Above: Steel structural fabrication customers use The Infra Group’s proprietary software, Vector, to reduce the manual tasks of traditional estimating with streamlined digital efficiency
March, 2026- As the demand for infrastructure grows, the pressure on structural steel fabricators to bid faster, more accurately and on larger-scale projects has also increased. For some fabricators, a fundamental bottleneck still remains: the dependence on manual calculations or takeoffs.
“To address this critical need for scale and efficiency, The Infra Group utilizes Vector Intelligence, a revolutionary business utility tool designed to bridge the gap between traditional estimating and modern digital efficiency,” explains Will Stoner, director, marketing and business development for The Infra Group. Leadership formed this group last year as an umbrella brand for three structural steel businesses: Infra-Metals, Delta Steel and Sugar Steel.
Vector, proprietary to The Infra Group and its customers, delivers a strategic solution to these legacy takeoff problems through an automated estimation algorithm that can help fabricators reduce the amount of time they spend on the bidding process.
“The core philosophy of Vector is simple,” says Stoner. “Increase speed, accuracy and consistency. By automating parts of the estimating or takeoff process, Vector allows users to pursue more opportunities and secure more awarded projects.”
BUSTING THE BOTTLENECK
Despite recent technological advancements in fabrication and processing components, Stoner reports a significant portion of the industry still relies on manual takeoffs. “This often involves printing physical blueprints, using rulers and highlighters, and manually keying data into spreadsheets,” he explains.
Reliance on these analog tools and processes can hinder the growth potential of a fabricator. “This inefficiency constrains growth potential and limits the ability of clients to scale their operations effectively. In a competitive market, time is currency; every hour spent highlighting a blueprint is an hour lost on strategic analysis or pursuing a highvalue bid,” says Stoner.
He notes that manual takeoffs are timeconsuming, prone to human error and inherently unscalable. “When an estimating team is bogged down by the sheer mechanics of measuring and counting, they may lack the capacity to pursue new opportunities or focus their efforts to the extremely challenging aspects that require so much attention during the estimating phase of a job opportunity,” he asserts. “The Infra Group recognizes that many of our customers want to grow and break free from these time and cost burdens.”
Will Stoner reports that a significant portion of the industry still relies on inefficient manual takeoffs.
Vector captures numerous details about a project to automate the estimating process.
AN AUTOMATED ALGORITHM
Vector delivers a strategic solution to legacy bidding problems through an automated takeoff algorithm. “However, Vector is more than just an algorithm; it is a comprehensive ecosystem designed to integrate seamlessly with the fabricator’s existing processes,” notes Stoner. The software provides annotated PDFs designed for seamless integration with most existing on-screen takeoff platforms. These are built with object measurement functionality, enabling clients to easily adjust structural lengths and input additional data directly within the working PDF. “This feature alone eliminates the disconnect between the visual plan and the numerical data, ensuring that adjustments are tracked and accurate,” Stoner says.
Additionally, Vector produces a CSV/ XML document. This document and companion PDF output contain all essential data points for each steel member captured by the program. The structure of the output, regarding the order and naming conventions, can be altered and saved to match existing estimating and material report templates.
“This highly focused effort supports direct integration with Tekla PowerFab or can be easily incorporated into an estimator’s existing Excel workflows for streamlined bidding. This flexibility ensures that Vector adapts to the client’s process, rather than forcing the client to adapt to the software,” says Stoner.
TIME‒SAVING TOOL
Stoner underscores the importance of time to a fabricator. “The primary metric of success is time: Vector reduces bidding time by 50 to 80 percent on every job. This is not a marginal gain; it is a paradigm shift,” he emphasizes.
By reclaiming this time, clients can increase efficiency, capacity and take on more complex projects. “Clients often report that the Vector platform enables them to pursue opportunities they previously lacked the manpower capacity to estimate,” Stoner says.
He draws a parallel between the increased efficiency and growth. “These efficiencies naturally lead to higher win rates and lower costs.” By reducing the time spent on projects that ultimately went to competitors, “estimating teams can focus their energy on high-value bids―and ultimately increase the volume of steel procured through The Infra Group.”
Vector is able to generate 3D model outputs that can integrate into Tekla Structures or SDS2.
3D VISUALIZATION
Vector is also able to generate 3D model outputs. These models can integrate into Tekla Structures or SDS2. “Additionally, these models can serve as a great tool to share with general contractors at the bidding stage. As Vector progresses the model, there is a great emphasis on being a resource for fabricators to move part of the bidding process from a 2D abstraction to a 3D reality―a true transformation for the fabricator’s business,” notes Stoner.
Having 3D capabilities can offer a competitive edge to structural steel fabricators. “When a fabricator references a 3D model during the bidding process, it demonstrates a level of commitment and sophistication that sets them apart from competitors who cannot model at the bid stage. It allows the fabricator to identify complexities and conflicts early, leading to tighter bid accuracy. Moreover, this early modeling can save quantifiable time in detailing stages on nearly every job,” Stoner explains.
A VIRTUOUS CYCLE
Another reason the company offers Vector to its customers: to foster a deeper relationship. “Vector is distinctively powerful because it is a tool we provide to facilitate a stronger partnership. The utility includes an XML output specifically structured to guide the client toward submitting bid data to The Infra Group in a preferred format,” explains Stoner.
“This standardization creates a synchronized workflow. It ensures greater consistency and enables account representatives to respond with faster, more accurate and competitively priced bids. By establishing a direct interaction point through project submissions, clients work more closely with their reps to strengthen bids and reduce ‘drop’ [waste].
“It creates a virtuous cycle: the client estimates faster, The Infra Group prices faster and together we secure more work. This allows the client to look to us for processed steel to keep up with the increase in volume, streamlining the supply chain from estimation to delivery,”
The Infra Group, 800/899-3432, infra-metals.com.
