Software for selling building materials online
The builders' trade rarely sells a piece. It sells a square metre, a pallet, a bundle, a tonne or a linear metre, and the customer often does not know how much is needed - they know the area to be covered. A store that only offers a quantity in pieces makes them do the arithmetic, so they would rather pick up the phone.
On top of that comes goods no parcel service will accept. Cement, timber and tiles need their own vehicle, delivery zones and a time slot, and the freight price depends on weight and distance. All of it has to be known before the customer confirms the order, because telling them about transport costs afterwards kills the deal.
{ Where the problem starts }
Obstacles specific to selling building materials
The customer knows the area, not the number of pieces
For tiles they know the square metres, for a facade the wall area. If the store asks for a number of boxes, the customer calculates and gets it wrong, ordering too little or too much.
Goods are sold in packs but measured differently
Tiles are sold by the box, and a box covers a certain area. Without conversion between the unit of sale and the unit of measure, both stock and price are wrong.
The price depends on quantity
Someone taking a pallet does not pay what someone taking a single piece pays. In practice discount scales live in the seller's head, so every seller quotes a different price.
Delivery does not fit in a parcel bag
Bulky and heavy goods require their own transport, zones and a delivery slot. The standard per-piece postage calculation makes no sense here.
The deal starts with a quote, not a basket
For larger quantities the customer asks for a quote before deciding. If quotes are made by hand in spreadsheets, each carries the risk of a pricing error and loses the time that decides the deal.
{ What the platform solves }
An answer to each of those obstacles
Selling by unit of measure with conversion
The customer enters the area or length and the system converts it into a number of packs, rounding up. Stock is kept in the unit you actually hold the goods in.
Quantity discounts as a rule
The price changes at defined quantity thresholds, the same for every customer. The seller no longer has to remember the scale or decide on the spot.
Freight calculated by weight and zone
Transport cost is computed from weight, volume and distance, and shown before the order is confirmed. For goods going on your own vehicle, a delivery slot is chosen.
Quote on request and proforma invoice
The customer sends an enquiry from the basket, and the quote is generated from the same prices and discounts that apply in the store. No retyping into a spreadsheet and no gap between the quoted and the invoiced price.
Collection at the yard
For customers arriving in their own vehicle, collection at the branch is an equal option, with availability shown per location.
Terms we use
So there are no misunderstandings in the first meeting, here is what we mean by the terms that come up most often in this industry.
Unit of sale
The form in which goods are issued - box, pallet, bundle. It need not match the unit the customer thinks in.
Unit of measure
The quantity by which the customer measures the need - square metre, linear metre, tonne. Conversion between it and the unit of sale has to be done by the system.
Discount scale
The quantity thresholds at which the price changes. Written down as a rule rather than remembered, it applies equally to every customer.
Delivery zone
An area with its own freight price. The basis for charging delivery of goods parcel services will not take.
Common questions from this industry
Can the customer order by square metre?
They can. They enter the area or length, and the system converts it into the required number of packs and rounds up, so less material than needed never arrives.
How is delivery calculated for heavy goods?
By weight, volume and delivery zone, with the amount shown before the order is confirmed. For goods going on your vehicle, a time slot is chosen as well.
Does the system support different prices by quantity?
It does. Discount scales are set as rules per item or category and apply automatically as soon as the quantity crosses the defined threshold.
We work mostly through quotes. Does that make sense online?
It does. The customer assembles a list in the store and sends an enquiry, and the quote is generated from the same prices and discounts. That shortens the path from enquiry to signature, and retyping errors disappear.
We have several yards. Is it visible where the goods are?
It is. Stock is tracked per branch, and the customer is shown availability at the location they choose, with the option of collection instead of delivery.
Do you have a catalogue of 1000 items or more?
For a first estimate we need the number of items, your suppliers and the system you use today. The call takes fifteen minutes, after which you get scope, price and timeline.