Collins Electrical cut procurement time from 3 hours to 10 minutes with Remarcable’s easy, transparent platform.
In the fast-paced world of electrical contracting, every minute counts. When you're managing multiple job sites, coordinating with dozens of suppliers, and ensuring your crews have the materials they need exactly when they need them, inefficient procurement processes can be the difference between profit and loss. This is the story of how Collins Electrical Company partnered with Remarcable to revolutionize their material management approach, cutting procurement time from hours to minutes while dramatically improving visibility across their entire supply chain.
Before discovering Remarcable's procurement solutions, Collins Electrical faced the same challenges that plague electrical contractors across the industry. Their procurement process was built on a foundation of spreadsheets, phone calls, and manual data entry—methods that worked decades ago but simply couldn't keep pace with today's project demands.
The numbers told the story clearly: field requisitions that should have taken minutes were consuming two to three hours of valuable time. Purchase orders required multiple touchpoints across different systems. When backorders occurred—and they occurred frequently—the team often didn't discover the issue until it was too late to make alternative arrangements without impacting project timelines.
"We were spending more time managing the procurement process than actually procuring materials," recalls a Collins Electrical team member. "Our purchasing department was drowning in paperwork, and our field crews were frustrated with the lack of visibility into order status."
To understand the magnitude of this procurement challenge, it's important to know the scale at which Collins Electrical operates. Headquartered in Stockton, California, Collins Electrical Company, Inc. stands as one of the premier electrical contractors in the United States. With a workforce exceeding 1,000 skilled employees and multiple branch offices strategically located throughout Northern and Central California, the company delivers comprehensive electrical contracting services that span the entire project lifecycle.
Their project portfolio is as diverse as it is impressive. From complex design-build initiatives and collaborative design-assist projects to cutting-edge prefabrication, advanced Building Information Modeling (BIM), industrial installations, commercial developments, healthcare facilities, and renewable energy projects, Collins Electrical handles it all. This breadth of services, combined with their ongoing maintenance and service capabilities, means their procurement needs are both varied and voluminous.
When you're managing electrical installations across hospitals that can't afford downtime, renewable energy projects with strict completion deadlines, and industrial facilities where safety is paramount, having a streamlined, reliable procurement process isn't just convenient—it's critical to business success.
Collins Electrical's leadership recognized that their procurement challenges weren't just operational inefficiencies—they were strategic barriers to growth. As the company continued to win larger, more complex projects, the limitations of their existing systems became increasingly apparent.
The search for a procurement solution led them to evaluate numerous platforms, each promising to solve their material management challenges. However, most solutions fell short in one critical area: they weren't built specifically for the electrical contracting industry. Generic procurement platforms couldn't handle the complexity of electrical materials, the nuanced relationships with electrical suppliers, or the fast-paced decision-making required on active construction sites.
"We tested multiple platforms over several months," explains a Collins procurement manager. "Some had great user interfaces but couldn't integrate with our suppliers. Others had powerful analytics but were too complex for field use. We needed something that understood our industry—and that's where Remarcable stood apart."
What makes Remarcable different from other procurement platforms is its deep understanding of how electrical contractors actually work. Rather than forcing contractors to adapt their processes to fit a generic platform, Remarcable built their solutions around the real-world needs of electrical professionals.
The platform's interface functions like an intuitive shopping cart system, complete with detailed product images, intelligent tagging, and advanced filtering capabilities. This might sound simple, but for electrical contractors who need to quickly identify specific conduit sizes, wire gauges, or panel configurations, these features dramatically reduce the time spent searching for the right materials.
More importantly, Remarcable's procurement solutions integrate seamlessly with electrical suppliers, creating a transparent communication channel that eliminates the phone tag and email chains that traditionally slow down the ordering process. When products are backordered, suppliers can instantly notify teams through the platform and suggest appropriate alternatives—all without leaving the system.
The impact of implementing Remarcable's procurement solutions at Collins Electrical was immediate and measurable. Requisitions that previously required two to three hours of manual work now take less than 10 minutes to complete. This time savings translates directly to cost savings, allowing procurement staff to focus on strategic sourcing activities rather than administrative tasks.
But the benefits extend beyond simple time savings. The platform provides unprecedented visibility into the entire procurement process. Project managers can instantly access information about previous orders, track purchase order status, and identify potential material delays before they impact project schedules.
"The difference is night and day," shares a Collins field supervisor. "Before Remarcable, I spent half my morning chasing down order statuses and trying to figure out when materials would arrive. Now I can see everything I need in real-time and make informed decisions about scheduling and resource allocation."
One of the most significant improvements Collins Electrical experienced was in their supplier relationships. Traditional procurement processes often created communication barriers between contractors and suppliers, leading to misunderstandings, delays, and frustrated relationships on both sides.
Remarcable's platform creates a centralized communication hub where suppliers can provide real-time updates, suggest alternatives, and collaborate on solutions. When a specific electrical panel is backordered, the supplier can immediately notify the Collins team and provide alternative options with comparable specifications. This proactive communication prevents delays and keeps projects moving forward.
The platform also maintains a comprehensive history of all communications and decisions, creating an audit trail that's invaluable for project documentation and future reference. This level of transparency has strengthened Collins Electrical's relationships with their key suppliers and improved their overall supply chain reliability.
Perhaps one of the most unexpected benefits of implementing Remarcable's procurement solutions has been its impact on workforce development. The electrical contracting industry, like many skilled trades, faces the challenge of knowledge transfer as experienced workers retire and new professionals enter the field.
Traditional procurement processes often required extensive training and institutional knowledge that took months or even years to fully master. New employees needed to learn complex spreadsheet systems, understand vendor-specific ordering processes, and memorize product codes and specifications.
With Remarcable's intuitive interface, new team members can become productive much more quickly. The visual product catalogs, intelligent search functions, and streamlined workflows mean that even entry-level employees can handle complex procurement tasks with confidence.
"It's so much easier to train the next generation now," explains a Collins supervisor. "Instead of spending weeks teaching someone our old spreadsheet system, I can show them Remarcable's interface in an afternoon, and they're ready to go. It's actually exciting to see young electricians embrace technology that makes their jobs more efficient."
The partnership between Collins Electrical and Remarcable has delivered measurable improvements across multiple areas of the business:
Operational Efficiency: Procurement cycle times have been reduced from hours to minutes, freeing up staff time for higher-value activities.
Supply Chain Visibility: Real-time access to order status, backorder information, and supplier communications has eliminated the guesswork from material planning.
Cost Control: Improved visibility into pricing, availability, and alternatives has enabled better purchasing decisions and reduced emergency procurement costs.
Project Management: Enhanced visibility into material delivery schedules has improved project planning and reduced delays caused by material shortages.
Supplier Relationships: Streamlined communication and collaborative problem-solving have strengthened partnerships with key electrical suppliers.
Workforce Development: Simplified training processes have reduced onboarding time and improved job satisfaction among both new and experienced employees.
Collins Electrical's success with Remarcable's procurement solutions represents more than just one company's operational improvement—it demonstrates what's possible when technology is purpose-built for the electrical contracting industry.
The electrical contracting sector has been slower than some industries to adopt digital solutions, often due to concerns about complexity, cost, and disruption to established processes. Collins Electrical's experience proves that the right technology can enhance rather than complicate existing workflows while delivering substantial returns on investment.
As word of Collins Electrical's procurement transformation spreads throughout the industry, other electrical contractors are taking notice. The company has become an informal case study for how strategic technology partnerships can drive competitive advantage in an increasingly challenging market.
The success of the Collins Electrical and Remarcable partnership points toward a future where electrical contractors can focus more time on their core competencies—designing, installing, and maintaining electrical systems—rather than wrestling with administrative processes.
As Remarcable continues to enhance their procurement solutions based on feedback from industry leaders like Collins Electrical, the platform is evolving to address even more aspects of the electrical contracting workflow. Future developments may include enhanced analytics, predictive ordering capabilities, and deeper integration with project management systems.
For Collins Electrical, the partnership with Remarcable has provided not just operational improvements but strategic advantages that position them for continued growth in an competitive market. Their streamlined procurement processes enable them to bid more competitively, execute projects more efficiently, and deliver better outcomes for their clients.
The collaboration between Collins Electrical and Remarcable demonstrates the transformative power of industry-specific technology solutions. By replacing outdated manual processes with intelligent, integrated procurement tools, Collins Electrical has achieved significant improvements in efficiency, visibility, and cost control.
For electrical contractors struggling with traditional procurement challenges, the Collins Electrical experience offers a roadmap for transformation. The key is finding a technology partner that understands the unique needs of the electrical contracting industry and can deliver solutions that enhance rather than complicate existing workflows.
As the electrical contracting industry continues to evolve, partnerships like the one between Collins Electrical and Remarcable will become increasingly important competitive differentiators. Companies that embrace purpose-built procurement solutions will find themselves better positioned to handle growing project complexity, tighter margins, and increasing client expectations.
The question for other electrical contractors isn't whether they need better procurement processes—it's whether they're ready to partner with solutions providers who truly understand their industry and can deliver the results they need to thrive in today's competitive marketplace.
Ready to transform your electrical contracting procurement process? Learn more about how Remarcable's industry-specific solutions can help your company achieve the same results as Collins Electrical.
