Productivity isn't a buzzword. It's the thing quietly costing builders more than they realise.

In this episode, Az sits down with Toby Loft — co-founder of BuildGrid — for a wide-ranging conversation about what's actually holding the construction industry back, and what a smarter, more future-focused approach looks like.

Toby has spent years inside the industry, including a long stint at Mitre 10, watching how builders, trades, and suppliers operate, where the friction lives, and what happens when procurement gets done properly.

This episode covers:

• Why productivity — not labour or materials — is the construction industry's biggest problem right now
• How BuildGrid connects builders, trades, and suppliers in one place to cut duplication and reduce friction
• Why price isn't winning supply chain relationships — and what actually is
• The real cost of an inactive job site, and how locking in procurement early protects your margin
• What future-proofing actually looks like for a custom home builder in 2025 and beyond
• How a Brisbane custom home builder used technology to limit price rises to 10% when everyone else was copping 30–60%
• Why the apprenticeship crisis and the productivity crisis are connected — and what to do about it
• The upcoming integration between BuildGrid and MyConstruct, and what it means for the industry

BuildGrid is free for builders. If you're not using it, this episode will tell you why you should be.

Sponsors

This episode is brought to you by MyConstruct — construction management software built by builders, for builders. Fully customisable and locally owned. Start your 30-day free trial at myconstruct.com

Also proudly supported by Pay.com.au — use promo code GOOD20 to unlock 20,000 bonus points. Head to pay.com.au/tgb for more.