Fit-out jobs without any purchase order tracking software, especially kitchen installations are where profit margins can quietly go down the sink. You think you’ve priced the job right but then the spec changes, invoices roll in that don’t match POs, and suddenly you’re spending more time chasing than forecasting.
The problem? You don’t have cost management system from the start of the project.
This is exactly where purchase order tracking software will help you manage costs and protect margins. Here are the top 5 mistakes that fit-out contractors face.
1. Products Change Mid-Project
Clients switch appliances. Architects tweak specs and supplier delays. But no one updates the cost sheet. The result? Materials arrive on site with different prices than expected, and you only find out when the invoice hits.
2. POs Live in WhatsApp, Email or in a notebook somewhere in the van.
Orders go missing. There’s no audit trail. You can’t track what was agreed, when, or by whom. Your accounts team ends up climbing the walls at the end of the month flying blind, and you risk overpaying for materials.
3. Invoices Don’t Match What Was Ordered
This one’s big. Without Purchase order tracking, there’s no quick way to spot discrepancies. This ultimately results in waste hours manually cross-checking paperwork.
4. The Site and Finance Team Don’t Speak the Same Language
What the site team thinks was ordered rarely lines up with what finance approves. The result? Delays, reorders, and tension between departments and finger pointing.
5. Spreadsheets Show What Happened, Not What’s Happening
If you’re relying on outdated spreadsheets, you’re looking at history, not live project data. That delay costs you visibility, and ultimately, profits.
The Industry Reality
These challenges aren’t just anecdotal. According to a RenoFi study, 1 in 3 home renovations go over budget, and kitchens are among the top culprits. Across the wider construction industry, 85% of projects experience cost overruns, with an average overrun of 28%. And in the UK, 2025 has become one of the toughest years for renovation material prices have increased over 37%, some essentials like insulation and concrete have jumped over 60%, and labour costs are up too (electricians +14.4%, scaffolders +9.3%). With margins already squeezed, small oversights in fit-outs can bleed profit fast.
The Solution: Purpose-Built Purchase Order Tracking Software
Take Bokk, a premium fit-out firm near Bristol. They used to run on outdated and unreliable spreadsheets. It was messy, slow, and error-prone.
After switching to LiveCosts, they saw:
POs tied to jobs and tracked in real time
AI-matched invoices that flagged price errors instantly
Seamless Xero integration, no disruption
Setup and migration completed in a single day
Hundreds of invoices managed easily in one platform
“LiveCosts is straightforward, efficient, and backed by a great team.”
Why It Works
Purchase order tracking software gives you:
✅ Real-time visibility into committed costs
✅ Live links between orders, deliveries, and invoices
✅ Connected finance and site teams
✅ Fewer errors, faster approvals
✅ Better control of margins and pricing
Stop Throwing the Budget Down the Plug Hole
If you’re delivering kitchens, interiors, or modular builds, you can’t afford to guess.
Purchase order tracking software puts your commercial and finance teams in control.
LiveCosts is used by contractors like Bokk every day to cut admin, reduce errors, and protect profit.
Want to see it in action? Book a demo, it might be the smartest 15 minutes you spend this week.
