Choosing a CRM for your aggregates business is one of the most important business decisions you’ll make. The right choice can increase your profits significantly, while the wrong one can waste time and effort.
Read this blog to see why relying on generic software isn’t the best idea and the top 5 features you should look for when choosing aggregates industry software.
The limits of spreadsheets and horizontal CRMs for aggregate producers
At first glance, spreadsheets and general CRMs seem like manageable tools. They’re familiar, flexible, and cheap to start with.
But as soon as your quoting volume grows, they start to break down. Let’s look at why.
Aggregate suppliers lose margins by relying on spreadsheets because they can’t handle live pricing. Freight, diesel, and material costs change constantly, but spreadsheets don’t update automatically.
Your team ends up quoting off outdated numbers, cutting into profit without realizing it. And because these tools aren’t built for aggregates, even small errors like rounding mistakes or missed surcharges can cost thousands.
On the other hand, horizontal CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot offer great contact tracking, but they don’t understand how aggregate producers work.
They lack integrations with dispatch, don’t enforce margin floors, and can’t calculate per-ton pricing. To make them work, you often pay for custom configurations and manual workflows that slow down your sales instead of speeding it up.
Neither spreadsheets nor horizontal CRMs are built for how your business operates. They force your team to work harder to stay accurate.
That’s where an aggregates industry software comes in.
5 things to look for in an aggregates CRM
Aggregates producers need a system that reflects how they actually sell: by material, by ton, and by delivery zone. Here are 5 essential features that you should consider when choosing software.
Live pricing and margin protection
Aggregates producers quote in one of the most price-sensitive markets out there. A few cents per ton can make or break profitability. That’s why your CRM should pull live cost feeds of freight, diesel, and material directly into every quote.
When the data is live, every rep works from the same numbers, protecting your margins and reducing the risk of underbidding.
Look for systems that can enforce margin floors, automatically flag low-profit quotes, and apply dynamic pricing rules that update as costs shift.
With this cost intelligence, your team can quote faster and more accurately while maintaining the profitability you’ve worked hard to build.
Two-way integration with dispatch and ERP systems
Every quote should connect seamlessly to your dispatch system. This ensures your sales commitments align with real production capacity and delivery schedules, reducing the risk of overbooking or missed loads.
Without integration, reps risk selling work your plants can’t fulfill or losing track of what’s actually been delivered.
A purpose-built aggregates CRM integrates directly with systems like Command Alkon or Sysdyne, syncing quotes, orders, and delivery data automatically. That means no more double entry, fewer mistakes, and complete visibility from quote to ticket.
With this level of connectivity, your sales and operations teams can finally work from the same live information, reducing confusion and improving customer response times.
Quoting workflows built for aggregates
This is one of the most important features to look at when choosing a CRM.
That’s because aggregates quoting isn’t one-size-fits-all. You’re managing different materials, tonnage, delivery zones, and pricing structures. Your CRM should handle all of it with ease. Otherwise, what is the point of even investing in one?
Look for platforms that allow you to build quotes by product, region, and customer type, using pre-set templates. The right CRM should also offer real-time approval workflows to ensure that any quote below target margins is reviewed before it’s sent, without slowing down your team.
This kind of control helps your reps respond faster while keeping pricing accurate and compliant with company policies.
Business intelligence and forecasting
The right CRM will help you with quoting accurately, but will also give you the data you need to make better business decisions. While generic CRMs can help you provide some of that raw data, you still need to spend hours every week to make use of it.
With a specific CRM for aggregates producers:
- You get pre-built dashboards that visualize key metrics like win/loss rates, average margins by region, and quote-to-order conversion.
- Forecasting tools project upcoming demand based on quote volume, helping you plan production, adjust inventory, and anticipate slowdowns before they hit.
With this level of visibility, management gains insights that drive smarter decisions across the business.
Ease of use and adoption
All the features we’ve discussed so far are important. But what if integrating such software takes 6 months of your time and your team dislikes using it? Would you still invest in it?
The best CRM is the one that’s quick to adopt and the one your team actually uses.
Aggregates operations move quickly, and your system should match that pace. Look for platforms with a clean, intuitive interface, mobile accessibility, and minimal training requirements.
User-friendly software reduces onboarding time and ensures your entire team uses it without friction.
Questions to ask before choosing your CRM
While we’ve discussed the top 5 features you should look for in an aggregates software, here are some other questions to keep in mind while considering your options.
- Does it connect directly with your dispatch software?
This ensures your quotes reflect real delivery capacity and scheduling. - Can it enforce pricing logic and margin thresholds?
Systems with built-in pricing rules help protect profit and consistency. - Is it designed for aggregate quoting, not just generic sales tracking?
Look for tools that understand tons, zones, and material mixes. - How easily can your team see ROI once implemented?
You should be able to measure time saved and margin improvement quickly. - Can it scale with your growth and integrate with other tools you use? The CRM you choose should support expansion without creating data silos.
Producers using such software see results fast.
Their quotes go out in minutes. Sales and operations teams share the same real-time data, reducing miscommunication. And managers track margin performance and customer trends in one place easily.
Read on to see how Slabstack provides all the features we’ve discussed in this blog.
Slabstack: Software purpose-built for aggregates producers and suppliers
Slabstack, the #1 CRM for aggregates producers and suppliers, brings together everything you need to quote, manage, and win work profitably:
- Live pricing and margin visibility that updates automatically with every quote.
- Two-way dispatch integration with Command Alkon, Sysdyne, and other leading systems.
- Dynamic quoting workflows that protect profits while keeping sales fast.
- Predictive analytics that turn your sales data into actionable insights.
With Slabstack, aggregates producers move beyond manual quoting and disconnected systems. They gain a platform that unites their data, simplifies their workflows, and gives them confidence in every quote they send.
See how Slabstack connects your quoting, dispatch, and CRM in one system. Book a walkthrough.