How Construction Suppliers Can Beat Their Competition

If you’re a supplier looking to win more work, you’ve come to the right place. In the construction industry, it’s often said that builders only buy based on price. But it’s a bit more complex than that. It’s actually a balance of price versus trust. Even if your product is specified by the architect, unless you can balance price and trust, your contract isn’t safe.

Builders like to pretend you carry all the risk because they can chase you for liquidated damages. But in reality, if something goes catastrophically wrong, it’s the builder’s money and reputation on the line. This is why so many builders are cautious about who they work with. Buying from a cheaper interstate or overseas supplier might seem cost-effective, but when they balance price against trust, it might not work out.

As a supplier, you need to manage this balance to win work. If you can increase trust, reduce risk, and also cut costs, you will outshine your competitors.

Trust is a cornerstone of any successful business relationship. In the construction industry, trust can make or break a deal. According to a report by the Construction Leadership Council, 70% of construction projects are delivered late and over budget, often due to trust issues and poor communication. This statistic highlights the importance of trust in ensuring project success.

Transparency is key. You can choose to share what’s happening with each product. Some details, like your internal testing and touchups, you might want to keep private. But being able to look at the drawings and instantly know that everything is under control is very powerful for building trust.

Clear and consistent communication with your clients and downstream supply chain is essential. When clients know they can rely on you for updates and accurate information, it builds confidence and trust in your services.

We’ve all heard horror stories of people saying, “It’s on its way!” only to call back a month later saying, “Oh, it never left.” Matrak’s Audit History and Photos remove any perceived risk from the builder that they could be misled. They know you can stand by your work.

Keeping detailed records of your product’s journey through the supply chain provides a verifiable trail that can be referred to if issues arise. This transparency reduces the risk for your clients and reassures them that you have everything under control.

Ensuring on-time delivery through robust tracking systems can significantly boost your reliability and reputation. According to a McKinsey report, large construction projects typically take 20% longer to finish than scheduled and can be up to 80% over budget. Ensuring on-time delivery through robust tracking systems can significantly boost your reliability and reputation.

Reducing overhead costs not only makes your operations more efficient but also gives you a competitive edge. Run rate reporting helps optimize your processes. You can figure out how many people you need to close the work out, what stock levels you have, and reduce the manual work for your team. By reducing the need for emails, meetings, and phone calls with the client, your costs will be lower.

Automated systems like Matrak can reduce the manual workload on your team, allowing them to focus on more critical tasks. This efficiency translates into lower operational costs and a faster turnaround time. Using data to drive your decisions helps you identify areas where you can cut costs without compromising on quality. This strategic approach can significantly improve your bottom line.

Let’s get into the practical steps that will help you implement these strategies using Matrak’s material tracking platform. Uploading IFC Drawings or BOQ into your project workspace gives the builder confidence that there won’t be any late variations.

Everyone in your project network knows what needs to be delivered. If you’re responsible for fabrication, tracking these approvals prevents delays. Printing QR codes for each product allows you to scan them as they move through key stages in your supply chain. For example, if you’re doing a façade, this could be assembly, quality checks, packing, logistics, and installation.

Ticking off your products at these key stages within Matrak’s app gives you packing lists, production insights, quality checks, and traceability—all for free. Automatically generating packing lists ensures accuracy and efficiency in your shipments.

Gaining insights into your production process helps identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. Ensuring that every product meets your quality standards before it leaves your facility is essential.

Maintaining a clear record of each product’s journey through your supply chain provides transparency and accountability. By doing this, you reduce your team’s overhead and risk while increasing transparency and trust with your client. This is how you beat less sophisticated suppliers.

But what if you already have an internal system that you can’t change? No problem. If your system tracks items in Excel, upload them to Matrak to keep the builder on the same page. Even better, Matrak integrates with most platforms. You can share the information you choose while keeping your internal system private. This way, you maintain your internal processes while increasing client trust.

Matrak’s flexible integration options mean you can continue using your existing systems while leveraging Matrak’s features to enhance transparency and collaboration with your clients. Keeping your internal processes private while sharing only the necessary information with your clients ensures both security and trust.

If you’re ready to try this out, head to matrak.com to sign up for a free account and start winning more projects. By embracing these strategies, you’ll not only improve your operations but also build stronger, more trusting relationships with your clients, giving you the edge over your competition.