Rodan Builders + Rhumbix: Modernizing Field Operations

For California Public Works General Contractors

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Rodan Builders, Inc. is a well-established general contractor based in California, specializing in public works construction. With offices in Concord (East Bay) and other strategic locations throughout the state, Rodan Builders has built a solid reputation for quality project execution across California’s demanding public sector market.

The company maintains an impressive portfolio of approximately 40 to 45 active projects simultaneously. As a union contractor working primarily on public works projects, Rodan Builders operates in one of the most complex regulatory environments in construction, requiring meticulous attention to prevailing wage requirements, certified payroll reporting, and comprehensive project documentation.

The leadership team includes Dan Oliver (Chief Financial Officer) and Keith Reynolds (Senior Project Manager, East Bay office). Rodan Builders had been using PeerAssist for field data collection, Procore for project management, and Vista by Viewpoint as their ERP and accounting system—a technology stack reflecting a contractor committed to operational excellence and data-driven decision making.

THE CHALLENGE

In April 2025, Rodan Builders found themselves facing an unexpected disruption to their field operations. PeerAssist, the platform they had been using to manage time and material tickets, equipment tracking, and labor rate management, was no longer being supported by its parent company. This wasn’t just an inconvenience—it represented a critical operational risk for a contractor managing dozens of active projects.

The PeerAssist Gap

PeerAssist had become integral to Rodan Builders’ field operations. The platform allowed them to load employees with their union labor rates, track equipment usage and rates, manage basic materials, and create time and material tickets in the field with iPad-based digital signature capture from inspectors.

“We’ve been using PeerAssist, which I don’t know if you’ve seen that product or not, but it’s definitely for us, we see a lot of subs use it. So we’re trying to find something that’s more of a GC product if possible too.” — Dan Oliver, Chief Financial Officer, Rodan Builders

Time and Material Complexity

For Rodan Builders, the heart of their challenge centered on time and material (T&M) work. Public works projects frequently involve change orders and unforeseen conditions that require T&M authorization. Their existing workflow had worked well: superintendents would fire up a T&M ticket on the iPad, document hours worked that day, and bring the device to the inspector for digital signature approval. Back in the office, project managers could see those tickets and assemble comprehensive packages.

“With PeerAssist, it was pretty sweet. We could be back here, the project manager could be back at the office and see that and basically put that whole package together.” — Dan Oliver, Chief Financial Officer, Rodan Builders

The Approval and Verification Process

Keith Reynolds articulated a critical requirement: the verification process typically requires two signatures. First, the superintendent signs to verify the time that workers actually worked. Then, the owner’s representative countersigns to authorize payment. However, owner reps aren’t always present when work is completed—so any replacement for PeerAssist would need to accommodate both immediate field signature and deferred digital signature via email.

The Vista Integration Imperative

Rodan Builders had invested significantly in Vista by Viewpoint as their ERP system. They use Vista’s Field Management module and Key Styles portal for payroll processing. The company had even customized their Vista implementation to include employee signatures on time cards, ensuring compliance with California’s requirement that employees acknowledge they weren’t injured during the workweek. Any new field data collection tool would need to work seamlessly with Vista.

THE SOLUTION

Gregg Schipp, Rhumbix’s Director of Sales, presented a comprehensive demonstration to Rodan Builders on April 30, 2025. The demo was specifically tailored to address their immediate T&M ticket needs while showcasing the broader capabilities Rhumbix could provide as their operations evolved.

Purpose-Built for General Contractors

Unlike PeerAssist, which Dan noted was predominantly used by subcontractors, Rhumbix was designed from the ground up to serve general contractors and self-performing subs. Founded in 2014 by two Navy Seabees who had experienced the inefficiencies of paper-based field documentation, Rhumbix focused specifically on being a ‘system of record for the field.’

The platform’s five core competencies aligned precisely with Rodan Builders’ needs:

• Timekeeping: Clock in/clock out functionality with sophisticated break and meal tracking for California compliance
• Production Tracking: Quantity tracking coupled with hours to measure productivity in real-time
• Time and Material Tickets: The primary reason for Rodan Builders’ interest, with comprehensive labor, equipment, and material capture
• Field Forms: Digital toolbox talks, JHAs, pre-task plans, and daily reports
• Data Explorer: In-house reporting platform for creating custom dashboards and analyzing project performance

Mobile-First, Offline-Capable

Rhumbix’s mobile-first design meant that superintendents could use the platform on iOS or Android devices without worrying about connectivity. The app functions fully in offline mode, caching all data until the device reconnects to service—essential for a contractor working on remote public works sites or underground work.

Time and Material Workflow

The T&M ticket creation process closely mirrored Rodan Builders’ existing PeerAssist workflow. Superintendents initiate tickets from the mobile app, enter configurable forms matching their existing T&M format, add labor with bulk editing for multiple workers, track equipment with runtime and idle hours, document materials (including non-standard materials added on the fly), attach photos, configure markups, and capture signatures—both immediately in the field and via deferred email when owner reps aren’t on-site.

“I’m just wondering if when you add material, say it wasn’t on that list and you want to add something custom, you know, you had a bill from Whitecap or whatever sitting there and you want to add that in on the fly. Is that doable?” — Dan Oliver, Chief Financial Officer, Rodan Builders

Ticket Management and Bundling

Back in the office, project managers and project engineers access the Rhumbix web dashboard to review all T&M tickets. A particularly powerful feature is ticket bundling—rather than sending individual tickets one at a time, project managers can select multiple tickets (a week’s worth of T&M work) and create a bundle summarizing all labor, equipment, and material costs across those tickets, sent as a single package for approval and invoicing.

“I think it looks good. It looks great. Yeah. It looks very similar to what we had with PeerAssist, almost very similar.” — Dan Oliver, Chief Financial Officer, Rodan Builders

THE IMPLEMENTATION

Vista Integration Strategy

A critical component of Rodan Builders’ implementation plan involved integrating Rhumbix with their existing Vista ERP system. Rather than attempting to build the integration in-house, Rhumbix connected Rodan Builders with SelectView, a specialized Vista integration partner with extensive experience building bidirectional integrations between Rhumbix and Vista. The integration uses Vista’s Import Module (IM), which contains 20 years of payroll rules and validation logic, ensuring data integrity.

Phased Rollout Approach

Given Rodan Builders’ satisfaction with their existing Vista-based timekeeping workflow, the implementation plan focuses initially on T&M tickets. This phased approach allows the field team to master one capability before expanding to additional modules.

• Phase 1 (Immediate): Time and Material Tickets — configure Rhumbix to match existing T&M ticket format, load projects, employees, and rate tables, train superintendents and project engineers
• Phase 2 (6-12 Month Consideration): Timekeeping Integration — eliminate duplicate data entry, provide real-time labor allocation visibility
• Phase 3 (Future): Production Tracking — quantity tracking to measure productivity against budgets
• Phase 4 (Future): Field Forms Digitization — safety forms, daily reports, and other field documentation

Configured Trial Offering

To address Dan’s concern about committing to an annual contract before confirming the platform would work for their team, Gregg offered a configured trial option. For a one-time fee of $500, Rhumbix would set up the system using Rodan Builders’ actual project data, train their team, and allow them to test the platform in a production environment rather than a generic sandbox.

User Licensing Model

Rhumbix’s licensing model charges per user—defined as anyone logging in to enter or review information. Critically, if a superintendent tracks time on behalf of five workers, Rodan Builders only pays for the superintendent’s license, not for the five workers whose time is being tracked. Dan revised their estimate from 20 to 40-50 users to account for all superintendents, project managers, project engineers, and office support staff. At $348 per user per year, this provided predictable licensing costs that scaled with administrative overhead, not total field workforce.

THE RESULTS

Operational Continuity Restored

Most immediately, Rhumbix solves the critical problem that prompted Rodan Builders’ search: the loss of PeerAssist support. With Rhumbix, they gain a stable, actively developed platform backed by a company that has been serving construction contractors since 2014. The transition from PeerAssist to Rhumbix provides feature parity while adding capabilities that weren’t previously available—better offline functionality, more flexible signature workflows, and enhanced reporting capabilities.

T&M Billing Efficiency

The ability to bundle multiple T&M tickets into comprehensive packages streamlines the billing process. Digital ticket libraries eliminate lost paperwork and make it easy to reference historical T&M work. When questions arise about what was billed or when work was performed, project teams can instantly search and retrieve relevant tickets rather than digging through file cabinets.

Rate Management and Accuracy

By maintaining labor, equipment, and material rates at the project level within Rhumbix, Rodan Builders eliminates manual rate calculations and the errors that inevitably occur when superintendents must remember which rate applies to which worker on which project. For a union contractor managing multiple rate structures, multiple classifications, and project-specific markup requirements, this automation represents significant time savings and improved billing accuracy.

Enhanced Documentation and Compliance

Photo attachments, detailed work descriptions, and comprehensive labor/equipment/material documentation create a robust audit trail for every T&M ticket. For public works projects subject to intensive auditing and compliance requirements, this documentation capability provides both operational efficiency and risk mitigation.

Project Manager Visibility

Keith Reynolds gains real-time visibility into T&M work as it happens. Rather than waiting for superintendents to turn in tickets at the end of the week, he can see tickets as they’re created, review them for accuracy, and coordinate with field teams to ensure proper documentation—enabling proactive project management and tighter control over project finances.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Vendor Risk is Real

Rodan Builders’ experience with PeerAssist illustrates an often-overlooked risk in construction technology: vendor stability and ongoing support. Even platforms that work well can become liabilities if their parent companies discontinue support. When evaluating construction software, contractors should consider not just current features but the vendor’s financial stability, product roadmap, and commitment to ongoing development.

Integration Trumps Best-of-Breed

Rodan Builders’ emphasis on Vista integration demonstrates mature technology thinking. They prioritized solutions that work within their existing technology ecosystem, maintaining Vista as their single source of truth while using Rhumbix as the field data collection mechanism. The partnership with SelectView reinforces this approach—engaging specialists who have solved these integration challenges many times before.

Phased Adoption Reduces Risk

By focusing initially on T&M tickets rather than attempting to digitize all field operations simultaneously, Rodan Builders manages change effectively. Field teams learn one new workflow, gain confidence in the platform, and experience tangible benefits before being asked to adopt additional capabilities.

California Compliance Requires Purpose-Built Solutions

California’s construction compliance requirements—prevailing wage, certified payroll, meal and break documentation, wage theft prevention—demand software built with these regulations in mind. Rhumbix’s California-centric development ensures the platform handles these requirements natively rather than through awkward workarounds.

General Contractor vs. Subcontractor Software

Dan’s comment about PeerAssist being predominantly used by subcontractors highlights an important distinction. GCs typically manage more projects simultaneously, have more complex organizational structures, need to coordinate multiple subs, and have different reporting requirements. Rhumbix’s focus on serving both GCs and self-performing subs means the platform accommodates the complexity GCs face.

LOOKING AHEAD

As of April 2025, Rodan Builders was moving forward with pricing discussions and considering the configured trial option. Dan and Keith’s positive reactions to the demonstration suggested strong potential for successful adoption.

Competitive Advantage in Public Works

California’s public works market is intensely competitive, with contractors differentiated not just by pricing but by operational sophistication, documentation quality, and responsiveness to owner needs. Rhumbix positions Rodan Builders to excel across several dimensions:

• Faster T&M Approvals: Digital signature workflows and comprehensive documentation accelerate the approval process, improving cash flow
• Audit Readiness: Detailed digital records with photo documentation and systematic rate application simplify compliance audits
• Client Confidence: Professional digital T&M packages demonstrate operational sophistication and attention to detail
• Project Manager Efficiency: Real-time visibility and digital workflows allow PMs to manage more projects effectively

“I think it looks good. It looks great. Yeah. It looks very similar to what we had with PeerAssist, almost very similar.” — Dan Oliver, Chief Financial Officer, Rodan Builders

For general contractors managing complex public works portfolios, the lesson from Rodan Builders’ experience is clear: technology disruptions are inevitable, but they need not be crises. With careful evaluation, appropriate vendor partnerships, and phased implementation approaches, contractors can turn technology transitions into opportunities for operational improvement.

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