CPD Talks - Innovative Technology and How Procurement Creates the Connected Construction Site

Construction sites and projects are becoming modern by applying innovative technologies. One of them is Procure, which can link procurement and on-site operations. It helps projects become digitalised and track materials through instant and online data. Indeed, its use can optimise communication between all workers in the project.

Additionally, the platform can provide workers with quick updates. As it helps solve problems faster, it can detect issues that might slow down the workflow before they become a problem. Moreover, it has other purposes like storing materials and items safely. It can also track the items easily. Therefore, its purpose is to save more to serve more.

What is procurement?

In simple terms, procurement means getting or buying resources, like materials or tools, through proper planning. In construction, it’s a system that helps plan what the project needs, set a budget, find suppliers, and make sure everything is purchased and delivered on time. The  team handles these tasks to ensure the project runs smoothly and within budget.

One of the tools, Procore, is a system with a simple purpose to help organisations save more. In doing so, they can allocate more resources. It can also help to track the items organisations use to run their business. It works from making order requests to order fulfilment. Then, the system will report the transaction process. Procore also enables teams and third parties in the project to work more effectively. Its seamless integrations connect to 500+ out-of-the-box people in the Procore App Marketplace.

In construction, this procurement system can help organisations manage and check the equipment regularly. It can remind you of the time for maintenance, along with the items that are mainly used daily by workers. Moreover, the system can manage inventory and find vendors that can supply specific items. This tool is powerful in today’s industry.

Course Preview

The CPD Talks - Innovative Technology and How Procurement Creates the Connected Construction Site course will discuss the advancement of technology use in the project. Mainly, this talk equips participants with the use of the system. The host, Tony Harbour, Head of Technology Partnerships at Procore Technologies, will discuss how technology like Procore can help workers connect various divisions and workers to ensure the project runs smoothly. Here is the goal of it:

1. Identify the role of this system in improving project efficiency.
2. Apply innovative concepts in the project.
3. Digital implementation on-site.
4. Understanding the value of connecting with everyone on the construction site.

Syllabus

The syllabus about procurement in construction allows professionals to manage their resources efficiently by using this platform. The result is that it can reduce delays and ensure they comply with the law. This talk will explore its innovative technology in construction. The focus is on how the system can play a crucial role in building connections on the site. Here is the brief:

• Key drivers of innovation
• Evolution of technology in construction
• Role of procurement in construction
• Procurement impact on the supply chain
• Real-time tracking and resource optimisation
• Integration with certain technologies and systems: ERP, BIM, IoT
• Cybersecurity in connected sites

Enrollment Criteria

The CPD Talks - Innovative Technology and How Procurement Creates the Connected Construction Site is for everyone who is interested in this topic. Nevertheless, it is suitable for professionals who work closely with construction sites, data analysis, and resource management in the project. They will benefit from this talk to then apply it in their daily work.

Procurement for construction

The procurement division can help construction sites stay connected with each other. This is because they focus on management, which supports workers to get their job done smoothly. Therefore, it can help organisations manage assets, inventory, and many more. As the details will follow later in the talks, here is what they can manage:

• Asset and inventory management
• Order management
• Vendor management
• Receiving management
• Warehouse management
• Delivery management

An asset is an important item in the business, so managing it correctly is crucial. Moreover, having proper order management can help workers make requests. In particular, if they need something that may not be available on the site, procurement can help by searching for the correct vendor.

Moreover, receiving goods is not only about giving your signature to the invoice. It is about ensuring the match items, verifying quantities, and updating the inventory. With that in mind, having a helpful tool for your construction can ensure that the process is seamless.

What is the procure-to-pay process?

Procure to pay, or P2P, is the process that connects the purchasing or procurement division with accounts payable systems. This integration can create greater efficiency in the business. It has some key stages to focus on, starting from selecting goods, making orders, and receiving goods, until payment. Therefore, this technology can create an easy operation.

However, this system still faces a challenge where many individuals are involved in the process, which increases complexity. People may be confused because procurement and accounts payable are basically managed by different departments. They have different policies, systems, and workflows. With that in mind, it can lead to error. Therefore, ensuring the system is integrated is the most important.

Procurement vs purchase

Even though in general they have the same goal, their task and specifications are different. Procurement is a strategic process that needs to identify, find suppliers, negotiate, manage contracts, and do transactions for goods or services. Meanwhile, the purchase is a transactional action of buying a product. It usually only needs a single step.

The scope of them is also different. Procurement has multiple steps, and it needs planning and budgeting before buying something. After that, they evaluate whether the product they bought is good or not. Purchase is only focused on buying something, even without planning beforehand. It does not need strategic planning. This way, the project can get the resource fast.

If you want to know more about the differences between them, you can join this talk to get a broader knowledge and understanding. This is because both of them are very different, as it is not a simple understanding in one way, but needs to go further to get an in-depth grasp of it. Therefore, joining this CPD Talk can help you get better information.

Learn more about innovative technology in construction with CCM.

Construction is leading to a new way of working through technology development. Being aware of this advancement in procurement is crucial to make sure you can compete in today’s competitive workforce. Therefore, taking part in these CPD Talks with the College of Contract Management is a great deal. You can gain more knowledge and build a network.

Furthermore, this talk is online, allowing you to join wherever you are. This is because the College wants to ensure an equal education for all students around the world. With this in mind, you can join flexibly, even if you have a different time zone from other students. As the procurement division will have high demand in the future, it is better for you to know at this early stage.

The CPD Talks - Innovative Technology and How Procurement Creates the Connected Construction Site programme scheduled will be announced soon, when everything is settled. The announcement will be in your email once you finalise the payment process. If you have something you want to ask, feel free to contact the CCM team via live chat or email. They are here to help you anytime!