Imagine the frustration: A field worker, rushing to get an order in before the end of the day, accidentally swaps out aluminum for stainless steel. Now, a simple ordering error balloons into a $10,000 mistake, causing delays and jeopardizing the project’s profitability.
Ordering mistakes like this are not only a headache for contractors managing inventory, but they can also cause project delays, material waste and strained supplier relationships.
Furthermore, between unreliable supply chains and material price volatility, managing countless orders across multiple suppliers is one of the most significant challenges facing trade contractors today. Compounding these difficulties are the inefficient, manual and outdated procurement processes many contractors are still using to secure the materials they need to complete projects.
The result? A painstakingly slow and error-prone procurement process that too often results in:
Redundant & manual data entry
Long approval cycles
Miscommunication amongst internal teams and suppliers
Reorders and unrecognized material waste
Costly billing mistakes
Invoice and payment delays
Inventory mistakes
At Trimble, we understand that among these and other challenges, materials management can be a major point of uncertainty in today’s construction process for contractors.
Recognizing contractors’ critical need for improved materials management, we’re excited to announce that StructShare, a leading construction technology provider specializing in digital procurement and materials management solutions, has joined Trimble. The addition of StructShare to Trimble expands our offerings with the introduction of Trimble Materials, our new procurement and materials management solution for construction contractors. Trimble Materials provides an end-to-end purchasing, inventory and accounts payable software solution designed to help contractors gain control over material costs with enhanced budget and material inventory tracking.
Streamlined purchasing and materials management
Through its office and mobile applications, Trimble Materials connects the office, field, warehouse and suppliers to centralize and streamline the entire purchasing and materials management process.
Key features of Trimble Materials include:
Requisitions – With Trimble Materials, field teams can search for items and communicate what materials are needed for the jobsite, seamlessly turning those requisitions into orders and RFQs, and ensuring the right materials are received onsite.
Purchase order management – Trimble Materials enables project managers and office staff to easily manage, approve and process orders, while also tracking project budget to actual spend with no additional manual work.
RFQs and quotes - Project managers and procurement teams can use Trimble Materials to generate more RFQs in less time and easily compare quotes for the best pricing, leading to potentially significant material cost savings.
Materials receiving – Field workers using Trimble Materials can efficiently record received materials and communicate with the office, including photo capture of packing slips and direct communication with suppliers, providing the office with real-time visibility and control of back orders.
Multi-warehouse inventory tracking – Trimble Materials provides inventory tracking that is integrated to purchasing workflows, providing full control and visibility into what materials are available, where they are located and when they are needed – available from the office or field.
Invoice reconciliation – Catch invoice discrepancies and keep updated purchase records with Trimble Materials’ three-way matching of invoice, PO and delivery for efficient invoice reconciliation.
ERP integration – Trimble Materials integrates with leading ERP and accounting systems, like Viewpoint® Spectrum® and Viewpoint Vista™, allowing for the easy setup of projects, cost codes, users and suppliers while also providing ongoing sync of POs and invoices.
A connected construction ecosystem
Trimble Materials integrates with Trimble Construction One solutions, providing connectivity for contractors to develop more efficient estimating, operations and accounting management ecosystems. Trimble Materials complements Trimble’s existing construction supply chain workflows that automate the exchange of material pricing between suppliers and contractors, and facilitate ordering from preferred suppliers.
Now, instead of developing field orders through manual processes like emails and phone calls, users can easily find items, create accurate material lists for ordering, compare quotes, manage receiving and delivery to correct locations and initiate invoicing through one centralized application.
One source of truth for all stakeholders
Trimble Materials provides one comprehensive view of all purchasing activities and spend analysis, making it easy for all teams to get the data they need to get the job done. With Trimble Materials, field users can easily search for and request materials, view inventory, record received materials and communicate with the office. Additionally, office users, such as finance and purchasing teams, can more efficiently control, approve and process orders, view inventory, generate RFQs, compare quotes and reconcile invoices.
Contractors’ competitive advantage
With Trimble Materials, contractors have the competitive advantage they need to successfully compete in today’s economic environment, which is all the more important given our industry's material-dependent nature. Digitizing and streamlining the procurement process means more control, visibility, efficiency and reduced risk across the project lifecycle.
Trimble Materials is available to North American contractors as part of the Trimble Construction One Suite. More information can be found here: https://trimble.com/en/products/trimble-materials.
