What is a material control layer?

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.

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

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.

What trades does RunBlu work for?

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.

How long does it take to implement RunBlu?

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.

How much can RunBlu save my company?

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.

Does RunBlu integrate with Procore?

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.

Integration

RunBlu + Autodesk Construction Cloud: Design Data Meets Material Reality

Connect RunBlu with Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) to link design data with physical material tracking. Quantities from models inform material planning; actual consumption validates takeoffs.

How it works

RunBlu connects to Autodesk Construction Cloud via the Forge/APS API

Project structure, model data, and quantity takeoffs sync from ACC to RunBlu

RunBlu uses BIM quantities to validate material requirements against physical inventory

Material consumption data in RunBlu can be compared against model quantities for variance analysis

Document references from ACC link to material records in RunBlu

Data flow

From	Direction	To	Data
ACC	→	RunBlu	Project structure and phases
ACC	→	RunBlu	Quantity takeoff data from models
ACC	→	RunBlu	Document and drawing references
RunBlu	→	ACC	Material status updates by project
RunBlu	→	ACC	Takeoff vs. actual consumption variance

Data flow diagram — coming soon

Setup guide

Connect Autodesk Construction Cloud

Authenticate via Autodesk Platform Services (APS). RunBlu requests access to project data, models, and quantities.

Map project structure

RunBlu imports your ACC project hierarchy. Material categories are mapped to model element types and specification sections.

Configure quantity import

Choose which model quantities to import as material requirements. RunBlu uses these as planning targets — not constraints — for material operations.

Enable variance tracking

RunBlu compares actual material consumption against model quantities. Significant variances are flagged for review.

Use cases

Takeoff validation

Compare BIM quantities against actual material consumed. Identify where takeoffs consistently over- or under-estimate to improve future accuracy.

Material planning

Use model quantities as a starting point for material procurement. RunBlu shows what's already on hand vs. what needs to be ordered.

Design change impact

When models change, updated quantities flow to RunBlu. See immediately whether you have enough material for the revised design or need to adjust procurement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this require BIM 360 or ACC specifically?

The integration supports Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), which is the current platform. Legacy BIM 360 projects can be accessed if they've been migrated to ACC. Contact us for legacy BIM 360 support.

What model formats are supported?

RunBlu imports quantity data from any model format supported by ACC's Model Coordination — Revit, Navisworks, IFC, and others. The integration works with the extracted quantities, not the raw model files.

Do I need to maintain models for this to work?

No. The ACC integration is optional and additive. RunBlu works independently as a material control layer. The ACC connection adds design context — but material tracking doesn't require it.

Ready to connect RunBlu + Autodesk Construction Cloud?

Book a walkthrough and we'll show you the integration in action.

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