Breaking an Order Across Multiple Vendors
Purchasers often need to split the requested list of materials across several vendors. This usually requires setting up separate POs and checking warehouse inventory. This can easily take 30-40 mins. Specialized software can help you get this done in 3-4 mins!
How It Works Today
Put yourself in the shoes of a Purchaser or Project Manager: you receive a call or an email from your foreman with a list of materials that you need to order. Looking through the list you know that some materials you can get from your warehouse (e.g., safety goggles), others you will have to order from different vendors (e.g., insulation from IDI Distributors and Firestop Sealant from Lord & Sons).
You email or call the warehouse manager to verify availability of goggles and ask for the needed quantity to be assigned to and delivered to the job site. Then, for the remaining items, you create separate Purchase Orders (POs) for each vendor and forward them a copy of your PO.
How Long It Takes
Most contractors create a separate PO for each delivery. Each PO will take you 10-15 min. You need to manually enter item descriptions, specify quantities, manufacturers, units of measurement, and prices. Then, you will need to save the POs as PDFs and email these as attachments to each vendor. Oftentimes, you will have to call the vendors to confirm the order or make any required changes to it. Plus, add to this the time it takes to call or email the warehouse manager with a list of items. For the simple example described above, 2 POs with two different vendors and coordination with the warehouse manager can easily take 30-40 mins of your day.
How Technology Can Help
Field Materials specialized procurement software makes it extremely easy for Project Managers or Purchasing Professionals to review orders coming from the field and split them into as many orders as needed from the convenience of the same screen.
All you need to do is choose the items and select the desired vendor or your warehouse. Our software will do all the leg work for you - create separate POs, contact the vendors on your behalf, remind them to confirm the orders and notify you when that is done. To top it all, Field Materials will automatically export these POs into your accounting system at a click of a button (we integrate with Sage, Foundation, CMiC, Viewpoint Vista, Viewpoint Spectrum, Quickbooks, Procore). Alltogether, this eliminates 90% of the time that PMs and Purchasing Professionals spend on these tasks today.
