Company Overview

ASP Construction, Inc. is a general contractor based in Decatur, Alabama, positioned 80 miles north of Birmingham and 100 miles south of Nashville, serving the North Alabama construction market. The company brings together experienced leadership with a commitment to operational excellence, building a reputation for quality project execution across commercial and institutional construction.

The leadership team reflects a blend of large contractor experience and entrepreneurial vision. Lealand Johnson, who had previously worked with Turner Construction, brings project management expertise and familiarity with modern construction technology. Kenny serves as a project manager, focused on ensuring accurate project cost tracking and schedule management. Bobby, the general superintendent, oversees field operations and production tracking. Dan Elkins, owner of ASP Construction, combines business leadership with a focus on operational efficiency and technology adoption.

This combination of Turner Construction alumni and owner-operator leadership creates an interesting dynamic: team members who have experienced the benefits of sophisticated field technology at large contractors, now working to bring those same capabilities to a growing regional firm.

The Challenge

ASP Construction’s challenges with their existing field data collection processes weren’t dramatically different from most contractors their size. The issues were familiar, persistent, and increasingly costly as the company grew.

Manual Paper Processes

The company relied on carbon copy timesheet books for capturing worker hours. Foremen would fill out timesheets in the field, collecting hours worked and allocating them to cost codes. The physical nature of the process created multiple pain points:

• Lost documentation: Paper timesheets could be lost, damaged by weather, or forgotten in the field.
• Delayed data availability: Office staff couldn’t see time data until physical timesheets were turned in.
• Manual data entry: Time had to be manually entered into QuickBooks for payroll processing.
• Limited production visibility: Paper processes made tracking production rates difficult.

“Probably our biggest issue is getting paperwork turned in.” — Lealand Johnson, General Superintendent, ASP Construction

Slow T&M Billing Cycles

T&M work represented a significant portion of ASP Construction’s revenue, but the paper ticket process created challenges. Carbon copy T&M books required foremen to document labor hours, equipment usage, materials consumed, and work descriptions—then get general contractor signatures on site before turning in tickets to the office.

The multi-step process created delays in billing. Even when foremen completed tickets in the field, getting them reviewed in the office, ensuring all information was accurate, and then routing for GC approval and signature could take days or weeks. Delayed billing meant delayed cash flow.

Project Management Visibility Gaps

From Kenny’s perspective as a project manager, the existing processes created frustrating visibility gaps. Understanding project status required calling foremen and superintendents to ask about progress, hours consumed, and work completed.

For schedule of values submissions—the monthly billing process where contractors document work completed and request payment—Kenny and his colleagues had to estimate percent complete without real-time production data.

The Field Buy-In Imperative

ASP Construction’s leadership team understood a critical truth about construction technology: without field adoption, even the best software becomes worthless.

“We have to use it. And if they don’t buy in, there’s no sense to do it. The benefit is there. We’re just going to have to show them what the benefit is and convince them that this is going to make their life easier.” — Dan Elkins, Owner, ASP Construction

This perspective shaped the entire evaluation process. Rather than simply viewing a demo and making a purchasing decision, ASP Construction planned to involve foremen in evaluation sessions and ensure they understood how the technology would make their jobs easier before committing to implementation.

The Solution

Rhumbix’s comprehensive demonstration to ASP Construction’s leadership team in November 2024 addressed each of their operational challenges while maintaining focus on the field user experience. Colin Sucher, the Rhumbix account executive, understood that the audience included people with direct Rhumbix experience from Turner as well as stakeholders new to the platform.

Key Capabilities

1. Streamlined Time Collection

The mobile-first timekeeping workflow demonstrated how foremen could quickly build time cards without paperwork. The platform offers flexibility: foremen can select all workers and apply the same hours across the crew, then make individual adjustments as needed. For situations where workers’ time varies, the platform includes marking capabilities for “left early,” “using PTO,” “tardy,” or other status indicators.

2. Real-Time Production Tracking

For Bobby’s production tracking needs, Rhumbix integrated quantity tracking directly into the timekeeping workflow. After entering time against cost codes, foremen can enter quantities installed that day. The production data flows directly into gain/loss reports, showing by cost code whether the project is winning or losing hours relative to estimates.

“This is how I went through the guys and said, look, this is where we need to try to speed up because we lose every job on these three four cost codes.” — Lealand Johnson, General Superintendent, ASP Construction.

3. Digital T&M Tickets

Rhumbix’s T&M functionality addressed ASP Construction’s billing challenges by streamlining the entire ticket creation and approval process. Foremen can copy time card data directly to a T&M ticket, add location information, work descriptions, equipment, materials, and photos, all from a mobile device.

The platform automatically applies labor markups, equipment rates, and material pricing. Once completed, tickets can follow two paths: immediate field signature or office review before routing for digital signature via email.

THE IMPLEMENTATION

ASP Construction took a thoughtful, phased approach to implementation that prioritized field team buy-in above all else.

Pre-Contract Evaluation

Before signing a contract, Dan Elkins wanted to schedule a training session with the foremen—preferably on a rainy day when field work would be interrupted anyway.

“If we schedule something with our foreman one of these rain days and coordinate with you, think you could run through this with the foreman? They’re the ones that ultimately have to buy off that they’re going to want to use it for us to make the investment.” — Lealand Johnson, General Superintendent, ASP Construction

This wasn’t just good change management practice—it was essential business judgment. The foremen would be the primary users of the platform. If they rejected it or found it too cumbersome to use consistently, the entire investment would be wasted.

The Local Connection Advantage

Implementation planning received an unexpected boost from a personal connection. Clinton, one of Rhumbix’s professional services consultants, lived in Birmingham and had previously worked for Turner Construction in the Huntsville-Decatur-Albertville area—the same region and company where Lealand had worked.

This local presence meant ASP Construction would have access to someone who understood both the Rhumbix platform and the regional construction market, spoke the language of contractors familiar with Turner’s processes, and could provide hands-on support when needed.

Phased Rollout Strategy

ASP Construction’s planned approach suggested starting with core timekeeping and production tracking, then expanding to T&M tickets and other field forms as the team gained confidence. This phased approach reduces change management complexity and allows field teams to master one set of capabilities before adding more.

The Results

Based on both the demonstrated capabilities and Lealand’s previous experience with Rhumbix at Turner, ASP Construction can anticipate significant improvements across multiple dimensions of their operations.

Administrative Efficiency

• Elimination of manual time card entry: Office administrative time saved weekly with automated digital time capture and QuickBooks export capability.
• Reduction in lost paperwork: No more reconstructing or guessing at time entries when physical timesheets go missing.
• Faster payroll processing: Time data available in real-time rather than waiting for paper timesheets to be turned in and manually entered.

Field Productivity

• Reduced paperwork time: Streamlined mobile data entry means less time on administrative tasks and more time managing work.
• Fewer office interruptions: Real-time data visibility means fewer calls from the office asking about project status, hours, or progress.
• Immediate budget feedback: Field teams can see remaining budget and progress toward completion without calling the office.

Project Management Visibility

• Real-time labor data: Access to time, production, and progress data without calling the field.
• Proactive management: Weekly gain/loss reports enable identifying and addressing issues before they become major problems.
• Data-driven billing: Schedule of values preparation based on actual quantities installed rather than guesses.

Financial Performance

• Faster T&M billing: Digital ticket review, approval, and billing improves cash flow significantly.
• Better estimating: More accurate project cost data supports improved future estimates.
• Targeted improvement: Identification of consistently underperforming activities enables process improvements.

Key Takeaways

Experience Matters More Than Features

Lealand and Kenny’s previous experience with Rhumbix at Turner fundamentally changed the evaluation process. Rather than theoretical discussions about whether digital field data collection could work, conversations focused on practical implementation: how to secure field buy-in, what training approach would work best, and how to integrate with existing systems.

Field Buy-In Is Non-Negotiable

ASP Construction’s insistence on involving foremen in the evaluation before committing to purchase reflects mature understanding of construction technology implementation. Software that doesn’t get used consistently delivers zero value regardless of its capabilities.

Not Every Integration Is Worth The Cost

The conversation about QuickBooks integration demonstrated pragmatic technology decision-making. While automated integration sounds appealing in theory, the honest assessment showed it would save perhaps 15 minutes per week at a cost of $2,500–$3,500. A simple export-and-convert process delivered comparable results at zero additional cost.

Start With Core Needs, Expand Over Time

ASP Construction’s initial focus on timekeeping and production tracking, with plans to add T&M tickets and field forms later, reflects effective change management. Trying to implement everything simultaneously increases complexity, training burden, and risk of overwhelming field teams.

Local Support Accelerates Adoption

The discovery that Clinton, the Rhumbix implementation consultant, lived in Birmingham and had Turner experience in the same region provided unexpected value. Local presence enables in-person training, easier troubleshooting, and support from someone who understands regional market dynamics.

Honest Guidance Builds Trust

Colin’s recommendation against purchasing the QuickBooks integration—effectively talking ASP Construction out of spending additional money—demonstrated prioritizing client value over revenue. This type of honest guidance builds trust and credibility, creating a partnership relationship rather than a vendor-customer transaction.

Looking Ahead

By May 2025, ASP Construction had moved from evaluation to contract preparation, with Dan Elkins planning to review the agreement with his attorney and executive team before final signature. This measured, deliberate approach—involving legal review, team consultation, and foreman input—reflects the same thoughtfulness that characterized the entire evaluation process.

Beyond Initial Implementation

Once core timekeeping and production tracking capabilities are established, ASP Construction has a clear path for expanding their use of Rhumbix:

• T&M Ticket Digitization: Moving from carbon copy T&M books to digital tickets will accelerate billing cycles and improve accuracy.
• Field Forms Adoption: Digitizing daily reports, safety forms, and other documentation eliminates paper management burden.
• Analytics Expansion: As production data accumulates, develop a sophisticated understanding of actual productivity rates.

Competitive Differentiation

In a competitive regional market, contractors increasingly differentiate themselves not just through quality work but through operational sophistication. ASP Construction’s investment in Rhumbix positions them to meet and exceed client expectations for real-time project status, accurate billing, comprehensive documentation, and proactive project management.

Scaling Operations

While ASP Construction’s current scale doesn’t require the platform, successful regional contractors often experience growth spurts. The infrastructure Rhumbix provides including standardized data collection, consistent reporting, and multi-project visibility, scales far more easily than paper-based processes.