PlanHub | Construction Bidding Management

Streamlining Preconstruction Workflows for Subcontractors, General Contractors, and Suppliers

In the fast-paced construction industry, the preconstruction phase is where projects are won or lost. Yet for many subcontractors and general contractors, this phase is time-consuming, fragmented, and inefficient.

Our team at PlanHub, a leading preconstruction bidding platform, was looking for ways to better connect subcontractors, general contractors and suppliers and to simplify how they find, evaluate, and bid on construction projects. As the lead product designer, my focus was product strategy, defining the problem, designing end to end solutions, validating with users and supporting implementation and QA.

OVERVIEW

My role: Senior Product Designer

Team: 2 designers, 2 product managers, product marketer, software engineers

Year: 2022.

Tools: Figma, Pendo, Google Analytics, Hubspot, Survey Monkey

PROBLEM

While PlanHub offered access to valuable projects leads and documentation, the platform faced major usability challenges. Feedback from users and data consistently revealed frustration with navigating project files, time-consuming workflows, and a lack of trust in the network.

While all users experienced challenges, it seemed that subcontractors were affected the most.

RESEARCH

Our surveys and user interviews revealed

MEET DAN, COMMERCIAL DRYWALL SUBCONTRACTOR

Dan’s company has 12 employees. He uses PlanHub to find active projects to bid for.

Primary goals:

  • Find new projects that fit his trade and location

  • Quickly access files to evaluate scope and prepare bids

  • Network and make his business visible

Pain points:

  • Time wasted navigating cluttered project pages

  • Missed opportunities due to inefficient workflows

  • Short bid due dates mean there is not enough time to submit bids

“It is a good resource for open bids, but difficult to download and work with bid documents on this site. This is the worst software I work with when finding and downloading plans. “ Dan. M, subcontractor

SUBCONTRACTOR’S PRECONSTRUCTION WORKFLOW

From a subcontractor's perspective, the preconstruction phase includes all the steps involved in discovering, evaluating, and bidding on new projects before construction begins.

HYPOTHESIS

We believed that streamlining the bidding workflow and simplifying project discovery would lead to:

  • Increased number of bid submissions within the first 90 days

  • Reduced time to first bid submission

  • Improved overall user satisfaction and retention

SOLUTION

The redesign focused on improving the relevance and speed with which subcontractors find new projects, evaluate opportunities, and submit bids.



We reimagined four core flows:

  • Registration: asking better questions to learn about companies’ needs and deliver a more personalized experience

  • Project discovery: helping subcontractors find relevant opportunities faster

  • Preparing and submitting a bid: well-organized, searchable project documentation

  • Prequalification & networking: building trust and efficiency into how users connect

FEATURES & IMPROVEMENTS

Improved project relevance with smarter registration

The registration flow was redesigned to collect more accurate trade and location data from subcontractors.

Now, project lists and bid invites are tailored to their trades and regions.

Find relevant projects faster

Project Finder was redesigned with robust filters, document level keyword search and easier access to critical project details.

Now, subcontractors can quickly search and filter opportunities that match their trade, location, and experience.

Get discovered, build credibility, and grow your network

The Network gives users the tools to get noticed, earn trust, and grow their professional reach.

Now, subcontractors, GCs and suppliers can showcase their expertise and connect with verified, relevant partners.

Streamline takeoffs and create accurate estimates faster

Takeoff and estimating tools are built into the bidding workflow to save time and improve accuracy.

Now, subcontractors can complete detailed takeoffs, request supplier quotes, and generate accurate estimates without ever leaving the platform.

Submit winning project bids with less effort

Bid Builder is a step-by-step tool with smart templates that guide subcontractors through creating accurate, polished proposals.

Now, subcontractors can review project files, gather supplier pricing, and submit high-quality bids more efficiently.

Show your company’s credibility and submit bids faster

Prequalification was built into the user profile to help subcontractors highlight credentials once and reuse them across many bids.

Now, users can demonstrate expertise, meet GC requirements more easily, and avoid re-entering the same information for every project.

IMPACT

Since launching the redesigned experience:

  • 30% drop in project list page exit rate

  • 25% increase in number of bids submitted within the first 90 days

  • 15% decrease in time to first submitted bid

  • 8% more subcontractors completed account sign up

  • Improved engagement with project pages and supplier connections

  • Positive usability testing results: 6 out of 8 users said during testing that project search and file access felt easier and more intuitive

Feedback from post-launch interviews showed that users felt more “in control” when navigating project documents and were able to act on opportunities faster and with greater confidence.

LEARNINGS

This project highlighted the importance of listening to our users through surveys, interviews, and usability testing and allowing their feedback and experiences to shape the design. By addressing key friction points in the preconstruction workflow, we not only improved the product but also empowered users to focus on what they do best: building great projects, faster and smarter.