What is Construction Procurement Software?

Let’s start by exploring what procurement software entails in the construction industry: 

Construction procurement software are solutions that help businesses automate their procurement-to-pay cycle. They help users digitalise and manage tasks such as getting quotations, purchasing, delivery acceptance and invoice matching.

An insightful study on the use of construction procurement systems revealed that construction companies’ top priority in procurement are:

• completion speed
• meeting objectives (time, cost, quality).

This research highlighted the necessity of construction procurement tools that fit the usage needs and workflows of the various stakeholders involved in the construction projects. The right tool can help them increase the efficiency of current processes. 

Why Do I Need a Construction Procurement Software?

Here is why a construction procurement software is a must:

• Reduce Manual Workload: Automates repetitive tasks like data entry and documentation, freeing up time for strategic activities.
• Save Costs: Streamlines procurement processes, identifies cost-saving opportunities, and helps negotiate or compare better deals with suppliers.
• Centralise Data: Collects all procurement-related information in one place, improving accessibility, accuracy, and decision-making.
• Improve Workflows: Improves efficiency by standardising processes, reducing errors, and ensuring tasks are completed on schedule. 
• Collaborate With Ease: Facilitates smooth communication and coordination among stakeholders (e.g., buyers, suppliers, contractors), leading to better project execution and delivery.

So, How Do I Choose the Right Software?

The right procurement software will meet all the needs of your procurement team. Here are a few questions to ask before moving to the next step:

• Does it have a user-friendly interface?

Make sure the software is intuitive and easy to navigate. This will reduce training time and maximise user adoption (a process where users choose and commit to a product).

• Does it have budget insight and control features?

Look for features that provide real-time insights into spending trends and allow for proactive budget management.

• Does it boost spend visibility?

Prioritise software that offers transparency across procurement processes. This enables better decision-making and risk management.

• Is it a scalable solution? 

Select a software solution that can grow with your business needs. Make sure it can accommodate increased procurement volume and complexity over time.

• Is it cost-effective?

Consider not only the upfront costs, but also the potential savings from better efficiency and less errors in procurement activities.

• Will the implementation and integration be fast?

Choose software that can be integrated smoothly with existing ERP and accounting systems, within a reasonable timeframe, to minimise disruption and downtime. 

• Is it an all-in-one platform?

Prioritise a platform that is able to connect not just your procurement but your delivery acceptance, invoice matching, and even your payment process. This helps synergise the documents and data from end-to-end, achieving greater efficiency, accuracy and visibility for the entire company.

If the answer to all these questions is a resounding yes, then you’re on the right track!

The Best Construction Procurement Software in 2024

Check out the top 6 construction procurement software available on the market:

1. Doxa Connex

Price: We tailor every solution to meet the expectations of customers from diverse industries, particularly construction. Singaporean companies are even eligible for the IMDA Grant of up to 70%*!

Get your quote today!

We’re starting off strong with Doxa Connex, a software designed to streamline and optimise the entire construction procurement process. Doxa Connex connects and digitalises the workflow of buyers, sellers, and financiers on a single cloud-based platform.

Their highlight: a single platform connecting you with your suppliers, contractors and financial institutions for seamless collaboration.

An all-inclusive service, Doxa Connex offers an end-to-end digital platform for materials procurement progress claims, payment certification, invoice 3-way matching, and much more!

Currently, there are over 1,000 construction companies in the Doxa ecosystem, enabling buyers and suppliers to directly submit and receive quotes for Request for Quotes (RFQ), new Purchase Orders (PO), and invoices.

The best part? It integrates seamlessly with existing ERP and accounting systems, reducing any additional manual work for data entry and providing accurate and near real-time data for reporting.

What Makes Doxa Connex Stand Out?

• Specialised for the construction industry: Doxa Connex is specially designed to assist with construction procurement, payment, and financing – the first of its kind in South East Asia. 
• Progressive claims and payment certificates: Doxa Connex can handle tasks such as progress claims, payment certification, variation orders, backcharges, and batch payments for multiple invoices. 
• An ecosystem of 1,000+ companies: Doxa’s ecosystem includes over 1,000 companies in the region, supporting and enabling easy collaboration between companies and suppliers. 
• Easy supplier onboarding: No heavy lifting required by you! Doxa’s experienced team handles the training and support to bring suppliers on to the platform to collaborate with you. 
• Easy access to bank financing in Singapore and Malaysia: Partnering major financial institutions such as UOB, OCBC, Maybank, and more, users gain easier and faster access to more financing options to boost their cash flow.
• Smooth integration with existing systems: Powered by a powerful middleware, Doxa can easily integrate with existing ERP or accounting systems like SAP, Oracle, SAGE, Autocount and more via API, SFTP, or other methods.
• Dedicated Mobile App: With many procurement activities happening at the construction site, the Doxa Connex mobile app is designed to enable users to easily and conveniently access, submit, review, and approve documents and information on the go.
• Lifetime local support: Doxa provides continuous, lifetime support from their local Singapore team to resolve any customer and technical issues. 

2. Tradogram

Price: Pricing starts at $168 per month. 

Although Tradogram is not specifically designed for the construction industry, they are a cloud-based procurement management solution that is able to fulfil general procurement needs.

Tradogram offers a holistic approach to spending management, providing benefits to every team in the organisation. This all-in-one customisable platform offers solutions for procure to pay, strategic sourcing, and supplier management. 

It helps businesses maintain better control over purchases, from requisition to record keeping, by streamlining purchasing processes, improving efficiency, and providing spend visibility. Moreover, Tradogram provides tools to ease the supplier negotiation process and keep track of approved suppliers. 

3. Archdesk

Price: Pricing starts at $790 per month. 

Archdesk is a cloud-based project management tool designed for the construction industry.

This platform assists businesses in automating their entire enterprise resource planning lifecycle through project management, financials, and operations.

Archdesk helps with scheduling, workflow management, budget control, procurement, and much more.

Businesses can regulate their spending through budgeting tools, improve workflows through a unified system, and maintain control over procurement processes through customisable approval processes.

4. Procore

Price: Pricing not available on website. 

Procore is a complete online construction management software that connects field teams, office administrators, and developers on one platform.

It aims to assist businesses from project planning to closeout, handling preconstruction, project management, workforce management, and financial tasks. 

Procore allows real-time information sharing, where users can access data from anywhere and at any given time.

It acts as a single source of truth, keeping all procurement information in one place to ensure easy access and collaboration among all members of the organisation. 

5. Procurify

Price: Pricing not available on website. 

Procurify is a cloud-based spend management software that simplifies procurement processes for a variety of industries, including construction.

It offers intuitive features for purchase requisitions, approval workflows, and purchase order management. 

It enhances visibility into spending with real-time analytics and budget tracking, helping organisations control costs and optimise purchasing decisions.

Moreover, its user-friendly interface and automated workflows for purchase orders and purchase approvals helps to streamline operations significantly, ensuring compliance with procurement policies and improving collaboration with suppliers.

6. 4castplus

Price: Price starts at CA$129 ($94.16) per month. 

4castplus is a comprehensive project cost management software designed for construction, engineering, and energy industries.

It enables organisations to track project costs, manage resources, and streamline procurement processes. 

It supports budgeting, forecasting, and project controls, helping businesses optimise profitability and ensure project success.

With workflow automation and real-time reporting capabilities, 4castplus enhances efficiency, reduces risks, and improves decision-making across project lifecycles.

Which is the Best Procurement Software for Me?

To help you reach a decision, we’ve summed up the strengths of each product. Our analysis is based on popular software review websites such as Capterra, G2, GetApp, and Software Advice, and third-party comparison articles. 

*Note: Available but with limited services / customisation options. 

Still not sure? Here are a few quick notes and recommendations for each software:

How Doxa Connex Helps You Streamline Procurement (Case Study)

Doxa Connex is the best choice for small to large size construction companies that are looking for an all-in-one solution for procurement, payment, and financing. 

But don’t take our word for it, see the numbers for yourselves: Users of Doxa Connex have achieved significant results, including an up to 49.2% reduction in workflow time. 

Kimly Construction, a key player in Singapore’s construction sector, stands out as a compelling case study. In 2022, they chose Doxa Connex to automate their procure-to-pay processes.

This decision proved strategic in accelerating their journey towards end-to-end automation and digitalisation of processes.

In addition,Kimly was able to submit trade financing applications paper-free, facilitated by UOB’s partnership with Doxa Connex and Doxa’s trade financing module – marking a significant step forward in their digital transformation.

Mr Louis Khoo, Director of Kimly Construction, stated that Doxa Connex’s module enables them to:

• reduce manpower costs
• increase productivity
• achieve process efficiencies.

In fact, thanks to Doxa Connex, they realised a 30% reduction in man-hours spent on payment processing for suppliers and subcontractors.

Transform Your Procurement Process With Doxa Connex

From this list alone, we can see there’s a wide variety of construction procurement software currently available on the market. It’s important to choose one that provides an all-inclusive procurement solution, while most importantly, fitting the needs of your organisation well. 

Enter Doxa Connex – a premier platform connecting buyers, suppliers, and financiers effortlessly. Built on a strong enterprise-grade foundation, our highly flexible platform allows us to constantly add, improve and enhance features and workflows, especially for the construction industry.

Curious to see how Doxa Connex can streamline your procurement workflows?