How Westphal Electric Successfully Implemented IntelliBid Electrical Estimating Software

When Westphal & Co. needed to replace the electrical estimating software it had relied on for decades, the company knew that selecting the right system was only part of the challenge. Successfully introducing new estimating software would also require an implementation and training strategy that could minimize disruption, preserve proven estimating practices, and give employees the confidence to use the new system consistently.

After evaluating multiple electrical estimating solutions, Westphal selected IntelliBid electrical estimating software and SureCount digital takeoff from Conest.

Westphal then used a personalized train-the-trainer strategy. Key company leaders completed four days of customized Conest training before bringing that knowledge back to Westphal’s estimators and project managers.

The result was a structured rollout that helped Westphal introduce IntelliBid on its preferred schedule, train employees consistently, and establish the software as part of its day-to-day electrical estimating workflow.

Westphal & Co.: At a Glance

The Challenge: Why Westphal Needed New Electrical Estimating Software

Electrical estimating is a critical business function for Westphal & Co.. When the company’s previous estimating software vendor was acquired and support for the estimating product was discontinued, Westphal began searching for a replacement.

The decision carried significant weight. Westphal had used its previous estimating system for approximately 30 years, and CEO John Westphal wanted the company’s next platform to do more than simply replace what it already had.

Westphal needed electrical estimating software that could keep pace with changing technology, support its established estimating processes, and continue evolving alongside the business.

For Westphal, estimating software was not a secondary tool. The company viewed it as a strategic business system with an impact comparable to other core platforms used across the organization.

That made both the quality of the electrical estimating software and the quality of the implementation process important parts of the decision.

Why Westphal & Co. Chose IntelliBid

Westphal assembled a team of eight people to evaluate electrical estimating software solutions. Company leadership took an active role in the process, participating in product demonstrations and comparing available systems before making a decision.

After evaluating Conest’s products and a competing solution from Accubid, Westphal selected IntelliBid.

A major factor was the depth and accuracy of the information behind the software.

Westphal valued IntelliBid’s approach to electrical assemblies and material data, including its emphasis on logical, practical assemblies and real-world material information. Rather than relying primarily on generic database entries, IntelliBid was designed to provide detailed material information, including manufacturer-specific products and part numbers where applicable.

For Westphal, that attention to detail supported something particularly important: confidence in the estimate from the top down.

The company was also looking beyond its immediate software requirements. Westphal wanted a software provider and platform capable of continuing to grow alongside its business rather than forcing the company into another major replacement process as its needs evolved.

The Solution: Personalized Software Training

Selecting the right software was only part of Westphal’s transition strategy. The company also wanted to ensure that employees understood both how to use IntelliBid and how to incorporate it into Westphal’s established estimating processes.

Rather than treating implementation as a one-size-fits-all exercise, Conest worked with Westphal to develop a training approach around the company’s specific needs.

Westphal chose a train-the-trainer model.

Under this approach, a small group of key users would first develop a deeper understanding of IntelliBid. Those users could then bring that knowledge back to the company and train additional employees using processes and examples relevant to Westphal’s operation.

CEO John Westphal and estimator/project manager Nate Vande Zande traveled to Conest’s office in Manchester, New Hampshire, for customized instruction.

Over four days, they learned how to operate IntelliBid and integrate the software into Westphal’s existing business processes.

The personalized format also allowed the training to move at a pace appropriate for experienced electrical professionals. Topics the attendees already understood could be covered quickly, while more time could be spent exploring unfamiliar features or areas that were particularly important to Westphal’s workflow.

Just as importantly, the training provided an opportunity to understand why IntelliBid was designed to work the way it does, rather than simply learning which buttons to click.

That deeper understanding helped Westphal’s internal trainers prepare to answer questions when they returned to their own estimating team.

We learned the thinking behind the software and why it was designed the way it was.

John WestphalCEO, Westphal & Co.

Training the Software Around the Business

One of Westphal’s priorities was preserving the estimating practices that had already proven effective for the company.

Conest’s personalized approach allowed the training to account for those existing methods instead of asking Westphal to completely restructure its operation around a new software package.

As Conest President Allan Goodwin explained:

It’s nice to be able to show them how to use our software and still keep their methods of operating going.

Allan GoodwinPresident, Conest Software Systems

That flexibility allowed Westphal to focus on using IntelliBid to strengthen its existing workflow while establishing consistent software practices across the organization.

How Westphal’s Train-the-Trainer Strategy Worked

Westphal had successfully used train-the-trainer programs with previous business software, so the company knew the model could be an efficient way to build knowledge internally.

The implementation followed a straightforward process:

• Train key users first. Westphal selected company leaders who could become highly proficient with IntelliBid and understand the software at a deeper level.
• Customize the learning experience. Conest tailored instruction around Westphal’s business processes, existing estimating practices, and specific questions.
• Develop internal software expertise. The initial trainees gained the knowledge needed to become internal resources for other employees.
• Bring the training back to the company. Westphal recreated much of the Conest training experience for its own estimators and project managers.
• Standardize the rollout. Employees received consistent instruction so teams could use the same tools, terminology, processes, and estimating best practices.

1. Evaluate SoftwareAn eight-person team compared electrical estimating solutions.
2. Train Key UsersFour days of customized instruction for company leaders.
3. Customize WorkflowTraining built around existing estimating practices.
4. Train the TeamThree small-group sessions across two states.
5. Roll Out IntelliBidJob setup through bid recap, companywide.

The Rollout: Bringing IntelliBid to the Estimating Team

After completing personalized training with Conest, Westphal’s internal trainers returned to the company and began preparing employees to use IntelliBid.

Because Westphal operates in Wisconsin and Iowa and has employees working across different job sites, bringing everyone together at the same time could have created unnecessary downtime.

Instead, the company scheduled three separate small-group training sessions.

This approach allowed Westphal to introduce the software while accommodating employee schedules and ongoing operations.

The internal training closely followed the instruction Westphal’s leaders had received from Conest. Over two days in a classroom setting, employees were taken through the estimating process from job setup through bid recap.

That consistency was especially important to Westphal.

The company wanted estimators and project managers working from the same system rather than relying on disconnected spreadsheets, informal estimating methods, or individual processes.

Westphal’s goal was to give everyone who interacted with the estimating process a common set of tools and a shared approach to best practices.

Conest remained available during the rollout and provided technical assistance when needed, including support related to setting up new users.

Westphal described the support during implementation as responsive and readily available.

Why Consistent Electrical Estimating Processes Matter

For Westphal, successfully implementing IntelliBid involved more than installing new software.

The company wanted its estimators and project managers to use consistent tools, procedures, processes, and best practices.

Standardization helps create a common estimating language across an electrical contracting organization. Instead of individuals building estimates in completely different ways, employees can work within a shared system and follow repeatable processes.

That consistency was a major reason Westphal required the employees involved with estimating to learn IntelliBid.

The software became part of a broader effort to ensure that estimating remained a disciplined, repeatable business function across the company.

The Results: A Smooth Transition to IntelliBid

Westphal reported that the rollout went well.

The company successfully introduced IntelliBid to its estimating staff, and the software became part of the day-to-day workflow for estimators and project managers.

Rather than measuring success solely by whether the software was installed, Westphal looked at how employees were actually using it.

Company leadership paid attention to factors including:

• User fluency
• Estimating speed
• Efficiency
• Understanding of the software
• Overall user capability
• Employee satisfaction with the estimating process

For Westphal, user acceptance mattered because estimating software is ultimately a tool employees need to work with every day.

When software is intuitive, supports the way people work, and helps make their jobs easier, adoption becomes easier to achieve.

The combination of customized training, internal knowledge transfer, small-group instruction, and responsive Conest support gave Westphal a structured path from software selection to companywide use.

Westphal & Co.’s Key Results

The implementation included:

• Four days of personalized Conest training for key company users
• A train-the-trainer strategy that allowed Westphal to develop internal software expertise
• Three internal training sessions designed around employees in different locations and job sites
• A consistent training process for estimators and project managers
• An estimating workflow that moved from job setup through bid recap using IntelliBid
• Responsive Conest support during the rollout
• Companywide IntelliBid use among relevant estimating and project management personnel
• A rollout that Westphal leadership reported had gone smoothly without significant hiccups

A Training Strategy Designed for Long-Term Adoption

Westphal’s experience illustrates an important part of implementing new electrical estimating software: the software itself is only one part of the transition.

Employees also need to understand how the system fits into their day-to-day responsibilities and how it supports the estimating methods their company wants to standardize.

By investing in personalized training for key users first, Westphal created internal expertise before rolling IntelliBid out to the broader team.

That train-the-trainer approach helped the company control the pace of implementation, minimize disruption, and provide employees with instruction tailored to Westphal’s own estimating practices.

For electrical contractors considering new estimating software, Westphal’s experience demonstrates how thoughtful implementation and training can help turn a software purchase into a practical, usable part of the company’s workflow.

Electrical Estimating Software Implementation: Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Build a Better Electrical Estimating Workflow?

Choosing electrical estimating software is only the beginning. The right training and implementation strategy can help your team adopt the software more effectively, create consistent estimating processes, and get more value from the technology used every day.

Conest provides IntelliBid electrical estimating software, SureCount digital takeoff, and training resources designed to help electrical contractors build efficient, accurate, and repeatable estimating workflows.