Affordable T&M Ticketing with Better Value

Company Overview

DACO Construction is a growing general contractor managing diverse commercial and civil projects with approximately 8-10 field foremen. Led by President Jared Ajlouny, DACO operates in a competitive market where efficient change order management and accurate T&M (time and materials) documentation are critical to profitability.

Processing 100-200 T&M tickets annually, DACO needed a solution that could streamline field documentation, accelerate customer approvals, and integrate seamlessly with their existing systems, all at a cost structure that made sense for their volume and scale.

The Challenge

DACO Construction had been using ClearStory (formerly Xtractor) for T&M ticket generation, but faced mounting frustrations that threatened their operational efficiency and profitability:

Exorbitant Pricing Structure

ClearStory’s pricing model was prohibitively expensive for contractors of DACO’s size. The company required a $5,000 annual minimum plus $400 per user—putting the cost at over $50 per T&M ticket when amortized across DACO’s 100-200 annual tickets. This pricing made no economic sense for their business model.

“Their pricing I think is exorbitant. So, I’m looking for a solution that can do more than just what they could do. That is, would be similar priced but also doing the T&M tags. So I don’t need them anymore.” — Jared Ajlouny, President

Sudden Contract Changes with Short Notice

After operating on a free plan (since DACO only used basic T&M functionality and not the change order request features), ClearStory abruptly changed their terms with only five days’ notice, forcing Jared to scramble for alternatives on an extremely tight timeline.

“I’ve been trying to buy their system for a while but it’s always been structured to, you have to have a certain amount of employees for it to even work. And then they just told me like last week, hey, this, we’re changing how this is all working and you have to pay for it now. So then they give me like a five day notice.” — Jared Ajlouny, President

Limited Functionality for the Price

While ClearStory’s T&M workflow was functional, it lacked native mobile applications (using a web-based interface instead), didn’t offer robust daily reporting capabilities, and provided limited flexibility for DACO’s specific workflow needs around pricing visibility and post-signature adjustments.

Workflow Gaps

DACO had specific operational requirements that ClearStory couldn’t accommodate efficiently:

• Hide pricing from foremen while still capturing quantity data.
• Add material invoices to signed tickets after customer approval (since concrete suppliers invoice weeks later).
• Bundle multiple T&M tickets into comprehensive change orders with cover pages.
• Lock historical T&M rates per project (contracts from previous years with locked-in rates).
• Simplified equipment tracking without unnecessary fields like “field burn” and “idle time”.

Disconnected Technology Stack

Using QuickBooks Time for scheduling/timekeeping and Paylocity for payroll processing, DACO needed a T&M solution that could complement their existing systems rather than force them to replace tools that were working well.

The Solution

After evaluating multiple T&M platforms and discovering Rhumbix through a ChatGPT search for “construction T&M software,” DACO selected Rhumbix for its nearly identical workflow to ClearStory but with superior pricing, native mobile functionality, and the flexibility to grow into additional capabilities like production tracking and enhanced daily reporting.

Key Capabilities That Won the Deal:

1. Familiar T&M Workflow at 30% Lower Cost: Rhumbix’s T&M ticket interface was “almost exactly the same” as ClearStory—making transition seamless for foremen already trained on the workflow. At $348/user/year (vs. ClearStory’s $400/user plus $5K minimum), Rhumbix delivered 8-10 users for approximately $3,500-4,000 annually instead of ClearStory’s $8,000+ pricing.
2. Native Mobile Application with Offline Capability: Unlike ClearStory’s web-based mobile experience, Rhumbix offered a true native iOS/Android app that could cache data offline—critical for job sites with poor connectivity. Foremen could snap photos directly from their phone’s camera, fill out T&M tickets on-site, and sync when back in service.
3. Flexible Pricing Visibility Controls: Rhumbix allowed DACO to toggle pricing on/off at the ticket level. Foremen could fill out labor hours, equipment hours, and material quantities without seeing rates (preventing confusion about markup, overhead, and profit), while office staff could enable pricing before sending to customers for approval.
4. Post-Signature Material Invoice Additions: Addressing DACO’s concrete supplier workflow, Rhumbix supported multi-stage approvals: customers could sign off on hours and quantities initially, then DACO could add material costs when invoices arrived weeks later and submit a final priced version for customer review.
5. T&M Ticket Bundling for Change Orders: Rhumbix enabled bundling multiple T&M tickets into comprehensive potential change orders (PCOs) with professional cover pages, itemized summaries, and all supporting documentation (photos, receipts) appended—streamlining the change order approval process.
6. Project-Specific T&M Rate Management: Rhumbix allowed DACO to set custom labor, equipment, and material rates at the project level—essential for contracts with locked-in pricing from previous years. Each project could maintain its own rate card without cross-contamination.
7. Simplified Equipment Tracking: Unlike ClearStory’s complex equipment fields, Rhumbix could be customized to show only what DACO needed: equipment type, quantity, and hours. Unnecessary fields like “field burn” and “idle time” could be hidden, making data entry faster for foremen.
8. Enhanced Daily Reporting Capabilities: Beyond T&M tickets, Rhumbix offered robust daily field reports with automatic weather pulls (three times daily from National Weather Service), labor/equipment/material tracking, safety documentation, visitor logs, delays, and photo attachments—all stored in project folders accessible to incoming foremen.
9. CSV Import for Fast Implementation: Rhumbix’s bulk import functionality meant DACO could export projects, employees, equipment, and materials from ClearStory (or their existing systems) and upload via CSV templates in a single evening—eliminating weeks of manual data entry.
10. Future Scalability: Timekeeping & Production Tracking: While DACO was currently satisfied with QuickBooks Time, Rhumbix positioned them for future growth. As DACO scaled and needed cost code-level timekeeping and production tracking (comparing estimated vs. actual hours per task), they could expand within the same platform rather than adding yet another system.

Why Rhumbix Won Over ClearStory

30% Lower Cost with No Minimum

At $348/user/year with a $2,500 implementation fee (vs. ClearStory’s $400/user + $5,000 minimum), Rhumbix delivered 8-10 users for ~$6,000 total first-year cost compared to ClearStory’s $8,000+. For subsequent years, annual cost would be $3,500-4,000 vs. $8,000+—a savings of over 50% ongoing.

Native Mobile App vs. Web Interface

ClearStory’s mobile experience was browser-based, making it clunky and dependent on consistent connectivity. Rhumbix’s native iOS/Android app provided offline caching, direct camera access, and a purpose-built interface optimized for field conditions.

Flexible Workflow for DACO’s Specific Needs

Rhumbix’s ability to hide pricing from foremen, add invoices post-signature, bundle tickets into PCOs, and maintain project-specific rate cards addressed operational gaps that ClearStory couldn’t accommodate without workarounds.

Better Vendor Relationship

ClearStory’s abrupt pricing changes with minimal notice (likely driven by private equity acquisition pressures) eroded trust. Rhumbix demonstrated transparency with straightforward pricing and a consultative approach to understanding DACO’s actual needs rather than forcing them into rigid tiers.

The Implementation

With a decision deadline of end-of-month (five days from initial demo), DACO and Rhumbix executed a rapid but structured implementation:

Week 1: Discovery & Decision (Days 1-5)

• Initial demo comparing Rhumbix T&M workflow side-by-side with ClearStory.
• Review of pricing: 8-10 users at $348/user/year + $2,500 implementation.
• Confirmation of critical workflow requirements (pricing controls, post-signature edits, bundling).
• Decision to move forward based on cost savings and feature parity.

Week 2: Organization Build-Out (Days 6-12)

• DACO exported projects, employees, equipment, and materials from existing systems.
• Used Rhumbix CSV import templates to bulk-upload data in single evening.
• Rhumbix configured T&M ticket fields to match DACO’s simplified equipment tracking needs.
• Set up project-specific rate cards for contracts with locked-in historical pricing.
• Configured pricing visibility toggles to hide rates from foremen.

Week 2: Training (Days 10-14)

DACO’s approach to training reflected their tech-savvy, younger workforce:

• Train-the-trainer model: Jared learned the platform and trained foremen directly.
• No formal group training sessions required (foremen were already comfortable with mobile apps).
• Minimal disruption since Rhumbix workflow was “almost exactly the same” as ClearStory.
• Native mobile app made adoption even easier than ClearStory’s web interface.

“We use a lot of different softwares for different things and the guys are pretty good at like, we’ve never had a training before. I usually just figure out how to use it and then show them how and it’s done… Most of the guys are younger, use phones all the time.” — Jared Ajlouny, President

Go-Live: Maximum 2 Weeks from Demo to Production

Rhumbix’s implementation timeline of “max two weeks” met DACO’s aggressive deadline, enabling them to transition before their ClearStory contract renewal deadline without business disruption.

The Results

Immediate Cost Savings

50%+ Annual Savings: Moving from ClearStory’s $8,000+/year pricing to Rhumbix’s $3,500-4,000/year (after first-year implementation fee) delivered over $4,000 in annual savings—reinvestable in other operational improvements.

Better Cost-Per-Ticket Economics: At 100-200 tickets annually, Rhumbix’s cost-per-ticket dropped from ClearStory’s $50+ to approximately $20-40—a sustainable model that scaled linearly with growth rather than punishing smaller contractors.

Operational Improvements

Faster Field Data Capture: Native mobile app with offline caching meant foremen could complete T&M tickets in areas without connectivity, syncing automatically when back in service—eliminating lost tickets or end-of-day backlogs.

Simplified Foreman Experience: Hiding pricing from foremen eliminated confusion about markups and overhead, while streamlined equipment fields (removing unnecessary “field burn” and “idle time”) made data entry faster and less error-prone.

Flexible Material Invoice Workflow: The ability to get customer signatures on hours/quantities immediately, then add material costs weeks later when concrete invoices arrived, accelerated cash flow and reduced administrative bottlenecks.

Professional Change Order Packages: Bundling multiple T&M tickets into comprehensive PCOs with cover pages and itemized summaries elevated DACO’s professionalism and streamlined GC approvals.

Enhanced Daily Reporting: Beyond T&M tickets, Rhumbix’s daily field reports with automatic weather data, safety logs, and photo documentation created a comprehensive project record accessible to all foremen—improving continuity when crews changed.

Strategic Wins

Platform for Future Growth: While DACO wasn’t ready to replace QuickBooks Time immediately, Rhumbix positioned them to add cost code-level timekeeping and production tracking as they scaled—avoiding future vendor proliferation.

Rapid Implementation Without Disruption: Two-week timeline from demo to go-live proved that switching T&M platforms didn’t require months-long implementations—especially when the new vendor prioritized workflow familiarity.

Vendor Partnership vs. Vendor Lock-In: Rhumbix’s transparent pricing, consultative approach, and willingness to customize workflows contrasted sharply with ClearStory’s abrupt contract changes and rigid pricing tiers.

Key Takeaways

Private Equity Acquisitions Change Vendor Dynamics

ClearStory’s acquisition by the same private equity firm that bought HCSS triggered the abrupt pricing changes that forced DACO to seek alternatives. This pattern—PE firms prioritizing revenue extraction over customer value—is increasingly common in construction software.

Workflow Familiarity Accelerates Adoption

Rhumbix’s T&M interface being “almost exactly the same” as ClearStory wasn’t coincidental—it reflected understanding industry workflows rather than forcing contractors to adapt to arbitrary UX decisions. This familiarity enabled DACO’s two-week cutover without retraining challenges.

“I’ve never actually seen ClearStory but it pretty much looks exactly the same… almost exactly the same… like eerily so.” — Colin Sucher, Account Executive, Rhumbix

ChatGPT Is Becoming a Discovery Channel for B2B Software

Jared’s comment that he “found Rhumbix by asking ChatGPT who has T&M software for construction” reflects an emerging trend: AI-powered search is disrupting traditional B2B software discovery (trade shows, referrals, SEO). Vendors optimizing for AI discoverability gain competitive advantage.

Small Contractors Need Enterprise Features at SMB Prices

DACO’s 100-200 annual T&M tickets didn’t justify ClearStory’s enterprise pricing, but they still needed sophisticated features (project-specific rate cards, multi-stage approvals, bundled PCOs). Rhumbix proved that small contractors could access enterprise-grade capabilities without enterprise-scale costs.

Rapid Decision Timelines Favor Prepared Vendors

ClearStory’s five-day notice forced Jared into rapid vendor evaluation. Rhumbix’s ability to demo immediately, provide transparent pricing, and commit to two-week implementation won the deal over competitors requiring longer sales cycles or ambiguous timelines.

Looking Ahead

DACO Construction’s story represents thousands of small-to-midsize contractors squeezed by incumbent vendors whose private equity ownership prioritizes revenue optimization over customer value. By choosing Rhumbix, DACO secured not just cost savings, but a platform that could grow with their business—from basic T&M ticketing today to comprehensive timekeeping, production tracking, and project controls tomorrow.

With Rhumbix, DACO Construction achieved:

• 50%+ annual cost savings compared to ClearStory.
• Seamless two-week transition with minimal foreman retraining.
• Native mobile app with offline capability for improved field productivity.
• Flexible workflows supporting pricing controls and post-signature edits.
• Professional change order bundling to streamline approvals.
• Enhanced daily reporting for better project documentation.
• Platform scalability for future timekeeping and production tracking needs.

The DACO Construction case demonstrates that successful vendor transitions don’t require months-long implementations or expensive change management programs. When a new platform respects existing workflows, provides transparent pricing, and prioritizes customer partnership over revenue extraction, contractors can switch in weeks—not quarters—and immediately realize value.

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