MJS Projects (March) Ltd, a small to medium sized construction company, faced challenges with their estimating system. After feeling that their current provider had lost it's personal touch, especially when it came to business support, they turned to CausewayOne Enquiries as part of adopting Causeway Estimating. This change has enabled MJS to streamline their tendering process by improving the subcontractor enquiry and quotation process, which has resulted in substantial time savings translating to nearly four days saved per bid.
MJS Projects (March) Ltd is a family-owned business operating across the East of England, with an annual turnover in the region of £18-20m, much coming from repeat business. They have forged a strong reputation in their working area, with many clients offering testimonials confirming that MJS Projects deliver what they say they will (quality, budget and programme).
Known for their commitment to quality and efficiency, MJS continually seek ways to improve their operations and maintain their competitive edge in the construction industry.
Recently, they identified a need to overhaul their estimating system to better support the Pre-Construction function, provide support to the estimators and to provide project quantity surveyors with better quality tender information once a Project was secured.
The overall aim was to improve efficiency at the ‘front end’ of the business, in a manner that was affordable and sustainable.
The Challenge
MJS encountered several challenges with their existing estimating system:
- Support: The previous provider's impersonal approach to support left the MJS estimators feeling nervous, concerned and unsupported.
- Record-Keeping: Maintaining a record of all enquiries, and information sent, was crucial for the MJS quantity surveyors, who needed the ability to review quickly information issued and received at the pre-construction stage.
- Time-Consuming Processes: The previous processes employed, was much more time consuming and did not provide the ability to download the documents issued or communicate, in an easy, efficient manner.
This prompted MJS to seek a new estimating system that could address these challenges and provide comprehensive support once using it.
The Solution
To resolve these challenges, MJS spoke to friends in the industry to understand what other systems were being used, checked systems available via the ‘web’ and read numerous reviews. Causeway came out as the most popular, current system and after a free demonstration, MJS made the decision to implement the system complete with the CausewayOne Enquiries package management solution.
CausewayOne Enquiries is designed to streamline the process of sending tenders and receiving bids, offering several key features that benefited MJS:
- Centralised Record-Keeping: All tender records are stored in a single location, allowing easy access and review. Ian Walsham, Pre-Construction Manager for MJS companies, remarked,
"The record keeping, and the flexibility of information that can be displayed, was a big plus for us. Keeping everything in a single location is a huge benefit."
- Efficient Document Allocation: The document allocation function enables automatic sending of relevant documents for each package of works, increasing responses from the subcontractors.
- Integrated Management: Managing subcontractor bids and communications in one platform simplified processes and has reduced enquiry package documentation errors.
Additionally, MJS procured Causeway Learn and complemented the online training resources with bespoke on-site training. This ensured that their team could fully leverage the Estimating solution's capabilities.
The Outcome
The implementation of CausewayOne Enquiries and the Estimating solution yielded significant results for MJS:
- Time Savings: On average, MJS save between 1-2 hours on each subcontractor package they send out, translating to nearly four days of saved time per bid, this equates to approximately 10% time savings in total. Barry Chamberlain, Senior Estimator at MJS said,
"Not only are you saving time for yourself, but the QS as well, as he has the information readily available that he needs to place the orders after you've secured the project".
- Enhanced Efficiency: The ability to automatically send relevant documents for each package of works increased response rates and streamlined the tendering process.
- Improved Training and Confidence: The onsite training provided by Causeway Learn introduced new shortcuts and tools, boosting the team's confidence and efficiency. Barry noted,
"The onsite training was really beneficial to us. While we were familiar with the system's basics, it introduced new shortcuts and tools to speed up our current process and gave us added confidence in using the system."
Ian Walsham, praised the training, saying,
"The course that Mike delivered was exactly what MJS Projects needed and covered all of the elements of the system that we wanted to understand more. It has enabled us to go away and use the system to its full potential”.
By partnering with Causeway and implementing CausewayOne Enquiries alongside their Estimating solution, MJS successfully addressed their challenges and achieved significant improvements in efficiency and record-keeping. The streamlined tendering process, time savings, and enhanced training have positioned MJS for continued success and growth.
MJS's positive experience with CausewayOne Enquiries highlights the value of comprehensive support and advanced technology within the construction industry. Looking ahead, MJS is excited about the ongoing enhancements and potential future developments with Causeway, ensuring they remain at the forefront of industry innovation.
If you're looking to transform your estimating process and to achieve similar improvements, book a demo with Causeway today and experience the power of CausewayOne for yourself.
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