ScopeMark for security and life-safety firms: from the RFP to the last device
ScopeMark helps security and life-safety firms check device counts, count symbols from plans, run each install task by task with photos and mark every sign-off, then invoice per confirmed milestone. People decide, and ScopeMark moves no money.
The short version
A security or life-safety job is made of many small things that all have to be right: hundreds of devices, several documents that must agree on how many there are, trades you hire for the cabling or the electrical work, and a series of tests and sign-offs before anyone is paid. ScopeMark keeps the whole job in one place, from the RFP documents and the device counts to the crew ticking off each device with a photo and the invoice for each confirmed milestone. People decide at every step, and ScopeMark moves no money.
How a job runs in ScopeMark
- 1
Read the RFP for your divisions
Upload the specifications, drawings, bid instructions and addenda, and choose the CSI divisions that cover your work, such as fire suppression, electrical, communications and electronic safety and security. The AI drafts a first pass with a document and page on every finding, and the overview, key terms and bidder requirements still cover the whole project. See from RFP to project and how to review a tender.
- 2
Check the counts before you price
When two documents give different numbers for the same item, for example 23 devices on one sheet and 24 on another, ScopeMark lists the figures side by side and picks no winner. That is a question for the consultant, so raise it as an RFI.
- 3
Count the devices from the plans
Draw a box around one symbol and ScopeMark finds the matching symbols on the sheet by image matching, not AI. You remove wrong matches, add missed ones and save the count, which the estimate then offers as a quantity. A person confirms every count.
- 4
Decide, price and quote
Record the bid or no-bid decision and its reason, work through the bid checklist for bonds, insurance, forms and addenda, and build the estimate from your price book. Costs and margins are visible only to owners and project managers, and the client-facing quote has no field for either. See bid or no-bid.
- 5
Sub out what you do not self-perform
Send each trade a clear scope of work, show it only to subcontractors you have invited, make bidders state what their price includes and compare the bids like for like. See bid leveling.
- 6
Check everyone's paperwork
For each service you hire, choose the documents you require, such as insurance, WSIB or CNESST and trade licences. ScopeMark checks that each is authentic and current, and you record whether it is acceptable for your sites. See the onboarding checklist.
- 7
Install with a task for every device
Under each milestone, add tasks one per line or as a numbered run, for example detectors 101 to 140, and give them out in bulk to your crew with one notice per person. You can require a photo before a task can be marked done, and anyone can report an issue with a note and a photo. Crews check in on site, write a daily log and record their time.
- 8
Mark the sign-offs
Add a checkpoint for an inspection or a client sign-off. A checkpoint is confirmed like any milestone but carries no amount, so nothing is invoiced for it. Whoever holds the job submits each milestone with photos, and the company that hired them confirms or disputes it.
- 9
Handle changes, then get paid directly
Extra work is raised as a change order that adds the milestone, the cost and the days together. See change orders and scope creep. Confirming a milestone raises its invoice, and the company that hired you pays you directly. An ERP can pull invoices through a company-scoped API key.
Keeping the building owner informed
Share a private progress link with the building owner or a tenant representative, with or without the right to comment. They see milestone progress and a count such as "32 of 40 tasks done", but not the names, notes or photos of individual tasks.
What ScopeMark does not do
- It does not say whether a system meets a code or a standard. It does not replace a test, an inspection or an authority's sign-off, and it gives no legal or code advice. Contract and legal items in an RFP are flagged for your counsel.
- It moves no money. You invoice and are paid directly. ScopeMark's only revenue is the subscription.
- It does not price or submit. The AI writes a first pass for a person to review, and every bid, question and reply is sent by a person.
- It does not approve your subcontractors. It checks that a document is authentic and current, and you decide whether to work with them. A company's description of itself is self-declared and not checked.
Hiring trades for a building you manage? See ScopeMark for property managers. Running a larger project from an RFP? See ScopeMark for general contractors.
Questions people ask
How does ScopeMark count devices on a drawing?
You draw a box around one symbol and ScopeMark finds matching symbols on the sheet by image matching. It is not AI, so the same sheet and symbol always give the same answer. You remove wrong matches, add missed ones and save the count, and the estimate offers the total as a quantity for you to accept.
What if two documents give different counts?
ScopeMark lists every stated figure side by side and picks no winner. Which document governs is a question for the consultant, so it can be raised as an RFI.
Can my crew record each device as installed?
Yes. Add a task for each device, one per line or as a numbered run, give them out in bulk, and require a photo before a task can be marked done. A crew member can also report an issue with a note and a photo.
Does ScopeMark check that my system meets code?
No. ScopeMark does not assess compliance with any code or standard and does not replace testing, inspection or an authority's sign-off. You can record a sign-off as a checkpoint milestone.
Can I invite subcontractors for cabling or electrical work?
Yes. Subcontractors are invite-only. Work is visible only to those you invited and who accepted, and they use ScopeMark free.
Does ScopeMark hold or move our money?
No. ScopeMark does not process payments between companies and subcontractors. The buyer pays directly, outside ScopeMark, and records the payment. ScopeMark's only revenue is its subscription.