SubBase: Construction Supply Streamlined

Procurement is one of those behind-the-scenes functions that touches nearly every part of a construction project but often gets overlooked. In this episode, Eric Helitzer takes a deep dive into procurement automation. He explores how inefficiencies in manual workflows quietly drive up costs, delay projects, and strain vendor relationships. This discussion sheds light on why automation is no longer optional for competitive construction businesses, but rather a necessity.

This episode gives a clear understanding of the benefits of digitizing procurement, from real-time visibility and improved decision-making to cost savings and streamlined communication. Along with these points, Eric also...

Host Eric Helitzer tackles one of the most overlooked, yet critical, parts of every construction project: material tracking. Manual tracking methods have been the most utilized tool in construction companies, but they are also the root cause of many costly errors. This episode explores why traditional tracking systems can no longer keep up with modern-day projects, and how emerging technology is reshaping the field of construction.

Eric shares the power of using AI-powered material tracking systems. He covers topics such as visibility, automation, and error prevention, as a means to help companies prevent problems before they arise. No...

Vendor management shouldn’t feel like controlled chaos—but for most construction companies, it does. Between field requests, accounting approvals, and vendor follow-ups, it’s easy to get buried under paperwork, late payments, and communication breakdowns. In this episode of The SubBase Show, we’re breaking down a smarter way to manage vendors and invoices without adding complexity to your workflow.

Host Eric Helitzer walks through how modern procurement platforms are helping contractors, project managers, and accounting teams eliminate manual processes and unify communication across every department. From setting up vendors correctly to automating invoice processing, you’ll learn how...

Picking up where they left off, James Taylor and Eric Helitzer dig into how AI actually works in SubBase: voice-to-text requests from the field, automatic terminology translation between superintendents and vendors, and invoice reconciliation that eliminates the manual matching grind. Eric explains that different trades order differently, and the platform needs to reflect real workflows, not force new ones, to drive adoption.

The conversation broadens to what civil engineers and owners consistently get wrong. Eric advocates for more field time, earlier contractor involvement in design, and thorough geotechnical work upfront because underground surprises cost 10x more to fix...

SubBase CEO and founder Eric Helitzer sits down with James Taylor from the Civil Engineering Podcast to unpack the material management chaos that plagues civil contractors. A third-generation builder who studied at the University of Florida's Rinker’s School of Construction Management, Eric moved from specialty concrete work in Miami to GC operations and early Procore adoption. That path exposed a stark disconnect: while GCs were digitizing RFIs and submittals, civil contractors were still scribbling material requests on cardboard boxes.

The conversation zeroes in on friction points unique to civil work: managing everything from ductile iron pipe to co...

SubBase CEO, Eric Helitzer, and Tats Nakagawa sit down for a practical, field-first look at construction procurement including what breaks, why it breaks, and how to fix it without blowing up what already works. Eric traces his path from the University of Florida’s Rinker School of Construction Management into high-rise concrete at Baker Concrete, then into GC operations and early Procore adoption. Those experiences shaped how he thinks about procurement today: it’s a people-and-process problem spanning field, office, vendors, and accounting, not just a software feature list.

They dig into the real adoption blockers (“if it ain’t...

Picking up where they left off, David Corson and Eric Helitzer focus on how to modernize procurement without breaking what already works. Eric outlines a layered, practical use of AI: let field teams request items in the language they’ve always used, map those terms to vendor SKUs behind the scenes, and use automation for the tedious parts like line-item matching, discrepancy flags, and routing all while preserving the relationships that drive construction. 

The pair also talk about the mindset shift leaders need to make to treat digitization as an investment with measurable opportunity cost, not as a sun...

Eric Helitzer, CEO and founder of SubBase, and David Corson, host of the Commercial Construction Coffee Talk podcast, sit down to take a look at how procurement really works in commercial construction. Eric traces his path from a third-generation builder interning in high school to studying at the University of Florida’s Rinker School, then cutting his teeth with Baker Concrete on high-rise work. Those early lessons in preconstruction, operations, and schedule control shaped how he thinks about material workflows and where technology should (and shouldn’t) intervene.

The conversation moves from Eric’s transition into the GC world...

In the second half of their conversation, Ike and Eric dive into the next level of procurement efficiency, including tracking delivery timelines, required-on-site dates, and real-time order status. Eric explains how SubBase gives commercial contractors visibility from the field to the office to the vendor, helping companies eliminate costly delays and labor waste.

The episode also looks ahead, touching on SubBase’s plans for AI integration, expanded vendor tools, and new features for equipment rental management. Eric offers career advice for younger professionals, highlighting the value of starting in the trades and learning pre-construction fundamentals before moving into te...

SubBase CEO Eric Helitzer talks with Ike about procurement. Drawing from his roots as a third-generation builder, Eric shares how starting in the trades, particularly in the concrete sector, shaped his understanding of critical path scheduling, complex regulations, and the importance of detail-driven execution. Together, Ike and Eric explore how early field experience builds the foundation for smarter decision-making at the GC and development levels.

The discussion moves from field challenges, to the intricacies of submittals and procurement workflows. Eric outlines how technology, when designed with trade experience in mind, can close efficiency gaps without disrupting trusted vendor...

Eric Helitzer sits down with fellow construction tech advocate Ron Nussbaum for a candid conversation about what it really takes to bring meaningful software into the construction world. The two discuss the cultural barriers to adoption, the nuance of trade-specific workflows, and the power of pairing construction brains with tech minds.

They also dive into why so many platforms miss the mark. From invoice headaches to vendor communication gaps, Eric outlines the real-world friction points in materials management and how SubBase is solving them with empathy and efficiency.

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