Why we built C-Link

Where it all started…

In late 2016, Paul Heming was sitting in the pub (where all good things happen) with his good friend Chris Barber talking about subcontract tendering and all the associated problems.

Chris and Paul are both Quantity Surveyors: Chris worked on high-end residential schemes in London, while Paul worked on significant projects like Battersea Power Station and The Walkie-Talkie.

The challenge…

While chatting, they couldn’t believe that, despite being worlds apart in terms of the companies they were working for and the projects they were working on, they both had the same problems:

• Tendering with subcontractors was too paper-based and took ages.
• Every QS had a different way of doing things, meaning there was a lack of consistency in documentation.
• No QS knew enough of the best subcontractors to get the best price.

Together, they decided to start C-Link to try and address these challenges and improve the way the industry builds.

As a property developer or principal contractor, subcontract procurement is critical to your success. Get it wrong, and the negative impact can lead to a hit on profit margins, delays to your project, or worse case, disputes and legal battles.

On the other hand, get it right, and you can generate even greater profit than forecast, deliver the project on time, then move on to your next project ready to go again.

Large companies know this. They have supply chain teams with managers scouting the market for the best subcontractors and Quantity Surveyors coordinating tendering and contracts. As a result, they maximise profit and minimise risk in procurement.

Smaller property developers and main contractors don’t have the luxury of these large teams, and until now, this meant you couldn’t possibly achieve maximum profit margins.

The solution…

C-Link is subcontract procurement software built by QS’ to give everyone the benefits of having a skilful commercial department without the significant overhead.

C-Link replicates the expertise of a QS by creating professional tender packs and contract documents. The software also has a supply chain of pre-qualified subcontractors built into the platform, allowing you to competitively tender every package and achieve the best value every time.

C-Link is proven to reduce construction costs by 5 to 12%, and millions of pounds of procurement are done on C-Link every week.

We aim to create a procurement platform that helps you grow your business and generate increased profits from your project, but in a collaborative way that isn’t to the detriment of subcontractors. By optimising your procurement process, we know, you can have profound impacts on your bottom line, and that’s what we aim to deliver with C-Link.