Create Efficient Price Comparisons with GAEB2Excel Converter

Whether it's a new construction of a modern daycare center or renovation of a historic half-timbered house: As a construction or procurement office, you regularly face the challenge of efficiently and comprehensibly comparing numerous offers. You often receive these offers in the form of a GAEB file. But frequently, the usual AVA software doesn't provide exactly the result you need for your decision.

This is precisely where the GAEB2Excel Converter helps you. With this smart tool, you can easily transform complex GAEB data into clear Excel price comparisons. Without detours and in the shortest time.

In this article, I'll show you step by step how to create such a price comparison easily yourself, which GAEB formats you need to know, and how Excel can help you with this.

Understanding GAEB Formats in the Tendering Process

What Characterizes GAEB Files?

GAEB stands for "Gemeinsamer Ausschuss Elektronik im Bauwesen" (Joint Committee for Electronics in Construction). For over 30 years, GAEB has been the standard for digital data exchange in tenders. GAEB files are uniformly structured and significantly facilitate electronic communication between clients and contractors.

It all started with simple text formats – but today, most GAEB files are based on the flexible and robust XML standard. These GAEB formats form a kind of digital language that contains clearly defined tender information.

What Are the Differences Between GAEB X83, X84, and X86?

In everyday construction, you'll often encounter three central GAEB formats:

• GAEB X83: Contains bills of quantities with amounts, but without prices yet.
• GAEB X84: Here you'll find the prices of bidder offers. However, the GAEB X84 file usually lacks the position texts.
• GAEB X86: The so-called contract bill of quantities. This GAEB format contains the order quantities and prices.

GAEB Converter as a Supplement to AVA Software

Why is an Additional GAEB Converter Worthwhile?

Perhaps you already use professional AVA software to manage GAEB files. But experience shows that this software doesn't always provide the desired flexibility for your individual analyses.

This is where the GAEB Converter comes into play. Excel users in particular benefit enormously from a specialized GAEB Converter like the GAEB2Excel Converter. It ideally complements existing AVA systems by flexibly providing your data in Excel.

Tip: Many providers allow you to test their GAEB Converter for free. A great opportunity to try out your own workflow without risk.

How the Excel Workflow Works with the GAEB Converter

If you want to open a GAEB file (such as GAEB X84), you simply import it into the GAEB Converter. The tool automatically extracts all relevant data like position numbers, quantities, unit prices, and total prices. It then exports these clearly into an Excel spreadsheet.

Often a practical GAEB Viewer function is even integrated, with which you can check the GAEB files directly before export.

Price Comparison Creation: Step-by-Step with Excel

How Do I Import GAEB Offer Data into Excel?

It's best to proceed as follows:

1. Convert: Transform each individual GAEB offer (for example, GAEB X84) into an Excel spreadsheet using the GAEB Converter.
2. Combine: Transfer all spreadsheets into a central Excel workbook.
3. Check Position IDs: Ensure that all position IDs are included. With GAEB2Excel Converter, these are automatically included.

Practical tip: For a construction project with five GAEB offers, you need less than ten minutes for the entire import process.

How Do I Create an Excel Price Comparison?

Use the extracted position IDs to efficiently link the prices with the tender positions using Excel functions. Particularly helpful are:

Excel Formula List:

• =XLOOKUP(...) – finds matching IDs quickly and reliably.
• =VLOOKUP(...) – automatically links positions with their respective prices.

This creates a clearly structured price comparison matrix: positions are displayed in rows, the bidder offers in columns.

Which Analysis Techniques Are Useful?

• Price Overviews: Calculate best prices, average prices, and highest prices per position.
• Outlier Analysis: Use Excel's conditional formatting to visually highlight extreme values.
• Evaluation via Pivot Table: Enables fast, clear analyses by trades or bidders.

Efficiency Techniques and Quality Assurance

Why Should You Use Standardized Excel Templates?

Pre-made Excel templates with fixed columns and formulas save you significant time. With Excel macros, you can even partially automate the templates.

How Do You Ensure Quality in the Process?

Quality controls are crucial. Always perform plausibility checks such as sum checks and position comparisons. The four-eyes principle should also be standard for the final review of your price comparison.

"What do Excel price comparisons and pizza have in common? Both only work if you don't forget half the ingredients."

Integration and Legal Aspects

How Does the GAEB Converter Complement Existing AVA Systems?

The GAEB2Excel Converter perfectly complements your AVA software. Use it as an additional tool to optimally prepare GAEB files for detailed Excel analyses – particularly helpful for presentations and internal analyses.

What Legal Framework Applies?

Your Excel price comparison is exclusively an internal analysis tool. The original GAEB offer (GAEB file) remains legally binding.

Conclusion: Your Excel Price Comparison with GAEB2Excel Converter

• A GAEB Converter optimally complements AVA systems.
• Position IDs from the GAEB file enable a quick, clear price comparison in Excel.
• Standardized Excel templates save a lot of time and minimize errors.

👉 Test a GAEB Converter for free and create your first price comparison right now!