For a small concrete/masonry shop (under 10 people), run a single 90‑day bid cycle with lightweight, fast decision gates. Use a one-page scope checklist and weekly 2‑hour bid sprints led by a estimator and a data lead, with a project manager owning the final handoff. Keep scope drift under 5%, and price with risk‑adjusted, simple rules. Target a net margin of 15% and cut CAC by ~30% by delivering clearer scope and faster numbers. Track a simple KPI dashboard (Bid → Win, Margin, Backlog days) to support long‑term, bid‑based sales. Expect win-rate to move from ~12% to ~28% and crews of three to stay fast and predictable.
Snapshot
Short facts. The switch finished inside one 90-day quarter. Win rate improved from 12% to 28%. Target net margin set at 15%. Customer acquisition cost fell by 30%. Scope stayed inside tolerance at 98%.
Progress shows the new win rate for the quarter.
Why the change happened
The decision came from clear, fast data. The buyer wanted less risk and faster answers. The seller matched the risk profile with quick numbers. That made the client feel safe.
"They needed a clear price with a backup plan. Fast numbers changed the choice."
How fast can a switch happen: 90 days from first contact to signed long-term bid. The short answer helped win the contract.
Bid anatomy
One clear map: collect inputs, run a small model, open gates at set days, assign roles.
- Inputs: site notes, itemized cost sheet, a simple risk score, lead source label.
- Analytics: risk-adjusted price and timeline. Use a ruleset to move fast.
- Gates: day 30 and day 60 go/no-go checks with short reports.
- Roles: estimator, data lead, project manager. Each owns one gate.
| Gate | Decision | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Day 7 — Quick assess | Go if site is within baseline risk | Estimator |
| Day 30 — Price & scope | Approve risk-adjusted price | Data lead |
| Day 60 — Contract prep | Sign or pause | Project manager |
| Day 90 — Handoff | Start work under terms | PM + Estimator |
| Notes: Use simple checklists at each gate. Track who signs each decision. Keywords for searches: bid cadence, gate review, fast estimate. | ||
Crew operations & risk
Crews had three people. Each crew delivered about four work items per day. Small teams moved fast and kept errors low.
- Throughput
- ~4 deliveries per day per 3-person crew.
- QA checkpoints
- Two quick checks per job day: morning plan check and end-of-day signoff.
- Contingency reserve
- Built-in 8% time reserve. That cut backlog days by ~40%.
Simple rules kept scope steady. When scope drifted past 5%, a change ticket was required. That limited creeping work.
Meter approximates average daily deliveries per 3-person crew.
Pricing and margin change
A small forecasting setup suggested price tolerance and timing. The team used practical AI rules to spot where price could move without losing the client.
| Metric | Change |
|---|---|
| Net margin | +6 percentage points vs. incumbent |
| Target margin | 15% goal on new contracts |
| CAC | -30% (simpler bid process and clearer scope) |
| Maintenance savings | Captured in contract as annual ops savings |
| Considerations: verify margins on each scope item. Searches to find similar tables: margin delta, CAC drop, pricing tolerance. | |
Meter shows the measured margin improvement in percentage points.
Replicable checklist
Repeatable steps keep the playbook usable. The steps are short. The team can follow them each quarter.
- Quarterly cadence with one 90-day bid cycle.
- Weekly two-hour sprints for bids in progress.
- One-page scope checklist attached to each bid.
- Dashboard KPIs: bid→win, CAC, LTV, margin, backlog days.
Expanded checklist and examples
Example items for the one-page scope checklist:
- Site constraints: stairs, access width, power.
- Material list: unit and total counts.
- Time windows: start date and critical finish date.
- Change ticket threshold: 5% of original scope.
- Contingency: 8% time, 6% cost buffer.
Weekly sprint example:
- Monday: review open bids (15 minutes each).
- Wednesday: estimator update and risk score refresh.
- Friday: final decision prep for day-30 gate.
Dashboard sample KPIs to track every week:
| KPI | Target | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Bid → Win | 25%+ | 28% |
| CAC | ↓30% | ↓30% |
| Margin | 15% | 15% |
| Backlog days | ↓40% | ↓40% |
| Notes: Update the dashboard weekly. Use simple visual flags: green, amber, red. Keywords: bid cadence, sprint plan, one-page scope. | ||
Glossary (short)
- Win curve
- Speed from trial to contract, measured in days or weeks.
- Crew throughput
- Deliveries per day per 3-person crew. Used to size teams for bids.
- Margin delta
- Net change in margin versus the incumbent provider, in percentage points.
- Customer acquisition cost
- Total cost to win a client, reduced here by faster, clearer bids.
| Metric | Quarter | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Crew size | Q | 3 |
| Win rate (before→after) | Q | 12% → 28% |
| Customer acquisition cost | Q | -30% |
| Target net margin | Q | 15% |
| Scope adherence | Q | 98% |
| Considerations: Track trends across quarters. Useful search tags: sudden drop in reviews, prospect chose other provider, competitor price drop, marketing campaign fizzled, deal closed fast. | ||
small contractor, under 10 employees, masonry, concrete, blockwork, 3-person crew, quarterly bid cycle, 90-day bid cycle, bid cadence, fast estimates, risk-adjusted pricing, price tolerance, scope clarity, one-page scope checklist, gate reviews, short decision cycles, CAC reduction, margin targets, backlog reduction, long-term bids, bid-based sales, predictable margins, rapid decision making, win rate improvement