
Construction Cost Management Trends in 2026: Market Reset and the Commercial Control Loop
The construction sector entering 2026 is neither in crisis nor in a conventional recovery. It is operating in a state of reset. Market activity remains
Bauwise software capabilities
Automate commitments — create purchase orders (PO) and subcontractor contracts directly from budget lines. Manage scope changes, variations, and back charges from Applications for Payment (AfP) in real time. Track actuals, advances, and accruals at every stage. Allocate contingency reserves, forecast accurately, and centralize all vendor data for better procurement decisions.
Bauwise helps automate construction purchase orders and contracts management — to improve cost control, streamline workflows, and deliver on budget.
Construction project profitability
Construction Projects
Of Construction Budgets
Automate construction purchase orders (POs) and subcontractor contracts creation by allocating outstanding budget between commitments. The corresponding line items are then automatically generated within the purchase order and contract, and can be altered manually. The Estimate at Completion (EAC) is automatically updated to reflect the final committed amounts.
Automate and manage scope changes, variations, and back charges from Applications for Payment (AfP), purchase invoices and changed orders — linking them directly to purchase orders (PO) and subcontractor contracts. These intelligent workflows keep budgets accurate and current in real time, ensuring subcontractors are neither over- nor underpaid.
Manage contingency reserves and apply cost corrections without altering the agreed contract or purchase order (PO) value. Retain part of the savings from favourable supplier or subcontractor agreements as a reserve for unforeseen works. Update forecasts when new costs or savings arise, with every change tracked, documented, and supported by project managers (PM) or quantity surveyors (QS) comments for full accountability.
Gain complete visibility into actual costs, advance payments, and accruals for every purchase order, contract, and line item. Link transactions and purchase invoices directly to commitments for full drill-down access to each cost item and its supporting documents. Colour-coded indicators highlight when actual costs are trending above forecasts, enabling timely corrective actions. Track advance payments separately from actual costs, with automatic commitment value adjustments when advances are reduced. Get accruals automatically calculated based on evaluated completion or adjust them manually to match construction site conditions.
Manage all vendors, contractors, and clients in one unified system to streamline collaboration, ensure quality, and support strategic procurement decisions. Define performance rating criteria and evaluate each company based on real project experiences. Share reviews internally to guide future contractor selection.
Managing €10B+ in Construction Budgets with Bauwise




























Download the free construction purchase order (PO) template PDF file
Allocate budget based on construction stages or buildings. Track Forecast to Complete (FTC) and Estimate at Completion (EAC). Control budgets through versions and approval locks. Forecast profitability, manage accruals, and sync financial data with integrated accounting or ERP software.
Automate data flow between your ERP or accounting software and Bauwise. When integrated, construction-related invoices flow directly into Bauwise for approval and return to the ERP or accounting software enriched with data — cost allocations, budget lines, and approver info — no double work required.
Get a structured, automated framework to plan, forecast, and monitor construction cash flow across all project stages. Generate cash flow forecasting baselines with one click, fill past periods with actual cost and revenue data, and align projections with the project’s Cost-at-Completion (CAC). Refine future forecasts, adjust monthly distributions, and manage approvals through version-controlled tracking.
Track, review, and approve construction project scope changes. Submit change order requests with attachments, automatically calculate their impact on project cost, and adjust budgets upon approval. Maintain versioned audit trails and status tracking to ensure compliance, transparency, and project continuity.
Automate purchase invoice processing with AI-powered data extraction, pre-defined approval workflows and unique invoice allocations. Link invoices directly to purchase orders (PO), contracts or Applications for Payments (AfPs). Manage consolidated invoices for multiple projects between different teams. Meet governance standards, and comply with internal financial policies.
Accelerate month-end reporting between Contractors and Subcontractors by streamlining the Applications for Payment process into a structured, auditable workflows. Initiate change orders and track progress, apply retentions and back charges with full compliance. A dedicated Subcontractor portal, automated notifications, and digital validation keep all parties aligned.
Create tender packages directly from budget lines, identify qualified bidders through the Bauwise database, and issue invitations to tender (ITT). Provide secure, login-free access for bidders to submit RFQs and compile all bids into an automatically generated comparison table. Ensure full traceability by linking every bid and award back to the budget lines and cost codes.
Review and approve construction invoices directly from your mobile device. Capture receipts and invoices — the Bauwise Mobile App uses AI-powered image recognition to extract data from images. Allocate receipts and invoices using Bauwise Purchase Invoice Management module.
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The typical learning time is just two sessions, while our software can save you up to 4 workdays per month
Bauwise equips construction CEOs with an automated cost management tool to maintain financial control, efficiency, and profitability across expanding portfolios. The cost management software links budgets, forecasts, contracts, and purchase orders in one system, enforcing approval workflows that preserve budget integrity and accuracy. Chief Executive Officers gain real-time visibility into consolidated portfolio performance, safeguarding project continuity, automating reporting, and simplifying construction portfolio management.
Bauwise provides an automated cost management solution for construction CFOs to obtain timely, verified financial data for cash flow and refinancing decisions. The software consolidates construction budgets, contracts, purchase orders, change orders, invoices, and Applications for Payment into a unified data source, ensuring all figures are validated, traceable, and audit-ready before reaching financial statements. Chief Financial Officers can track contingency budgets and risk reserves, gain visibility into liquidity, flag budget overruns early, and forecast portfolio-level cash flow.
Bauwise helps Construction Managers and Division Managers ensure all construction project costs are reported and accounted for, using an automated construction cost management tool. The software tracks linked budgets, contracts, purchase orders, and change orders, so every commitment is recorded, allocated, and tied to the correct project and cost code. Construction and Division Managers can leverage automated purchase invoice and Application for Payment validation rules with audit trails, compare planned versus actual costs in real time, and monitor division-level performance across projects.
Bauwise supports Construction Quantity Surveyors with an automated cost management solution to plan and manage full cycle construction costs — from forecasting and tendering to variation valuations and reporting. The software reconciles interim valuations, change orders, and actual costs in real time, updating forecasts and Estimate at Completion (EAC) automatically once costs are approved. It generates RFQs and tender packages, standardizes bids formats, and applies approval workflows. Links approved variations to their related contracts and cost codes, calculating their budget, commitments and EAC impact.
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Automating Construction Purchase Orders means linking POs directly to budget lines so commitments are generated without manual data entry. With Bauwise, outstanding budget amounts can be split, grouped, or allocated by percentages, quantities, or values. Line items are then created automatically within the PO, while still allowing manual adjustments if needed. Every change instantly updates the Estimate at Completion (EAC), keeping budgets accurate. Branded PO templates can also be generated for export, ensuring both traceability and consistency across projects.
Effective subcontractor management relies on connecting every contract and scope change directly to the budget. Bauwise automates variations and back charges from applications for payment, invoices, and change orders, ensuring Applications for Payment (AfPs) reflect the approved scope in real time. This prevents overpayment or underpayment, preserves retention integrity, and keeps subcontractors accountable to their agreed scope.
The key to handling variations, back charges, and cost updates is to ensure they are tied directly to construction purchase orders (POs) and subcontractor contracts. With Bauwise, approved change orders automatically adjust contract values, committed costs, and forecasts, so the budget stays accurate in real time. Back charges can be created automatically from invoices or added manually. Every adjustment updates the Cost to Complete (CTC) and Estimate at Completion (EAC), with a full audit trail of user actions, dates, and supporting documents.
Tracking actual costs, advances, and accruals requires linking every transaction and invoice directly to construction purchase orders and contracts. With Bauwise, advance payments are logged separately from actual costs, with commitment values updated automatically as advances are reduced. Accruals can be calculated from percentage of completion (progress evaluation) or adjusted manually to match site conditions. Color-coded indicators highlight when actuals exceed forecasts, giving project teams early warnings to act. All entries are documented with supporting files, creating a complete, audit-ready history for compliance and reporting.
Centralization starts with a single vendor directory that stores every supplier, subcontractor, and client with full company details and contact persons. With Bauwise, you can apply custom tags and group companies into internal categories, then view all linked tenders, purchase orders, and contracts from each company profile. Teams rate and review performance on criteria like quality, reliability, safety compliance, and communication, creating comparable records for future selection. Data can be imported or exported via Excel or APIs to keep systems in sync. The result is faster prequalification, stronger shortlists, and procurement decisions based on real project history—not guesswork.

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