NEWS EXTRA THE NEW NORMAL IN
CONSTRUCTION PROCUREMENT?
How you buy, and how efficient you make the process, can have almost as much effect on the bottom line as what price you buy at. BMJ sat down with the founder of a new online procurement offer, to find out how it works for merchants and their contractor customers.
IN AN industry where time is money and efficiency can mean the difference between success and struggle, Jack Schofield, the brains behind
TradesSupplies.com, is looking to carve a new path for contractors and merchants alike..
Q: What is TradesSupplies. com - how does it work for contractors and builders’ merchants? Schofield: We’re hoping that
TradesSupplies.com will be a procurement game-changer. It’s a platform where contractors can easily post their requests for materials, and registered merchants can swoop in with competitive bids to fulfil the order. Our aim is simple: to make buying materials as easy as possible for contractors, making sure they can find the best value and most reliable suppliers with ease.
Q: What inspired you to create
TradesSupplies.com? Was there a specific gap or challenge in the industry that you aimed to address? Schofield: I started out in construction as a labourer when I was 15, pushing Tarmac wheelbarrows on the weekends. After 2 years of pushing barrows I thought “I need an office job!” So while I was completing my A level in computer science, I shadowed the Director of a Traffic Management firm and convinced the him to let me program some software to help make his business processes more efficient and keep better records.
I then went on to work a few different roles in construction as well as completing my degree in
8
Quantity Surveying. In my final year of University I designed a software system to automate the allocation of Labour to different sites. I’ve always had the bug for trying to find an easier and better way of doing things using software.
Q: So what sparked the idea for
TradesSupplies.com? Was there a particular “ah-ha” moment? Schofield: The key moment for me was when I was trying to find a supplier for some “TigerMulch” and got to a point where I was considering posting on LinkedIn to see if anyone knew where to get it from. I then thought about how great it would be to just post on a website every time I needed to order something, and a list of quotes would come back the next day, so this is the service I set out to create.
Q: What were some of the major hurdles you faced during the TradesSupplies. com development process, and how did you navigate through them?
Schofield: I think the first hurdle to any new business is always finance. When I was looking at the quotes provided from software contractors, I realised I was going to struggle to get the software built on a start-up budget.
The lightbulb moment for me was deciding to outsource the software production abroad, which turned out to be much cheaper, meaning I could finance the website myself.
Streamlining the website’s processes and ensuring we provide the best quality service
has always been a priority. Being a bit of a perfectionist, deciding the best time to launch the site was difficult as there is always room for improvement.
Q: How user-friendly is the
TradesSupplies.com platform for both contractors and suppliers? Schofield: It’s been a meticulous process—repeated testing, feedback loops with contractors and merchants—to make sure usability is intuitive. We’re always making small improvements following feedback, and hope to continue improving as more and more merchants and contractors join the site.
Q: How do you envision
TradesSupplies.com influencing the dynamics of the builders’ marketplace? Schofield: The aim of the site has always been to make life easier for contractors, but it also makes life easier for merchants. It’s so much easier to sit and receive a list of requests to put prices to than to deal with a combination of phone calls, emails and walk- ins. It also saves on advertising costs and you don’t have to keep following up with contractors about orders.
Q: Are there any upcoming features or innovations planned for TradesSupplies. com?
Schofield: Once we’ve perfected our website for materials ordering we plan to make an app for contractors to order materials. This should be much easier for one-man bands and smaller contractors as they can order materials from their phone when on-site. We also plan to look into plant hire and supplying agency labour. BMJ
The vision for TradesSupplies. com not only streamlines procurement but also hints at a future where technology redefines the norms of the construction industry. As the platform continues to evolve, it’s poised to revolutionise how contractors and merchants interact, making strides toward a more efficient, interconnected future. If you’d like to become a merchant partner, with no upfront charge and commission on sales as low as 1%, sign up at
TradesSupplies.com or email
support@tradessupplies.com for more information.
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net December 2023
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