Question 1

What is a material control layer?

Accepted Answer

A material control layer is a system that sits between procurement, field operations, and financial systems to provide real-time visibility into material state across the full lifecycle — from purchase order to installation to reconciliation. Unlike ERPs or inventory apps, it tracks the physical material itself, not just the transaction.

Question 2

How is RunBlu different from an ERP or inventory management system?

Accepted Answer

ERPs track dollars and transactions. Inventory apps track what's on a shelf. RunBlu tracks the material itself through six enforced states: Ordered, Received, Stored, Allocated, Installed, and Reconciled. Every state change is an immutable event. When RunBlu says you have 200 feet of conduit in Bay 4, it means someone put it there, nobody has moved it, and it's not allocated to another job.

Question 3

What trades does RunBlu work for?

Accepted Answer

RunBlu is built for specialty trade contractors including electrical, mechanical/HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and civil contractors, as well as general contractors who need visibility across all subcontractor material flows. It's designed for contractors in the $5M to $50M revenue range.

Question 4

How long does it take to implement RunBlu?

Accepted Answer

RunBlu is implemented in four sprints over 17 to 24 weeks: Foundation, Receiving, Allocation, and Readiness. The system is configured around your workflows, your team is trained, and you go live together.

Question 5

How much can RunBlu save my company?

Accepted Answer

Contractors typically recover $400K to $700K in working capital in year one through reduced over-purchasing, waste elimination, and improved reconciliation. The average contractor over-purchases 10-20% of material due to unreliable inventory data. Eliminating that alone often delivers 13x+ ROI.

Question 6

Does RunBlu integrate with Procore?

Accepted Answer

Yes. RunBlu is the material control layer and Procore is the project management layer. They are complementary systems. RunBlu integrates with Procore as well as accounting systems like QuickBooks and Sage.

Posts tagged “material waste”

Why Contractors Over-Purchase Material (And Why It's Rational)

How Contractors Lose $400K/Year in Material Waste (And How to Stop It)