SMD streamlines construction procurement

SMD is a leading UK-based main contractor delivering projects across various sectors, including specialist projects in education and crematoria.

Over the past few years, the company has experienced substantial growth, and with that growth came challenges, particularly in its procurement process.

This article follows a conversation between ProcurePro, Moomith Ullah, and Jon Wren, about their journey to digitalise procurement.

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Real procurement challenges

Jon Wren, Commercial Director at SMD, explains the main procurement issues faced by the team:

"We were struggling with procurement in a sense that we were not getting great response from the supply chain, doing lots of chasing, lots of energy wasted."

The team had been using a traditional system where tenders were issued via email and project documents were sent across various platforms, leading to inconsistency and slow processes in their supply chain procurement. Procurement schedules were managed through Excel spreadsheets, which were frequently updated manually but lacked live data. The system was not integrated, making it challenging to manage multiple projects running concurrently.

Jon shared his frustration with the old system:

"It was difficult to manage the original approach because all the procurement schedules are in different places and are updated at different times. It wasn't live data."

Moomith Ullah, Director at SMD, also weighed in on the challenge of coordinating multiple systems:

"The lack of integration across our systems meant our procurement process was fragmented and inefficient. We were managing multiple spreadsheets and platforms, which made tracking and reporting a headache."

SMD needed a centralised, digital solution that would streamline its procurement management process, improve response times, and provide consistent data across all projects.

An easy-to-adopt solution

After evaluating several options, SMD adopted ProcurePro. The centralised platform allowed SMD to digitise their procurement workflows, consolidate data, and streamline communication with their supply chain. Jon highlighted the advantages:

"Having the centralised system allows us to manage all tasks and all projects as a whole, really project, and see what's coming up."

Moomith echoed Jon's thoughts on the integration and transparency offered by ProcurePro:

"With ProcurePro, we now have a single source of truth that integrates seamlessly with our workflows, making it far easier to track the status of each project and manage procurement tasks in real-time."

ProcurePro also offered efficiency improvements in approval workflows. Previously, order approvals were done via email, which created delays and confusion. With ProcurePro, approvals became faster and more transparent, allowing the team to track the status of orders in real-time.

"Anybody can check and see where we are. Also, the data is always there. It's a preset set of information to be filled in so approvals are much quicker."

Moomith shared how this transparency impacted their operations:

"The visibility that ProcurePro provides in approval workflows is a game-changer. We’ve drastically reduced the time spent waiting for approvals, which means we can move forward with projects faster."

Furthermore, Jon noted the improved visibility for senior management, enabling him to identify potential risks early and support the team proactively:

"I wanted to ensure I had greater visibility of where we were in all our projects... It’s really key that I can see where we are in all those projects and engage with the right people to make sure we're up to date and on track."

Moomith reflected on the broader organisational impact:

"Having real-time visibility into procurement activities allows senior management to intervene early and manage any potential risks. This proactive approach is crucial as we scale up operations."

Unexpected supply-chain success

The transition to ProcurePro was surprisingly smooth, as Jon noted:

"It was simple and was surprisingly quick actually, it didn't take us long at all to get individuals trained up and our system up and running. It almost felt like it was instant and a quick change."

Moomith also appreciated the smooth transition, highlighting the platform’s ease of use:

"The onboarding process was seamless, and our team adapted quickly to the new system. It’s intuitive, which made training our people a breeze."

The adoption by the supply chain was better than expected:

"We were quite surprised to see the great adoption by the supply chain actually. We were expecting them not to want to utilise the new way, but fortunately, they've really engaged and used it and are seemingly enjoying it."

Looking ahead

SMD is excited to continue leveraging ProcurePro's features, particularly the Vendor Ratings function, to give valuable feedback to their supply chain. The goal is to foster better collaboration and improve future procurement activities:

"We want to start using vendor ratings now to give better feedback to our supply chain on how they performed and help encourage and engage with them to not develop only them but also us and our process and procedures."

Moomith expanded on the importance of vendor feedback in building long-term relationships:

"Vendor ratings will not only help us assess performance but will also provide constructive feedback to the supply chain. It's all about creating stronger, mutually beneficial relationships that drive value for both parties."

As the business grows and SMD expands into new regions, having a scalable, efficient system will be essential in managing their procurement processes and maintaining high standards across projects:

"As we continue to grow, we'll have more projects, more staff and obviously more procurement to do, and it's really key that I can see where we are in all those projects and engage with the right people to make sure we're up to date and on track."

Have you digitalised your procurement yet?

SMD's journey with ProcurePro highlights the significant benefits of moving away from fragmented, manual procurement processes to a centralised, digital solution.

By embracing technology, they've gained greater visibility, streamlined workflows, and fostered better collaboration across their supply chain. If you're ready to experience these same benefits, it's time to take the next step.

Book a demo today and see how ProcurePro can transform your procurement.