In construction and fit-out, the time between receiving a tender and submitting a quote matters. Customers may send a large Bill of Quantities (BOQ) or Scope of Work (SOW) in Excel or PDF, often with multiple sheets, different column structures, and hundreds or thousands of line items. Before construction estimation can begin, your team may need to manually review, reformat, map, and enter that information into your construction ERP.
The bottleneck isn’t always estimating, sometimes it’s processing and preparing tender data. AI-powered BOQ automation can help change that. With AI agents in NB Projects, customer tender data can be analysed, structured, and mapped into your project workflow, helping construction and fit-out businesses move from tender processing to estimation with less repetitive manual work. This blog explores how AI agents in NB Projects can automate tender data processing, from document analysis and data mapping to estimation setup.
The Traditional Tender Processing Bottleneck
A typical tender process can involve three time-consuming steps:
- Customer Data Arrives — The BOQ or SOW comes in the customer’s own format.
- Manual Data Preparation — Your team reviews the document, cleans the data, maps columns, and prepares it for import.
- Estimation Begins — Only after the data is ready can estimators focus on quantities, rates, costs, and margins.
For complex tenders, much of the team’s time can go into preparing data rather than analysing it.
How AI Agents Power BOQ Automation in NB Projects
NB Projects is a construction-focused ERP solution built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, supporting processes across estimation, project management, procurement, execution, subcontracting, and billing.
With AI agents, the tender-processing workflow becomes more connected:
1. Analyse Customer Documents
AI agents analyse customer-provided Excel and PDF files to identify relevant project information, including the structure, columns, and line items.
2. Map the Data Automatically
The identified information is mapped to the appropriate fields in NB Projects, including data across multiple sheets.
3. Create the Estimation Structure
Customer schedules can be converted into usable Estimation Lines or Project Tasks, reducing repetitive data entry before estimation begins.
4. Return the Finalised Pricing
Once your team adds pricing and cost information, the finalised data can be exported back into the customer’s required format.
What Does This AI Agent Change for Your Construction Team?
AI-powered tender processing helps shift the estimator’s focus from data preparation to commercial decision-making.
| Challenge | With AI Agents in NB Projects |
| Different customer BOQ formats | AI agents identify and structure the data |
| Large volumes of line items | Repetitive preparation is automated |
| Manual field mapping | Information is mapped to NB Projects |
| Time-consuming estimation setup | Estimation Lines / Project Tasks can be created faster |
| Customer format requirements | Finalised pricing can be returned in the required format |
The result is a more connected path from customer tender → estimation → project setup.
From Tender to Project Execution
The value of AI-powered BOQ processing goes beyond importing a document.
Once tender information is structured within NB Projects, it can support the wider project workflow from estimation and budgeting through procurement, execution, project cost control, and billing.
Tender → Estimation → Project Setup → Procurement → Execution → Billing
Instead of repeatedly moving information between disconnected processes, your team can work from a more connected construction ERP workflow.
Turn Tender Data Into Action Faster
AI agents for construction don’t replace your estimating team. They take on repetitive data-processing work so your team can focus on costing, pricing, commercial analysis, and winning the right projects.
With NB Projects, Spend less time preparing tender data and more time delivering projects.
See NB Projects in Action
Want to see how AI-powered BOQ processing works with a real tender?
Book a 30-minute NB Projects demo and see how customer tender data can move from their format into your estimation workflow.
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