There is more to construction than just numbers on a spreadsheet

Chris Murphy
CEO
February 17, 2026

After more than 20 years working in the construction industry I have learned one thing very clearly. Construction does not run on theory. It runs on people, pressure and practicality.

I have worked on sites. I have sat in site offices. I have dealt with late materials, urgent orders, stressed teams and margins that leave no room for error. That experience is the reason ONSO exists and it is the lens through which every part of the system has been built.

We did not set out to build just another construction platform. We set out to build something that actually fits the way construction works in the real world. And I will be honest getting that right has been incredibly difficult.

Construction is fast moving and messy by nature. Materials are needed urgently. Costs change daily. Projects evolve. Purchase orders are raised under pressure not in perfect conditions. Financial visibility is critical yet often delayed or fragmented. Many systems forget that reality and try to force construction into rigid workflows designed for accountants not builders.

The truth is not everyone in construction is an accountant and they should not have to be. Operatives on site are often the ones who know first what is needed and when. A materials request might start with someone holding a phone on a muddy site not someone sitting calmly at a desk. If your system cannot support that moment you lose efficiency instantly.

At ONSO we built the platform around that understanding.

Purchase orders are simple clear and connected directly to project budgets so teams know exactly where they stand. Project financials are live and transparent, not buried in spreadsheets or delayed reports. Quotes can be captured, compared and approved without unnecessary friction. Everything links back to the project so there is one source of truth rather than disconnected systems.

We have also invested heavily in AI not as a buzzword but as a genuine tool to help construction teams make better decisions faster. From reducing admin to improving visibility and helping teams spot issues before they become expensive problems AI is there to support people not replace them.

Every feature in ONSO has been shaped by real conversations with contractors, subcontractors and commercial teams. We are constantly trying to remove friction, save time and reduce the stress that comes from poor systems and poor information.

This is not about building software for software’s sake. It is about helping an industry I care deeply about work more efficiently with more clarity and with fewer surprises.

ONSO is different because it had to be. Construction deserves tools that respect how it actually operates not how someone thinks it should.

After 20 years in this industry I know one thing for certain. When systems work with construction instead of against it everyone wins. That is what we are trying to do at ONSO every single day.

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Chris Murphy
CEO

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