Get Started with BidPak Fast:
Easy Setup for Electrical Contractors
Quick Start Guide
1. Set Up Your Business:
1. Company Information: Enter your company name, address, and phone number.
2. Business Settings: Here you'll set your default profit margins for materials, labor, overhead, and target profit. These can be adjusted for each project later.
Material Margin: This is your markup on materials compared to their average market price.
Labor Cost: This is your full burdened labor cost per hour for your team.
Labor Margin: This markup is added to your labor cost to determine your final billing rate.
Overhead: Enter your calculated overhead cost to ensure project revenue covers business expenses.
Profit Markup: Add your desired profit margin to create your final project sales price.
3. Logo & Business Licenses: Upload your company logo and business licenses so that your BidPak generated Proposals, Invoices and Procurement documents are branded to your company.
4. Sender Verification: To ensure your clients receive legitimate emails from your company through our software.
Select the Settings Icon on the left menu bar
Select Sender Verification, You should see the "Get verified to send emails from your Company." along with a button to "Send Verification"
Click on "Send Verification" button. Follow the on-screen instructions to add your company email address. We'll send a verification email to that address.
Go to your email inbox, and find the email sent by "SendGrid <no-reply@sendgrid.com"
Forward that email to: support@bidpak.com and you will instantly be verified
5. Simplify your payment process with BidPak and Stripe. Connect your BidPak account to Stripe and effortlessly collect payments from your customers. BidPak's invoicing features offer clear and accurate billing, helping you track project spending and remaining balances automatically. Even if you don't currently use Stripe, you will need to create an account and activating it through BidPak. Stripe seamlessly integrates with Quickbooks and other popular accounting software, streamlining your financial management. Coming soon: BidPak and Quickbooks integration will further simplify your workflow.
Select the Settings Icon on the left menu bar
Select Get Paid Via Stripe, follow the on screen instructions, select the Get Started button
Connect your existing Stripe Account or continue to Create a New Account and follow the on screen setup instructions, then you will be able to send and collect invoice payments for your BidPak projects.
6. Easily manage your Distributor contacts within BidPak.
Individual addition: Navigate to the Settings icon and add distributors one by one, assigning them to the appropriate electrical distributor.
Project-based addition: As you work through the Project Workflow Procurement stage, select the correct electrical distributor from the dropdown. Add your sales rep's email, and it will be automatically saved to your distributor list for future use.
Simplify your workflow and keep your Distributor information organized!
2. Starting Your First Project:
1. New Project Button: Click the "New Project" button on your home screen or projects screen.
2. Project Type: Select your project type (residential or commercial) and subtype (new construction, remodel, service, etc.). BidPak can use project type-specific settings.
3. Client Selection: Choose a new or existing customer from the list.
4. Templates: BidPak offers pre-built templates for common projects. You can also create and save your own templates.
5. Project Details:
Project ID: BidPak assigns a unique ID, or you can use your numbering system.
Project Name: Give your project a clear and descriptive name for reference.
Notes: Add any internal notes for the project (e.g., lockbox code).
Site Address: This may differ from the billing address.
3. Design Your Project:
1. Visual Design:
Upload drawings or photos of the project.
Take photos directly from your phone or tablet.
2. Work Packages:
Every project needs at least one work package. These help organize your project into manageable sections.
Add as many work packages as needed to categorize your work.
3. Adding Assemblies:
Choose from pre-built assemblies categorized by "What," "How," "Why," and "Where."
What: The device or equipment being installed (e.g., light switch, receptacle)
How: The installation method (e.g., Romex, MC Cable)
Why: The reason for installation (e.g., powering a specific device)
Where: The installation location (e.g., interior, exterior)
Use the 4-corner symbol controls to manipulate Smart Symbols:
Move/Resize/Rotate: Position and size the symbol for accurate placement.
Copy/Details/Change Package: Duplicate symbols, adjust assembly details, or change the work package.
Delete: Remove unwanted symbols.
4. Real-Time Takeoff: As you design, BidPak automatically generates a takeoff list with breakdowns for labor hours, labor costs, and material costs.
5. Contract Price: Monitor your project's final sales price in real time, allowing adjustments based on customer discussions.
Pro Tip: You can also add assemblies directly to the takeoff list without using the Visual Designer.
4. Create Your Own Assembly:
From the Assemblies tab or in the visual designer you can build your own assemblies and save them in your account.
Select “Create Assembly” to create a new assembly or “Copy to New” to copy an existing assembly and make desired changes.
Create Assembly Name: Every Assembly needs a unique name.
Select Category & Sub Category to store your assembly.
Select a Smart Symbol to represent your assembly.
Tag your assembly: with our suggested Tags - This increases Bidpak’s search functionality.
Add Components: Search our component library by catalog number to find components required in your assembly. Increase or decrease the quantity of each component to ensure you have the correct quantity.
Submit & Save to use your assembly on your next project.
5. Review & Submit a Winning Proposal:
1. Review the Proposal: Carefully review all details before submitting it to your customer.
2. Reports & Settings Review: Ensure your business settings are accurate for this project to maximize profitability.
3. Notes & Exclusions: Add any necessary notes to clarify your plan and define project exclusions (which can be set as default).
4. Scope of Work Detail Level: Select the desired level of detail for your scope of work.
5. Submit the Proposal: Electronically send the proposal for customer approval via email or text message. Drawings from the visual designer are automatically included.
6. Order Materials with our Procurement Tool
1. Bill of Materials: Utilize BidPak's procurement tools to generate a complete bill of materials that can be sent by email to a Distributor of your choice.
Our Bill of Materials is made up of all components based on your Take-Off or Design and includes:
Manufacturer
Description
Catalog Number
UPC
2. Selection: Choose one, two, or all work packages to include in the materials list sent to your Distributor.
3. Distributor Integration: Download or Copy a .csv file to quickly add to your Distributor's “Quick Add” feature from their website. *Currently only supported by Platt Electric Supply
7. Schedule with Accuracy:
After a project is awarded then you can schedule it multiple ways:
1. Schedule by Work Package to align with the project or construction schedule:
All Work Packages
Select one or more Work Packages
2. Schedule by Phase:
All Work Packages
Rough In / Trim Out: Bidpak breaks your tasks into Rough In and Trim Out time
3. All Work Packages & Phases can be assigned to one or multiple team members
4. Predictive Scheduling allows you to choose the size of your project team, and then BidPak will calculate the number of days and find the first available time to schedule your project.
8. Review & Submit an Invoice:
1. Create a Down Payment, Progress, or Final Invoice for your Project based on your Approved Proposal.
2. Show the Progress of each work package on every invoice
3. Submit via email, or text message and collect payment right away.
9. Manage Changes Smoothly:
1. After your proposal has been accepted then any change made to the proposal in the Visual Designer or Take-off will create a Change Order for the additional work.
2. Same process as creating a proposal.
Review the Change Order: Carefully review all details before submitting it to your customer.
Reports & Settings Review: Ensure your business settings are accurate for this project to maximize profitability.
Notes & Exclusions: Add any necessary notes to clarify your plan and define project exclusions (which can be set as default).
Scope of Work Detail Level: Select the desired level of detail for your scope of work.
Submit the Change Order: Electronically send the Change Order for customer approval via email or text message. Drawings from the Visual Designer are automatically included.
10. Track Your Progress: G-3YKJCK2380
1. Each Work Package and Smart Symbols get created as tasks for your project.
2. Track your daily progress with our Task list.
3. Check them off as you complete your work.
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