Construction procurement software Every order with a trail, from site demand to supplier payment
A site engineer asks for material; it is approved, priced, ordered, received, billed and paid. Every step carries a name and time, and every dollar lands on the project and phase it was bought for.
- 01DemandSite engineer
- 02ApprovalOwner or manager
- 03QuotationsSuppliers, by link
- 04ComparisonProject manager
- 05Purchase orderWith revisions
- 06ReceivingStorekeeper
- 07Bill and paymentAccounts
What is construction procurement software?
Construction procurement software runs the buying side of a building job: the site asks for material, someone approves it, suppliers quote, an order goes out, the delivery is checked and the bill is paid. Each step is recorded against the project and phase the material is for.
General purchasing tools stop at the order. Construction procurement software also has to know about sites, phases, site stores and budgets, because a bag of cement is only cheap if it goes to the right slab and is paid for once.
What to look for in construction procurement software
- Demands raised from site, on a phone, against a project and phase
- Approval rules by amount, so small buys don't wait for the owner
- Supplier quotations without making suppliers sign up
- Purchase orders with revisions that keep the earlier version
- Receiving in parts, with short and damaged items recorded
- Bills matched to the order and the delivery before payment
- Committed cost on the budget as soon as an order is placed
Aaghaz360 does each of these in every package.
Where construction purchasing leaks money
Most material money isn't stolen. It leaks between the site's request and the supplier's payment, at steps nobody writes down.
- 1Material ordered on a phone call or a voice note, with no approval and no budget check.
- 2One supplier's rate accepted because nobody had time to ask two more.
- 3Orders changed after they were sent, with no copy of what was agreed.
- 4Deliveries signed for without counting, so short loads are paid in full.
- 5Supplier bills paid without checking them against the order and the delivery.
- 6Purchases booked to the company, not to the project and phase that used them.
Construction procurement software built around the site's demand
Demands that check before you buy
A new demand suggests materials for the phase and checks what is already in stock and what the budget allows.
Approvals by amount
Decide who approves each step and above which amount it goes to the owner, in one Who does what screen.
Quotations without accounts
Suppliers enter their rates through a private link. Quotes line up side by side, and you can split an order between suppliers.
Orders with revisions
Purchase orders carry delivery site, receiver and terms. Change one and the earlier version is kept.
Receiving that counts
Receive in parts, and record short, damaged or rejected items with a photo of the delivery note.
Pay what matches
Supplier bills are matched against the order and what was received, then paid through approval.
Used by: Site engineers, Project managers, Accounts, Suppliers.
Purchasing on registers and WhatsApp vs in Aaghaz360
- On registers, spreadsheets and WhatsApp: A demand is a phone call or a voice note
- In Aaghaz360: A demand from site names the project, the phase and the date it is needed
- On registers, spreadsheets and WhatsApp: Approval happens in someone's memory
- In Aaghaz360: Approvals by amount, recorded with a name and time
- On registers, spreadsheets and WhatsApp: One supplier is called for a rate
- In Aaghaz360: Suppliers quote through a private link, and quotes line up side by side
- On registers, spreadsheets and WhatsApp: The order is a WhatsApp message
- In Aaghaz360: A purchase order with delivery site, receiver and terms; revisions keep every earlier version
- On registers, spreadsheets and WhatsApp: Deliveries are signed for, not counted
- In Aaghaz360: Received in parts against the order, with short or damaged items and a photo of the delivery note
- On registers, spreadsheets and WhatsApp: Bills are paid as they arrive
- In Aaghaz360: Bills are matched against the order and what was received, then paid through approval
- On registers, spreadsheets and WhatsApp: Cost is known when the bill comes in
- In Aaghaz360: Open orders show as committed cost on the phase budget
Worked example · sample figures
A worked example: 200 bags of cement
Sample figures. A site engineer asks for 200 bags, three suppliers quote by link, and the storekeeper counts 198 at the gate.
| Step | What is recorded | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Demand | 200 bags of cement for the grey structure phase | — |
| Quotations | Three suppliers quote; the best rate is $13.95 a bag | — |
| Purchase order | 200 bags × $13.95 | $2,790.00 |
| Committed cost | The order counts against the phase budget before any bill | $2,790.00 |
| Delivery | 198 bags counted, 2 short, photo of the delivery note | — |
| Bill to pay | 198 bags × $13.95, matched to the order and the delivery | $2,762.10 |
Paying for what arrived instead of what was ordered saves $27.90 on this one load. The same check runs on every delivery from every supplier.
Procurement terms used on this page
- Material demand (requisition)
- A request from site for the material a phase needs, made before anything is bought.
- Request for quotation (RFQ)
- The same list of items sent to several suppliers so their rates can be compared.
- Purchase order
- The written order to one supplier: items, quantities, rates, delivery site and terms.
- Goods received note
- The record of what actually arrived against an order, including short or damaged items.
- Committed cost
- Money promised through open orders but not yet billed. It shows a budget problem before the bill does.
- Three-way match
- Checking a supplier's bill against the purchase order and the goods received before paying it.
Purchasing works with the rest
Purchasing writes to the same record as every other module of Aaghaz360’s construction management software.
Questions about construction procurement software
Do suppliers need to sign up?
No. They quote through a private link and receive orders by WhatsApp or email with a link that opens without an account.
Can a project skip approvals?
Yes. Choose No for “Need approvals for buying?” on the project and its demands go straight to buying.
Who approves purchases?
You decide in one Who does what screen: who approves each step, and above which amount a purchase goes to the owner.
Does a demand check the budget and stock?
Yes. A new demand suggests materials for the phase and checks what is already in stock and what the budget allows.
Can one order be split between suppliers?
Yes. Supplier quotes line up side by side, and you can split an order between suppliers.
What happens when a delivery is short or damaged?
Receive what arrived and record short, damaged or rejected items with a photo of the delivery note. The supplier bill is then matched against what was received.
- Guide: Construction material procurement process: every step from site request to paid bill →
- Guide: Construction material tracking: how to stop losing cement, steel and bricks on site →
- Guide: How to compare supplier quotations for construction material →
- Guide: Construction purchase order template: fields, terms, part deliveries and a worked example →
- Guide: Three-way match in construction: check every supplier bill before you pay →
- Guide: Material requisition form for construction: fields, approvals and a filled example →
Purchasing is in every package
Priced by how many projects run at once. Users, storage and every module are included in every package.
- FreeFree1 running projectOne site at a time, every module included
- Starter$149/ yearUp to 5 running projectsA builder or contractor running a few sites
- Business$249/ yearUp to 15 running projectsSeveral sites with a buying team and stores
- Unlimited$499/ yearNo limit on running projectsMany sites, stores and departments
- Unlimited users and storage
- Projects, phases, tasks and documents
- Daily site log with photos
- Purchasing from demand to payment
- Site stores and stock counts
- Labour, contractors and pay runs
- Budgets, supplier ledger and client billing
- Quotations to customers