TDN Electric + Rhumbix: From Excel Spreadsheets to Real-Time Production Tracking

Modernizing Field Data Capture

COMPANY OVERVIEW

TDN Electric, Inc. is a small but growing electrical contractor based in the San Francisco Bay Area, running approximately 20 electricians in the field with annual revenue of $10 million. Led by President Russ Walling, who purchased the organization from its previous owner, TDN Electric operates in one of the nation’s most competitive and highly regulated construction markets.

With higher labor costs typical of the Bay Area market, TDN Electric manages a workforce split between “old guard” veterans and younger electricians eager for better visibility into project performance. The company handles diverse project types—from small office lighting installations to complex commercial electrical work requiring sophisticated labor tracking and cost code management.

THE CHALLENGE

As a new business owner wearing multiple hats, project management, pre-construction, finance, and HR, Russ faced operational inefficiencies that were preventing the company from scaling effectively:

Manual, Excel-Based Timekeeping

TDN Electric relied entirely on Excel spreadsheets for time tracking. Foremen filled out spreadsheets and sent them to Sam, the payroll administrator, who manually entered everything into Foundation (their cloud-based ERP system). The process was time-consuming, error-prone, and provided no real-time visibility into labor allocation.

“It’s all manual. It’s Excel spreadsheets. Sam does the payroll and she manually enters everything into Foundation.”

— Russ Walling, President

Limited Cost Code Adoption

TDN Electric had minimal cost code tracking—time was simply allocated to jobs as a single labor code. While the younger workforce wanted detailed labor tracking to understand productivity and improve performance, the veteran crew resisted, viewing it as “smoke and mirrors” that would only be used to question their efficiency.

Generational Workforce Divide

TDN Electric’s workforce was split approximately 50-50 between older electricians resistant to technology and younger workers who actively wanted data-driven insights into their performance.

“The old guard want nothing to do with cost codes. They want nothing to do with labor tracking. The young guys all want it. I want to know where my hours are. I want to know how we’re doing. I want to know where we can improve.”

— Russ Walling, President

No Production Visibility

Without granular cost code tracking or production data, Russ and his project managers had no way to measure how actual performance compared to estimates. They couldn’t identify which types of work were profitable, which crews were most efficient, or where projects were trending over budget until it was too late.

California Wage Order Compliance Risk

Operating in California meant navigating strict labor compliance requirements, including Wage Order 16 and PAGA regulations. TDN Electric needed a system that could capture start/end times, meal breaks, and worker signatures to protect against potential class-action lawsuits—something Excel spreadsheets couldn’t provide.

Technology Stack Overhaul

TDN Electric was simultaneously evaluating multiple technology solutions: Foundation’s native timekeeping module, Mitre (recommended by their CPA firm), and Rivet for scheduling and dispatching. Russ needed to understand how these systems would integrate and which would provide the best foundation for future growth.

THE SOLUTION

After meeting Gregg Schipp (Rhumbix Director of Sales) at the NECA E2E conference in Indianapolis following a recommendation from industry advisor Tim Spino, TDN Electric selected Rhumbix for its mobile-first field operations platform that balanced ease of use with powerful analytics—exactly what was needed to bridge the gap between their veteran and younger workforce.

Key Capabilities That Resonated

1. Flexible Cost Code Adoption Path: Unlike systems requiring extensive setup, Rhumbix allowed TDN Electric to start simple with a single “job hours” cost code per project and gradually introduce more granular tracking as field teams became comfortable.

2. Mobile-First Timekeeping with Bulk Entry: Foremen could enter an entire crew’s time in minutes using the mobile app—selecting workers, cost codes, and hours in just 4–6 clicks. Offline mode meant no connectivity issues on job sites.

3. Seamless Foundation Cloud Integration: Rhumbix’s bidirectional integration meant projects, employees, and cost codes automatically synced from Foundation every hour. Time cards approved in Rhumbix exported as pre-formatted CSV files for direct upload to Foundation—eliminating Sam’s manual data entry.

4. Production Tracking in the Same Workflow: Beyond hours, Rhumbix enabled foremen to capture quantities (lineal feet of conduit, number of handholds installed, percentage complete) in the same mobile interface, feeding real-time production dashboards.

5. California Compliance Built-In: Rhumbix captured shift start/end times down to the minute, meal breaks with duration tracking, and allowed workers to digitally sign their time cards daily or weekly via text message.

6. Real-Time Reporting for Project Managers: Cost Code Status Report and Production Tracking Report dashboards allowed PMs to see budgeted vs. actual hours, forecast hours at completion, and identify underperforming cost codes before projects ran over budget.

WHY RHUMBIX WON OVER ALTERNATIVES

vs. Foundation’s Native Timekeeping Module

While Foundation offered timekeeping, it lacked mobile-first design, production tracking, California compliance features, and the robust analytics that sold Russ on Rhumbix’s value proposition.

vs. Mitre

Mitre focused more on payroll processing and benefits administration, whereas Rhumbix excelled at field-level data capture and real-time project visibility—the operational pain point Russ needed to solve.

Complementary to Rivet

TDN Electric was simultaneously implementing Rivet for scheduling and dispatching. Rhumbix and Rivet are industry peers with complementary functionality, Rhumbix handles timekeeping and production tracking, while Rivet manages crew scheduling and dispatch logistics.

THE IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH

TDN Electric took a deliberate, phased approach to avoid overwhelming field teams with too much change at once:

Phase 1: Discovery & Demo (May – June 2025)

• Initial meeting at NECA E2E conference following recommendation from Tim Spino
• Pre-E2E Zoom call to understand TDN’s workflows and pain points
• Comprehensive product demo showing timekeeping, production tracking, and reporting
• Travis Keegan (Project Manager) attended demo to evaluate usability

Phase 2: Technology Stack Sequencing (July 2025)

• Evaluate Foundation’s native capabilities first (due diligence on existing ERP investment)
• Complete Rivet implementation for scheduling/dispatching
• Plan Rhumbix implementation after Rivet stabilizes (target: late July 2025)
• Prioritize integrating Rivet and Rhumbix quickly as “top two priorities”

Anticipated License Structure

• ~12 field user licenses for foremen, journeymen, and crew leads
• Time & Production tracking module ($400/user/year = ~$4,800 annually)
• Foundation Cloud integration ($2,500 one-time setup fee)
• California compliance features enabled (shift times, meal breaks, worker signatures)

EXPECTED RESULTS

Operational Improvements

Eliminate Manual Data Entry: Sam will no longer spend hours each week hand-keying Excel spreadsheets into Foundation. Approved time cards will export directly to Foundation via pre-formatted CSV files, saving an estimated 5–8 hours per week.

Real-Time Project Visibility: Russ and Travis will be able to log into the web dashboard daily and see labor allocation, cost code performance, and budget burn across all active projects—shifting from reactive to proactive project management.

Production-Driven Decision Making: By tracking quantities and comparing earned vs. actual hours, TDN Electric will identify which types of work are most profitable, which crews are most efficient, and where to invest in training or process improvements.

Gradual Cost Code Adoption: Starting with simple “job hours” tracking, TDN can gradually introduce more granular cost codes as field teams see the value—bridging the generational divide between veteran and younger electricians.

California Compliance Protection: Automatic capture of start/end times, meal breaks, and optional worker signatures will provide documented defense against potential PAGA claims or wage-and-hour disputes.

Strategic Wins

Right-Sized for Growth: At just under $5,000 annually for 12 users, Rhumbix provided enterprise-grade capabilities at a price point appropriate for TDN’s size, with room to scale as the company grows.

Integrated Technology Ecosystem: By connecting Rhumbix (field operations) with Foundation (ERP) and Rivet (scheduling/dispatching), TDN built a modern, connected tech stack without creating data silos.

Peer-Validated Solution: Working with the same platform trusted by Bay Area leaders like Sprig Electric gave TDN confidence they were making a sound investment aligned with industry best practices.

LOOKING AHEAD

TDN Electric represents a growing segment of small to mid-sized electrical contractors who understand that staying competitive in high-cost markets like the Bay Area requires operational excellence. By modernizing field data capture, they’re positioning themselves to scale operations efficiently without proportionally increasing administrative overhead.

With Rhumbix planned for late July 2025 rollout, TDN is positioned to build a foundation for data-driven growth. The initial focus on timekeeping and compliance will deliver immediate ROI through administrative efficiency. Over time, as the team becomes comfortable with the platform, production tracking will unlock strategic insights that transform how TDN estimates, staffs, and manages projects.

With Rhumbix, TDN Electric has the foundation to:

• Eliminate manual Excel-based timekeeping and automate payroll data flow
• Gain real-time visibility into labor allocation and project performance
• Gradually introduce cost code discipline to measure and improve productivity
• Protect against California wage-and-hour compliance risks with digital documentation
• Create a modern, integrated tech stack (Rivet + Rhumbix + Foundation)
• Win more competitive bids by accurately understanding true labor costs
• Attract and retain younger electricians who expect modern tools and transparency
• Scale operations confidently with real-time project visibility

TDN Electric’s journey demonstrates that successful technology adoption doesn’t require a “rip and replace” mentality. By meeting contractors where they are, providing flexible adoption paths, and delivering immediate value while enabling future sophistication, Rhumbix empowers small to mid-sized contractors to compete with larger firms without enterprise-scale overhead.

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