40+ Hours
spent per takeoff in Excel
LEAVE EXCEL BEHIND
One Platform. Full Control.
See how Steeleye replaces your spreadsheets with a single platform that connects every phase of your steel business—from bids to billing.
Steeleye vs. Spreadsheets & Legacy Tools
Spreadsheets Weren't Builtfor Steel.
Spreadsheets, disconnected apps, and generic software are the tools steel contractors rely on—and the #1 reason they lose margins, miss follow-ups, and can't scale. Here is a side-by-side look at what changes when you move to one connected system built for your trade.
0% Visibility
real-time cost visibility
100% Dependency
owner dependency
Unknown Profit
actual project profitability
Side-By-Side Comparison
11 Areas Where Steeleye Replaces Excel
| Area | Spreadsheets | Steeleye |
|---|---|---|
Bid Tracking | Emails, memory, and manual follow-ups. Opportunities fall through the cracks constantly. | Live pipeline dashboard with status tracking, automated reminders, and a clear win/loss rate. |
Estimating | Formulas break, files get duplicated, and pricing logic lives in one person's head. | Assemblies-based engine with structured cost buildup, automatic labor calculation, and reusable components. |
Cost vs. Markup Separation | Cost and selling price are mixed in the same cells. Adjusting margins risks breaking the entire file. | Clean separation: cost buildup engine handles real costs, markup engine handles overhead and profit. |
Takeoff | Print plans, count pieces manually, type quantities into a spreadsheet. | Digital takeoff directly from blueprints, quantities flow into the estimate automatically. |
Job Costing | Profit/loss is discovered weeks or months after the project is complete. | Real-time budget vs. actual tracking by cost code, with alerts when thresholds are exceeded. |
Labor Tracking | Timesheets reviewed sporadically. No connection between estimated hours and actual production. | Daily labor efficiency metrics per cost code. Compare actual performance to the rate you priced. |
Change Orders | Scattered across emails, PDFs, and random tabs. Revenue is frequently lost or never billed. | Structured CO management tied to the project budget. Track from request to approval to billing. |
Financial Visibility | Check the bank account. Hope for the best. | CEO/CFO dashboard with cash flow forecasting, backlog conversion, and integrated AR/AP. |
Reporting | Manual report creation. Data is always stale by the time it's compiled. | Live dashboards and automated reports that reflect real-time project and company data. |
Scalability | Adding a new estimator means months of training on someone else's spreadsheet system. | Standardized workflows mean new team members can produce accurate estimates within weeks. |
Data Integrity | One wrong keystroke can corrupt an entire workbook. Version control is nonexistent. | Cloud-based system with audit trails, role-based access, and no formula corruption risk. |
Bid Tracking
Steeleye
Live pipeline dashboard with status tracking, automated reminders, and a clear win/loss rate.
Spreadsheets
Emails, memory, and manual follow-ups. Opportunities fall through the cracks constantly.
Estimating
Steeleye
Assemblies-based engine with structured cost buildup, automatic labor calculation, and reusable components.
Spreadsheets
Formulas break, files get duplicated, and pricing logic lives in one person's head.
Cost vs. Markup Separation
Steeleye
Clean separation: cost buildup engine handles real costs, markup engine handles overhead and profit.
Spreadsheets
Cost and selling price are mixed in the same cells. Adjusting margins risks breaking the entire file.
Takeoff
Steeleye
Digital takeoff directly from blueprints, quantities flow into the estimate automatically.
Spreadsheets
Print plans, count pieces manually, type quantities into a spreadsheet.
Job Costing
Steeleye
Real-time budget vs. actual tracking by cost code, with alerts when thresholds are exceeded.
Spreadsheets
Profit/loss is discovered weeks or months after the project is complete.
Labor Tracking
Steeleye
Daily labor efficiency metrics per cost code. Compare actual performance to the rate you priced.
Spreadsheets
Timesheets reviewed sporadically. No connection between estimated hours and actual production.
Change Orders
Steeleye
Structured CO management tied to the project budget. Track from request to approval to billing.
Spreadsheets
Scattered across emails, PDFs, and random tabs. Revenue is frequently lost or never billed.
Financial Visibility
Steeleye
CEO/CFO dashboard with cash flow forecasting, backlog conversion, and integrated AR/AP.
Spreadsheets
Check the bank account. Hope for the best.
Reporting
Steeleye
Live dashboards and automated reports that reflect real-time project and company data.
Spreadsheets
Manual report creation. Data is always stale by the time it's compiled.
Scalability
Steeleye
Standardized workflows mean new team members can produce accurate estimates within weeks.
Spreadsheets
Adding a new estimator means months of training on someone else's spreadsheet system.
Data Integrity
Steeleye
Cloud-based system with audit trails, role-based access, and no formula corruption risk.
Spreadsheets
One wrong keystroke can corrupt an entire workbook. Version control is nonexistent.
Who Should Make the Switch?
Steel erection contractors still pricing from Excel templates
Fabricators whose estimating knowledge lives in one person's head
Companies that discover profit/loss after the project is over
Owners who are the only ones who can answer 'Are we making money?'
Anyone using 3+ disconnected tools to run their steel business
