A Step-by-Step Guide to Transitioning from Manual to Automated Takeoff For Landscapers

For estimators, time is money–and manual takeoffs can cost you both. Imagine sending out twice as many bids, especially during the peak season. You can—with automated landscape takeoff software.

This guide will show you how to transition effortlessly to automated takeoffs, ensuring higher productivity and accuracy for your landscaping projects. Say goodbye to time-consuming manual calculations and hello to efficiency, accuracy, and growth. 

Automated Takeoff Software: A Game Changer for Landscaping Projects 

How do automated takeoffs work? They leverage AI-driven algorithms and geospatial imagery to deliver accurate measurements for lawns, hedges, mulch beds, gravel beds, trees, shrub counts, and more within hours and you can now set up your takeoffs in just three simple steps. 

Nowadays, you can submit takeoff straight from the site itself using mobile takeoff app. 

Attentive.ai’s Automeasure integrates seamlessly with your existing tech stack, ensuring no disruption to your workflow. By adopting automated takeoffs, you can send out 50% more bids while saving 95% of the time compared to traditional takeoffs.

You can also run multiple takeoffs parallelly and queue up to 10 takeoffs as well.

Here Is Why Automated Takeoffs Are The Need Of The Hour

Speed: 60% of the time, the bid that reaches your prospect first wins. By automating your takeoffs, you can respond to RFPs and RFQs faster. 

Imagine being able to bid portfolio bids without guesstimating. Measuring 100% of your set of 1000+ sites and bidding confidently. You can do that by automating your measurements.

Also read: No More Manual Measurements: Make Way for AI Landscape Measuring Software

Accuracy: AI algorithms analyze high-resolution aerial imagery to precisely measure lawns, hedgers, mulch beds, lawn area, shrubs, tree, driveways, etc. With accurate measurement data, you can deliver profitable estimates for materials and labor, reducing the risk of over- and underquoting. Whether designing a city park or corporate office landscape, you can ensure that every square foot is accounted for with precision. 

Efficiency: By automating your takeoffs, you reclaim time for your estimators and sales teams. Instead of clicking and drawing polygons on screen for hours, account managers can now spend time chasing leads, wooing customers, and other value-add tasks. 

Besides, automated tools allow landscape professionals to manage multiple takeoffs simultaneously, dramatically increasing productivity without adding to your workload. For example, you could queue up takeoffs for several commercial projects in one go, streamlining the bidding process and allowing you to take on more clients without expanding your team.

Accessibility: Mobile AI takeoff tools are built for convenience and can be easily operated from your smartphone, making the takeoff process accessible anywhere. Whether at the job site, in a meeting, or on the go, you can quickly make adjustments or review measurements without needing to be tied to a desktop. 

Collaboration: AI takeoff software makes collaboration easy by providing multiple formats, such as PDFs, Excel files, JPEGs, or shareable links. You can easily share takeoff data with your team, vendors, prospects, or clients, keeping everyone aligned and avoiding miscommunication. 

How To Choose The Right Automated Takeoff Software

Congratulations on deciding to switch to automated takeoff !!!

Choosing the right platform is critical for a successful transition. Consider the following factors when choosing the right automated takeoff software:

• Check for software with an intuitive, user-friendly interface that doesn’t require extensive training—this will help you get the process running quickly. 

• Accuracy is another critical factor; software should offer precise measurements and reliable data to prevent errors. 

• Ideal automated takeoff software integrates seamlessly into your existing tools and platforms, like project management or estimating platforms.

• Check for scalability factors; choosing a solution that can grow with your business and handle larger projects as you expand will be an asset to your business. 

• Look for a cloud-based solution that allows you to share your output in varying formats, such as shareable links, PDFs, Excels, and more.

• Closely examine the available customer support options, as reliable support can make a big difference, especially during the onboarding phase.

Read: How Automated Takeoffs Boosted a Montreal Landscaping Company's Lead Generation By 15%

How To Prep For Manual To Automated Takeoff Transition

Preparing your team for the shift from manual to automated takeoffs in the landscaping industry involves strategies like clear communication and targeted training. Let’s go over this in detail. 

Educate your team

Anytime you bring in a change to your company, it’s always important to explain the “why” behind the change to your employees and educate them on how automated takeoffs can reduce manual errors, increase efficiency, and allow the team to focus on more strategic tasks. 

Provide training

Introduce the new software gradually and start with training sessions that help cover the basics and emphasize on real-life scenarios your team regularly encounters. This hands-on approach will help them see the software’s direct impact on their daily work.

Encourage exploration

Encourage your team to explore the software independently, giving them time to become comfortable with the interface. Ensure you pair this strategy with regular check-ins, where they can ask questions and share feedback on their experience. 

Bring in specialists

Bring in a specialist who can be an internal go-to resource, helping everyone troubleshoot and problem-solve as they learn. By gradually building familiarity and confidence, your team will be better prepared to maximize the benefits of automated takeoffs and ultimately be prepared for more efficient operations and higher accuracy in landscaping projects.

Establish A Clear Workflow

Establishing a clear workflow is essential when preparing your landscaping team to transition from manual to automated takeoffs. A well-defined process helps ease the adjustment and ensures that everyone understands their role in the new system. Document each phase and create a step-by-step guide that team members can easily follow. This can be shared as a digital document or as a visual flowchart that outlines how tasks will be completed within the software.

To ensure accountability and clarity, assign different tasks to different people. For instance, allocate specific team members to handle submitting takeoffs, and some can review the final measurements so there’s no overlap or missed steps. This, in turn, will help the team members master the tasks for which they’ll be directly responsible.

Test And Refine

Once your team is well-trained and your new automated takeoff workflow is established in the company, it's time to test the procedure. Start by accommodating automated takeoff software for small-scale projects, giving your team hands-on experience to familiarize themselves with the tool and workflow. This initial trial run allows them to identify areas for improvement and familiarize themselves with the software’s features in a low-pressure setting. Gather feedback from the team to refine your workflow and address any concerns and challenges. 

Track And Continuously Improve The Process

After successfully transitioning to automated takeoff software, keep monitoring your team’s progress and identify areas for improvement. Regularly review your workflows, assess how well the software meets your needs, and fetch feedback from the team to ensure everything is running smoothly. This ongoing evaluation helps you optimize the software’s capabilities and ensures continued success with automated takeoffs on every project.

Closing Words

Nobody likes change. And transitioning from manual takeoff methods to automated takeoff software may seem challenging initially. Still, with the right strategies in place, it can result in a much more streamlined estimating process for your landscaping business. 

Investing in proper training for your team, setting up a clear and efficient workflow, and continuously refining your processes are vital to ensure a smooth transition. As you make a switch to automated takeoff, get ready to crush your sales quota with increased efficiency, accuracy, and productivity to your landscaping projects and say forever bye to rulers, excel spreadsheets, and human errors. 

Ready to make the switch? Schedule a demo with us for  Automeasure today!

Also Read: Why you need an automated takeoff blueprint software

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