Finance & Operations’ Tips for Implementing Technology

Learn 7 Best Practices for Finance & Operations Leaders Implementing Construction Jobsite Technology

In today’s tough construction market, Finance and Operations leaders feel pressure to finish projects faster. They must stay under budget and avoid surprises. With minuscule profit margins and rising labor and material costs, using construction jobsite technology is now essential. It helps improve field efficiency and protects financial health and operational performance.

Yet, implementing new technology isn’t as simple as signing a contract or downloading software. Without a thoughtful, cross-functional rollout, you risk low adoption, poor data quality, and wasted investment.

This article guides Finance and Operations professionals through seven best practices. These tips will help maximize ROI and ensure successful use of construction technology on the jobsite.

1. Align Technology Goals with Business Objectives

Before introducing any new platform, Finance and operations leaders must clearly define the technology’s business goals.

Is labor cost control the priority? Faster reporting cycles? More accurate forecasting? Or are you trying to eliminate paper processes that bog down the field and back office?

According to McKinsey, fewer than 30% of digital transformations succeed without alignment with a company’s strategic goals. – Ensure that everyone understands the technology supports project goals and helps meet the company’s financial targets.

2. Include Finance and Operations in Vendor Selection

Too often, tech buying decisions are made solely by the field or IT teams. Finance and operations leaders are important stakeholders. They know how workflows affect payroll, cost accounting, billing, and compliance.

Look for solutions that:

• Integrate easily with your ERP or accounting system (like Acumatica, Viewpoint, or Sage).
• Offer real-time cost tracking and reporting, not just field productivity metrics.
• Provide audit trails and time-stamped records to support compliance and dispute resolution.
• Ensure the field solution vendor has successful best-of-breed integrations with the ERP systems.  

Finance input can also help negotiate contracts that tie payment milestones to clear success metrics, reducing risk.

3. Prioritize Solutions That Improve Data Flow

Modern construction projects generate massive amounts of data—from timecards and materials to change orders and safety logs. But if that information stays trapped in PDFs, spreadsheets, or paper forms, you can’t act on it.

Operations teams need tools that gather and organize data from the jobsite. This ensures clean and consistent information for financial reporting.

When evaluating solutions, ask:

• Does the software connect field data directly to back-office systems?
• Can you easily export or integrate data via APIs?
• Does it offer real-time dashboards that surface cost and productivity trends?

A unified data flow helps finance and operations teams make decisions based on data. This is better than relying on gut feelings or waiting for reports.

4. Build a Change Management Plan for Implementing Technology

Implementing construction technology isn’t just a software project—it’s an organizational change. Without a clear change management strategy, adoption will falter.

Key elements for success:

• Identify executive sponsors who will champion the rollout.
• Provide clear, consistent communication on the why behind the change.
• Offer role-based training tailored to both field and office teams.
• Establish a feedback loop to surface issues early and adapt as needed.

Finance and Ops leaders are crucial. They help show how the system supports business goals. They also make sure compliance is part of daily tasks.

5. Focus on Labor Cost Visibility

One of the main reasons to use jobsite technology is to better control labor costs. Labor costs are often the biggest expense on a project.

Traditional timekeeping methods (paper timecards, manual entry) are slow, error-prone, and vulnerable to manipulation. With digital time tracking tools like Rhumbix Timekeeping, Finance teams gain near real-time visibility into:

• Actual hours worked per crew, per cost code.
• Overtime exposure as it happens—not two weeks later.
• Productivity benchmarks tied to labor budgets.

This allows Finance to proactively manage risk, adjust forecasts, and protect margins before problems escalate.

6. Streamline Reporting Across Field and Office

Finance and Ops professionals are often buried in manual reporting cycles that require chasing down field teams for updates.

Jobsite technology can automate reporting by pulling real-time data directly from the source, enabling:

• Faster monthly closes.
• More accurate WIP (Work in Progress) reports.
• Smoother billing and pay app processes.

Find solutions with customizable dashboards that show important financial and operational metrics. This reduces the need for time-consuming manual work. When field data and financial systems work in sync, everyone saves time—and errors drop.

7. Measure ROI and Celebrate Wins

Finance and Ops teams are perfectly positioned to quantify the value of new technology investments. Track and report on metrics like:

• Time saved per reporting cycle.
• Reduction in labor cost overruns.
• Lower administrative overhead (e.g., fewer manual data entry hours).
• Fewer compliance issues or penalties.

Publicize early wins internally to reinforce adoption and momentum. Share stories about how technology has made things better. For example, it can eliminate double entry, improve forecasting accuracy, and speed up cash flow.

Why Finance and Operations Must Lead

Jobsite technology is no longer just a “field” decision. Finance and Ops leaders play a key role in managing costs, compliance, and performance. They help ensure that the business successfully adopts tools and gains real benefits from them.

If companies do not involve them, they risk creating more silos. This can lead to data that the back office cannot trust. When finance and operations teams collaborate with field and tech leaders, they achieve better results. This teamwork helps them realize the full benefits of digital transformation.

Get Started with Rhumbix

Ready to improve labor tracking, cost control, and operational performance? Rhumbix provides special tools to link field and office teams. This helps Finance and Operations leaders make quicker, better decisions.

• Explore Rhumbix Timekeeping
• Learn how Rhumbix helps reduce labor cost overruns

Request a demo: Don’t leave your margins to chance. Start implementing smarter, integrated jobsite technology today.