Kyle Bonde on Ediphi, Web-Based Collaboration, and Scaling What Works

For Kyle Bonde, Senior Estimator and technology champion at Hensel Phelps, no two days look the same and that's exactly how he likes it.

Between managing complex estimates on a mixed-use development in downtown Denver, mentoring colleagues across multiple regions, and shaping the future of preconstruction software, his work sits at the intersection of innovation and impact. 

But what makes Kyle's story compelling isn't just what he's accomplished. It’s how he’s done it — with persistence, curiosity, and a genuine desire to make things better for the people around him.

Why web-based matters: Three pillars of modern estimating

When Kyle first encountered Ediphi, three things immediately stood out. 

(He was so enthusiastic about them that he even wrote a song about it and performed it at his company with his dad with a Trumpet. Really. Three main verses below.) 

Here’s what every estimator should understand about software.

1. If it's web-based, you can scale it. 

Before Ediphi, Hensel Phelps relied on virtual desktop solutions that required VPN logins taking 5-10 minutes just to open an estimate.

Now, with secure single sign-on (SSO), estimators can jump into their work in seconds. That kind of speed changes behavior.

Rob Manbert, a Senior Estimator in SoCal, told Kyle that since switching, he finds himself opening his estimate multiple times a day to add more detail.

Kyle ran the numbers. Even a five-minute time savings per user, multiplied across 200 estimators logging in three times daily, adds up to serious time savings and more time for accurate estimates.

2. If your formulas just work, adoption accelerates. 

This was Kyle’s top request when the Hensel Phelps leadership team asked what could be improved.

In Sage, formulas were buried deep in the system, invisible to the end user. You couldn’t see how values were calculated, let alone adjust them. Estimators were forced into data-entry mode, relying on static numbers instead of dynamic logic.

With Ediphi, that changed completely. The formulas are transparent and editable. Users can build their own, modify existing ones, or use company-standard formulas preloaded into the database. The estimator is now in control.

Today, Hensel Phelps estimators can calculate square footage from dimensions, predict concrete volumes from floor-to-floor heights, and build dynamic assemblies that automatically adjust as design parameters evolve.

It’s not just faster, it’s smarter estimating, built by the people who know the work best.

3. If your whole team's in the file, collaboration becomes real. 

In Sage, only one person could edit at a time, and file locks created constant friction.
Kyle would get messages like, “You’re in my Sage estimate,” even when he wasn’t.

Combining estimates was slow, finding the right file was confusing, and collaboration meant sending versions back and forth.

With Ediphi, those barriers are gone. Everyone works in the same file simultaneously, with live visibility into who’s doing what.‍

Multi-user isn’t optional anymore — it’s essential.

Real-world application: Managing a mega project

All of these capabilities come together on a conceptual estimate our team is developing for a large mixed-use project in downtown Denver,  a true mega project featuring two apartment buildings, a hotel, a music venue, underground parking, and the right-of-way work connecting them.

The problem

The complexity hit the team right away. Each building had its own architect, funding stream, and schedule. Trying to jam everything into one estimate would have caused chaos when one design changed and the others didn’t.

So, the team made a call: separate estimates for each component, all built from the same shared database structure.

Most of the group was new to Ediphi and used to working a certain way (measuring columns in vertical lineal feet, for example) while Ediphi’s database used cubic yards per column. The questions came naturally: Do we really need to change how we’ve always done this?

The shift

Instead of working around the tool, the team leaned in. “Let’s shift our mindset,” Kyle said.
By using the same database, assemblies, and units, everyone could build off each other’s work instead of working in silos.

Kyle’s hands-on approach helped accelerate that change. When someone emailed a question, he didn’t just reply — he called. A quick answer often turned into a short coaching session that gave people what they needed now and later.

Those conversations spread fast. People became “dangerous” in the best way — confident, capable, and eager to share what they’d learned.

“When someone sends a question, don’t just fire back a quick reply. Pick up the phone. You’ll be amazed at the other questions that surface, that’s when real learning takes root.”

— Kyle Bonde, Senior Estimator at Hensel Phelps

The payoff

Near the end of an estimate is when the pressure hits. You're almost done, ready to submit, and then the team requests changes. 

In Kyle's old workflow, that meant reprinting reports, manually updating deltas, explaining what changed and why. Now? Comparison reports in Ediphi show old estimates versus the new estimate side-by-side. A single refresh updates everything. One report, one Excel file, and Kyle can confidently walk stakeholders through the cost story without scrambling to recreate it.

Telling cost stories in Ediphi just became easier with Milestones 👀 Learn more here.

Results that speak for themselves

Hensel Phelps signed the contract with Ediphi in June. By September (just three months later) half of the 200 estimators are using the tool. In the world of preconstruction software, that kind of adoption is almost unheard of.

It happened because the team put in the work long before the contract was signed, piloting for over a year with the intent to scale, building regional super-users, and creating genuine, grassroots momentum around a better way to estimate.  

And while Ediphi is faster, the real win isn’t just speed — it’s morale.

Estimators are happier.

They’re spending less time on repetitive tasks and more time where it matters most: collaborating, analyzing, and shaping strategy instead of combining estimates and side-excel sheets.

For Kyle, this isn't just about Ediphi adoption at Hensel Phelps. It's about raising the standard for the entire construction industry.

"Our whole goal is to help the industry be more efficient and productive. The cool part is that when Ediphi releases a feature, every construction company using it benefits. We're all rising together."

— Kyle Bonde, Senior Estimator at Hensel Phelps

That philosophy, one of collaboration over competition, transparency over gatekeeping, is what Kyle brings to his role as a tech champion. And it's what makes his story worth following as preconstruction continues to evolve.