80%
Estimation Time Reduced
3x
More Bids Per Estimator
+7%
Cost Accuracy Achieved
85%
Adoption Within 2 Months
<6mo
To ROI
executive summary
From 30-Day Bottleneck to 5-Day Intelligence
A leading construction and engineering group managing mid-sized commercial and infrastructure projects across Asia faced a critical bottleneck: every tender required teams to manually extract quantities from drawings, cross-check vendor pricing, and compile bids, a process taking 25–30 days per project. The result was missed opportunities, inconsistent cost data, and reactive operations. RedEx deployed its Agentic OS with AI-powered takeoff, a unified Lead Portal to cut estimation time to 5 days and tripling bid throughput within a 60-day pilot.
Estimation Cycle
30 → 5 days
+83% speed gain
Bid Volume
×3 per month
Revenue ↑ 15%
Cost Accuracy
±7%
Margin stability ↑
Adoption Rate
85%
Operational trust ↑
ROI Timeline
<6 months
Investment returned
Pain Points
30 days
Average bid cycle
10+
Disconnected systems
1 in 4
Bids reaching submission
60%
Time on manual measurement
We take our clients’ confidentiality seriously. While we’ve changed their names and certain identifying details, the results are real.
CLIENT PROFILE
Sector
Markets
US / Vietnam
Technology
Agentic OS
Countries
5+ countries
01. Overview
Context & Challenges
The client manages mid-sized commercial and infrastructure projects across US and Asia, with operations spanning 5 countries and multiple subcontractors. Every tender required teams to manually extract quantities from drawings, cross-check vendor pricing, and compile bids, a process taking 25–30 days per project.
Leadership knew automation could help, but their first experiments with off-the-shelf takeoff tools failed. The software produced results, but not context: it didn’t understand the company’s workflows, units, or approval chains. They needed an AI solution that could learn from their people and adapt to their processes.
Key Challenges Identified:
- 30 days per bid meant competitors responded faster.
- 10+ systems (AutoCAD, Excel, ERP) with no single source of truth.
- Senior estimators spent most of their time on measurement, not analysis.
- Only 1 in 4 bids reached submission due to workload.
- Leadership lacked real-time metrics on pipeline, status, or profitability.
2
02. our approach
REDEX HYBRID FRAMEWORK
RedEx implemented its Hybrid Consulting + Platform + Managed Services model combining strategic workshops, platform design, AI deployment, and hands-on training within a structured 60-day pilot.
WEEK 1
Strategy Workshop
- Mapped current estimation workflow and friction points
- Defined measurable success: 80% time reduction, ±10% cost accuracy
WEEK 2-3
Platform Design
- Configured RedEx Agentic OS as the foundation for the Lead Portal
- Integrated AutoCAD, Revit, and ERP (SAP Business One)
WEEK 4-6
AI Takeoff Engine
- Trained computer-vision models on 1,000+ drawings
- Automated quantity takeoff and cost estimation with ±5–10% accuracy
ONGOING
Agentic Workflow Orchestration
- Configured three AI agents: Takeoff, Costing, and Review
- Each agent collaborates through the Lead Portal in real time
ONGOING
Training & Adoption
- Role-based training for estimators, sales teams, and project managers
- Introduced a “shadow AI mentor” to coach users on next steps
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03. The EXECUTION
The Phased Approach
01
- Discovery & Benchmarking
RedEx mapped the client’s entire bid journey from RFQ to submission. Findings revealed that 60% of time was spent on manual measurement, 25% on data reconciliation between drawings and Excel, and 15% on internal approvals and revisions.
Baseline established: average cycle = 30 days
02
- AI Enablement
The AI Takeoff engine automatically extracted dimensions from PDFs and AutoCAD files. Within two weeks, it processed 100 test drawings at 95% accuracy. By Week 6, teams were using the system live on projects.
95% accuracy on automated takeoff within 4 weeks
03
- Orchestration & Integration
3 AI agents were deployed under the Agentic OS: a Takeoff Agent that extracts quantities and classifies by material, a Costing Agent that pulls vendor rates and calculates totals, and a Review Agent that validates outputs and flags uncertainties for human approval. All updates fed into a central Lead Portal dashboard linked to CRM and ERP.
3 AI agents orchestrated under a single portal
04
- Measurement & Scale
The pilot was evaluated on 5 key KPIs. After proof of value, the client approved a 6-month enterprise-wide rollout covering all regional offices.
Enterprise-wide rollout approved after 60-day pilot
4
04. The OUTCOMES
Deliverables & Outcomes
AI Takeoff Module
Estimation time reduced by 80%
Auto-detects walls, beams, and fixtures from drawings (95%+ accuracy)
Lead Portal Dashboard
Real-time visibility for executives
Unified pipeline view from lead to quote to award
Cost Database Integration
Bid accuracy ±5–10%
Linked vendor prices and labor rates for instant quote generation
Workflow Automation
Human error reduced by 70%
AI agents auto-notify reviewers and update statuses
Performance Dashboard
ROI achieved in <6 months
ROI tracking by hours saved and bids won
60-Day Pilot KPI Results
KPI
Baseline
After 60 days
Improvement
Estimation Time
30 days
5 days
−83%
Cost Accuracy
±15%
±7%
+8 pts
Bids Submitted / Month
4
12
x3
Human Errors
12 per bid
3 per bid
−75%
ROI Timeline
—
4.5 months
Measured Return
Key Results
Growth
3x
More Bids Per Estimator
85%
Adoption Rate
EFFICIENCY
80%
Estimation Time Reduced
<6mo
ROI Timeline
Performance
±7%
Cost Accuracy
−40%
Stress Reduction
5
05. The Insights
Insights & Lessons Learned
The Lead Portal marks the shift from manual construction estimation to orchestrated intelligence. What used to be a 30-day bottleneck became a 5-day conversation between people and AI. 4 design principles that lead the product from AI to ROI:
01
- AI Must Learn from Context
Training on the client’s own drawings was the difference between “almost right” and accurate. Off-the-shelf tools failed because they lacked understanding of specific workflows, units, and approval chains.
02
- Change Management Outweighs Coding
Weekly feedback loops and on-site coaching drove adoption to 85%. Technology alone doesn’t create transformation, people do.
03
- Measure Early, Measure Often
Dashboards tracking hours saved and bids won turned skepticism into proof. Making ROI visible from Week 1 built executive confidence.
04
- Start Human, Scale Intelligent
Begin with one workflow, prove impact, then expand: The RedEx 60-Day Model. AI did not replace estimators; it elevated them.
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06. The RedEx Team
Our Perspective
The Lead Portal embodies RedEx’s philosophy: Human + Intelligent + Measurable. It’s proof that AI creates value only when it changes how people work, not when it replaces them.
Human
Built around how estimators actually work. Junior staff handle first-pass takeoffs; seniors focus on strategy and risk.
Intelligent
Agents that learn and adapt from real projects. Three AI agents collaborate through a unified portal in real time.
Measuarable
Every workflow tracked by time saved and accuracy improved. ROI dashboards turned skepticism into executive confidence.
Lead Consultant
Architected workflow and ROI model
AI Engineer
Deployed and trained vision models on client drawings
Project Manager
Ensured process adoption across teams
Change Manager
Measured engagement and feedback loops to achieve >85% adoption
READY TO TALK?
Let's build your AI-powered workflow.
Whether you’re automating estimation, orchestrating AI agents, or building a unified operations portal, RedEx brings the methodology, platform, and hands-on experience to deliver measurable ROI in 60 days.
“We don’t predict the future. We design the systems that will build it.”
