Field Materials introduces AI agents to tackle skills shortage in construction procurement

Field Materials has unveiled a new set of AI automation agents aimed at taking over routine procurement and accounts payable work in construction, as the industry grapples with a looming skills gap and an ageing workforce.

The platform, which says it already processes more than $2bn in material purchases each year, is designed to handle tasks that would normally be assigned to office staff. Contractors can give the agents instructions in plain English, while the software works ...

through incoming orders, invoices and related administrative jobs, escalating issues only when something appears to be wrong.

Eldar Sadikov, Field Materials’ co-founder and chief executive, said the goal is to move beyond software that merely supports employees. “For the first time, AI can actually do the work we used to assign to employees, not assist with work but own it end to end,” he said. “If an invoice checks out, why should a specialist spend time on it? Let the agent handle it and flag it only when something’s off. This way, employees can spend more time on value-adding tasks.”

The company says the agents can also message staff with questions, collaborate with one another and leave an audit trail of what they have done. In practice, that means they are meant to behave less like a conventional dashboard and more like a digital colleague carrying out recurring tasks inside a contractor’s existing systems.

Field Materials is pitching the technology as a response to a broader demographic problem in construction. The company points to estimates that 41% of current construction employees will retire by 2031, arguing that firms need ways to preserve operational knowledge and reduce dependence on manual handovers.

Founded in 2022 by serial entrepreneurs, the business has been expanding rapidly. Its website says the platform integrates with major construction ERPs and is used across multiple states and trades, while the company’s LinkedIn profile says it serves customers in 16 construction trades and four countries. A recent funding update said Field Materials raised $10.5m in Series A financing, bringing its total fundraising to nearly $19m.

Field Materials says the system is built to cut rogue spending, reduce processing time and remove much of the repetitive data entry involved in procurement and invoice handling. In a sector where labour shortages and succession planning are becoming increasingly pressing, the company is betting that AI agents can do more than speed up workflows: they can fill roles that many firms are struggling to staff.

Source: Noah Wire Services