Blogs

Make Sense of Construction Technology—Join Our No-Cost Software Roundtables

By Jennifer Tarantino posted 10 days ago
Looking to make sense of today’s construction technology options? Join our Software Roundtables Powered by BBi & CFMA — a collaborative virtual series designed to help construction financial, technology, and HR professionals evaluate tools with confidence. Each 60-minute session features live demos, expert insights, and open Q&A in a sales-free, learning-first environment — all at no cost , thanks to the support of CFMA & BBi. Discover new solutions, ask your toughest questions, and leave empowered to make smarter software decisions. Register today for the upcoming events in CFMA's estore, and keep checking back as more events are being ...

Recouping Fleet Costs

By McKenna Green posted 14 days ago
We are a mechanical contracting company based out of Upstate, SC and we recently added a fleet of trucks for our supervisors. We are coming up on a year of having that and I decided to complete a cost analysis of it. When we first brought this on, we decided on $100/day "Rental Charge" for the fleet trucks per supervisor charged to the job they are working on. During my analysis we found this to be extremely low. We've talked to others around the area who agreed that it's low and said theirs were almost double that. I wanted to reach out to you all and see how your company may handle this. Do you all calculate it based off of mileage, or a flat fee like ...

AI tools for AP processing Trimble

By Charlie Suarez posted 16 days ago
Hello! Can anyone recommend an AI tool that we can use for reading AP vendor emails w/ Vendor invoices and uploading them to Trimble/Vista? I know their are some out there. thanks!

Beiing Human is Now Live on the Trimble Marketplace!

By Rishi Srivastava posted 30 days ago
Construction finance teams using Trimble Vista can now easily discover, integrate, and benefit from Beiing Human — the AI-powered accounts payable (AP) automation platform purpose-built for construction. For years, AP teams have been buried under piles of invoices, spreadsheets, and manual data entry. Even with strong ERP systems like Vista , many processes still require repetitive keystrokes, manual coding, and double-checking between field and finance. That’s exactly the bottleneck Beiing Human was built to remove. What This Means for Vista Users With Beiing Human now available on the Trimble Marketplace , finance teams can ...

From payroll headaches to efficiency: How CVE saved 2,600+ hours annually

By Connor Watumull posted 08-29-2025
CVE , California’s largest abatement and demolition speciality contractor, faced challenges with outgrowing their software systems and a failed implementation with a legacy payroll provider. As a growing business managing multiple entities, unions, and public works projects, they needed a solution to streamline their back-office operations and create a strong foundation for future growth. After making the switch to Miter, they have: Saved 2,600+ hours annually across the company Improved accuracy by eliminating manual data entry into multiple systems Streamlined union, prevailing wage, and multi-entity reporting and management ...

Procore Pay

By Julie Beall posted 08-27-2025
We currently use Procore and are exploring using Procore Pay and would like the good the bad and the ugly from anyone who currently uses this product. Thanks

📢 CFMA Needs Your Expertise!

By Jennifer Tarantino posted 08-12-2025
CFMA is updating Financial Management and Accounting for the Construction Industry — The Book — and need volunteers to help revise key chapters on: A ccounting Organizational Structures Budgeting Project management HR Taxes 📅 Sign up now — email jtarantino@cfma.org with your area(s) of interest. Help us keep The Book the gold standard for construction financial professionals! Thank you. ...

Full Visibility, Fewer Surprises: 5 Ways Clearstory Transforms How GCs Track COR Exposure

By Jill Adamus posted 08-05-2025
In commercial construction, nothing throws off a project forecast like surprise Change Orders. In a recent survey of 200 General Contractors, 64.5% said Change Orders significantly impact forecasting accuracy . And yet, GCs are regularly forced to make critical financial decisions based on outdated, incomplete, or inconsistent data. That’s because the current way of managing Change Order Requests (CORs) is antiquated at best, and fundamentally broken at worst. Most GCs rely on a patchwork of static PDF logs, manual email threads, and side spreadsheets to track their COR exposure and update their financial software. Logs are outdated the moment they’re sent. ...

Generic Payroll Systems Can’t Handle Construction Compliance

By Connor Watumull posted 08-04-2025
Construction payroll involves complex regulatory requirements that vary by project type, funding source, and location. From Davis-Bacon Act compliance to prevailing wage calculations, contractors must navigate multiple federal and state regulations simultaneously across different job sites. Standard payroll platforms weren't built for this complexity. They lack the specialized compliance features construction businesses need, forcing you to handle regulatory requirements manually or through time-consuming workarounds. This approach creates significant risk exposure. Non-compliance consequences can devastate your bottom line: back pay awards, costly penalties, ...

Introducing Clearstory Allowance and Contingency Tracking

By Jill Adamus posted 08-01-2025
If you’ve ever tried to track allowance usage with a spreadsheet or an export from your financial software, scattered email threads, and a healthy dose of wishful thinking, you’re not alone. Most construction teams handle allowances as a side hustle, not a streamlined process. And that’s a challenge for all stakeholders. Because when contingency, design changes, or owner allowances start getting spent without clear documentation or live tracking, it’s not just your forecast that gets messy. It’s your schedule. Your cash flow. Your credibility. That’s why we built Allowances : a powerful new feature in Clearstory that gives you real-time visibility into ...

The Pitfalls of Paper Accounting for Construction Companies [+ How Software Helps]

By Tamara Vishniakoff posted 07-28-2025
Are you spending more time sifting through stacks of paper invoices and reconciling accounts than running your construction business? Relying on traditional paper-based accounting can be hindering your construction company’s growth and profitability. Consider losing a paper invoice. It could lead to disputes with suppliers, harm your reputation, and ultimately impact your bottom line. Let’s explore 4 ways paper accounting falls short in today’s tech-driven world and how embracing modern, cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can pave the way for a more prosperous future. Read the blog now: The Pitfalls of Paper Accounting for Construction ...

Is Your Accounting Software Holding Your Construction Company Back?

By Tamara Vishniakoff posted 07-28-2025
As a construction company owner, leader, CFO or project manager, you know that accurate, timely financial information is crucial for making informed decisions and keeping your projects on track. But what happens when your accounting software can’t keep up with your growing business? A new eBook from NexTec Group and Construction Dive offers insights into the unique financial management needs of construction companies, and how upgrading to a construction-specific Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system can unlock new efficiencies and drive growth. This informative eBook covers: Signs that your company has outgrown its current accounting software ...

3 Signs Your Payroll System Is Holding You Back

By Connor Watumull posted 07-28-2025
Is payroll a headache for your team? Here are three signs your payroll system needs an upgrade: 📌 You're drowning in double data entry . Keying in data across multiple systems is slow, error-prone, and keeps your team from focusing on higher-value work. 📌 Compliance issues are keeping you up at night . You’re building reports in spreadsheets and praying you don’t get audited. Davis-Bacon wages, prevailing wage rates, union classifications, certified payroll reports – your generic payroll solution wasn't built for the complexity of construction. 📌 Your field teams and office live in different worlds. When hours worked, overtime, ...

Volunteer Opportunity: Seeking Subject Matter Experts to Help Update "The Book"!

By Jennifer Tarantino posted 07-25-2025
CFMA is updating Financial Management and Accounting for the Construction Industry , our comprehensive reference guide created by and for construction professionals. We need your expertise to revise the following chapters: Accounting & Reporting Organizational Structures Budgeting & Planning Project Management Taxes Human Resources Volunteers should be available to start immediately. After a brief introductory call with instructions, you will work independently. The estimated time commitment is 3 to 7 hours per week, depending on revisions needs. All updates must be completed by December 1, 2025. If you’re ...

Call for Volunteers – Help Us Update "The Book"!

By Jennifer Tarantino posted 07-14-2025
CFMA is gearing up to revise Financial Management and Accounting for the Construction Industry —our comprehensive reference guide created by and for construction industry professionals. We’ll be looking for volunteers to support this important update starting in late July / early August. Stay tuned for more information on how you can get involved and help shape the next edition of "The Book"!

Call for Volunteers – Represent Your Chapter on the CFMA WIP Panel

By Jennifer Tarantino posted 07-14-2025
CFMA is seeking a volunteer from one of the Lone Star Conference Chapters to participate in an upcoming panel discussion titled: "The WIP Schedule — The Bridge Between Operations and Finance." This session, part of the Lone Star Regional Conference, will feature industry thought leaders and explore how Work-In-Progress (WIP) reporting serves as a critical link between operations and finance, ultimately driving project success. This is a valuable opportunity to share your expertise, gain visibility, and represent your chapter at a regional level. If you are interested in being considered for this panel, please contact Jennifer Tarantino at jtarantino@cfma.org ...

Your Payroll System Doesn’t Understand Construction

By Connor Watumull posted 07-02-2025
Still using a generic payroll system or running payroll with your ERP? It might be costing you time, money, and putting your business at risk. Here’s where you can get into trouble if your payroll platform wasn’t built for contractors. 📌 Your payroll system can’t handle construction compliance. Generic payroll systems weren’t built to handle prevailing wages, certified payroll reports, or complex union requirements. 📌 Your payroll system lacks powerful job costing. Without real-time labor cost data tied to projects and cost codes, it’s impossible to see where your money is going – or course correct before it’s too late. 📌 ...

The Top Issues Keeping Construction CFOs Up at Night

By Rishi Srivastava posted 06-30-2025
If you ask any thoughtful construction CFO what’s really on their mind these days, you’ll hear about much more than just numbers and invoices. You’ll hear about the tightrope they walk between modernizing their back office and keeping the business safe from unnecessary risk. In recent conversations with multiple mid-sized contractors, a few common themes keep surfacing around the boardroom table — and they all circle back to a big question: How do you embrace technology without creating new headaches? Here are five issues that construction CFOs say are top-of-mind in 2025: 1️⃣ Proving the Case for New Tech — Without Wasting Money One CFO summed ...

AI at the Front Door: How Voice Agents Are Helping Construction Companies Work Smarter

By Rishi Srivastava posted 05-30-2025
The construction office phone hasn't changed in decades. But it should. Every day, construction companies field a mix of calls—prospects requesting bids, customers needing updates, vendors chasing payments, and sales reps pitching tools. Most of these calls funnel through a front desk or land in voicemail. But what if your phone system could screen, route, and respond—automatically? Thanks to new voice AI technologies, that's now possible. AI voice agents act as intelligent receptionists—greeting callers, understanding their intent, and routing them to the right person (or system) without human intervention. What Voice AI Can Do for You ...

Announcing the Clearstory + Autodesk Construction Cloud Integration

By Jill Adamus posted 04-30-2025
Push Change Orders in Seconds. Eliminate Double Entry. Gain Real-Time Financial Visibility. We’re thrilled to officially announce Clearstory’s integration with Autodesk Construction Cloud — providing next-level automation, collaboration, and transparency to how General Contractors and Specialty Contractors manage Change Order Requests (CORs) across their projects. This new integration is the result of a shared vision: making Change Order workflows easier, more efficient, and transparent from the field to the office. Starting today, Clearstory users can seamlessly push CORs to ACC Potential Change Orders (PCOs) in just a few clicks — eliminating redundant ...