4 tips for better subbie relationship management

30 August 2023

Death, taxes, and unnecessary stress during the procurement process. For CA’s in the commercial construction industry, these are all certainties of life. And look, things are often out of our control, but to make procurement time more predictable (and less draining), start by streamlining your subbie relationship management.

Here are our top tips for using EstimateOne, and the RFQ connect product to make sure you’re keeping your subbies on side:

  1. Avoid inundating subbies with generic invitations

A quick way to get a subbie to ‘ghost’ you is by expecting them to shift through a full set of documents when only a few are relevant to them – that’s a one-way ticket to being ignored. EstimateOne lets you send tailored invites and project details to the right subbies. No more spamming them with a ton of stuff. It’s all about real connections with the perfect subbies for your gigs.

  1. Use data to make decisions

You know what’s key? Data. It’s like your secret weapon for picking the right subbies. Check out subbies’ past projects and performance, see their proven track record, and reduce the risk of projects steering off track.

  1. Keep subbies well-informed

We always go that little bit further when we feel loved, and subbies are no different. When they feel important and valued, their teamwork and cooperation really shine. EstimateOne keeps the conversation going with subbies. They’ll get project updates without you having to lift a finger, and we’re all about sending them a heads-up, even if a project doesn’t land their way. Remember, subbies find any feedback from builders highly valuable. 

  1. Nurture subbie relationships

Having both pre and post-award teams using the same subbie address book is like a teamwork hack – it just makes things smoother. If a subbie keeps quoting for your estimating team, but never actually wins a contract – there’s a big chance your estimating team will soon lose a key contact. When the teams are able to see the whole picture, it gives delivery a chance to reward those subbies who helped you during tender time. When your whole crew is on the same page, you naturally get to connect better with the subbies who typically come to the table.

Want to get an in-depth look at EstimateOne and RFQ connect? Book a demo today.