Gerry Milligan, head of construction banking with the Bank of Ireland, said the bank was anxious to be involved in the e-commerce boom in construction. "We wanted to show the industry that we were interested in e-commerce. We wanted to be part of the new developments and be involved with the leaders. As far as we could see, Buildonline was well ahead of the game as far as providers purely to the construction industry went.
"We paid two of our customers to test the offering for us, using real projects," added Milligan, "so they can get a real understanding of how, if at all, Buildonline can bring value to their businesses and see if there are any efficiencies to be gained."
If the report proves favourable, the Bank of Ireland may recommend its customers use Buildonline as their preferred e-commerce partner. It has already introduced several of its construction customers to Buildonline.
Gail Kirby, marketing director for Buildonline, said it had a long-term relationship with the Bank of Ireland. "We started in Ireland, and we have been working closely with the Bank of Ireland for some time. It has been introducing its customers to us, and we see it as being very forward-thinking in terms of e-commerce."
Buildonline has also acquired defunct project management provider Iscraper's German division, which has become part of Buildonline Germany. It is in discussions to take on some of Iscraper's UK customers. Iscraper collapsed in May due to lack of funds, leaving 12 unfinished projects up in the air.
Source
Construction Manager