One of the most common reasons General Contractors abandon project management software is “Subcontractor Resistance.” A firm invests in an enterprise suite only to find that their electricians, plumbers, and painters continue to send bids via email or text, bypassing the expensive software portal entirely.
When the subcontractors refuse to use the portal, the GC is forced into “Double Data Entry”—manually uploading the bids that the subs should have entered themselves. This effectively doubles the administrative workload.
Understanding why subcontractors resist portals is the first step toward building an efficient, frictionless bidding system.
For a subcontractor, your project is one of dozens they are bidding on. If every General Contractor they work for uses a different “Portal,” the administrative burden on the sub becomes unsustainable.
Email remains the “universal language” of the construction industry because it is frictionless. It works on every device, requires no new accounts, and provides an immediate record of the transaction.
Successful bid management software should not attempt to “replace” email; it should attempt to organize it.
The most effective tools for small and mid-sized GCs operate on a “Zero-Login” basis for subcontractors.
Bid Bench was built on the clinical reality that subcontractors will always choose the path of least resistance.
Stop fighting your subcontractors.
Use a system that works with their existing habits, not against them. Start your free trial at app.bidbench.com/signup.