Virtual e-Merge Estimate conference draws civil construction professionals across the project lifecycle to address a discipline in transition
Gainesville, Fla. — July 9, 2026 — Infotech, a leader in infrastructure construction software solutions, brought together civil construction and public agency professionals yesterday for e-Merge Estimate, a comprehensive two-hour virtual event focused on modernizing construction cost estimation across the infrastructure project lifecycle.
The event explored how agencies and contractors can modernize estimation methodology, validate costs with current data, and leverage competitive intelligence to strengthen public works project outcomes.
“Cost estimation is not just a baseline, it’s a critical risk management tool,” said Jim Ferguson, Sr. Product Consultant at Infotech, in his closing keynote session. “Between project award and ribbon cutting, market conditions shift rapidly and teams with the best information will make the smartest decisions. Managing risk well means you stay in control of the story, even when the market is trying to write it for you.”
Ferguson challenged attendees to elevate the entire discipline, noting that cost estimation is a “stewardship” responsibility that transcends simple spreadsheet work.
The event’s opening keynote address, “Estimation as a Strategic Imperative in 2026,” was delivered by 50-year industry veteran Jeff Hisem, who warned that failing to establish rigorous, current cost stories early in the planning phase leaves agencies negotiating blind, exposing public programs to severe budget overruns and eroded public confidence.
Hisem highlighted the immediate regulatory pressures facing state and local leaders, specifically pointing to Section 1313 of the upcoming $580 billion BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870) surface transportation reauthorization, which mandates a strict reduction in reliance on historical bid-based estimating to prevent anti-competitive practices.
In addition to the keynote addresses, the virtual conference offered three dedicated breakout sessions aligned to specific stakeholder roles across the infrastructure ecosystem:
- State Agency Track: Chad Richards, Sr. Product Manager at Infotech, detailed how state DOTs can move away from historical bid-based estimating using production-based pricing models and advanced analytical tools, building defensible cost baselines that meet federal scrutiny.
- Local Government Track: Erica Daughtry, Product Group Lead at Infotech, led an interactive session for municipal leaders on the resource gaps and workflow challenges unique to local agencies, collaborating with attendees on requirements for next-generation estimation tools.
- Contractor Track: Brad Chrudimsky, Lead for Product Marketing at Infotech, and Ozette Brown, Senior Customer Success Manager at Infotech, highlighted emerging post bid competitive intelligence capabilities. The session outlined a repeatable post-bid loop where contractors leverage normalized bid tabulations within Infotech’s BidX platform to compare unit prices line-by-line against the entire competitive field. By identifying systematic pricing anomalies, contractors learned to replace gut-feel pricing with data-backed calibration for future bids.
Recordings of all e-Merge Estimate presentation tracks are available for on-demand playback here.
Building on the success of its expanding e-Merge virtual event series, Infotech also teased its next highly anticipated milestone, announcing that the upcoming “e-Merge Plan” virtual conference is officially in development and will be held later in 2026.
Learn more about Infotech’s estimation solutions for agencies at infotechinc.com/estimator and for contractors at infotechinc.com/bidx.
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About Infotech
Info Tech Operating, LLC, DBA Infotech (Infotech) is a leading SaaS solutions provider for the infrastructure construction industry and developer of the industry’s first end-to-end civil construction platform. Informed by DOT relationships and decades of experience, Infotech develops software solutions that bridge the gaps between owners, consultants, contractors, and other project stakeholders. Whether it be tools for construction administration and inspection or secure online bidding, Infotech’s solutions are built to increase transparency, productivity, and the availability of data. Infotech is the developer of Appia®, Bid Express®, Signet®, and Doc Express®, as well as the official contractor for AASHTOWare Project™.