Smarter Decisions with Lumber and Building Materials Software

In your world, there’s no time for guesswork. Materials move fast. Expectations are high. You need decisions made quickly—and made right.

That’s why visibility isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the foundation of a business that runs smoothly and grows confidently.

You probably already have plenty of data. But if your lumber and building materials software isn’t giving you the clarity to act on it, you’re likely working harder than you should—and missing opportunities you shouldn’t.

Inventory isn’t the problem—blind spots are

You know the drill: too much stock, not enough of the right stock, or inventory you thought you had. Even a strong team can struggle if your system isn’t showing them what’s really going on.

When everyone’s working from the same live view—sales, purchasing, dispatch—you stop firefighting. You can plan smarter, reduce waste, and keep the right products moving at the right time.

The right lumber and building materials software makes that real-time clarity possible.

"Our system allows us to establish procedures and checks that give us better visibility into what's happening across our business. With these procedures in place, we can interrogate them, identify areas for improvement, and make changes as necessary to keep things running smoothly", Louis Jenkins, Management Accountant at South Coast Building Supplies, says:

"Before upgrading our software, I wouldn’t have been able to tell if we had 12ft of mahogany in stock, all I could tell you is that we had mahogany. Now I can tell you what lengths we have it in and what widths etc across both premises." Michael Dowling, Strahan Timber

You can’t act on what you can’t see

You’ve probably seen it before—those moments when a top-seller runs out, or a problem shows up weeks too late in a report. That’s not on your people. It’s on the system.

Disconnected tools and delayed data hinders decision-making. And in a market that moves as fast as yours, that lag costs you.

Today, you need software that provides real-time performance dashboards. It should offer alerts for specific roles and suggest the next best actions based on live activity. That means you're not just reacting to problems—you’re anticipating them.

"Our software has greatly enhanced our understanding of what’s selling and what’s not. We were actually staggered by what the numbers were showing us. You think you’re selling a lot of something when you’re not. This information is so easy to find and helps us make more informed decisions." Adam Baker, Managing Director, Herne Bay Plumbing and Bathroom Supplies

Margins don’t erode all at once

The scary thing about margin loss? It’s usually silent. A missed surcharge. A product that costs more to deliver than it brings in. A price left unchanged for too long.

When you can see true profitability—not just at the company level, but by product, customer, or category—you can protect your bottom line before it’s too late.

The most effective lumber and building materials software gives you those insights as you work. No need to run a report and wait three days. You see what’s happening and adjust in the moment.

“My business is driven by margins, sales and cost of sales. With our system, I have access to the information I need to increase margin, drive sales and reduce the cost of sales. These are the key ingredients to a business and our system delivers this better than any other package”. Michael Doyle, Murdock Group

“We can execute price changes in seconds now, when it used to take ages. Slow moving products information and minimum margin controls help us to run the company so much more efficiently”. – Frank Howard, Frank Howard Tools & Fixings

Your team is drowning in “just checking”

It might not be obvious at first, but all those “quick checks” add up. One person pulling a report here. Another emailing for a stock update. Someone else chasing accounts for payment status.

And before you know it, a third of your week is spent finding answers instead of acting on them.

It’s time to start ditching that model in favour of connected systems that show each person exactly what they need to see—no digging, no second-guessing, no delay.

Of course, having the right system is only part of the equation. If your team isn't on board—or can't use it confidently—you won't see the results you're aiming for. This article on the human side of ERP implementation explores how to bring your people along for the journey.

"To run three branches well, I depend on accurate and timely information. We weren't getting that from our old system. We realized we were missing tools to manage our stock better, boost sales, and improve customer service. It was time to find a new solution. Sean Haugh, Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd.

“It gives us easy access to key management information which enables us to make better decisions going forward and helps us to review our costs and pricing so that we can continuously improve”. Séamas O’Dugain, Crowley Engineering

You’re not making bad decisions—you’re making delayed ones

You’re making the best calls you can with the info you’ve got. But what if the info is a few weeks—or even a few days—too old?

By the time the trend’s visible, the opportunity’s gone. Or the risk has already hit your margin.

That’s why you need to move to a system that flag changes as they happen—and help your team respond before it becomes a problem.

“We see the information we need instantly rather than having to run reports and it has brought a lot of time savers across the business. People can now work on the business because the information is there, and we know exactly what we need to do”. Gavin Brett, Operations Manager, Brett Supplies

What visibility should actually look like

Real visibility isn’t a spreadsheet. It’s a system that runs in the background and brings what matters to the surface—fast. It should:

• Alert you before problems escalate

• Show each person what they need, not everything

• Connect your whole ecosystem—without complex IT work

• Adapt as you grow

• Help you act faster, not just know more

If your current lumber and building materials software doesn’t do that, you’re not alone. Many businesses are starting to question why they’re still tolerating the same system limitations they had five or ten years ago.

You deserve more than “that’s just how ERP works”

You’ve probably heard it:

• “That’s not personalisable.”

• “That feature’s coming…”

• “That will have to be looked at by the developers”

• “That small change will cost you $X and take X months.”

• “You’ll need a third-party plugin for your financials.”

• “That’s not included as standard.”

That kind of thinking might’ve been acceptable five years ago—but not anymore. Not when your team needs to adapt on the fly. Not when your margins are tight. Not when your customers expect next-day everything.

Sure, there are always going to be cases where a developer or consultant needs to step in. But with the right tools, you should be able to change workflows, screens, and alerts without waiting weeks, filing a support ticket or learning SQL.

As our GenetiQ Product Director put it during a recent webinar, “We can set up personalised dashboards for sales, finance, and warehouse teams in minutes—without touching a single line of code. That’s game-changing.”

That’s why newer systems—like GenetiQ—are flipping the script. Built for the LBM industry from the ground up, GenetiQ is cloud-native, scalable, and designed so your team can personalise the way they work without writing a single line of code.

Because it’s not about rigid systems and hidden costs. It’s about flexibility, speed, and putting you back in control.

Or as our Product Director put it in a recent webinar: “With GenetiQ, you’re not just more efficient—you’re more confident in your decisions. You’re not second-guessing, you’re executing.”

So what’s next?

You don’t need to rip everything out tomorrow. But you can start by asking:

• What’s slowing you down?

• Where are you chasing answers instead of taking action?

• What would your team do differently if they had better visibility?

There’s no shortage of ERP systems out there. But if you’re tired of working around your software, maybe it’s time to explore one that’s built to work around you.