Not just the takeoff
Bid management for foodservice equipment dealers
The takeoff is where a Division 11 bid starts, not where it ends. After the item list comes the long part: quote requests, rep follow-up, addenda, install and fab numbers, freight, and a team trying to keep track of it all in Outlook and Excel. SmartTakeoffs runs that whole stretch in one place — from the invite to the handoff to your quoting software.
One bid, start to finish
- 01
The invite comes in
Upload the bid package the way it arrived — project manual, full drawing set, addenda, a zip. The bid lands on your board with its bid date, and an admin assigns it to an estimator.
- 02
The takeoff, in minutes
The spec and the drawings are read and the equipment schedule comes back itemized — manufacturer, model, quantity, alternates, install and utility notes — with every line tied to the page it came from. Anything uncertain is flagged for review, not guessed.
- 03
Quote requests go out
Each manufacturer is matched to the rep group that quotes it for your dealership. One request per rep group, already written, with the spec section and kitchen drawings attached. Service agencies and fabricators get theirs the same way.
- 04
Replies come back to the bid
Quote tracking shows who has quoted and who is still owed, with bid day counting down on the same screen. Connect your Outlook mailbox and rep quotes are picked up from your inbox and attached to the right bid — including the ones where a rep replied to the wrong thread.
- 05
The addendum lands
A new addendum re-runs against the takeoff you already reviewed. Only the items that changed are touched. Reps who already quoted are flagged so you can decide whether to go back to them, and the ones who still owe you a number get an updated request ready to send.
- 06
Install, fab and freight
The install estimate runs on your crew rates. Fab scope is identified and packaged for your shop or fabricator to price — never guessed. Link your own freight account and freight quotes run against the bid's items.
- 07
Your team on the same job
Seats for your estimators and salespeople, notes and @-mentions on any line of the bid, and quote emails that go out under the sender's name and signature. Anyone can see where a job stands without asking the person running it.
- 08
Hand off, then audit
The item list drops into the quoting software you already use as an import file. Your margin and your final number are still written there, by you. Before the bid goes out, the audit checks the quote you built against the takeoff, so a dropped item or a wrong quantity shows up while there is still time to fix it.
- 09
After bid day
Every bid keeps its saved versions, so you can see the state it was in and restore it. Mark a submitted bid won or lost, and record what the GC told you about where you landed — so the next bid starts with what the last one taught you.
Why it matters that it is all in one place
A takeoff on its own saves the estimator a day. The rest of the bid is where the other days go — chasing the rep who has not quoted, working out which quotes an addendum just made stale, answering “where are we on that school?” for the third time this week. When the takeoff, the requests, the replies and the team all sit on the same bid, those questions answer themselves.
It also means the work does not live in one person's inbox. If the estimator running a job is out, anyone on the team can open the bid and see what went out, what came back, and what is still owed.
FAQ
Is SmartTakeoffs only for takeoffs?
No. The takeoff is the first step. Quote requests, quote tracking, rep replies, addenda, install and fab, freight, bid assignment, bid audit and the submission record all run in the same place, up to the handoff to your quoting software.
Does it replace my quoting software?
No. Pricing, discount structures and the final bid number stay in the quoting software you already use. SmartTakeoffs hands it an import file in the industry's standard format. It runs everything that happens before that.
How do rep quotes get back into the bid?
Replies to a quote request come back to the bid they belong to. Any dealer who connects an Outlook mailbox also gets rep quotes picked up straight from the inbox, so a quote that skipped the reply address still lands on the right job.
How does freight work?
Freight runs off your own freight account. An admin links it in settings, and freight quotes run against the items on the bid, using the weights and freight classes already on file for each model.
Can more than one person work a bid?
Yes. Every plan includes at least two seats. Bids are assigned to an estimator, teammates leave notes and @-mention each other on the job, and edits to the item rows are captured with who made them and when.
Related: foodservice equipment quoting software, and what has to happen before it · vs. manual Excel takeoffs · why quote follow-up eats margin
Run a real bid through it
SmartTakeoffs is in early access and open to US dealers today. The free trial shows you the takeoff on a real bid. Quote requests, tracking and the rest of the bid tools start on the Starter plan.
