Disconnected CRM and dispatch systems create more problems for material suppliers than most teams expect.
Manual re-entry between sales and dispatch leads to pricing errors, rework, and lost margin that compound over time.
In this blog, we break down the hidden costs of double entry, explain what effective dispatch integration really looks like for material suppliers, and show how connecting CRM and dispatch changes pricing accuracy, margin visibility, and day-to-day operations.
| Key takeaways Dispatch integration refers to a real-time, two-way flow of data between your CRM (where quotes and pricing are stored) and your dispatch system (where orders, trucks, and deliveries are managed). A lack of dispatch integration leads to double entry, which can increase pricing errors that erode margin, increase time spent on rework, and lead to a lack of margin visibility. Generic CRMs or bolt-on dispatch tools can’t help with dispatch integration because they require heavy customization which doesn’t solve the double entry problem. Slabstack is a sales & pricing platform for concrete, aggregates, and asphalt producers and connects directly with leading dispatch systems like Command Alkon and Sysdyne, enabling real-time, two-way data flow. |
What is dispatch integration and why does it matter for material suppliers?
Dispatch integration refers to a real-time, two-way flow of data between your CRM (where quotes and pricing are stored) and your dispatch system (where orders, trucks, and deliveries are managed). When it’s done properly, information moves automatically in both directions without manual re-entry.
For building material suppliers, dispatch integration means that mix IDs, freight zones, fuel surcharges, delivery timing, and job details stay consistent from quote to ticket to invoice.
This means when a quote is accepted, it becomes an order in dispatch. And when deliveries occur, actual volumes and job status are updated in sales.
But often, suppliers use genetic CRMs, spreadsheets, or bolt-on tools, which makes dispatch integration manual and causes double-entry of data. Here’s why this matters.
3 hidden costs of double entry between CRM and dispatch
Some of the hidden costs of double entry between CRM and dispatch include pricing errors that erode margin, time spent on rework, and a lack of margin visibility.
Hidden cost #1: Pricing errors that quietly erode margin
Construction material price is volatile and rarely stays the same between the moment a quote is created and when it is entered into dispatch.
Cement prices can change, fuel surcharges may be updated, raw material availability can shift, and freight assumptions often vary based on timing and distance.
When your team has to manually update information, it's normal to miss out on these things, and this creates room for error.
- Surcharges may be left out.
- Outdated mix prices can be reused
- Haul rates may be pulled from the wrong job.
Many of these mistakes are not even obvious during dispatch and are only discovered later during invoicing, if they are caught at all.
In a low-margin business, even small pricing mistakes have an outsized impact. A $0.50 per-yard error may seem minor, but across hundreds or thousands of yards, it compounds quickly. Over the course of a month, these small leaks can erase the profit from multiple jobs.
These minor errors ultimately add up and create more work for your entire team
Hidden cost #2: Rework across sales, dispatch, and accounting
Every pricing error due to double entry creates work somewhere else.
- Sales has to revise quotes or explain discrepancies.
- Dispatch has to correct orders, adjust tickets, or call sales for clarification.
- Accounting has to fix invoices, issue credits, and handle disputes.
More than admin work, these tasks consume skilled labor.
Sales reps spend time fixing quotes instead of improving their sales skills or talking to customers. Dispatchers focus on cleanup instead of scheduling efficiency. Accounting teams deal with avoidable exceptions instead of closing the books.
Since this rework is spread across teams, it’s often underestimated. But across weeks and quarters, it represents a meaningful drain on capacity, especially as your business grows.
When you combine pricing errors and time spent on rework, it ultimately leads to a lack of visibility within your company.
Hidden cost #3: Lost margin visibility and compounding leakage
When CRM and dispatch aren’t connected, it’s hard to see what actually happened versus what was quoted.
Sales knows the bid price. Operations know what was delivered. Accounting knows what was billed. But no one sees the full picture in one place.
This disconnect leads to internal undercutting of prices.
Reps work from inconsistent data and unintentionally price below target. Leadership loses confidence in margin reporting because quoted, delivered, and invoiced numbers don’t line up cleanly.
The most damaging part is that this loss compounds. It doesn’t happen once and stop. Small discrepancies repeat across jobs and customers, month after month. Over time, margin leakage becomes embedded in the business.
At this point, many teams assume more tools will fix the issue. But not all software is built to handle the realities of material supply, and adding generic tools only leads to more margin loss.
Why can’t generic CRMs or bolt-on dispatch tools help with dispatch integration?
On paper, having both a generic horizontal CRM and a dispatch system sounds more than enough.
In practice, generic CRMs require heavy customization to handle mix logic, freight rules, and material pricing, and even then, they rarely support true two-way, real-time integration.
The result is a false sense of integration. You may “have both systems,” but they don’t share a single source of truth. Data still gets retyped, interpreted differently, and corrected downstream.
| Pro tip: Read our detailed ebook Building Material Supplier’s Complete Guide to Quoting Smarter and Improving Margins to understand why generic CRMs fall short and how purpose-built tools for suppliers improve quoting, visibility, and ROI. |
What does eliminating double entry look like with a fully integrated CRM and dispatch?
When you eliminate double entry in your business, this is what your workflow would look like.
- Quotes are created in the CRM using live dynamic pricing, margin rules, and customer details, so sales teams always work from current data.
- Once a customer accepts a quote, it becomes an order in dispatch automatically, without anyone re-entering the information.
- As deliveries are completed, actual volumes and job status are sent back to the CRM, giving sales teams a clear view of what was delivered.
- Managers can easily compare what was quoted with what was delivered and billed, without pulling reports from multiple systems.
This setup improves both speed and control. Quotes go out faster because teams trust the numbers. Approvals are limited to real exceptions instead of routine checks. Dispatch and operations teams work from clean, consistent orders.
But all of this relies on having the right system in place, and that’s where Slabstack helps.
How Slabstack connects CRM and dispatch to eliminate double entry for material suppliers
Slabstack is a sales & pricing platform for concrete, aggregates, and asphalt producers.
Our software connects directly with leading dispatch systems like Command Alkon and Sysdyne, enabling real-time, two-way data flow. Quotes created in Slabstack move straight into dispatch as orders, and delivery data flows back into sales automatically.
Slabstack doesn’t replace your dispatch system. It simply connects sales, pricing, and quoting directly to it, so each team works from the same data without manual handoffs.
With Slabstack now part of Sysdyne, our focus is on connecting pricing, sales, operations, and billing through a shared data foundation.
If double entry is quietly costing your business time, margin, and visibility, our team can show you what’s possible when CRM and dispatch actually work as one.
Get in touch with our team to see how Slabstack enables dispatch integration for material suppliers.
Dispatch integration for material suppliers: Frequently asked questions
How to select the best dispatch software for construction management?
To select the best construction dispatch software, first, define your specific needs (size, project type, pain points). Then, prioritize user-friendliness and mobile access for field teams, strong scheduling and resource allocation (AI-powered if possible), seamless integration with existing tools (accounting, project management), real-time visibility, and customer support & security.
Which is the best dispatch software for construction management?
The best dispatch software for construction management depends on your needs (size, project type). But for ready-mix and bulk material suppliers, platforms like Command Alkon and Sysdyne are widely used because they are built for material delivery, batching, and logistics.
What is dispatch in construction?
Dispatch in construction is the process of scheduling, managing, and tracking the delivery of materials, equipment, or crews to jobsites. For material suppliers, dispatch controls truck assignments, delivery timing, load details, and job coordination.
What should suppliers look for in a dispatch integration solution?
In a dispatch integration solution, suppliers should look for real-time, two-way integration that connects CRM and dispatch without manual handoffs. A strong solution keeps pricing, job details, and delivery data consistent across systems, supports material-specific workflows, and gives visibility into what was quoted, delivered, and billed.
Can dispatch integration work with existing dispatch systems?
Yes. Dispatch integration works best when it connects to the systems suppliers already use rather than replacing them. The goal is to link sales, pricing, and quoting directly to dispatch so teams can work from the same data while keeping their existing operational tools in place.
