Stop Losing Thousands on Inventory Mistakes with Dave Wigder

📅 September 9, 2025 ⏱️ 45:08 🎤 Chad Peterman, Dave Wigder

Chapters

Click to jump to section

0:00

Introduction to Inventory Challenges

Chad Peterman introduces the common struggles contractors face with inventory management and the goal of making field professionals' lives easier.
1:48

Dave Wigder's Background & Ply

Dave Wigder shares his journey from working around trades to co-founding Ply, driven by the need to address material spend and inventory visibility issues for contractors.
8:59

Ply's Procurement & Material Management

Dave explains how Ply centralizes purchasing data, streamlines communications with suppliers, and uses data to make better decisions regarding material replenishment.
15:23

Streamlining for Small Contractors

Discussion on how Ply helps smaller contractors by providing a baseline of stock visibility, automated replenishment lists, and integration with FSMs like ServiceTitan.
29:01

Making Life Easier for Field Techs

Dave highlights how Ply simplifies material tracking for field technicians, making job allocation easier and reducing administrative burdens, potentially using voice AI.
34:58

Tackling Cycle Counts & Dead Stock

Ply's approach to cycle counts using advanced settings and the identification of dead stock as a significant financial drain are discussed, along with the importance of internal champions for successful implementation.
43:50

Barcode Technology & Organization

Dave addresses the challenges of barcoding small and varied parts, offering solutions like bin organization, binder use for trucks, and kit management.
49:08

Tech Efficiency and Field Requests

Further details on how Ply helps technicians with material to job allocation, real-time truck inventory visibility, and future voice AI features for field requests.
54:40

Future of Supplier Integration

Discussion on Ply's roadmap to integrate with distributors for local availability data, addressing the current inefficiencies in part sourcing for contractors.
1:04:26

Onboarding & Implementation Process

Dave outlines Ply's four-stage onboarding process, emphasizing catalog building, stock auditing, system logic setup, and continuous data refinement, with a focus on meeting customers' specific needs.

Speakers

Chad Peterman

Host

Dave Wigder

CEO and co-founder of Ply

Key Takeaways

✦

Centralize procurement activities to gain better control over material spend and avoid lost data from disparate communication methods like email.

✦

Utilize inventory management software to track stock levels in warehouses and on trucks, enabling proactive replenishment and reducing last-minute supply runs.

✦

Implement cycle counts, possibly staggered or focused on high-value items, to maintain accurate inventory and identify dead stock, potentially offering tech incentives for accuracy.

✦

Empower field technicians with tools that simplify material allocation to jobs, reducing their administrative burden and allowing them to focus on billable work.

✦

Leverage data from inventory and purchasing to make informed decisions, such as bulk purchases for discounts and identifying potential savings on materials.

✦

Seek out software solutions that integrate with existing field service management systems to ensure seamless data flow between inventory, job costing, and invoicing.

✦

Consider the organizational impact of new software; having an 'internal champion' and a structured process are crucial for successful implementation and realizing value.

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