With reference to ‘Paper issues’ (Letters, QS News, 28 July), one of the main barriers to the uptake of e-tendering is the reluctance of all of the building industry software vendors to adopt a standard data exchange file format.

Various pieces of bespoke software are needed to produce a single Bill of Quantities document. There is no cohesion amongst these different packages and ultimately they produce their own unique data files that can’t be read by any other software. This creates a problem whereby contractors cannot input the resultant data directly into their estimating systems. Attempts have been made in the past to produce a standard export format, CITE and XML being two examples, but these aren’t universally adopted by all vendors.

The ensuing mish-mash of file formats requires that the tender document be issued as a PDF, effectively resulting in an electronic print out. Contractors print the PDFs, hand write the rates and extensions, then scan them back into their computer to ensure the tender is returned electronically. Where is the sense in this?

Colin Kingshott, via email

Source

QS News