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Concrete producers are navigating a tougher sales landscape each year. Margins are tight, customers want quick answers, and production costs change faster than most teams can track. 

Spreadsheets, scattered email threads, and CRMs not built for ready‑mix sales make it hard to stay accurate, consistent, and organized. That leads to outdated pricing, slow quotes, unclear follow‑ups, and limited visibility into why deals are won or lost.

In this blog, you’ll find 7 practical strategies to help you win more work, improve margins, and run a more predictable sales operation in 2026. Let’s start with the most important one.  

1. Quote faster and with accurate, live cost data

The number one growth lever that has the biggest impact on sales is quoting speed and accuracy. Producers win more work when their quotes are both fast and complete. 

Contractors want clarity on mix availability, delivery windows, haul distances, minimum loads, and potential surcharges. A strong quoting workflow brings these details together so reps can build a confident, well‑rounded quote without chasing information from dispatch or QC.

From there, accuracy becomes just as sending fast quotes.

If reps rely on static price sheets or old spreadsheets, the numbers they send may not match current cement, admixture, fuel, or freight costs. That uncertainty leads to lost deals, rework, or jobs that erode margin before the first yard is poured.

The easiest way to increase your quoting speed and accuracy is to use a system that allows reps to pull live material costs directly into a quote.  It removes the back‑and‑forth required to confirm pricing, aligns quotes with the current production economics, and helps reps send complete, accurate numbers the first time.

2. Strengthen follow-up discipline with better customer visibility

Once a quote goes out, the next step is staying top of mind. Many ready-mix producers lose work simply because follow-up is inconsistent or forgotten. While it's an important sales skill for concrete reps, they often struggle with this because they juggle dozens of jobs, and without a system to track interactions, callbacks, and reminders. 

A CRM built for concrete producers solves this by: 

Strong follow-up signals reliability to contractors who need partners they can trust on tight schedules.

With that consistency in place, producers can turn attention toward learning from every deal.

3. Use win/loss insights to refine pricing and improve hit rates

Knowing why you win or lose jobs is one of the fastest ways to improve future performance. Yet most concrete producers don’t track this data in a structured way. 

Insights end up scattered and buried in emails, individual spreadsheets, or anecdotal rep conversations.

Centralized win/loss reporting reveals patterns that are otherwise invisible. You can see which mixes convert well, which regions have consistently tight margins, and which customers respond to certain pricing structures or delivery schedules.

Once producers understand these patterns, they can keep track of the demand fluctuations and forecast accurately. 

4. Prevent internal underbidding with shared pricing rules

Internal underbidding is one of the most common reasons producers lose margin. When reps work from disconnected systems, they don’t see what others in their team are quoting. That leads to inconsistent numbers for the same customer, or worse, reps unintentionally undercutting each other.

Shared pricing rules remove that risk. When your team is aligned on minimum margins, delivery fees, additives, and mix pricing, everyone quotes from the same foundation. It is one of the best ways to increase sales as a ready-mix concrete producer. 

5. Improve forecasting to identify real demand early

You can only sell proactively if they know what’s coming. But forecasting concrete demand is difficult when quoting data, sales activity, plant capacity, and dispatch schedules all live in separate systems.

Better forecasting helps you plan weeks ahead. With visibility into quote volume, expected start dates, regional hit rates, and seasonal patterns, producers can anticipate demand more accurately.

That foresight sets the foundation for the next key advantage: helping customers move confidently with a better mix and material clarity. 

6. Train customers with better data & mix clarity

Your customers may not expect you to handle every technical detail for them, but they do value working with teams who have clear, accurate information at their fingertips. 

When reps at your business can confidently explain mix performance, SCM options, freight impacts, or scheduling considerations, it reassures contractors that they’re making the right decision.

This level of clarity builds trust, prevents misunderstandings, and reduces the chance of disputes or rework later on. A sales team that can speak to these details, without slowing down the quoting process, stands out quickly.

Once customers feel supported, the final step is ensuring the handoff from quote to order is fast and error‑free.

7. Streamline the quote-to-order workflow

Even after winning the job, producers can lose momentum if internal workflows are slow. That’s because increasing sales is also about how quickly you move once the customer says yes. 

Manual processes like copying quote details into dispatch, re‑entering line items, and verifying pricing cause delays that frustrate customers and can weaken the relationship you just earned.

A streamlined quote‑to‑order workflow ensures accuracy, removes manual work, and turns accepted quotes into scheduled orders in minutes. This keeps the customer experience smooth from start to finish and reinforces their confidence in choosing you.

With these core strategies in place, producers can avoid the mistakes that limit growth.

5 common mistakes that limit sales growth

While the above tips can help you increase sales as a concrete producer, you also need to avoid some common pitfalls that limit sales growth. Here are a few most common ones we see. :

Addressing these mistakes creates the foundation for a more efficient, predictable sales engine for your concrete business. 

How Slabstack helps concrete producers increase sales

Slabstack is built specifically for concrete and ready-mix producers, grounded in real industry workflows and the operational realities that shape daily sales decisions. 

Our platform connects quoting, pricing, forecasting, CRM, and dispatch into one unified system, helping you increase your sales. 

Slabstack helps producers:

Our CRM brings every part of the sales process into a single, modern system so producers can act confidently and consistently. As part of this process, we are also launching our mobile app to keep field reps connected while on-site. This will help them update quotes and send approvals from their phones, thereby increasing sales. 

Here’s what one of our customers, John Malcolm, Vice President at Carew Concrete, has to say about using Slabstack:

“We’re bidding every project available to us now, and it’s easy to verify that in real time. Our consistency in the marketplace has improved tremendously.”

Read the full Carew Concrete case study here. 

Or, reach out to our team to see how Slabstack helps concrete producers quote faster and win more profitable work. 

Concrete is one of the most consumed materials on the planet, with the global cement market projected to reach $481.73 billion by 2029, with more than 5% annual growth year over year.

But even with demand rising at this scale, producers know the reality on the ground doesn’t feel predictable. 

One month, your plants run at full capacity; the next, your dispatch schedule looks thin. Demand can swell or fall the moment the weather shifts, a lender pulls back, or a regional project pauses.

Forecasting demand has never been more important for ready-mix producers, and never more challenging. 

In this blog, we’ll walk you through what drives instability, why accurate forecasting matters, how cost volatility complicates planning, and which forecasting tactics help producers stay ahead. You’ll also see how Slabstack brings quoting, pricing, and dispatch data together so producers get a complete picture of what’s coming.

What demand fluctuations look like in the ready-mix concrete industry

Fluctuations in the demand for cement occur due to several factors, like weather shifts, regional competition, or jobsite delays. 

Here are the core drivers that typically reshape demand:

As you can see, demand fluctuations in the ready-mix concrete industry are common and depend on a variety of factors. To remain profitable, you need to have the visibility to predict how these changes will affect your margins accurately. Let’s see why forecasting demand is so important for producers today.

Why accurate forecasting matters more than ever for concrete producers

Producers today operate with tighter margins, higher cost volatility, and more unpredictable schedules than ever before. Accurate forecasting gives teams the visibility they need to plan confidently, across plants, materials, labor, and pricing.

Here’s how forecasting clarity influences the business:

Quoting and margins

When demand visibility is weak, quotes often rely on outdated prices or assumptions. This leads to underpricing, margin erosion, or delayed approvals. With accurate forecasting, pricing decisions reflect current demand signals, live costs, and real conversion likelihood, so every quote protects profitability.

Inventory planning

Unclear demand leads to overstocking of cement and SCMs or scrambling when supply tightens. Forecasting helps producers order the right amount of raw materials at the right time, avoiding expensive rush purchases and reducing waste.

Production scheduling

Plants run smoother when your team knows what’s coming. Accurate forecasting prevents idle days, overloaded schedules, and last‑minute reshuffling. Dispatch can allocate trucks and drivers more efficiently, and plant operators can manage batching loads with fewer surprises.

Cash flow

Forecasting also stabilizes billing cycles. When you understand how much volume is likely to convert, and when, you can predict incoming revenue, align expenses, and avoid cash crunches tied to sudden demand dips.

Customer relationships

Finally, reliable forecasting means fewer missed deadlines and fewer schedule changes. Customers get consistent communication and smoother project execution, which strengthens trust and increases repeat business.

Accurate forecasting helps reduce uncertainty and gives producers a clear view of what’s ahead, so teams can plan with confidence and stay organized. Read on to know 4 tactics that you can use to improve forecasting in your business. 

4 forecasting tactics concrete producers can use to stay ahead

Producers who forecast well don’t rely on spreadsheets or gut feel. They combine historical data, real-time quoting trends, cost signals, and market intelligence. Here’s how.

1. Use historical trends grounded in current quoting data

Historical data offers helpful baselines, but relying on it alone can limit accuracy. That’s because seasonal patterns change over time, competitors adjust their activity, and material costs often move.

Producers get better accuracy when they pair historical demand with:

This combination reveals which jobs are most likely to convert, how soon orders will hit dispatch, and where regional demand is building.

2. Scenario planning for cost and demand swings

Scenario planning can help you prepare for different outcomes. But instead of relying only on expected demand, you need to look at a full range of possibilities. 

For example, you may plan for a summer surge based on historical patterns, but also map out what happens if a key commercial project shifts its start date.

Producers may also review how rising cement prices or fuel costs could affect job profitability. By walking through these situations in advance, you can make clearer decisions about purchasing, staffing, pricing, and fleet readiness.

3. Real-time market intelligence

Producers who stay informed about real-world signals forecast more accurately.

Modern forecasting includes tracking cement kiln outages, changes in SCM availability, local construction indicators, fuel movement, major project announcements, and competitor activity. 

You can do this by checking regional DOT updates, subscribing to construction news alerts, reviewing supplier notices, monitoring permit activity from local planning offices, and talking regularly with contractors about project timelines. 

This steady flow of information can help your team spot changes early and adjust production, labor, and pricing before issues reach the dispatch schedule.

4. Use the right tools to connect quoting, pricing, and dispatch

A connected system makes forecasting stronger by keeping all pricing, quoting, cost, and dispatch information in one place. When data flows into a single platform, you see patterns earlier and make decisions with more confidence. 

This also helps your team reduce manual updates and gives sales and operations the same information at the same time.

But the key is to choose the right tool that fits the day-to-day reality of ready-mix operations. Slabstack, the best software for concrete producers, provides you with a platform to manage all your data in one place.

Our CRM is built specifically for heavy building material suppliers and brings quoting, dynamic pricing, cost data, and dispatch activity into a single shared system so you get complete visibility into upcoming demand. Get in touch with our experts to know more. 

Common forecasting mistakes concrete producers make (and how to avoid them)

Before we explain more about how Slabstack can help you predict demand accurately, let’s go over some of the common forecasting mistakes concrete producers make.

Mistake 1: Relying solely on national averages or broad indexes

National data doesn’t capture the realities of each local market. 

You may see national indicators suggesting steady demand, while your region faces new competitors, limited aggregate supply, or tighter permitting timelines.

Local contractors may also shift project schedules for reasons that never show up in broad indexes. That’s why, when forecasting relies on national data alone, you lose sight of the forces that actually affect your plants day to day.

Mistake 2: Ignoring lead times or project lag

Quotes rarely convert on a predictable schedule. Some contractors green‑light pours within days, while others take weeks to finalize financing, permits, or site access. 

Without tracking these timelines, producers often misjudge when demand will hit dispatch. A quote that looks inactive may suddenly turn urgent, or a high‑value project may stay in limbo longer than expected. Forecasting improves when producers monitor how long each customer typically takes to convert a quote.

Mistake 3: Skipping subcontractor and contractor input

Subcontractors and site crews often know about shifts before anyone else. They see when a foundation pour will slide because utilities are delayed or when the weather conditions slow down work. 

If this information never reaches sales or dispatch, forecasts drift away from reality. Regular check‑ins with field teams and contractors can help you stay aligned with how projects are actually progressing.

Mistake 4: Using outdated spreadsheets or manual quoting

Manual spreadsheets fall out of date quickly. Costs move, mix designs change, and new job details come in, but the spreadsheet stays the same unless someone updates it by hand. 

This creates inaccurate quotes and unpredictable margins. When quotes don’t reflect current pricing or material availability, producers risk overcommitting or underpricing work. A digital system, like Slabstack, automatically updates costs to remove this friction and keeps forecasts accurate.

But if you’ve been making these mistakes, here are some warning signs that you might have noticed. 

Early signs your concrete forecasting is failing

Producers often notice issues gradually, long before they realize the root problem is broken forecasting. These signs help you diagnose trouble early:

When these symptoms show up, your demand visibility is already slipping, and you need a unified forecasting system that can help. 

How Slabstack helps concrete producers forecast with confidence

Slabstack, the best software for concrete producers, gives you a single view of upcoming demand by connecting quoting, pricing, costing, and dispatch data onto one platform.

Producers get:

With these tools, you gain the confidence to plan ahead, protect margins, and respond proactively to demand changes.

If you’re ready to strengthen forecasting and bring clarity to your sales and operations, now is the time to modernize your process.

See how Slabstack brings quoting, pricing, and forecasting together. Get in touch.

Explore more insights and guides from our experts

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3. Why Chasing Volume Hurts Ready Mix Concrete Profit Margins

4. How Construction Pricing Software for Concrete Helps You Quote Faster and Protect Your Margins

Concrete producers deal with constant changes in costs of fuel, cement or freight. Managing these shifts while keeping quotes accurate is tough, especially when teams rely on spreadsheets or generic CRMs not built for materials pricing. 

These tools slow down responses, cause pricing errors, and make it hard to protect your margins.

In this blog, we’ll explain how construction pricing software helps concrete producers manage live costs, quote faster, and stay in sync with dispatch. We’ll also cover how you can adopt one successfully in your business, and the ROI of good software. 

Why generic CRMs and spreadsheets can’t handle concrete pricing

Before we get into what modern pricing software does differently, it’s important to understand why traditional tools fall short for concrete producers. 

Here’s where they break down. 

1. No live data integration

Every time cement or diesel prices change, someone in your team has to manually update the numbers (if they even do it). One missed edit can throw off every quote built that week. These delays show down your team, and eat into your profits because quotes often go out based on outdated data. 

2. Lack of dispatch visibility

Without seeing delivery schedules, sales reps can promise timelines that dispatch can’t fulfill. That disconnect leads to last-minute scrambling, rescheduling, and customer frustration.

3. No margin guardrails

When quotes are built manually, there’s no automated way to enforce margin floors. Reps may undercut each other trying to win deals, eroding profitability across projects.

Spreadsheets and horizontal CRMs require expensive customization to bridge these gaps, and even then, they rarely connect quoting and dispatch data seamlessly. 

So what’s the alternative? 

How can pricing and estimating software for concrete producers help

Switching to a software designed specifically for concrete producers simplifies and strengthens the entire quoting process. Instead of scattered spreadsheets and inconsistent data, your team works from a single connected platform where pricing, quoting, and dispatch stay in sync in real time.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Dynamic pricing for margin control

Pricing software gives concrete producers real-time updates on cost data from dispatch or ERP systems, including cement, supplementary materials, fuel, and freight. 

This means every quote reflects actual, current costs rather than outdated estimates.

For example, when fuel prices rise unexpectedly midweek, the system automatically refreshes the cost data across all quote templates. Sales reps don’t need to dig through spreadsheets or send emails to confirm prices. 

They can build a quote that already includes the updated figures. Managers can also define margin thresholds, so the software flags quotes that fall below acceptable profit levels.

Automated quoting workflows

Another way pricing software helps concrete producers is that it automates the quoting process. In traditional methods, your sales rep might first dig through documents to find actual costs. Then, they would spend time creating a quote. And finally, would wait for managers to approve the prices before sending them to the customer. 

The right software provides you with templates that make it easy to generate accurate quotes in minutes. Automated approval routing ensures any quote below the margin threshold gets flagged instantly, keeping everyone accountable without slowing down turnaround.

Two-way dispatch integration

A good pricing and quoting system also connects directly to your dispatch operations. When a quote is accepted, it automatically creates or updates a delivery ticket in the dispatch schedule. 

For instance, if a customer confirms a 200-yard pour for Friday morning, the system immediately reserves the trucks and batching capacity needed for that slot. Dispatchers can then see confirmed orders without re-entering information, reducing the risk of double-booking or missed loads.

This integration keeps sales and operations aligned.

Forecasting and sales intelligence 

This is often the most overlooked part of adopting a software designed specifically for your concrete production business. 

When you’re using spreadsheets or a horizontal CRM, you only get surface-level information about your business. You might have data, but someone in your team has to sit for hours to make sense of it. 

That leaves very little time to actually plan business growth or forecast industry trends. 

But with a specific, concrete software, you can gain visibility into your full sales pipeline. It allows you to see win/loss trends by customer or region, monitor quote-to-order ratios, and plan production with confidence. These insights help you anticipate demand instead of just reacting to it.

Ease of use and mobile access 

Concrete sales reps often meet contractors on-site, have to check pour schedules, or need to update quotes while traveling between jobs. 

Generic CRMs aren’t built for these conditions. They require multiple logins, slow syncing, or desktop-only access. Purpose-built pricing systems solve that by allowing reps to work seamlessly from tablets or phones, keeping them connected to dispatch, pricing, and approvals wherever they are.

With mobile access, they can pull up the latest prices, revise quantities, and send approvals immediately instead of waiting to return to the office. This reduces quoting delays and prevents lost opportunities when a customer is ready to move forward on the spot. 

By centralizing pricing, quoting, and logistics, this kind of system keeps the entire sales operation running smoothly.

We’ll discuss more about the ROI of adopting the right software for concrete producers, but first, let’s understand the best practices to adopt such software. 

Best practices for successful CRM adoption for concrete producers 

Even the best software can fall flat without the right rollout plan. Many producers face challenges like resistance to change or incomplete training when shifting away from spreadsheets or their current systems. 

Here’s how to make the transition smooth and effective for your team: 

  1. Start with one pilot region or product line: Begin adoption with a smaller team before expanding across all plants. Use the pilot to refine workflows, find integration issues early, and train internal advocates who can guide others. Track specific results, such as faster configuration of quotes or better accuracy, to measure success and make clear improvements.
  2. Tie adoption to everyday tasks. Integrate quoting, approvals, and price updates directly into the CRM so it becomes part of the daily workflow. When the system becomes an essential tool for job performance, adoption grows naturally. Link it to common routines such as quote submissions or cost adjustments so your team can experience the time savings firsthand.
  3. Secure leadership buy-in: Managers in your team need to lead by example and use the system in their daily work. When they talk about real results and review progress in regular meetings, teams notice and follow. Over time, steady leadership and open communication help teams stay aligned and make the system part of their normal routine.
  4. Highlight early ROI: Showcase quick wins like faster quote turnaround and fewer manual errors to build momentum internally. Sharing measurable outcomes from early users helps generate excitement and makes a strong case for further investment. Encourage peer learning by having those early adopters share best practices across departments. 

Speaking of ROI, let’s understand how much money and time you can actually save by adopting the right construction pricing software as a concrete producer. 

The ROI of the right pricing software for concrete producers

Concrete producers who digitize pricing and quoting typically see tangible gains within months.

On average, teams report:

Those improvements directly impact profitability, allowing producers to bid confidently, win more jobs, and maintain healthy margins even in volatile markets.

But the key is to choose the right software if you want to see these results. 

Why concrete producers choose Slabstack

Slabstack is the best software for concrete producers as it combines all the tools you need to quote accurately and manage margins in one connected platform.

And now we are also working to provide mobile app access to keep field reps connected while on-site. This will help them update quotes, check dispatch schedules, and send approvals from their phones or tablets. 

Together, these tools help you quote faster, protect margins, and deliver with greater reliability. Many suppliers using Slabstack see a full return on their investment within 60 days of going live and improve their quoting accuracy to near 100%. 

Book a call with our team to see how you can see similar results too!  

Explore more insights and guides from our experts

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3. Why Chasing Volume Hurts Ready Mix Concrete Profit Margins

SNAPSHOT

Customer: Concrete Supply Co. (CSC)

Location: North Carolina, USA

Industry: Ready-mix concrete 

Footprint: 90+ production facilities, 24+ portable plants 

Use Case: CRM + quoting accuracy + dispatch software integration

Schedule a demo Schedule a demo today

Key results at a glance

Before Slabstack: Quoting without visibility 

Before adopting Slabstack, CSC used a software system that wasn’t designed for the ready‑mix industry. 

CSC needed a solution built specifically for ready‑mix producers. One that could handle real‑time pricing updates, simplify quoting, and connect directly with dispatch. 

They were looking for a tool that understood their business and a team that would support them closely every step of the way.

“The challenge in our industry with pricing is that it's dynamic. It is always changing. Our market is always shifting based on customers' needs, the mix, and the application and type of job.

Reid Harris Sales Manager | Concrete Supply Company 


The solution: Speed, accuracy, and real-time control with Slabstack 

Instant margin visibility on every mix
With Slabstack, Concrete Supply’s team can see their margins update in real time as each quote is built. Instead of pulling numbers from multiple sources or waiting for updates, Slabstack calculates profitability instantly for every mix design. 

This has made pricing discussions far more transparent, giving reps the confidence to finalize quotes while still protecting margins.

Live dispatch integration
Each quote created in Slabstack connects directly to CSC’s dispatch software. Once a job is approved, the details transfer automatically without retyping or additional steps. 

This has removed hours of manual work each week for their team, ensuring dispatchers and sales teams are always aligned on pricing and delivery schedules.

Improved responsiveness and customer experience
The combination of live data, mobile access, and integration has changed how CSC interacts with customers. Reps can now answer pricing questions, adjust mix quantities, or confirm delivery times instantly. 

It’s made every customer conversation faster and more accurate, helping the team strengthen relationships and win jobs more efficiently.

“With Slabstack, I can see my margins instantly as I build a quote, on every single mix. I don’t have to switch between programs or search for pricing anymore. Everything’s right there, so we can make decisions on the spot.”
Reid Harris Sales Manager | Concrete Supply Company 


The Outcome: Faster quoting, better margins, stronger visibility

Quote turnaround time cut to minutes

Since implementing Slabstack, CSC’s quoting process has become significantly faster. They are able to verify costs, check margins, and confirm prices in a matter of minutes. 

Sales reps can quickly adjust quotes, and customers receive timely, accurate proposals without waiting for callbacks or manual checks. This increased speed has helped the team handle a higher volume of quotes every week without adding extra workload.

Real-time margin visibility on every quote

With Slabstack, each quote updates in real time with the latest mix and material costs, allowing reps to instantly see their margins before sending a proposal. This immediate visibility means fewer revisions later, greater pricing confidence, and stronger consistency across all regions and projects.

Seamless dispatch integration eliminates rework

One of the most noticeable changes has been the direct connection between sales and dispatch. 

Quotes created in Slabstack automatically transfer into the dispatch software once approved, removing the need to re-enter job details. This integration has reduced administrative errors, streamlined job scheduling, and improved communication between departments. 

Dispatchers now receive clean, accurate information, ensuring smoother operations from quote to delivery.

More time to sell, less time on admin

By removing manual tasks and duplicate work, CSC’s sales team has regained valuable time in their day. Instead of spending their time entering data or double-checking numbers, reps can focus on nurturing relationships, exploring new opportunities, and closing deals faster. The result is a more efficient, motivated sales team and a quoting process that truly supports business growth.

“We are able to be much more efficient with our time. Once a job is sold, we just push a button in Slabstack, and it forwards straight into dispatch. That one change has eliminated hours of rework each week.”

Reid Harris Sales Manager | Concrete Supply Company 


Looking ahead: A growing partnership

CSC continues to expand how they use Slabstack as the partnership grows. The Slabstack team works closely with CSC every day, listening to their feedback and building on the features already in place

Concrete Supply’s team is exploring new dashboards that make it easier to track sales activity, measure quote performance, and view customer trends across locations. They’re also looking to bring more of their sales workflow into the same platform, reducing the number of separate systems their team relies on day to day.

This close collaboration has built trust and made the software more effective for Concrete SupplySC’s day-to-day operations. 

“Their customer service has been excellent as far as handling issues or adding features that we need. What I'm looking for from Slabstack in the future is a continued partnership to develop other processes that we would like to integrate into the sales effort.”

Reid Harris Sales Manager | Concrete Supply Company 


CSC’s story shows how ready-mix producers can move faster, quote smarter, and improve collaboration with the right CRM. 

With Slabstack, the #1 CRM for ready-mix producers, CSC’s team gained speed, visibility, and confidence, all in one connected platform.

Ready to quote faster and gain full visibility like CSC? Book a demo with our experts. 

Explore more customer success stories

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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:

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. 

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:

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.

Quoting for aggregates producers used to mean plugging numbers into a spreadsheet with different sections for type, size, grade, freight, taxes, markup, and repeating the same process for each customer. 

For years, that formula worked well enough, even when costs were changing, because there was no better alternative.

But now, most aggregate producers are realizing that manual static quoting is costing them time and money. 

In this blog, we’ll explore how the quoting process for aggregates producers has evolved, why traditional methods no longer hold up, and how real-time, data-driven quoting is helping producers protect profit and respond faster to market change.

Traditional quoting for aggregates: What most producers still do

For most aggregates producers, quoting still follows a familiar routine rooted in manual steps and spreadsheets. When a customer requests a quote, producers typically:

This traditional method provides some structure, but the main issue here is that it relies on static inputs and disconnected data sources that don’t reflect market volatility. 

Freight rates, fuel costs, and surcharges can shift by the hour, leaving producers exposed when they quote using outdated numbers.

For example, by the time a quote reaches a customer, diesel prices may have risen, or freight rates might have changed. This means you either end up underquoting and losing margins. Or overquoting and losing customers’ trust. 

Let’s understand this in more detail below. 

What are the problems of manual quoting for aggregate producers? 

Manual quoting through spreadsheets gives an illusion of control. In reality, manual quoting hides problems that quietly erode profitability. Here are the most common ones we see across producers: 

All the issues we mentioned above stem from the same problem: disconnected quoting data. Without live cost inputs or automated checks, producers spend more time reconciling spreadsheets than quoting strategically.

That’s why many producers are updating how they quote. 

They’re combining their experience with real-time data so they can move faster, quote accurately, and keep margins steady. Read on to know more. 

How does automated real-time quoting help aggregate producers? 

Data-driven quoting strengthens your existing quoting process. When you have access to live cost feeds and built-in pricing logic, you can build quotes that reflect current market realities and protect margins automatically.

With real-time quoting, aggregate producers can:

All of this helps with getting accurate quotes out faster. 

In practice, this would look like this: Your sales rep starts a new quote for a 20,000-ton order and immediately sees diesel surcharges adjust to that day’s market rate. Freight costs recalculate automatically based on delivery distance and truck availability, and material prices pull straight from the plant’s live data feed. Real costs flow from dispatch, giving the rep a clear view of the total landed cost before they even hit send.

Managers view the same quote on their dashboards and check margins by plant or customer in real time. 

This connected visibility turns quoting into a controlled, strategic process. One where teams can respond in minutes and know every number reflects the current market.

But how do you get this level of automation? Let’s find out. 

How to start automating your quoting process? (5 steps you can take today) 

Moving to automated, data-driven quoting doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your existing systems. It starts with simple, practical steps that build momentum.

  1. Centralize your cost data: The first thing to pay attention to is centralizing your existing cost data. You don’t want your team to have 10 different Excel sheets for different costs. Bring material, freight, and fuel cost tables into one place. Eliminate version conflicts by creating a single source of truth.
  2. Automate cost updates: Once all your data is in one place, the next step is to update those numbers. Even weekly manual refreshes can dramatically improve quote accuracy. As you mature, move toward live data integrations.
  3. Standardize quote templates: For this, start by creating templates your team can use for every quote. These templates should include fields for live cost data, automatic margin calculations, and built-in approval checks. Set clear rules for when a manager needs to review a quote and when a rep can send it directly. Keep the layout simple so reps can fill in details quickly while the system handles the math and margin validation.
  4. Track quote-to-order conversions: Analyzing data is just as important. Understand which quotes convert and which don’t. Eventually, this data will build the foundation for better pricing decisions and help you plan for long-term success.
  5. Integrate quoting with dispatch and billing: If you’re still handling quotes and dispatch separately, start by connecting them gradually. Begin with shared data between your quoting and dispatch systems, so accepted quotes can move into scheduling faster. Even partial integration reduces manual entry, avoids double work, and ensures your teams are referencing the same data. As you automate more, quotes can eventually flow directly into dispatch for scheduling and billing, bringing your sales and operations closer together.

Each improvement reduces manual work and brings producers closer to a predictive, connected quoting process.

While you can take these steps one by one, there is a way you can easily automate your quoting process using Slabstack. Get more details below. 

Slabstack: Real-time quoting software for aggregates producers

Slabstack is a CRM for aggregates producers who want to modernize their quoting without losing control. It connects live cost data, freight logic, and margin protection into a single quoting ecosystem, all built specifically for the construction materials industry.

With Slabstack, producers can:

For aggregates producers, this means consistent pricing, faster turnaround, and fewer profit surprises at month-end.

Ready to see what real-time quoting could look like for your operation? Book a walkthrough with our team and discover how Slabstack helps producers quote confidently in a dynamic market. 

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3. 5 Signs You Need a Better CRM as a Building Material Supplier

Spreadsheets look like a place where every formula, rate, and note sits neatly in its own cell. But for aggregates suppliers, those same spreadsheets quietly drain profit. 

When you’re quoting jobs that run thousands of tons, even a few cents per ton can decide whether you make or lose money. And in a business where margins are already so thin, that kind of leakage adds up fast.

If you’ve ever wondered why your numbers don’t quite match finance’s or why a profitable job turned out to be break-even, the answer might be hiding in your spreadsheets. 

In this blog, we’ll uncover how manual quoting tools erode margins every day and what suppliers can do to take control again.

3 ways spreadsheets give a false sense of control to aggregate suppliers

At first glance, spreadsheets seem like the ultimate control tool, and they usually start as such, where every calculation is visible and every change tracked. 

But over time, this system starts breaking down. Especially when each plant, region, or rep begins to maintain their own version.

So formulas break. Freight rates drift. Cost assumptions go unchecked. 

One rep updates a file while another sends a quote from an older version. What looks like precision is actually fragmentation. That fragmentation is where profit starts to slip away for aggregates suppliers.

Let’s look at the three most common ways this happens.

1. Outdated numbers on spreadsheets quietly erase profit

Aggregates pricing is volatile and shifts constantly: Diesel, explosives, labor, and haul rates all change from week to week and sometimes even daily. 

Yet the quotes for many aggregates suppliers still rely on spreadsheets built months ago. 

Consider this: Even a $0.15 per ton gap might seem harmless, but multiply that across a 50,000-ton order and you’re looking at over $11,000 gone before anyone notices.

When cost sheets become outdated, reps often quote yesterday’s prices while paying today’s costs. And the longer those updates lag, the more profit margin you lose. 

2. Freight affects margins 

Freight is one of the hardest pieces to track manually, and one of the easiest places for profit to vanish. 

Spreadsheets often rely on flat zone rates or simplified distance tables that ignore variables like tolls, backhauls, or surcharges. When fuel prices or haul distances shift, the spreadsheet doesn’t adjust on its own.

That means a quote might look perfectly profitable on paper but lose cents or even dollars per ton once the trucks start rolling. Those small discrepancies pile up over dozens of jobs and quickly turn into margin erosion that few can trace back to their source.

3. Version chaos creates margin confusion

Every time someone in your team copies or emails a spreadsheet, a new version of the truth is born. Sales, dispatch, and finance teams often operate on slightly different datasets, and nobody’s sure which one is correct. 

So your team ends up with conflicting quotes, internal undercutting, and inconsistent customer pricing. 

Beyond errors, version chaos also hurts trust within the team and with customers. When a client gets two different quotes for the same job, they don’t see it as a small mistake. They see a company that can’t keep its numbers straight.

Let's understand the repercussions of relying on spreadsheets in detail below. 

What’s the real cost of manual quoting for aggregate suppliers? 

Every hour a rep spends chasing freight rates, verifying approvals, or double-checking formulas is an hour not spent selling.

Over time, these inefficiencies become a hidden tax on every sale.

Even when quotes are accurate, the manual process behind them costs suppliers more than they realize. 

A rep might spend half a day collecting freight updates from different plants, copy them into multiple sheets, and wait for a manager to sign off. 

By the time that quote reaches the customer, the numbers might already be outdated. 

These slow, manual workflows also make it difficult to see why margins shift from one region to another. Without clear visibility into trends, like which plants quote fastest, which jobs lose the most freight, or where discounts are creeping in, managers are left reacting instead of improving performance.

But the good news is these issues can be fixed, and it doesn’t require overhauling how your team works. Here’s how. 

How can aggregates suppliers escape the spreadsheet trap?

Moving away from spreadsheets doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your existing workflows. Here are a few simple steps you can take today to make sure your team is avoiding rookie errors while quoting through spreadsheets. 

1. Centralize cost and freight data: Bring all cost and freight information into one shared file or dashboard. When everyone uses the same numbers, you reduce duplicate work and quoting errors.

2. Refresh inputs weekly: Set a consistent routine to update diesel, freight, and material costs. Some teams automate this through supplier emails or dispatch exports ensuring the numbers never go stale.

3. Set margin floors: Define your minimum profit thresholds by material or region. If a quote falls below that level, it should automatically trigger an approval. This keeps pricing disciplined without slowing sales down.

4. Track win/loss data: Record which quotes were accepted or lost and why. Over time, this builds a picture of pricing trends, showing where margins are shrinking, which customers buy on price, and where your team is strongest. 

Each of these steps builds clarity into your sales process. But even getting to this point can take a lot of manual effort and wasted hours. 

An easier way to reduce your dependency on spreadsheets is to use a specific CRM for aggregates suppliers like Slabstack. Let’s explore more. 

How Slabstack helps aggregates suppliers regain margin control

Slabstack, the #1 sales and business management platform for aggregate producers, provides a unified system that ties quoting, freight, and margin tracking together. All without changing how your teams already work. 

Our platform replaces manual spreadsheets with live cost data, dynamic freight logic, and automated margin protection.

And when every quote reflects today’s real costs, you stop guessing and start managing margin proactively. Reps quote faster, managers get visibility into every deal, and finance finally sees consistent numbers across plants.

One of our customers, Carew Concrete, a ready-mix concrete and aggregate producer, improved their quote accuracy from 50% to near 100% by using Slabstack. Here’s what John Malcolm, Vice President at Carew Concrete, has to say: 

“We chose Slabstack because it isn’t just a tool for today; the team is committed to building the features the ready-mix and aggregate business has always needed.”

Ready to move from spreadsheets to a system that works for you? Book a call with Slabstack’s experts and see how connected quoting can help you protect every margin point.

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Margins in asphalt are measured in cents per ton. That’s why even a small quoting mistake like missing a surcharge, using last week’s binder price, or forgetting a haul zone can wipe out the profit from an entire job. 

Most producers think solving their quoting challenges requires more manual systems and more spreadsheets. But that’s not the case. 

In this blog, we’ll go through some of the most common quoting mistakes that asphalt producers make and show you practical ways in which you can fix those. In the end, we’ll also highlight how a specific CRM for asphalt producers like Slabstack makes the entire quoting process easier and more efficient. 

Mistake #1: Relying on outdated spreadsheets

One of the most common mistakes that asphalt producers make is that they rely on spreadsheets built months or even years ago as part of their quoting process. But chances are those spreadsheets have become bloated with old formulas, missing inputs, and pricing that no longer reflects the market. 

So your team ends up quoting based on last month’s costs for binder, aggregates, and fuel, when in reality their costs change daily. 

The issue isn’t the spreadsheet itself; it’s the lack of real-time cost visibility. And this goes both ways. 

Producers who quote profitably treat cost updates as part of their daily routine. They pull new prices before every bid, track freight rates weekly, and double-check surcharges before sending anything out. Even simple discipline like syncing costs from supplier emails helps.

But even these processes take a lot of time. The best way to fix this is to use a CRM for asphalt producers like Slabstack, which provides live cost feeds to ensure every quote reflects today’s numbers automatically. 

Mistake #2: Internal underbidding

In regional asphalt operations, it’s common for multiple reps to quote similar customers or territories. Without visibility, they end up competing against each other, often unknowingly. One rep hears a price rumor and drops a few dollars per ton to win the next bid, not realizing it was their own team’s quote. Undercutting prices creates a race to the bottom from which no one benefits in the long run. 

Plus, the damage goes beyond margin erosion. Underbidding creates pricing confusion for customers and undermines trust in your company’s professionalism.

To solve this, you can standardize pricing rules or set up a shared folder of approved quotes for visibility. Encouraging managers to check the quotes before they go out also helps. 

Again, spreadsheets can help with this. But a software build specifically for asphalt producers like Slabstack ensures every rep works from the same live data and pricing logic. Guardrails automatically flag quotes below target margins, keeping deals profitable without slowing sales down.

Which brings us to the next mistake, slow quoting process. 

Mistake #3: Slow quote turnaround

How many hours did you spend last week just to approve quotes, which still ended up taking weeks to reach the customers because you wanted to ensure the rates were right? 

Contractors expect fast answers. When approvals drag or reps wait on cost updates, your competitors step in. 

Manual quoting processes are the biggest culprit of slow quotes. Copying data between Excel, emails, and dispatch creates friction and version errors. Managers waste hours reviewing line items that could be standardized.

The best way to solve this is to use templates that pre-load freight, fuel, and material costs. So your managers spend time adjusting strategy, not formatting spreadsheets.

To make this even easier, Slabstack automates this workflow. Quotes pull in live data and apply pricing rules instantly. Managers only review exceptions, not every quote that goes out. Quoting that would take days to go out; it only takes a few minutes with Slabstack. 

[Read: Configuring manufacturing quotes - How faster quoting helps close more deals] 

Mistake #4: Hidden freight and surcharge miscalculations

This is similar to mistake #1 that we discussed above about relying on outdated spreadsheets, even when costs change daily. 

Freight and fuel surcharges can turn a profitable bid into a loss if they’re not handled precisely. Maybe the wrong haul zone rate was applied, a toll charge was missed, or fuel costs jumped mid-week. These small errors often go unnoticed during quoting but show up later when reconciling margins. Over a full paving season, that can add up to thousands in lost profit.

To stay accurate, the best producers build consistent freight logic into every quote. That means:

This process keeps pricing transparent and consistent across every job, regardless of who’s quoting it.

Slabstack takes that discipline and automates it. Our asphalt plant software calculates freight automatically based on plant location, delivery radius, and live fuel index data, helping you quote with confidence. 

Mistake #5: Lack of win/loss insights

Teams often lack reliable win/loss insights because they rely on manual systems. With limited time and fragmented tools, most sales teams spend their days fixing quoting mistakes rather than analyzing results. It’s no surprise that understanding why jobs were won or lost falls to the bottom of the priority list.

But once producers address the quoting challenges that we listed above, they can finally focus on the real work of running the business: learning from performance and using data to make better decisions.

When teams start tracking the outcomes of their quotes, they can know: 

Slabstack captures all of this automatically. Every quote outcome feeds into dashboards that show win rates by rep, region, and customer type, giving leaders a clear view of what’s working and what needs to change, to protect margins and grow revenue.

Slabstack: Asphalt software that helps you fix quoting mistakes

Quoting accuracy drives the entire business for asphalt producers.

But when costs move daily and quotes are sent manually, even small inconsistencies across materials, freight, or surcharges can chip away at profit margins. Over time, these gaps accumulate, quietly turning what looked like a profitable month into one that barely breaks even.

To solve this, you don’t need to add more approvals or manual checks. You need a quoting process that keeps every variable in sync. And asphalt producers who adopt structured systems gain real visibility into what they’re earning per job, per customer, and per ton.

Slabstack enables this level of control. 

Its live cost data, dynamic pricing rules, and automated guardrails ensure every quote reflects real market conditions. Teams quote faster, align pricing across plants, and see margin impact before committing to a job, turning quoting from guesswork into a strategic advantage.

Ready to protect every ton you sell? Talk to Slabstack to see how our purpose-built CRM helps asphalt producers quote smarter, faster, and with stronger margins.

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Running a construction materials business can be complex when relying on manual systems.

Sales teams often juggle live costs, approvals, and dispatch schedules across multiple jobs, which slows everything down. Their hours disappear into copying data, chasing approvals, and re‑entering the same information into different systems. 

Quotes get delayed, reps undercut each other, and mistakes slip through that can cost thousands of dollars.

The issue here isn’t a lack of effort. Teams work hard, but outdated systems force them to spend time on tasks that don’t grow the business. Instead of focusing on winning more deals and serving customers, your sales team gets stuck managing data and fixing errors.

This is where automation in the construction material supplier industry makes a difference. 

In this blog, we’ll look at the 3 biggest impacts of automation for construction material suppliers and how Slabstack helps achieve them. But first, let’s look at why automation matters in this industry. 

Why automation matters for construction material suppliers

Margins in concrete, aggregates, and asphalt are extremely tight and are often measured in just cents per cubic yard. In such a competitive environment, even the smallest misstep in quoting can erase profit from an entire job. 

Yet most producers still lean on spreadsheets, manual systems, or bolt‑on tools that were never designed for construction materials sales. These outdated systems slow teams down, invite mistakes, and make consistent margin protection nearly impossible. That creates problems at every step:

Automation directly tackles these pain points for suppliers. It gives your sales teams tools to move faster, quote with confidence, and protect profit margins without relying on manual checks.

To see how automation helps practically, read on to see the 3 biggest impacts automation is already having on suppliers in 2025.

The 3 biggest impacts of automation for construction material suppliers

The 3 biggest impacts of automation for construction material suppliers include smarter pricing, faster sales cycle, and better visibility, which helps with proactive decision-making. Read on to see how. 

1. Smarter pricing that protects margins

Every supplier knows how fast material costs can move. Cement, aggregates, fuel, and additives can shift daily, and manual systems rarely keep pace. That’s how hidden losses creep in.

Automation solves this by:

For example, let’s say one of your reps quotes $130/yard when costs are already at $135. The rep isn’t aware of the price change, and now has locked in a deal at $5 loss per yard. On a 1,000-yard job, that’s $5,000 gone. All because the price changed, and your team wasn’t aware of this. 

To prevent this, reps can either check prices every hour of their workday, but that means wasting time that should be spent talking to customers and getting more jobs. 

Or, they can take the help of automation, which prevents underquoting by flagging margin leaks before quotes leave the system. It also ensures that all reps work from the same data, so customers see consistent pricing no matter who they speak with.

By making margin protection automatic, suppliers stop leaving profitability to chance. Instead, they can compete on service and reliability, not on risky discounts.

And while pricing discipline is crucial, speed matters just as much. That brings us to the second impact. 

2. Faster sales cycles with less manual work

In construction materials, configuring manufacturing quotes with speed and accuracy helps construction suppliers win more deals. Yet manual processes turn quoting into a bottleneck. Approvals get stuck in inboxes, reps spend hours re-entering data into dispatch, and deals stall.

Automation removes these roadblocks:

Carew Concrete, a ready-mix concrete and aggregates supplier, used automation through the Slabstack CRM to reduce turnaround time on bids while keeping every quote aligned to target margins. 

They were able to increase their quote accuracy from 50% to near 100%, all the while keeping up with quoting speed. And now, instead of chasing paperwork, their sales team spends more time building customer relationships and winning work.

By streamlining the sales cycle, automation helps suppliers secure more profitable deals. But the benefits go beyond efficiency; they extend to decision-making at every level of the business.

3. Better visibility and proactive decision-making

Most producers don’t realize margin erosion until it shows up in financial reports months later. By then, it’s too late to fix. Automation changes that.

With the right automation tool, you get real-time alerts that notify managers when costs rise or quotes dip below target margins. Tools like Slabstack also offer forecasting dashboards that use live quotes and win/loss data to project demand, plan fleet use, and help you adjust your pricing strategy. Plus, with automation, you can trust that every quote your team sends out clears profit thresholds without micromanaging your reps. 

All this can help you gain foresight, allowing you to adjust prices mid-bid cycle, prepare plants for seasonal spikes, and make proactive decisions that protect profitability.

With visibility in place, the next question for many suppliers is how to actually begin their automation journey.

How suppliers can get started with automation in construction

Many producers assume automation in construction material requires a massive technology overhaul, but the truth is that it works best when rolled out in stages with the right tool. 

Starting small allows teams to get comfortable, see results quickly, and build momentum for broader change. Here’s how you can start with automation in construction step-by-step. 

By phasing the rollout this way, suppliers can achieve quick wins without overwhelming staff, while steadily building confidence across the entire organization.

But the key is to choose the right tool to help you with automation. Otherwise, you can get stuck spending thousands of dollars and endless months to make a tool work for you. 

That’s why producers choose Slabstack, the #1 sales and business management platform for concrete, aggregates, and asphalt producers to start their automation journey. 

Why producers choose Slabstack to help with automation in the construction industry

To truly benefit from automation, you need a CRM platform that can connect quoting, pricing, and dispatch into one seamless system. Spreadsheets or generic tools can only go so far before they create bottlenecks and errors. 

A purpose-built solution like Slabstack stands apart as a vertical platform designed specifically for ready-mix, aggregates, and asphalt producers, with the industry’s pricing, quoting, and dispatch challenges at its core.

Slabstack brings together:

With Slabstack, suppliers gain a platform that strengthens pricing decisions, speeds up quoting, improves customer service, and supports long-term profitability.

Get in touch with our team to see how automation through Slabstack can protect your margins and accelerate your sales process.

Margins in construction materials are razor-thin. So to become profitable, producers often chase big jobs or higher volumes that look impressive at first glance but quietly drain profitability once hidden costs surface.

The real difference between winning and struggling plants comes down to tracking the right sales metrics. And those are not just limited to volume or revenue. 

In this blog, we’ll break down the five sales KPIs that matter most for producers, why they’re essential, and how, without the right visibility, producers take on unprofitable work, tie up fleets, and strain relationships with their most loyal customers.

Why do the right sales metrics matter for construction material producers? 

Most producers still track sales the old way: spreadsheets, gut feel, or siloed systems. It’s common to see managers pulling last month’s totals from Excel, or sales teams working off outdated price sheets. 

With this approach, volume and revenue end up dominating the conversation around sales. But these numbers don’t always reflect profitability. 

For example, a spike in volume may look like growth, but if trucking costs and overtime wages rise alongside it, the margins collapse. Or revenue from one flashy project may mask the fact that smaller, loyal contractors have started buying from competitors.

We recently conducted a webinar to address these issues, and one of our webinar guests, Brendan Clemente at Bonded Concrete, put it:

“Volume’s a double-edged sword… If you chase larger volume jobs, you may not take care of your base customers. And when it’s over, they may not be your customers anymore.”

[You can check out the full webinar here] 

In the construction material industry, the goal isn’t just more yards, but profitable yards. And sales metrics act like early warning signals. They reveal when a contract is bleeding margin, when your fleet is stretched beyond capacity, or when everyday customers are being pushed aside. 

But which metrics should you track? Let’s look at the top 5 sales metrics every producer should prioritize. 

Metric #1: Good vs. bad volume

Not all volume is equal. Chasing a 100,000-yard job at razor-thin margins might keep trucks busy for a season, but it can destroy profitability and weaken customer loyalty. 

What producers often overlook is that big jobs come with hidden costs: extra trucks, overtime labor, stressed plants, and the opportunity cost of sidelining steady customers. On the other side, base contractors ordering predictable loads week after week may not look flashy, but they keep cash flow steady and margins healthier.

“Good volume is stuff that’s within range of your plants, easily serviceable, not adding stress to your production team” - Brendan Clemente

To make sure you’re taking on the right projects, you should track yards sold along with:

When tracked correctly, volume becomes a quality metric that shows whether your plant and fleet are being used efficiently and whether customer relationships are being strengthened over time. It highlights whether you’re building a durable, profitable business or stretching yourself thin for short-term gains. 

And that leads us into the next essential number: selling price.

Metric #2: Average selling price 

High ticket prices don’t always mean high profit. A three-yard COD delivery may command $200/yard but tie up a truck for hours, eroding efficiency and margin. 

The average selling price needs context because different job types, customer segments, and load sizes carry different values. Without breaking ASP down by these categories, producers risk being misled by averages that look healthy but hide inefficiencies or margin erosion.

In the webinar, we highlighted why focusing only on the highest rates can be misleading:

“You can go grab three-yard, four-yard deliveries and they look really good, but that’s a truck tied up for two and a half hours… You want to sell full loads and you want to sell value in anything you’re looking for.”

By tracking ASP by segment: CODs, base contractors, specialty projects, producers can identify which customers deliver repeatable profitability and which ones quietly eat into margins.

And that leads to the metric that really tells the truth: margin.

Metric #3: Margin per yard (or per ton)

Margin is the ultimate number. Revenue means little if profitability disappears under the weight of trucking costs, overhead, and long pour times. 

Yet many producers only calculate margin over materials, leaving out delivery and fixed costs. This incomplete picture can make a job look profitable when, in reality, the additional hours on the road, fuel surcharges, and overtime labor can impact your margins. 

For example, a $50,000 project might seem healthy on paper, but after accounting for trucking wear-and-tear, idle time, and plant overhead, it could be a net loss.

That’s why tracking margin per yard enforces discipline. It enables producers to see whether jobs are truly profitable, not just impressive on paper. It also creates consistency across sales teams. Because every rep ends up with the same cost basis rather than their own assumptions. 

And with systems like Slabstack, producers can easily set margin floors and guardrails so no quote slips through below target thresholds, removing the risk of undercutting or miscalculating costs. But we’ll discuss more about this later in the blog. 

Metric #4: Segmentation of customers 

Every customer is different, and the right segmentation can help you track your profits effectively. 

By segmenting customers by load size, frequency, margin contribution, and loyalty, you can see which groups deserve priority. You can also use this segmentation to prioritize time and to balance short-term revenue with long-term profitability.

Metric #5: Quote-to-order ratio (win rate)

Quotes are leading indicators of demand. Tracking how many turn into orders provides foresight into plant utilization, fleet scheduling, and cash flow. 

A low conversion rate may signal that sales teams are quoting jobs outside the company’s sweet spot, or that competitors are consistently undercutting on certain mixes or regions. A high win rate, on the other hand, shows strong alignment between pricing, service, and customer expectations.

More importantly, win/loss analysis reveals patterns that are easy to miss when you’re only focused on total revenue. 

You can see whether CODs are consistently lost on price, whether large contractors are slipping away due to service issues, or whether certain plants are facing heavier competition in specific geographies. 

By measuring win rates by customer type, region, and job size, producers gain an early-warning system and a roadmap for refining pricing, service strategies, and even fleet planning. The insight allows them to adjust before problems show up in the P&L.

But measuring all 5 metrics we’ve listed here, and using them to forecast demand, takes more than just relying on spreadsheets. Read on to know more. 

How to track the right construction sales data? 

Alot of producers fail to track these crucial sales metrics because they rely on manual systems like spreadsheets. And spreadsheets are static, error-prone, and disconnected. 

In the construction industry, costs of materials like diesel, cement and additives shift daily and spreadsheets simply can’t keep up. By the time someone updates a formula, real-world costs may already have changed again. Reps often undercut each other without realizing it, managers spend hours chasing approvals, and quotes go out with outdated assumptions

That’s where a purpose-built vertical CRM for producers helps:

Slabstack, the #1 sales and business management platform for concrete, aggregates, and asphalt producer, was built to keep these features in mind. 

How Slabstack helps producers track the right metrics? 

Slabstack is purpose-built for concrete and construction material suppliers. It equips producers with tools to track and act on the five metrics that matter most:

With these features, producers no longer have to chase volume blindly. They can build discipline into every quote, protect margins, and prioritize the work that makes their business stronger. 

As discussed in our webinar, success for producers won’t come from chasing every yard poured. It will come from tracking the right sales metrics, enforcing margin discipline, and balancing customer mix with foresight.

As Brendan Clemente put it best:

“You’ve gotta make a margin. You’ve gotta make money. Otherwise, you can put your money in a lot smarter places than the ready-mix business.” 

Slabstack helps producers build that discipline into every part of the sales process. From live cost feeds to dispatch integration, our CRM ensures your team is working with real numbers, protecting profitability, and serving customers more consistently.

If you’re ready to put these metrics into action, schedule a demo with our team and see how Slabstack can help you protect margins and grow profitably.