Graybar Speeds Up Submittals, Saving 70+ Hours Monthly with Parspec

• Challenge: Graybar’s manual submittal process was labor-intensive and relied on reps and manufacturers, leading to reduced productivity and delays for clients.
• Outcome: Leveraging Parspec’s database and efficiency features, Graybar’s team reduced submittal turnaround times, saving 70+ hours monthly and achieving a 14x ROI on their efforts.

Challenges

Graybar’s manual submittal process relied heavily on reps and manufacturers, reducing team productivity and resulting in client delays and inefficiencies.

“Prior to Parspec, I would spend seven to eight hours putting together a submittal,” said Amanda Martinez, quotations coordinator at Graybar Raleigh. “I’d reach out to reps for specs and wait days for a response, or go online to track them down from manufacturers.” 

Once all the cut sheets were gathered, she would manually organize, sort, and combine them using Bluebeam, a construction management tool. “You have to highlight every single part number, put every single page in order, clip it together, and put your letterhead on it.” 

In order to guarantee accuracy, Martinez would go through this process for each new submittal as well as when a client requested changes to an existing project. Decorative lighting products were particularly difficult to find online, adding to the overall time and effort.

After years of managing submittals this way, Martinez’s team heard that another Graybar office was using a tool called Parspec to complete submittals. They quickly scheduled a demo.

“I immediately knew Parspec would be a huge help,” she said.

Solution

Parspec quickly became mission-critical to Graybar’s submittal workflow, reducing turnarounds with its always up-to-date cut sheet database and efficiency features.

Using Parspec’s comprehensive library of spec sheets, Martinez found she could create submittals much faster – and it didn’t take long to learn the ropes. 

“I found Parspec to be really easy and pretty intuitive, which was perfect because time is of the essence for us,” Martinez said. “As I onboarded, their team always responded super fast.”

In multi-family lighting, submittals often go through many revisions before they get approved, noted Martinez. Parspec’s editing feature makes this editing process easier. 

“We go back and forth so much on multi-family. With Parspec, it’s so nice to be able to hit ‘Change data sheet’ and put a new fixture in a new sheet. You can also use a note to explain what you changed and send it with a downloadable link. All of that really improves the communication with the contractor.”

How Graybar Uses Parspec to Improve Submittals

• Comprehensive product database providing access to over one million cut sheets sourced daily from over 1,800 manufacturer websites.

• Automated generation of standard elements, such as branded headers, and tables of contents that saves time and creates consistency across documentation.

• Automated generation of standardized elements, like headers and tables of contents, adding consistency and polish, including a personal touch with the customer’s logo.

Results

Graybar’s speedier submittal process saves its team 70+ hours a month, achieving a 14x increase in ROI, and time savings for its contractor clients.

Submittals previously took several days for Martinez, and now she can deliver them to customers within a day. “Parspec is a huge timesaver. Someone can request submittals from me in the morning and I’ll have them done by lunch. 100% Done. I just have to hit send.”

Parspec also delivers significant cost savings for electrical contractors by providing them with pre-assembled submittal packages with information on devices, materials and prices. 

“Customers love it, it saves both companies a lot of time and energy,” said Martinez. 

Graybar continues to roll out Parspec to new team members, reducing the manual effort of submittals so that staff can focus on their most pressing priorities. 

“When I’m occupied with submittals all day, it means quotes are delayed or I can’t dedicate the necessary time to do them right. Parspec benefits both me and the entire team.”