Utility Power & Water Robots, Electric Power & Water Leaders magazine, Nov2019

How Project Engineers Build
Relationships
Project engineers, as already
seen, collaborate with a variety of
stakeholders. From clients to
subcontractor teams, they’re
deeply involved throughout the
project lifecycle, which requires
them to nurture relationships to
achieve desired outcomes.
Strong internal relationships
determine their success at
bidding events since a full and
fair estimation of projects
enables them to promise only
what’s achievable—not what they
think the client would want in an
effort to outdo their competitors.
Setting yourself apart from the
competitors is a multi-faceted
process, one that needs clarifying
what type of work you can do
and at a price that beats direct
rivals.
If you’re on strong terms with
your customers, you can glean
valuable insights from their past
engagements with contractors to
prepare and price your projects
accordingly. Many times, bidding
at the lowest price isn’t feasible
while coming in at a higher price
point isn’t entirely risky since
you must be on the same page
with the client about the value
your resources and expertise will
deliver.
Avoid speculating on what your
client wants. Instead, actively
work with them to form a
proposal that appears to hit their
targets. For instance, you can
include a list of past projects
showing how you surpassed the
schedule and result expectations
through pictures of similar projects.
Draft a phased schedule of
delivery to help your client think
about how you intend to
complete the project. Aim to
include appealing added services
to your proposal that prove you
can reach your completion date
with no pending work and all
obligations met.
Onboard a Construction
Estimating Software
Using software is yet to become a
universal SOP; however, a
construction estimating tool is
effective to centralize bid
information and define
workflows to control costs
and schedule.
Should your company find value
in a digital solution, here’s a
comprehensive guide on
construction project manage-
66