Track the Handoffs Before Choosing a Platform
Subcontractor management connects scope definition, bid comparison, award decisions, documents and payment review. Map those handoffs before evaluating a platform. For each step, identify the source document, responsible person, current revision and approval status.
CyanBuild’s supported scope described here is PDF takeoff and estimating. Do not assume that a subcontractor portal, free sub accounts, automated insurance checking or automatic G703-to-G702 consolidation is included. Verify those capabilities and access terms in a working demonstration before depending on them.
Build a Bid Comparison That Preserves Scope
- Give each trade package a scope description and drawing revision.
- Record each bidder’s amount, inclusions, exclusions, alternates and qualifications separately.
- Resolve differences before comparing the final amounts; a lower total is not comparable if it omits work.
- Record the accepted revision, award decision and person responsible for entering the estimate.
- Reconcile the accepted amount with the estimate after entry or import.
Ask any proposed portal or integration to demonstrate a bid revision and a changed award amount, not only an initial submission. Check identifiers, permissions and the review history. Do not infer complete integration or the absence of errors from a file upload or a comparison screen.
Keep Document and Payment Reviews Traceable
Maintain a register with the subcontractor, document type, required period, received revision, reviewer and status. For insurance records, record the required coverage and expiry information your reviewer needs, then verify whether the chosen system provides the alerts and approval controls you require. Storage alone is not automated compliance checking.
For payment submissions, reconcile the approved scope and amount, prior billing and current review status using the documents required for the project. If the contract uses AIA G702/G703 forms, confirm the preparation and review process separately. Technical submittal statistics are not evidence of the rejection rate or cost of payment applications.
For waivers and other payment documents, follow the applicable contract and jurisdiction-specific requirements, with qualified advice where needed. Record the form, payment period and responsible reviewer rather than applying one timing rule to every project.
Measure Administration Before Claiming Savings
Log a completed period: invitations, submissions, revisions, clarifications and approved documents. Separate active review time from waiting for responses. Calculate observed administration cost as recorded hours multiplied by your own fully loaded labor rate.
Pilot one handoff using comparable tasks and document volume. Include setup, permissions, corrections and reconciliation in the trial. A measured reduction in those tasks can support a cost comparison; this guide does not establish a percentage saving, faster-payment outcome or guaranteed payback.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I verify before inviting subs into a portal?
Confirm access terms, permissions, invitations, bid revisions and document ownership in a working demonstration. Do not assume a subcontractor portal or free sub accounts are included because the product provides estimating tools.
How do I compare subcontractor bids fairly?
Use the same scope and drawing revision, then compare amounts, inclusions, exclusions, alternates and qualifications. Resolve scope differences before selecting a bid and keep the accepted revision identifiable.
How should estimate and payment data be reconciled?
Check the approved source, revision, amount and review status at each handoff. If the contract uses AIA G702/G703 documents, demonstrate their preparation and review separately; a quantity export does not establish automatic consolidation.
What belongs in a compliance-document register?
Record the subcontractor, document type, applicable period or expiry, received revision, reviewer and status. Verify required alerts or approval controls in the selected system rather than assuming storage provides compliance checking.
How do I test a switch from email and shared folders?
Pilot one defined handoff. Check ownership, permissions, revisions, review status and reconciliation, then measure the active work including corrections. Expand only after the process works for the people responsible for it.