With Dodge BidPro, Contractors Bid and Win More Work, Says McGraw-Hill Construction

NEW YORK, March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --  McGraw-Hill Construction's Dodge BidPro, the first-of-its-kind, web-based dashboard that pushes the most relevant and timely project data to contractors' desktops and mobile devices, has recently added new enhancements to help contractors move through the project selection and bidding process faster than ever before. Dodge BidPro draws from Dodge's proprietary, verified national reporting coverage, an expansive network of local reporters and the largest database of private and public construction information. Project reports, plans and specifications, as well as invitation to bid capabilities are integrated into the product's dashboard functionality.

"We coined the phrase, 'Stop Searching and Start Bidding,' for a reason. Simply put, the intuitive, dynamic nature of the product enables contractors to save lots of time, cut through the clutter, and just get down to bidding, winning work, and making money," said Kate Cassino, VP, Product Development for McGraw-Hill Construction. "This latest release provides enhancements that enable contractors to bid and win more work faster and easier than ever before."

To that end, contractors can now use the following enhanced features in Dodge BidPro:

• PDF Plans and eTakeoff: The user-friendly PDF format allows for easier sharing, and eTakeoff, the industry's leading takeoff software which is free with every Dodge BidPro subscription (a $500 value), helps customers save even more time and increase the accuracy of their estimates.
• Bid Date Alerts and Auto-Tracking for Invitation-to-Bid: Bid date alerts for actively selected projects and auto-tracked Invitations-to-Bid remind contractors 48 hours prior to the bid date, so they never have to miss a deadline again.
• Dodge "Quick Spec Links": Contractors can set their project dashboards by simply selecting specific trades, and BidPro will do the rest by customizing each Dodge Report to display "quick spec links" and all the trade keywords found in the specifications for that trade. This at-a-glance feature will drastically reduce the time it takes to review a project so Bidpro customers can spend more time on the right ones.
• Enhanced Ability to Sort Projects: Projects can be sorted by publish date, bid date, or project valuation—in ascending or descending order, allowing contractors to customize their view. They can also now "hide" projects that are not of interest and "unhide" projects if they become of interest later.
• One-Click Links to Update Dodge Bidder Lists, Documents and Projects: General contractors can now add their companies to Dodge Bidder Lists or add their construction projects and documents to Dodge with just one click—ensuring they will be seen by the most relevant contractors in the U.S. With Dodge BidPro, it's easier than ever to track bidders, distribute plans and drive down costs.
• Bidders' Email Addresses: Dodge Bidder Lists now include the email addresses of bidders when available so customers can get a jump on their competition by communicating faster.
• More Detailed Dashboards: Further enhancements to the intuitive charts and graphs within the Dodge BidPro dashboard make it easier for customers to gain intelligence about projects faster.

"We were on the cusp of buying another service when we took a look at Dodge's new BidPro product. By comparison, the other service would have required us to engage in the time consuming task of wading through way too many projects that were useless to us. We immediately recognized BidPro as the superior product and signed up," said Paul Gray, President, Gray & Company Painting. "We're planning for some changes this year to the projects and relationships we pursue, and we recognize Dodge as the leader— "top of the heap"— to help us succeed."

"We've received a very positive reception from the contractor market. They're telling us what they find the most useful—and we're listening and implementing it," Cassino added. "It's been very gratifying to see this product take off in just a few months, and equally gratifying to know we are giving our customers what they need today—and anticipating what needs to be included tomorrow. These enhancements are just the first step."

Dodge BidPro offers contractors a tailored view of Dodge data through customizable graphs, charts and intuitive navigation. Its intuitive logic and advanced database search technology, allows customers to leverage Dodge's deep experience in the construction project market and minimize searching for projects, a leading pain point according to contractors. Dodge BidPro's "Invitation to Bid" workflow tool also helps contractors submit winning bids. Once a suitable project is identified, contractors can invite subcontractors to their online plan room and access the plans and specs, greatly simplifying the process of building a winning bid team.

For more information, visit http://www.dodgebidpro.com/tour or call 1-877-601-6001.

About McGraw-Hill Construction:
McGraw-Hill Construction's data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets,Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record— create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
McGraw-Hill (NYSE: MHP) announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two public companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, an education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Indices, Platts energy information services, and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2010, the Corporation has approximately 21,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

SOURCE McGraw-Hill Construction