The importance of data hygiene for Estimators
12 June 2024
Spring cleaning is essential. We manage to clean our sheets, towels, bathrooms and kitchens at least once (hopefully!) per week, so why are we only cleaning up our data once each year?
As builders, you’re likely to have an address book of subbies filled with fax numbers. But when was the last time you sent a fax? Your address book is a central part of your network, and your network wins you work. So, spring cleaning is essential. A clean address book is more than just organisation. It can unlock insights and provide a clear picture of potential trade gaps that your company needs to fill.
Now, I know what you’re thinking (you’re probably not, but I’ll tell you anyway); data doesn’t smell or get mouldy, so it doesn’t need the same level of ‘cleaning’ as your house. But clean data changes the way your business works. You become more efficient and effective. You have a comprehensive understanding of your contacts and how your connections are tracking, and you know where your business requires extra hands.
When you sign up to E1, we clean your data before importing it into our system. Consider it a free data-hygiene consultation. Your contacts will no longer be duplicated or contain piles of outdated information, making it much easier when it comes to tender time and requesting those last minute quotes.
Joining E1 will also give you access to our supply chain network. So now, you’ll not only have your own address book of subcontractors but you’ll have ours too, giving you a wider variety of subbies to choose from, and a better chance at winning work.
A clean data set means you’re leaving the place in a better state than when you found it. With organisational turnover and transfer of information, having a single source of truth with up-to-date contacts ensures anyone in the business can access the most current information. This works across the organisation too, with different teams able to access information. For example, a strong subbie address book data set that can be shared between estimating and procurement teams ensures we’re making better procurement decisions.
