For Industrial contractors using spreadsheets, emails, and disconnected systems, it can be hard to track pursuits. For executives, this means critical questions go unanswered.  

Which opportunities are worth chasing?  

How healthy is the pipeline?  

Where is growth stalling?  

The result is pursuit uncertainty that not only obscures growth opportunities but also creates competitive risk…allowing rivals to move faster with better data. 

The cost of pursuing in the dark for industrial contractors 

The cost of pursuing in the dark for industrial contractors When business development data lives in silos, executives have little confidence in the numbers. Inconsistent win rates become the norm because decisions are made on gut instinct instead of trusted insights. Pursuit ROI is nearly impossible to measure, leaving leaders uncertain about whether resources are being used effectively. Without clarity, high-value projects slip away to competitors who can make faster, data-driven decisions. 

The financial cost of this blind spot is significant. Every pursuit requires an investment of time, talent, and financial resources. Without insight into past performance, industrial contractors can waste hundreds of hours chasing projects with little chance of success. Over time, this erodes margins and stalls growth. It also leaves your teams feeling frustrated.  

Executives are left with a nagging feeling that their teams are working hard but not always working smart. 

Why spreadsheets aren’t enough for pursuit management 

Many industrial contractors still rely on spreadsheets and Outlook to manage pursuits. These tools may feel familiar, but they are not designed for the complexity of industrial projects.  

Joint ventures, EPC contracts, and detailed prequalification requirements demand a structured, repeatable process. Spreadsheets are static. They’re prone to human error and disconnected from the broader organization. 

Industrial contractors can’t afford to gamble on gut feel when pursuing billion-dollar refineries, power plants, or manufacturing facilities. Spreadsheets don’t provide a holistic view of client relationships, backlog, or long-term pursuit health. They also fail to capture institutional knowledge, leaving organizations vulnerable when experienced staff retire or move on.  

How an industrial contractor CRM strengthens pursuit management 

A CRM built with industrial contractors in mind gives executives the control and visibility they need to lead with confidence. Instead of chasing down updates from multiple departments, leaders can access real-time dashboards that show pipeline health, backlog, client relationships, and pursuit ROI in one place. Pre-configured workflows ensure that pursuits are tracked consistently, while past performance libraries make it easier to build winning proposals quickly and accurately. 

Unlike generic CRM platforms, an industrial-specific solution comes preloaded with the fields and workflows that contractors need. This reduces the burden of customization and accelerates time-to-value. Executives gain immediate access to meaningful insights that help them… 

• Identify risks early 

• Double down on the most promising opportunities 

• Align business development efforts with broader growth objectives. 

Aligning BD, marketing, and operations on growth priorities 

With a shared system of record, business development, marketing, and operations teams work from the same facts. This means executives can shift from firefighting to proactive leadership, guiding the entire organization toward the opportunities that best fit long-term objectives.  

The result is not just cleaner data, but a stronger, more coordinated growth engine built on trusted insights. 

Leading with confidence using pursuit ROI and pipeline visibility 

For industrial contractors, growth requires more than chasing the next big project. It requires clarity, trust, and alignment across the organization.  

Removing pursuit uncertainty with a CRM built for industrial contractors allows executives to lead with confidence, knowing that every decision is grounded in trusted insights and designed to drive measurable growth. 

Ready to gain control of your pursuits? See how Unanet CRM can give you the pursuit ROI and pipeline visibility needed to win more work.