Why Construction Procurement Is Broken: The 15–20% Cost, AI Agents & The Future of Buying Materials

<p>Can a CEO tell you what their company bought last year?</p><p>In today&#39;s episode we have Eldar Sadikov, CEO of Field Materials. He says most contractors can&#39;t, and he estimates 15 to 20% of materials spend gets lost to the mess.</p><ul><li><p>Around 25 to 30% of purchases are will calls, bought on the fly with no planned buyout behind them</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>He reckons 50% or more of contractors still pay suppliers by cheque</p></li></ul><p>His bar for a good CEO: &quot;the CEO should be in the position to go and query this.&quot;</p><p>Episode live on YouTube &amp; Spotify. Link in comments.</p><p>#aec #constructiontech #ai #bricksandbytes</p><p>Our Sponsors:</p><p>Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co</p><p>Archdesk -  “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com</p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Intro</p><p>00:48 Why Is Material Procurement Broken in Construction?</p><p>04:50 What Are the Hidden Problems Behind Construction Material Procurement?</p><p>09:05 How Much Do Material Procurement Issues Cost Construction Projects?</p><p>14:27 How Does the Construction Material Procurement Workflow Work?</p><p>16:22 Sponsor Message</p><p>24:36 How Does Field Materials Solve Construction Procurement Challenges?</p><p>34:59 Who Are the Key Stakeholders in Construction Procurement?</p><p>36:12 How Will AI and OpenClaw Change the Future of Procurement?</p><p>36:26 How Does Onboarding and Implementation Work for Procurement Software?</p><p>38:47 What Does a Day in the Life of a Project Manager Look Like With Procurement Software?</p><p>40:39 Who Are the Customers for Construction Procurement Software?</p><p>42:59 How Do You Measure ROI on Procurement Software in Construction?</p><p>46:43 What Role Will AI Play in Construction Procurement?</p><p>49:38 How Do You Evaluate Construction Procurement Software?</p><p>53:05 Why Do Procurement Software Implementations Fail?</p><p>56:57 Where Do Major ERP Players Fit in Construction Procurement?</p><p>1:00:48 What Is the Future of Construction Tech?</p>