The second stage of sweeping changes for some Ontario construction associations’ electronic plans room platform was unveiled to members of the London and District Construction Association in London on Sept. 8.
The system, called On Demand, is being rolled out in similar presentations to six other Ontario construction associations this week says a spokesman for its British Columbia-based developer, Infinite Source Systems Corporation.
Steve Sulpher, Infinite Source vice-president, says a key advantage of the system is that sub contractors, suppliers and manufacturers responding to invited bids by general contractors only have one system to learn in order to obtain and provide documents.
The system is a component of the company’s BestBidz platform, which subscribers employ to obtain information about, and facilitate the public tendering process. Currently, seven of Ontario’s 12 construction associations have implemented the BestBidz platform.
The remaining organizations come on board in October, Sulpher says. The BestBidz platform is already in use in several other Canadian provinces including Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba. The company is also in discussions with construction associations in many other provinces.
Currently, there is no standardized way in which contractors involved in project management interact and exchange documents with those who they invite bids for services or products. And it’s a problem, Jennifer Kopal, LDCA’s member services and programs manager, said to about 35 people attending On Demand’s London rollout.
The local association fields about 10 calls about general contractors’ websites daily, she says.
Sulpher notes there are many invitation to bid services on the market. What makes the On Demand feature different is that it is integrated with the public plan room and, at the same time, provides general contractors with a secure, confidential digital location to conduct private procurement activities.
Ultimately, it streamlines the bidding workflow, communication and reporting.
"So you can go to one location, get your public information, get your private information all under the same system; you don’t have to learn a bunch of other systems and you’re connected to everyone else in the province."
Justin Nguyen, project manager and estimator at Bronnenco Construction Ltd., was the first in the London region to try out the system.
He used it in mid-July to invite supplier and subcontractor bids for a local project the company is managing. He says other than one glitch that delayed sending a group of emails inviting trade contractors to do a site visit, the system was effective and he’d definitely use it again for project management.
"It’s a great opportunity for us to advertise our projects privately with preferred trade contractors." He also sees a role for it in the ongoing management of a project.
Matt Dalke, who handles outside contractor sales for Copp’s Buildall, says the program made the bidding process much easier for him.
Copp’s was one of the companies invited to bid as a supplier for the project that Bronnenco was managing.
Sulpher says On Demand is in use in Alberta and British Columbia and is used by subscribers there mostly for bidding.
"We do have clients who use the shop drawing piece — what we call our submittal manager and it’s designed for electronic transfer and approvals of shop drawings."
Dave Baxter, LDCA executive director, predicts that the system would become popular, quickly, adding that through a built-in directory, it will eventually give contractors access to thousands of suppliers and sub-trades through the click of a mouse.
"This will become the de facto standard for invitational projects in Ontario," he says.
To encourage its use, the London association is providing two different incentives that involve some price breaks.
Other associations will likely be offering promotions to help launch the system, Baxter says.
The LDCA executive director also notes, that later in the fall, the province’s construction associations will implement the final stage of the electronic plans room platform, an owner’s component called Scan 247.
According to the company’s website, the component "streamlines the procurement process for goods, services and construction."
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