Startup construction worker applies tendering process on big project to domestic clients and traders to online bidding

7 years ago

YouKwoteMe

https://www.YouKwoteMe.com

I have been working in the Construction for over 15 years now, Looking back all these years and working with major projects, I was always surrounded my mechanisms where the selection process for main contractors has been developed for what is now a 2 stages process.

1st pre qualification process. This process is basically a quality, financial health and capacity assessment of the organisation. This assessment is based on the evaluation and verification process, in areas of credit, historical growth, financial stability, health and safety performances, policies, experience and any other categories that may be relevant to the work to be carried out. The 2nd process do vary depending on Clients but it ultimately becomes an assessment of having the right balance between time, cost and quality. Which is basically when a quote is to be submitted.

This is how the website YouKwoteMe.com has been designed, Traders will undergo an initial checking process to determine if they can have the YouKwoteMe.com Approved Trader Stamp, this process includes credentials, credit, past work done and any other relevant experience and feedback collected. From there Clients can be reassured that our Approved traders will meet minimum standards. The second step, which is the pricing will entirely depend on the Client and the quality of which the information is provided to the Traders when listing the jobs.

So YouKwoteMe.com is a website where people can post jobs they need doing and for Traders to either submit quotes or participate to a mini completion using the reverse auction tool, similar to eBay but in reverse. Once the lowest bidder wins the job, clients will contact them and agree a starting date, from there they would have tools to track progress with daily diary log, record changes and open disputes. At the end both builder and the client award each other with feedback rating. All this protected under the YouKwoteMe construction contract.

There are many websites out there, some of them have actually created some strong foundations, but the issue is that we are missing the point when trying to sell leads based on a text message, or the others where Traders will undergo checking processes and feedbacks are given to them but there are no guarantees they will win the works, a Client will contact them and when? Again with YouKwoteMe.com the loop is fully closed, for instance, Traders are checked, they receive jobs notifications, they get to see the jobs online which is a combination of text pictures and documents. If they want to do the job, they make the bookings online, see the job and start to reverse bid or submit quotes all via the YouKwoteme.com website.

When Clients, list their jobs online, they have 30 days to decide if they want to go ahead or not. Once works starts, both Traders and Users are protected with the YouKwoteMe.com contract, this contract is very simple, it can be resumed in one line to: do the works in accordance with best practices, following manufacturer instructions and as stated in the job detail. Every construction steps can be recorded in the Daily Diary Log where they can record progress with a combination of text and photos. How many Traders will tell you that most of the issues they have are due to have agreed something with the Client but they failed to comply. When you ask the Client they will say, well he did not told me it was costing more, how much it was, he did not completed on time… With our Change Request it all becomes very clear, any time there is a change, they fill a 2 box form stating with the is the change, if it has a cost or time impact, how much will it cost or how long will it take and they only have to do the work once it has been approved, which with this simple process it all becomes clear to both parties. At the end, there is a 2 way feedback rating, this is not only for Clients to choose which Traders can bid on their jobs but it is also to give the opportunity for Traders to give their thoughts about the Client which will later influence the way they would price future jobs for them. In addition to that the handover documentation and the Health and Safety file can be saved online, in situations where Clients and Traders do not reach agreement you can raise a Dispute case at any point in time, if the issue remains open for more than 30 days or you want to escalate it we have ready to assist in helping you to solve the issue.

Conclusion:

Key benefits

One subscription, no extras changes for leads, bid as many job as you like.

Clear view of the jobs with pictures and details before committing to viewings.

A Contract for every job post on the website

Record progress in a clear timeline with Daily Diary Log

Record changes between Traders and Clients with Change Request Log

Keep all the Health and Safety Files in one location

Give and receive Feedback

Solve potential issues with our Disputes resolution centre

https://www.YouKwoteMe.com

Pascal Baptista

Attached Media

About YouKwoteMe

I tend to compare YouKwoteMe to eBay, Shiply, UShip on the way we perceive and we sell everything now, but looking back, where did use to sell what was no longer needed? Well we use to sell only things that was worth the time and effort spent. So now think about what do you do now each time you need work to be done at home or business, you need to search for a Trader online, yellow pages, news papers... from there you need to call them and try to describe what you want to be done where most of the times you will be also faced with all sorts of situations such as noisy background, no attention, no answer, no reply and facing difficult questions. Thereafter you schedule bookings, or try to, where you realise that only a few Traders will turn-up, you will be faced with all sorts of reactions, questions to other things. Only e few will be sending a quote or ask to view again and you are going to find out that the quotes have different values as the results of some builders having included items and the others not. Very confusing and time consuming process. With YouKwoteMe the only thing people have to do is to post their work online and builders will reverse bid on their job all online. There are 3 types of jobs that User can choose from, reverse bid where all traders without restrictions, the other option is reverse bid but traders will have to be approved by the user before bidding, and the other option is to submit Kwotes where traders submit kwotes to the user. If the User do not know how much will cost to do a job there can request for the starting bid to be submitted by traders first which as soon as one is accepted this will be the starting bidding value for the revers bid. During the auction, Traders can ask questions and user answer them online on the job in detail page, and traders can book appointments to see the job all via YouKwoteMe without the ned to disclose contact details. When the auction has ended, the user has 30 days to decide if they want to go ahead with the work and maintain the kwote, if they do, both will be bonded with the YouKwoteMe contract which includes any information that has been agreed and published during the auction, both are asked to do a daily diary log where they record progress with text and pictures and documents, mark payments made and received, also during this time Traders and Users can submit change requests which is a simple process where a request is submitted which highlights the important facts such as extra cost and/or time. Once the job is marked as completed from both they will then give feedback to each other. And the job is archived. In the event of having a dispute, both can raise one at any time, once one is raised a 30 days allowance is made for both to reach a deal, if one of the parties or the 30days lapsed is the time where YouKwoteMe team act in trying to understand and solve the problem. If we cannot solve it, it is then passed on to the relevant identities such as small claim court. Also it is worth notting that if a dispute is raised both profiles are being marked as having a dispute case open which increases the likelihood of being rejected for bids if wanting to bid on other jobs. We are working in partnering with a Home Improvement insurance company which are doing a credit check to 100% of our traders, if the check is ok and the documentation provided is ok and they have a valid CSCS card this is when they are awarded with the YouKwoteMe approved trader stamp.