AI platform, Bobyard, has unveiled Bobyard 2.0, its latest platform update delivering accelerated takeoff workflows and a unified AI workbench, designed to keep pace with the estimators (those responsible for calculating project budgets) who use it every day throughout the construction and landscaping industry.
By speeding up takeoff operations, a important part of estimating a project where details of materials and quantities needed for a construction job are analysed, contractors can reduce the risk of the errors possible with manual measurements. Ultimately, faster takeoffs can lead to fewer costly surprises during the construction process.
Bobyard 2.0 features
Bobyard 2.0 integrates materials and their costs with a ‘measure first, price later’ model, designed to save time and reduce errors from takeoff to finalised bids.
A new Multi-Measure feature lets estimators to draw once, and not have to create separate lines or shapes to calculate an area, perimeter, or total volume. The system generates all related measurements simultaneously, reducing the need for measurements.
Bobyard has also connected its AI tools in an AI Workbench that includes a Review Workflow option to let estimators to check and decide whether to trust or adjust certain AI outputs before adding them to their takeoff.
Another updated feature providing flexibility is Legend Manager, that gives users a “dedicated space to create and run symbol and pattern legends.” Text Count lets users turn words or labels in drawings into count measurements.
According to Bobyard, “once your takeoff is done, you shouldn’t have to rebuild anything to get to a finalised estimate.” Moreover, importing pricing and assemblies into Bobyard 2.0’s Estimate Table is “simpler and more streamlined” letting users “move from takeoff to a production-ready estimate without exporting anything to Excel or redoing anything just to see it in an estimate context.” In other words, it places itself as a big update for estimators.
Improvements to navigation means greater ease of use, with cross-page search introduced as a feature and a generally streamlining of the workflow from takeoff to final, ready-to-use estimates, without needing to leave the platform or switch tools.
Bobyard raised $35 million Series A funding last year, led by 8VC with Pear VC and Caffeinated Capital.
The company says its platform currently automates up to 70% of the quantity and material takeoff process with contractors using Bobyard reporting an average reduction in takeoff times of 65%. Estimators are reportedly submitting three to five times more bids while enjoying more accurate results with improved margins and win rates. Michael Ding, founder and CEO of Bobyard, said: “Every change we made was driven by what our customers told us they needed to move faster, stay in control, and spend less time doing work that software should be doing for them. This is our answer to that, and it’s only the beginning.”
Marty Grunder, founder of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping, said: “The AI tools are on another level. We’re talking cutting takeoff time in half on real jobs. If you’re trying to level up your estimating this season, there’s nothing else like this on the market. Period.”
Launched on April 8 for landscaping contractors, Bobyard 2.0 is expected to be available for additional construction trades in late April.
(Image source: “Contractors continue renovations on Vicenza conference center” by USACE Europe District is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
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