Automation of pre-bidding process for construction projects

When bidding for a job, biding correctly within the limited time available is critical for any company. Because of a surge in fast-track projects, the number of work packages and subcontractors at a jobsite has increased, but bidding time is often short and requires quick action on the part of the bidders. The current bidding processes and practices vary from one contractor to other and is often customized to suit a contractor's specific needs and organizational structure. Bidding commonly involves extensive paper work and delays in the decision-making process; these are serious limiting factors that can affect the accuracy and timely submission of a bid. This article presents the proposed automation of the pre-bidding process in order to increase bid-process efficiency and to minimize possible human errors and the risks associated with this process. This article presents two distinct sections: the conceptual model, and the implementation of the proposed underlying concept. This concept has been implemented using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 and Microsoft SQL Server 2000. In addition ActiveBar, ActiveReports and APEX are also used to generate various reports and to provide functionality to the application. This automated methodology has been developed in collaboration with Chancellor Industrial Construction Ltd. of Edmonton, Canada (which will be referred to as Industrial Partner hereafter).