Making the Case for eSUB Software Implementation: 3 Trade Contractor Success Stories

Construction project management software isn’t a nice-to-have asset for trade contractors; it’s a must-have tool. It uses real-time data to maximize process efficiencies and worker productivity in a highly-competitive industry where profit margins are tight. 

“Construction project management software keeps important details and tasks organized in one place, so every project can move forward on time and on budget,” writes Megan Pacella at Technology Advice. “They also help team members and stakeholders collaborate and communicate along the way.”

Yet, most construction companies are behind the curve on software implementation.  Respondents to a 2023 survey by Yooz ranked the construction industry as the least technologically-advanced industry. Because of their slow tech adoption, many trade contractors make key project decisions with old, irrelevant data. 

In fact, a 2020 survey by KPMG-Canada shows that only 23 percent of companies base their decisions on “digitally gathered data.” That puts them at a distinct disadvantage when bidding for jobs, trying to maintain profitability on current projects, or positioning their company for growth. 

Trade contractors need real-time project data. To get it, you need construction project management software, like eSUB. But don’t just take our word for it. The three case studies below demonstrate specifically how construction projects and companies benefit from the adoption of eSUB.

Lake East Landscape Gets Paid Faster After eSUB Software Implementation

Many trade contractors struggle to get paid in a timely manner. 

According to data from PYMNTS Working Capital Tracker, 27 percent of construction firms report receiving payments between 31 and 60 days past the due dates. This poses a serious obstacle, especially for trade contractors, who often have to rely on working capital to cover project-based expenses during jobs while waiting to be paid by general contractors. They depend upon prompt payment to keep a steady supply of working capital.

Unfortunately, getting paid late is a problem that’s only getting worse. Joshua Stein at Construction News, shares data from a Creditsafe study that shows a 13 percent increase in late invoices in the construction industry from 2021 to 2022. “Construction’s year-on-year change was the worst of any of the sectors,” reports Stein.

Trade contractors get hit particularly hard because they are at the end of the road in the construction payment cycle. They don’t get paid until their general contractors get paid. They essentially have little to no control over payments. 

But you can control how efficiently you track and invoice work once a job is completed so you can, hopefully, get paid faster. That’s what Lake End Landscape did with the help of eSUB.

Before implementing the software, the company was taking 30 to 60 days after a job finished to gather and compile labor data from manual-entry time cards so they could invoice the job. Then they waited 30 days or so for payment. “We needed to shave that to like zero to 30,” reflects Operations Manager Casey Freedom-Izdepski.

They did that by using the tool to automatically populate time cards using data from daily reports. By simply streamlining that process, the company reduced the 90-day payment cycle to net 30. In some cases, what once took 90 days from job completion to payment now takes as little as 10 days.

eSUB Enables Alloys Sheet Metal to Steadily Expand

Growing your trade contracting business isn’t easy. In order to bring on more work you have to create efficiencies that generate the space for you to take on more projects and yet stay profitable. You can’t do this without the right technology.

“Construction project management solutions are becoming increasingly important in the construction industry,” asserts Hartman Executive Advisors.

Tools like eSUB automate processes and centralize real-time data to help trade contractors improve project-based productivity and make better project decisions so you can grow your business. To this end, the technology enables you to:

• Better manage project timelines.
• Improve communication and collaboration between all project stakeholders.
• Control costs to maintain or increase profit margins. 
• Proactively predict and manage project risks. 
• Effectively allocate resources. 

All of these capabilities work together to make your projects and business run as efficiently as possible. As a result, you can bid for more work and even larger projects. 

Construction companies are prioritizing efficiency and productivity which leads to projects being completed faster, explains the S3DA Design team. This creates the bandwidth for contractors to bid more competitively for more jobs. 

Alloys Sheet Metal experienced explosive growth almost immediately after implementing eSUB construction project management software. Before using eSUB, the company used two different platforms that weren’t tailored to the company’s needs to manage projects.

“A lot of the software out there is made for GCs, general contractors,” says company owner Bryan Lopez. “They’re not tailored for us. eSUB is.” Since adopting the technology, the company has been able to track all projects more effectively, which has enabled it to grow.  

“Our first year with eSUB, we probably had $900,000 to $1 million in projects,” Lopez said. “And right now, we’re going to end up with about $1.9 – $2 million. And by next year, we’re probably going to double that as well. Hopefully.”

“I’m focusing on larger projects, and without eSUB it would just be a bunch of hours of work and time for me trying to figure it all out,” he adds. “I don’t think I would be able to manage a lot of the projects that we have gotten.”

Eckstine Electric Becomes More Efficient and Productive with eSUB

Achieving maximum productivity requires increased efficiency and productivity on construction jobs. All processes must be as streamlined as possible so all stakeholders spend more time on project-based work and less time on administrative tasks. That’s much easier said than done.

“Sometimes, even the most experienced developers, contractors, owners, and construction managers find it challenging to maintain the highest efficiency standards and stay organized throughout the entire construction process,” writes the Construction Marketing Association team.

To achieve that end, construction companies need the right tech tools. In an article called “The 5 Steps Needed to Streamline Construction,” Hexagon, a digital reality solutions provider, writes that “embracing technology-driven solutions is the pathway to unlocking efficiency and excellence in the construction industry.”  

For trade contractors, that solution is construction project management software, like eSUB. The platform meets the specific needs of trade contractors, streamlining the right processes so construction teams are more efficient and productive. 

Eckstine Electrical saw immediate results after implementing eSUB to solve its document-control challenges. The company embraced digital document management as the solution to its productivity problems. The streamlined workflows and access to real-time data helps teams make faster decisions and focus on their project-specific work so their projects finish on time and on budget.

“eSUB replaces manual processes with digital delivery workflow (preview, submitted, approved, etc.) to keep projects on schedule and efficiently increases employee productivity by 10-25 percent per week,” says lead project coordinator Renee McEntee. “Instead of being inundated with paper, our workers are more focused on profit-bearing tasks and contributing to the bottom line.”

The magic of construction project management software is the digitization of project data entry, the automation of documentation tasks, and the centralization of project data. When processes are efficient and workers are productive, your company can be more profitable. All you need is the right tool. 

Schedule a demo of eSUB Cloud today to learn more about how this software can positively impact your construction jobs and business.

Images used under license from Shutterstock.com.