The construction industry is rife with potential hassles for professionals like building company owners or general contractors that take on home renovations or build structures from the ground up. Not only do they have to manage client demands and expectations, but they also have to compete against other contractors, juggle the costs of materials and labor against client payments, and of course, oversee a virtual army of vendors and subcontractors that do everything from creating blueprints to hauling materials to the site to putting in drywall. It can be a lot to handle, especially for the business owner that manages multiple projects at the same time. Luckily, there is an application for Apple devices that helps contractors to easily manage at least the vendor side of their business operation.

SmartBidNet is a free app that syncs up with your SmartBidNet online account, which is designed to help you formulate a network of vendors and subcontractors so that you can get bids for every job that comes your way, helping you to receive the best offers and pass the savings along to your clients. When you take on a job you don’t want to have to scramble to find quotes on materials and labor that will allow you to stick to the bid you gave your client. And considering that the alternative is to raise your own quote or eat the difference (neither of which are good business), this app could help to save you both time and money.

You’ll start simply enough by adding vendors that you’ve worked with before as well as those that are of interest to you because of location, recommendation, or other reasons. Then, when you take on a project, all you have to do is create an invitation (with provided templates) specific to the project that details the products and services you’re seeking. You can then search through your vendor listings by name or by the services provided, select the ones you’d like to include in your invitation to bid, and then mass mail the invite. From there it’s just a matter of waiting to hear back from selected vendors with their particular bids for your project. In short, its one-stop shopping for anyone in need of a few good subcontractors.

In addition, you’ll have an online plan room through which approved vendors can access files like blueprints, contracts, and other pertinent documents so that everyone is on the same page. And a partnership with Cloud Takeoff even allows users (including both general contractors and subcontractors) to access and edit documents and images as the project progresses. Of course, the only major drawback at this point is that many of these features are only available through the online portal. The app itself is supplemental, so even though it syncs up with your online account, the major functionality for mobile users lies in gaining access to contacts and projects that have already been entered online (not so much the adding and editing functionality). But if you need to contact a lumber supplier or secure a crane from overheadcranetec.com post-haste, this app can definitely help you to do it efficiently and find the best price in the process.

Editor’s Note

Thanks to Evan Fischer for this guest post. He is a freelance writer and part-time student at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California.