For those of you in the construction industry, you know that bid day can be intense. And for those of you who aren’t in the industry, you can compare it to the Super Bowl. Teams (construction companies) are competing to outdo the competition (come in at the lowest price). There’s preparation, strategy and good ‘ol fashion sweat put into every aspect of the event. And in the end, a victor is named.

But the Super Bowl rings don’t just go to the quarterback, right? So why would you leave all the bid work up to your company’s chief estimator? We fundamentally believe that bid day is a team effort, just as the Super Bowl is. Our “all hands on deck” approach to bid day has proven to be a tactical standard in which we strictly follow.

We sat down with Chief Estimator Jerry Hogan to see how he describes each department’s role in the bid day process.

Lead Estimator (Quarterback)

• Bid Day Role: The lead estimator is in the war room and on the board seeing all the numbers and fielding any specific questions related to the project.
• Football Role: As leader of the team, the quarterback is responsible for calling plays and initiating the action. Without the quarterback, there would be no direction or strategy.

Estimating Department (Center)

• Bid Day Role: Every estimator is on a scope spreadsheet, speaking with subcontractors and analyzing proposals to make sure all the scopes of work are complete.
• Football Role: The center is the one who snaps the ball to the quarterback. The center handles the ball on every play and plays a pivotal role in the initiation of gameplay.

Project Management (Running Back)

• Bid Day Role: All of our Project Managers have the ability to be lead estimators or work on spreadsheets. Bringing PM’s knowledge to the estimating team is invaluable.
• Football Role: The running back is the player who runs the football after it is handed off from the quarterback. They are experts in taking what they are given and producing results

Please also note that some of our Project Managers are also Estimators, which sets us our workflow apart from the competition.

Accounting Department (Linebacker)

• Bid Day Role: The accounting department double and triple checks every number entered into our bid day spreadsheet to make sure that our accuracy never falters.
• Football Role: Linebackers are generally known as the team’s best tacklers. They are defensive masters, and the second line of defense.

Marketing Department (Wide Receiver)

• Bid Day Role: Every successful team needs a strong presence down the field, and the marketing department is our game saver. Marketing performs a multitude of tasks from client and subcontractor outreach, to providing amazing advertising & outreach documents.
• Football Role: The wide receiver uses their speed and quickness to elude defenders and catch the football. Their tactical abilities make them an asset to the team.

Owner (Referee)

• Bid Day Role: Owner BJ Sullivan utilizes his vast construction experience during the bid day excitement and is a knowledgeable resource to all.
• Football Role: The referee is responsible for keeping an eye on all of the action and stepping in only when necessary.