Invoice Visibility for Material Purchases
David Eisen of CostCrunch
A construction company reviews another invoice — lumber for the next phase. The price looks reasonable. The supplier is reliable. The relationship is solid. But is it actually competitive? When dozens of invoices arrive each week, that question rarely gets answered.
CostCrunch was created to answer a simple but expensive question: Are material prices actually in line?
David Eisen developed the platform after running a construction business himself. Reviewing invoices was part of daily operations, but knowing whether prices were truly competitive wasn’t always clear. “You assume you’re getting a good price,” he said. “But most companies don’t actually know.” He looked for a tool that could provide that visibility. When he couldn’t find one, he built it.
At OJBA, Eisen explained how CostCrunch helps contractors review material invoices and quickly see when costs look consistent… and when it may be worth a second look.
The workflow is straightforward. Each company receives a unique CostCrunch email address. Invoices can be forwarded there directly, or suppliers can be asked to include it when sending bills. Once received, invoices appear inside the CostCrunch app, where each line item is reviewed against historical pricing and market data.
Invoices are marked clearly — a green check when amounts look consistent, or a red flag when something stands out. When pricing is flagged, users can see alternatives if available, along with what they’ve paid for similar materials in the past. Over time, as more invoices are processed, the system builds a clearer record of purchasing patterns… making pricing flags more accurate.
CostCrunch was designed specifically around the needs of construction companies. The system works in the background, without requiring teams to change how they purchase materials or ask suppliers to adopt new tools. It reads invoices as they come in, regardless of format or how suppliers label line items.
“If you’re in construction, you want to know the system understands your industry,” Eisen explained. “That’s what we focused on building.”
CostCrunch first exhibited at OJBA upstate earlier this year. Eisen said the goal was to see how construction companies responded… and how CostCrunch fit into existing workflows. They picked up new clients, and the feedback was great.
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