Case study
Construction tech company automates supplier bidding process, eliminates 90% of manual tasks
OUR CLIENT
Founded decades ago, this technology company helps the construction industry buy and sell goods and services. It also offers functionality to manage supply chains, transact payments, and find new business opportunities. The private company employs several thousand people.
THE CHALLENGE
Manual data processing caused errors and bottlenecks
The company used inefficient, manual data-query processes to generate and manage supplier bids. A dedicated team of employees manually ran time-consuming, repetitive queries across multiple databases to retrieve bid-related information, such as supplier contracts and product details. This situation slowed processing times, caused a high degree of human errors, and negatively impacted productivity. The poor-quality data outputs often required additional time to rectify errors, further delaying processing cycles.
As the volume of bids and data queries grew over time, the lack of automation made it challenging to scale the process efficiently. Company leaders knew the existing manual quote management system had become increasingly unsustainable, particularly for handling large datasets and responding to quick-turn bid requests. The manual workflow also posed compliance and governance risks since errors could lead to misreporting and regulatory issues.
THE TRANSFORMATION
Streamlining data workflows by automating repetitive tasks
UST developed a highly efficient business process automation quotation activation system that automated 90% of the company’s manual processes, significantly reducing the need for human intervention. Five percent of the process is managed through an “action center,” where agents complete forms with missing data, ensuring accuracy without disrupting the overall workflow. The remaining 5% is also handled manually by an agent when supplier quotes do not reach the required number of valid bids before closing. The process was designed to seamlessly integrate minimal manual interventions into the workflow without causing disruptions as bots execute automated tasks.
The workflow automation runs several database queries to gather information for the supplier bid. The system sends a first notification to suppliers, announcing the pending quote request to encourage bids. A second notification is automatically sent five hours before the closing date, prompting any remaining suppliers to act. An automated system thoroughly reviews all supplier quotes, and if manual intervention is necessary, the quotation activation system sends a notification to agents to complete any final manual tasks.
By streamlining construction workflows with digital tools, the company significantly improved operational efficiency, reduced agent workloads, minimized errors, and accelerated the supplier bidding process.
THE IMPACT
Boosting competitive advantage and operational efficiency
The UST data automation solution helped the company:
- Expand its supplier bidding process to a 24x7 operation—Previously, the manual processes confined the company to an execution window during business hours. The new construction workflow automations enable the company to interact with suppliers at any time of day or night.
- Accelerate response times—Now, agents can generate and manage bids in a fraction of the time it previously took to manually process supplier quotes. This improvement has been especially helpful with urgent quote requests.
- Allocate human resources more efficiently—Employees can focus on complex, higher-value tasks that require human judgment while delegating repetitive tasks to process automations, with peace-of-mind that data outputs are accurate and reliable.
- Scale operations—Since the company can handle larger volumes of data and supplier bids more efficiently, it can take on additional projects, enter new markets, and respond to customer demands.
Discover how UST’s automation solutions can transform your operations—freeing-up your teams, accelerating processes, and giving you a competitive edge in any market. Learn more here.
RESOURCES
https://www.ust.com/en/insights/driving-excellent-lean-agile-outcomes
https://www.ust.com/en/what-we-do/digital-transformation/automation