The Demo: How It Works

1. Dynamic Unit Price Catalog (UPC)

Pain Point: Static cost databases don't account for regional variations. When following clients across the country, teams manually adjust costs or use inaccurate averages.

Solution: Ediphi's UPC is a living database with cost data for 25+ major US metros. Teams select a baseline region, and Ediphi automatically escalates or de-escalates costs across regions using factors or pro-rata adjustments. As estimators complete projects and speak with trade partners, they can crowd-source cost updates directly into the UPC, keeping data current without manual intervention.

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2. Concept-to-Detail Estimating with LOD (Level of Detail)

Pain Point: Estimators toggle between static spreadsheets for high-level estimates and detailed estimating tools, losing data consistency and making variance analysis manual and error-prone.

Solution: Ediphi's LOD tagging bridges the gap between conceptual and detailed estimates. A conceptual estimate might have 100 lines organised by use group; when moving to detail, the same lines tie to industry-standard cost codes. This enables automatic variance reporting—teams can track how actual detailed costs compare to the initial concept. All stages exist in the same tool, eliminating spreadsheet friction.

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3. Formulas with Context

Pain Point: Excel formulas are cryptic. A cell might multiply by 1.5, but nobody remembers why. Changing formulas risks breaking estimates.

Solution: Ediphi formulas include variable names that explain the logic. Instead of a bare multiplier, the formula reads '0.5 waste factor', so the intent is clear. Formulas can reference the area sheet, use groups, or other line items, creating linked logic that updates automatically. Overriding a formula doesn't delete it. Teams can revert or toggle logic on and off.

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4. Historical Pricing & Domain Knowledge

Pain Point: When pricing a specific scope (e.g., elevator pit removal), estimators can't quickly see how similar work was priced on past projects. They either guess or hunt through archived files.

Solution: Historical pricing surfaces past costs inline during the estimation process. Right-click any line item and see every time it appeared across the company (filtered by region or company-wide). If a price seems off, toggle it out. Teams can also identify the original estimator and ask context-specific questions. This turns the estimate into an interactive reference guide, replacing slow, manual benchmarking.

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5. Unit Mix & Rooms for Revenue-Based Estimation

Pain Point: Architects and clients want to understand cost per unit (apartment, hotel room, parking space), not just total square footage. Tracking this in spreadsheets is tedious and error-prone.

Solution: The Unit Mix tool lets teams define units (studios, 1BR, 2BR apartments, ORs, ERs for healthcare) and specify fixtures per unit type. Ediphi automatically calculates quantity takeoffs—add a bathroom, and quantities for tile, toilets, and fixtures update everywhere. Costs roll up to cost per unit, enabling 'option engineering' conversations with clients in real-time. What if we add more revenue-generating spaces? The estimate updates instantly.

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6. Systems Takeoff

Pain Point: Scope gaps occur when systems aren't fully detailed. Curtain wall might include the wall itself but not embeds or structure ties. A curtain wall might include the wall itself, ties, leading to back-charges and claims. A curtain wall might include the wall itself, but not embeds or structural. Ages and claims.

Solution: The Systems group consolidates cost lines into a single package. Instead of adding just 'Curtain Wall,' estimators create a system that includes the wall, embeds, and structural ties. This visual grouping highlights what's included and prevents scope gaps. Systems can be saved as templates and reused across projects, speeding estimate build and improving consistency.

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7. General Conditions & General Requirements

Pain Point: Operations and estimators disagree on overhead. Clients always push back, saying GC/GR numbers are too high. There's no clear link between what's budgeted and what's justified.

Solution: Ediphi ties GC/GRs directly to staffing plans, project schedules, and the estimate itself. Costs escalate in future fiscal years, and markups are linked with future fiscal years, and markups link to specific bid packages. When clients question overhead, teams show exactly what's included. Teams can also reallocate costs to hard line items to present a different structure in future fiscal years, and markups are linked to specific bid packages in future fiscal years without changing the total.

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8. Contracting & Bid Leveling

Pain Point: Building scope sheets for trade bids is a manual and error-prone process. Coordinating responses and identifying scope gaps often requires the use of spreadsheets and email chains.

Solution: One click exports the estimate into structured scope sheets by trade, complete with scope, bid requirements, and alternates. Teams can track bidders, flag missing bids (red cells), and coordinate scope gaps directly in the platform. If Glass can't cover a scope item, 'no with' it to another bidder without email—the platform triggers collaboration automatically.

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9. Cost Modelling for Quick Client Proposals

Pain Point: After a client lunch, generating a preliminary estimate means hunting through past projects, adjusting scope, escalating for time and region, and applying spreadsheet logic, a process that takes a day or more.

Solution: Cost Modelling benchmarks completed estimates as templates. Select a past project, filter by use group, and populate with new specs. Ediphi applies regional and temporal escalation automatically. Teams can override line items, hide outliers, and customise metrics. Export to PDF or Excel in minutes. This move proposal turnaround from days to hours, enabling faster business development.

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