Co-Creation Begins on an Ordering Cloud Service for the Construction Industry
We have begun developing a cloud service that streamlines the complex ordering process in the construction industry. Construction involves many parties, including tradespeople, general contractors, manufacturers, trading companies, and haulers, and a variety of problems arise, such as miscommunication and work delays. This new service aims to solve those problems and raise productivity across the industry.
Ordering problems in the construction industry:
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Ordering methods differ from person to person (LINE, phone, fax, and so on) and are not standardized.
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Accurate information often fails to get through, with wrong material part numbers and misunderstood quantities.
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Even after tradespeople place an order, they are left unsure whether the general contractor's staff have ordered correctly from the manufacturer.
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The information needed to place an order is not at hand, so wrong part numbers are common.
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Site work is sometimes halted because the wrong part number was ordered for materials.
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There is a time lag before an order reaches the manufacturer, which delays work.
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Many orders are missing required details, so manufacturers frequently have to call back to confirm.
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Deliveries are sometimes canceled because someone forgot to book the lifting contractor.
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When a delivery schedule changes, manufacturers and lifting contractors have to be contacted, which takes effort.
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Looking up past orders takes time, making work inefficient.
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Differences between the amount at the time of ordering and the amount the manufacturer invoices lead to disputes.
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Coordinating the order and timing of delivery trucks by fax and phone takes up time.
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When ordering from multiple manufacturers for the same site, a separate purchase order has to be prepared for each one.
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Purchase orders from general contractors to manufacturers come in a different format from each company, making order processing cumbersome.
Working with construction companies and manufacturers, we have now begun developing an industry-specific cloud service to solve these problems. The service is designed to be used by the many participants in the ordering process, with the aim of standardizing and streamlining operations.
We plan to begin offering a beta version in August 2023. Please look forward to this service, designed to be easy for everyone involved to use and to raise their productivity.
If you are considering digital transformation (DX), operational efficiency, or new business development in the construction industry, please feel free to contact us. Our specialist team, with many years of industry experience, will support you closely.