How process automation works for construction companies
Process automation for construction companies rarely concerns the building itself. It concerns everything around it: purchase requests from the site, approvals by value, budget consumption per project, supplier documentation and measurement records. In Jestor, these become connected processes that feed the ERP rather than a set of spreadsheets.
Why construction generates so much administrative load
Each site is effectively its own small company, with its own budget, suppliers and purchasing. Head office needs consolidation, and the site needs speed.
Those two needs pull in opposite directions, and the usual compromise is a WhatsApp group plus a spreadsheet that is always slightly out of date.
What the office cannot see in time:
- How much of a project's budget has been consumed today
- Which purchase requests are waiting for approval
- Which supplier documents have expired
- What was actually delivered against what was ordered
- Which site is trending over budget
What to structure first
| Process | What it controls | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase requests | What the site is asking for | Start here |
| Approval by value | Who authorizes each amount | Start here |
| Budget per project | Planned against consumed | Immediately after |
| Supplier documents | Validity and compliance | Before scaling |
| Measurements | Work completed and billable | Once the basics run |
Step by step to structure it
- Create the projects registry, one record per site, with its planned budget.
- Build the purchase request form for site teams, usable on a phone.
- Add approval by value and cost center, routing automatically.
- Connect expenses to the project, so consumption accumulates on its own.
- Send approved purchases to the ERP, where the payable is created.
- Add a supplier documents process with expiry alerts.
- Build the consolidated dashboard showing budget against spend per site.
Why mobile matters more here than elsewhere
The person who knows a material is needed is standing on the site, not at a desk. If requesting it means waiting until they are back at a computer, they will send a message instead, and the process fails at its first step.
- Requests from the field: designed for a phone
- Approval by value: the amount decides the approver
- Budget consumption live: overruns visible while they can be acted on
- Expenses reaching the ERP: no duplicate entry at head office
Frequently Asked Questions
Can site teams create requests from a phone?
Yes. The mobile layout is built separately so field use is practical. See jestor.com.
Does this replace the accounting system?
No. Approved expenses are sent to the ERP, which handles the financial and tax side.
Can I see budget consumption per site?
Yes. Expenses connect to the project, so consumption accumulates automatically.
Video Tutorial: Step by Step
With Jestor, you can automate workflows, connect teams, and build internal systems your way, all without code and powered by AI. Discover Jestor at jestor.com and see how to take your company's operations to a new level of efficiency and control.