In a supply channel long dominated by lumber producers and sellers, BuyMetrics has emerged as a game-changer in lumber procurement. What began as a small, innovative startup in the mid-1990s has evolved into a cornerstone of the modern wood-frame construction industry. With 94 percent of new homes built using wood-frame construction, the acquisition of structural lumber is mission critical to the industry.

BuyMetrics’ goal is clear: to leverage data-driven technology to empower buyers of lumber and other volatile commodities, shift the information advantage long held by the sell side toward the buy side, and level the buying and selling playing field.

Today, commodity buyers at firms large and small, including every vertically integrated builder and building products distributor in the Fortune 500, rely on BuyMetrics’ market-proven technology.

At the heart of BuyMetrics is its founder and chairman, Valerie Hansen, who was driven by the realization that the tactics and strategies surrounding the purchase of lumber were fundamentally different from those used for other building materials. What sets the purchase of near-pure commodities like lumber and steel apart is price discovery. Commodities are ruled by market forces such as supply and demand rather than committed volume. The core task of the commodity buyer is to discover product availability and pricing anew with each purchase. Because every sell-side offer is made subject to prior sale, lumber market dynamics favor buyers who are fast and well informed.

Price volatility presents a major challenge not only for lumber buyers but also for downstream customers, including home buyers. The need for a solution that would empower buyers of volatile commodities led Hansen and Scott Moll, Vice President of Engineering, to build BuyMetrics, an online procurement platform designed to bring control, speed, and transparency to the purchase of lumber and other volatile commodities.

Hansen’s vision was straightforward: give buyers the tools to reclaim control in a supply channel where they had long been price takers. As she explains, “The idea was never to automate for the sake of automation. It was about providing buyers with the right data at the right time, giving them the speed and market intelligence they needed to consistently make the right buy.”

Foundation Built on Real-Time, Fact-Based Data

When BuyMetrics was conceived in the late 1990s, technology companies were still grappling with how best to use the internet to enhance business processes. While many startups of the era focused on venture capital funding and rapid scaling, BuyMetrics took a different path. Instead of following the dot-com frenzy, the company doubled down on solving real, practical problems for lumber buyers, often the overlooked underdogs of the supply chain.

The key to BuyMetrics’ success lies in its ability to turn data into actionable insight. Years before cloud computing became commonplace, the company had already built an online procurement platform. At a time when most businesses relied on on-premise software and local IT support, this approach was highly unconventional. A second critical decision was to build the system using extensible data, precisely the kind required by today’s advanced machine learning and AI models.

Unlike procurement platforms that focus solely on automating routine tasks, BuyMetrics delivers a deeper level of domain-specific expertise through user-specific, product-specific, and client-specific configurations that produce measurable results.

At its core, BuyMetrics is about data, the advanced technology required to harness it, and the tools commodity buyers need to apply it effectively. Hansen notes, “Our high-volume clients spend real money in real time. Where AI functionality is embedded, it is user observable. BuyMetrics prioritizes reliability, accountability, and explainability.”

Reducing Lumber Cost is a Powerful Profit Lever

Operating at the intersection of supply and demand, BuyMetrics collects and analyzes vast amounts of market data in near real time. Lumber prices fluctuate not only day to day but minute to minute, varying by species, vendor, and geography. Even in relatively stable markets, price spreads of 5 to 15 percent are common. On any given day, a mill or wholesaler is under no obligation to sell its inventory and instead seeks to optimize yield based on log supply, inventory mix, and current market prices.

BuyMetrics’ ability to capture and process real-time data increases a buyer’s capacity to handle peak purchasing loads efficiently while expanding market reach. Shopping more vendors improves price discovery, especially in volatile, fast-moving markets, which is precisely when most lumber is purchased.

Today, buyers using BuyMetrics gather pricing data faster, analyze options faster, and evaluate competing offers more efficiently. The platform does not eliminate supply and demand forces, price volatility, or the risk of disruption. What it provides is the ability to identify narrow windows of opportunity and act, or not act, with confidence, supported by accurate, up-to-the-minute information.

Even small changes in lumber cost can have a dramatic impact on a client’s bottom line. Because changes in material cost have no effect on handling or operating expenses, any increase or decrease in cost of goods sold flows directly to profit when selling prices remain constant. Reducing lumber cost is therefore a powerful profit lever.

Data and analytics shift market power to the buy side. BuyMetrics performs the heavy lifting by cleaning and normalizing raw data and providing intuitive tools that allow users to interact dynamically with complex datasets, automate the creation of key performance indicators, and securely share insights across the organization. Purchasing becomes a leading edge source of market intelligence.

Redefining the Procurement Process

BuyMetrics’ goal is to empower human decision-making rather than replace it. Hansen often explains this distinction as central to the company’s philosophy: automation acts as a force multiplier that increases efficiency, while intelligence serves as a results multiplier that improves outcomes.

The platform ensures that buyers maintain full control over their processes. For decades, workflow automation was hard-coded into software, forcing users to adapt to predefined systems. With BuyMetrics, buyers configure their own workflows and logic, effectively training the software rather than being trained by it. This flexibility supports creativity and long-term entrepreneurial growth.

In fast-moving markets, timing, speed, and accuracy are critical. BuyMetrics’ parallel workflow architecture reduces the time and cost required to shop additional vendors while preserving private, one-to-one buyer-vendor relationships. Expanding market reach reduces risk by increasing the likelihood of sourcing constrained materials and securing the lowest-cost, best-value offers.

As Hansen explains, “Speed is important, but speed alone is not enough. What we offer is a combination of speed, insight, and accuracy. Our clients spend real money in real time, and they need to execute purchases with confidence, knowing their decisions are based on accurate, fact-based information.”

A Legacy of Data Management Patents and Industry Innovation

Another factor that distinguishes BuyMetrics is the intellectual property behind its platform. Over the years, the company has secured 21 patents, many of which are cited across leading technology, finance, and e-commerce firms. Major global exchanges, financial institutions, and online marketplaces are required by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cite BuyMetrics’ intellectual property as prior art, underscoring the platform’s lasting influence on data-driven market design.

Privacy and Security in the Era of AI

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in business operations, data privacy has become increasingly critical. BuyMetrics addresses this concern through its Connection Portal, a private and authenticated communications channel. Email usage is intentionally limited to reduce cyber risk, and all data exchanges occur within a secure environment rather than through public systems that can be scanned or scraped by AI models.

This approach protects both buyers and sellers and reinforces Hansen’s belief that procurement should remain collaborative rather than adversarial. “As AI and automation become more prevalent, the need for privacy in business transactions will only grow. Our platform ensures that all communications between buyers and suppliers remain private and secure,” she says.

Long-Term Growth and Industry Impact

Looking ahead, BuyMetrics remains focused on identifying and integrating new technologies in a cost-effective manner. As manufacturers of structural components and vertically integrated builders continue to adopt configurable workflow automation and data-driven intelligence, BuyMetrics’ market footprint continues to expand.

One of the company’s key initiatives for 2026 is the rollout of new AI-enabled vendor interfaces. These easy-to-use, drag-and-drop tools will allow authorized vendors to submit offers directly into buyers’ private workspaces.

Over the next 18 to 24 months, BuyMetrics will continue expanding its capabilities while refining its AI-powered tools. Hansen remains deeply committed to the company’s mission. “We are always looking for economical ways to improve and adapt. As technology evolves, so do our clients’ needs. Our focus is on giving them the best tools to navigate an increasingly complex and volatile lumber market.”

Legacy of Innovation and Empowerment

For more than 25 years, BuyMetrics has remained at the forefront of transforming how lumber is bought and sold. By combining real-time data, advanced analytics, and buyer-controlled workflows, the company has empowered buyers to make faster, smarter, and more strategic decisions.

With a continued focus on innovation, privacy, and client value, BuyMetrics is well positioned to shape the future of procurement. As AI, automation, and real-time data redefine the industry, BuyMetrics remains committed to empowering buyers, supporting sellers, delivering value, and driving efficiency across the supply chain.