Bill of Quantities & Tender Pricing

Q: Can the automation work with our existing rate database and historical projects?

Yes. The automation connects to your rate database and historical project records to match rates by item type, location, and project category.

Q: Will the automation handle client-specific branding and formatting?

Yes. The automation applies client branding, sections, headers, and formatting rules to generate both Excel and PDF versions.

Q: How much manual work remains after automation is deployed?

A surveyor still reviews the completed BoQ for accuracy and commercial reasonableness, and approves it for submission. This review typically takes 30 minutes per tender instead of 9.6 hours.

Q: What if a tender request includes unusual items or special requirements?

The automation flags non-standard items and special requirements for manual review. Surveyors can add custom quantities or rates, and the document regenerates automatically.

Accurate, consistent tender prices compiled from drawings and cost data, ready to submit without the spreadsheet marathon.

460 hrs

Manual time identified

Companies have mapped

Map This Automation

About This Automation

Preparing a bill of quantities and tender pricing manually requires surveyors to extract quantities from drawings, cross-reference specifications, look up rates, and compile formatted documents. This process is time-intensive, error-prone, and delays tender submission by days.

Automation extracts quantities from drawings, applies unit rates from a database, and compiles a formatted BoQ document with minimal manual intervention. Surveyors review and approve the output, reducing tender turnaround from nearly a week to 1-2 days.

Key features:

Extract quantities automatically from PDF drawings and specifications

Match unit rates from a database based on item type and project category

Compile formatted BoQ documents with sections, headers, and client branding

Flag ambiguous items and missing rates for manual review

Generate Excel and PDF versions with version control and audit trails

Reduce tender preparation time from 9.6 hours to 2 hours per tender

Data insights How it works Apps used What you get FAQ

Top friction points when done manually

The issues teams report most often with this process

#	Friction point	Companies Report This
1	Manual quantity extraction from drawings Surveyors spend 4 hours per tender manually counting items from PDF drawings, introducing transcription errors and delays.	80%
2	Rate lookup across multiple sources Unit rates must be searched across rate books, historical projects, and supplier quotes, consuming 90 minutes per tender.	67%
3	Revision cycles and rework Feedback from senior review often requires multiple rounds of corrections and document regeneration.	53%
4	Spreadsheet formula errors Manual calculation of extended prices and subtotals introduces formula errors that must be caught during review.	40%
5	Document formatting and export delays Final formatting, PDF export, and branding application add 20 minutes per tender and are prone to layout issues.	26%

Disclaimer

Automation readiness

How well-suited this process is for automation

Process Pain Score™

8.4/ 10

AI Fit Rating™

8.6/ 10

Automation Lift Index™

8.4/ 10

Hidden Overhead™

7.1/ 10

How The Automation Works

The full workflow, from trigger to completion.

1. Tender Request Receivedtrigger

New project brief and drawing set arrive via email or project portal. Automation is triggered with project metadata and document links.

2. Extract Quantities from Drawings

The automation analyzes PDF drawings and specifications to identify and count material and labour items. Extracted quantities are logged with descriptions and units.

3. Look Up Unit Rates

Automation queries the rate database and historical project records to apply unit rates to each item. Rates are matched by item type, location, and project category.

4. Calculate Extended Prices

System multiplies quantities by unit rates and calculates line totals, subtotals, and grand total. All formulas are applied consistently.

5. Generate BoQ Document

Automation compiles the priced quantities into a formatted BoQ template with sections, headers, and branding. Document is exported to PDF and Excel formats.

6. Route for Senior Review

Completed BoQ is sent to senior surveyor via email with a link to review and approve in the automation platform. Feedback is captured in a structured form.

7. Approved?

If senior surveyor approves, proceed to submission. If feedback is provided, return to the automation for revisions.

8. Send Tender to Client

Final BoQ is sent to client with cover letter, submission deadline, and project reference. Delivery confirmation is logged.

Most popular tool stack used

— the complete tool combinations companies use

58% of companies

28% of companies

13% of companies

Disclaimer

What you get when you map this process

Everything you need to understand, plan, and build your automation.

ROI and business case

What this process costs today and what changes once it's automated.

Launch schedule

What gets built, in what order, and what success looks like once it's live.

Process runbook

How the automation runs day to day, including exceptions and human decision points.

Developer handover pack

Full build spec, logic, and configuration — ready to hand off without a briefing call.

Integration and connections guide

Every tool connection, credential, and data mapping the build needs.

Test and QA plan

28 hrsIdentified

4Mapped

View

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before mapping this process.

What happens to drawings and specifications that are unclear or non-standard?

The automation flags ambiguous items and missing rates for a surveyor to review and override manually. This ensures nothing is missed while eliminating routine extraction work.

Can the automation work with our existing rate database and historical projects?

Will the automation handle client-specific branding and formatting?

How much manual work remains after automation is deployed?

What if a tender request includes unusual items or special requirements?

View more FAQs

Process pain:8.4/10

Mapped by:4 Companies

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Page updated 10 August 2026