I can’t imagine going back to the way we did things before. We would have had to hire more people.
Founded in 1992, Astro Interior Contracting is a family-owned business specializing in drywall and acoustical construction throughout the metro Atlanta area. Over the past three decades, it has established itself as a respected interior contractor in the Southeast, with annual revenues exceeding $20 million.
Astro Interior installs several million square feet of drywall and acoustical systems every year, supporting large-scale commercial construction projects with a focus on driving excellence and meeting project deadlines. Their reputation has built them a strong and loyal customer base. As Astro experienced its busiest years to date, maintaining operational efficiency behind the scenes became critical to sustaining growth.
I can’t imagine going back to the way we did things before.
Prior to Field Materials AI, Astro Interior handled material purchasing and equipment rentals in Excel using a highly manual, labor intensive process. Each job had its own Excel file with multiple tabs representing separate purchase orders. Each time Tricia (company controller) had to create a new purchase order, she would open Excel, create a new tab and type each line item description, quantity and units of measure. Then, she had to create a PDF, email it to the supplier, and manually re-enter the purchase order in Sage 300 CRE.
As Tricia received via email a supplier invoice, the first step for her was to print it. Then, she had to find the corresponding PO in Excel and print it as well in order to verify if invoiced prices were accurate. Since she didn’t have all delivery tickets on a job, Tricia couldn’t always verify whether invoiced quantities matched received quantities. Once she painstakingly verified an invoice, she had to manually post it in Sage 300 CRE.
This process required constant backtracking and was extremely time-consuming. During Astro’s busiest year ever, Tricia was regularly working 10–11 hour days to keep up with the flood of paperwork.
I'm so thankful to have Field Materials - it's of tremendous help to us!
Astro Interior implemented FM procurement software for construction during one of the busiest years in the company's history and saw immediate impact.
Tricia now creates POs in Field Materials, which automatically cost codes and forwards them to suppliers for confirmation. As orders are delivered on job sites, foremen use the mobile app to snap photos of delivery tickets, which then the AI automatically matches to the correct PO and records received quantities.
Tricia no longer needs to print supplier invoices and POs. As Astro Interior receives an invoice, Field Materials automatically downloads it and the AI matches it to the correct PO and packing slip. It instantly reads the invoiced quantities and verifies price accuracy. All Tricia now has to do is a quick spot check. When she approves an invoice, Field Materials automatically exports it to Sage 300 CRE. What once took Tricia hours of manual data entry and verification is now automated and takes minutes.
Field Materials AI streamlined purchasing practice across the whole company. Project managers now request purchase orders themselves, and field crews no longer need to email photos or bring stacks of paper delivery slips to the office. The entire project team now has the visibility that they never had before.
I can’t imagine going back to the way we did things before.
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Before Field Materials AI, Astro Interior relied on manual, spreadsheet-driven processes that overwhelmed Tricia during peak workloads. Now, Field Materials AI automates purchasing and accounts payable and supports Astro Interior’s growth without adding headcount.
