Adding the human element can turn a good estimate into a great bid.
Recently, I found myself in a discussion with a colleague who (like me) has for many years been employed as a construction estimator and project manager. Our talk centered on whether a good construction estimator was merely a “technician” who was simply more detailed and skilled in the nuts and bolts of compiling an estimate, or whether there was more to the picture.
We both easily agreed that nothing could replace sound, technical experience and attention to detail, but then we went on to explore what we called certain “human intuitive qualities” that separate the good estimators from the truly great. We then attempted to identify qualities -- the professional and (perhaps more importantly) personal traits that often separate the two levels.