**Global construction sector**: The industry contributes 30% of worldwide waste. BuildSourced leverages a tailored ERP system by JetRuby to streamline materials management, reduce waste, and cut costs through real-time tracking, unified platforms and automation that enhance project efficiency and sustainability.
The construction industry is a major global contributor to waste, accounting for approximately 30% of all waste generated worldwide. This substantial figure highlights inefficiencies in traditional construction practices, particularly in the management of materials. To combat these challenges, intelligent construction asset management is becoming increasingly vital, ensuring that materials are available in the right amounts, of the correct quality, at the appropriate time, and sourced cost-effectively to prevent unnecessary waste and project delays.
A detailed case study of BuildSourced, a company specialising in construction equipment and material management, illustrates the transformative impact of implementing a modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system tailored specifically for the construction sector. Prior to automating their operations, BuildSourced encountered significant inefficiencies, including lost time, budget overruns, and chaotic workflows driven by manual processes involving spreadsheets and paper logs.
Construction projects must tackle several key challenges linked to materials management. These include:
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Inaccurate Material Forecasting: Poor planning causes costly imbalances, with overstock tying up capital and shortages leading to delays.
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Cost Control: Balancing project demands with tight budgets requires maintaining optimal inventory levels, negotiating prices, and managing shipping costs.
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Supply Chain Complexity: Coordinating suppliers, subcontractors, and project teams to ensure timely delivery amidst changing requirements.
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Maintaining Quality Standards: Materials must meet required specifications, with compliance checks embedded in technology solutions to prevent substandard deliveries.
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Delivery Schedule Alignment: Ensuring deliveries align with construction timelines to avoid both project slowdowns and material damage from premature arrival.
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Improper Storage: Early deliveries might be exposed to harsh conditions or theft if not stored correctly.
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Data Management: Handling large volumes of data from suppliers, logistics, and inventory presents ongoing difficulties.
To address these issues, effective materials management focuses on five critical “R”s: the right materials, at the right time, in the right quantities, at the right cost, and from the right sources. This approach reduces waste, improves cost-efficiency, and supports sustainable construction practices.
BuildSourced’s need was clear: replace fragmented and inefficient manual systems with a unified digital platform. Their objectives included creating a user-friendly interface for materials accounting, improving supplier searches, enabling real-time tracking of equipment and inventory on interactive maps, and managing both owned and rented assets within a single system.
JetRuby, a development company experienced in building robust ERP solutions, designed a web-based platform specifically to address BuildSourced’s unique challenges. Among its key features:
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Full-Text Search: Contractors can find any material, tool, or supplier information in seconds rather than minutes, significantly enhancing productivity.
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Interactive Maps: Using Leaflet technology, the system displays equipment, warehouses, and suppliers on live maps that function offline, reducing retrieval time and asset loss.
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Automated Inventory Tracking: Barcode and QR code scanning update stock levels in real time, while low-stock alerts initiate automatic reorders, eliminating costly emergency purchases.
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Unified Fleet Management: The system differentiates between owned and rented equipment, tracking costs accurately and scheduling maintenance or lease expirations to avoid unnecessary rental extensions.
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Shared Event Calendar: Colour-coded entries for deliveries, inspections, and returns synchronised with mobile apps help keep projects on schedule.
Following implementation, BuildSourced experienced measurable improvements. Contractors spend approximately 80% less time searching for materials and suppliers. Search times decreased dramatically from over 15 minutes to under 30 seconds. Automated tracking reduced material count discrepancies by 95% and losses from misplaced assets by 60%. Emergency purchases declined by 75%, saving thousands of dollars monthly, while rental overages were cut by 22%.
The platform also consolidated over half a million inventory records from more than a dozen legacy data sources while providing role-specific, field-friendly user interfaces that require fewer than three clicks for critical functions.
JetRuby’s services extend beyond ERP development. They also offer Minimum Viable Product (MVP) development for rapid market testing, staff augmentation to flexibly scale technical teams, and legacy system modernisation to improve efficiency. Their expertise spans 15+ years, supporting startups and enterprises in building, refining, and scaling digital solutions tailored to industry-specific needs.
The JetRuby system’s success with BuildSourced exemplifies how construction companies can harness technology to turn operational chaos into predictable, streamlined workflows. By providing real-time visibility, accurate inventory management, supplier control, and automated alerts, modern ERP platforms support construction projects in running smoothly, maintaining budgets, and allowing teams to focus on building rather than managing paperwork and fragmented data.
The JetRuby platform is designed for contractors who need fast, dependable digital solutions that enhance efficiency and reduce waste through automation, centralisation, and intelligent data integration—critical factors for improving profitability and sustainability in construction operations.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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