Innovating Procurement with Custom Software
Blue Diamond: A cutting edge integrated web app enabling real-time inventory insights, team oversight & field procurement
The Situation
Haskell personnel on both sides of a typical internal purchasing transaction were experiencing waste and inefficiencies. The Project Services team (charged with warehouse inventory management) was experiencing inefficiencies and errors with managing data across multiple spreadsheets and recognized the need for an intelligent purchasing & inventory management process. Field teams also lacked inventory visibility and process consistency, seeking a mechanism to effectively search for inventory options, ask/answer questions, and initiate surplus exchanges. The net effect of these problems was higher project expenses and reduced corporate buying power.
Our Solution
Through collaborative discovery, VIATechnik’s Cirrus Studio designed and built a custom web application enabling enterprise-wide inventory visibility, enhanced procurement tooling, and streamlined inventory management. Office, Field and Admin Personal now have real time access to search products and place an order or track delivery status in the click of a few buttons. Project information specific to site delivery locations, cost centers and purchasing authority residing in Procore is now streamed through the portal allowing for a simple, error free and consistently repeatable process. Functionality was also developed for custom ordering and to effectively manage and re-circulate material surplus. The web application integrates with Haskell’s Procore instance and White Cap, a leading building material supply company.
The Impact
Since implementation just a few months ago, Haskell has processed over 380 orders on Blue Diamond, delivering over 24,000 goods to project teams. Over 2,000 Haskell employees have access to the marketplace and more than 50 project teams have made orders to date. The Q&A/chat function has increased response times and clarity, while creating a historical repository for on-going insights and team learning. While the majority of transactions to date are warehouse-to-project teams, Haskell is excited to also roll out project team – to – project team (i.e. peer-to-peer) marketplace listings in the near future. From an administrative perspective, the Project Services team is experiencing substantial efficiency gains compared to legacy processes: “It’s been so great to get away from Excel and having to access multiple sources to execute and track field orders. This process has been greatly streamlined to everyone’s satisfaction!” – Project Services Manager.
