoroughly prepared for accuracy by the team and look professional when handed over to clients. CEKL have consistently received praise from their clients that the reports outputted from ConQuest give an easy to follow and accomplished look that aids their process of finalising and winning tenders.
CEKL can also react quickly to feedback from their clients, for example, if a contractor does not want to submit using a particular subcontractor in the estimate, CEKL can swap to an alternative subcontractor, with a revised total estimate, with the click of a button.
“Access ConQuest takes away that element of human error, and it gives me a lot of cost certainty. And the ability to change is crucial - a contract director might say at the last minute I don't want to use Fred, I want to swap it to Joe. The thought of doing that manually in the estimate is horrendous, but with Access ConQuest you just tick a box and it's all done.”
Howard Law, Director, CEKL
Access ConQuest and CEKL: Overall Impact
The key benefits achieved by CEKL using Access ConQuest are:
- Efficiency: Streamlined processes have doubled output capacity
- Flexibility: Modular approach allows CEKL to use exactly what they need
- Accuracy: Maintained high standards despite increased workload
- Responsiveness: Ability to make large-scale changes in estimates "at a click of a button"
- Quick ROI: Return on investment of purchasing Access ConQuest was achieved within a few months of implementation
The 20+ year partnership between CEKL and Access ConQuest demonstrates how the right construction software solution, properly implemented, can transform a business's capacity and capabilities and improve quality.
By doubling their output whilst increasing accuracy and achieving ROI within months, CEKL has positioned itself for sustainable growth in a competitive market, all while continuing to deliver the exceptional service their clients expect.
"Access ConQuest has become central to our business. As an estimator I would l be lost without it."
Howard Law, Director, CEKL