Easy Field Documentation Allows Reliable Project Management

With its headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a branch in Seattle, Washington, and an office in Austin, Texas, Master Electric is a full-service, family-owned electrical contractor servicing the Midwest and its expanding markets in Texas and California. The company is committed to providing high-quality electrical services for projects including commercial, industrial, multi-family, and predictive & preventive maintenance, design & installation, telecommunications, data centers, critical facility infrastructure, fire/safety, and other highly-skilled specialty electrical work. With more than 100 employees, dozens of vendor partners, and nearly 200 projects active in a year, Master Electric relies on their expertise and streamlined processes to stay on track without compromising quality.

Time wasted is money lost

Not only a company that embraces technology to improve speed and accuracy, but Master Electric also invests in innovative solutions to increase profitability and compete against much larger companies. Continually innovating better ways to operate efficiently and increase work payout, this electrical contractor recognized it was time to improve the technology and methods they used to manage field documentation and project management.

“Our foremen do not need to be burdened with the minutiae of doing simple tasks and more paperwork, and neither does our AR or AP departments. Often submitting timecards, materials billing, change orders, and such was an afterthought for our project crews, and a dreaded chore on top of their day’s work. We needed a solution that would make it easy and second nature for them to submit their time and project reporting information.” ADAM KERR, Special Projects, Master Electric

Needing an easier way to accomplish essential but time-consuming tasks, Master Electric sought a technology solution that would be easy to use, readily adopted, and relieve tedious chores with no negative impact on their field teams.

Considering time & materials tracking solutions

The contractor compared construction management platforms during its evaluation process–considering how each performed in the user experience for tracking time and materials, reporting, and managing projects, whether in the office or field. Rhumbix quickly emerged as the preferred choice for Master Electric because it was the right fit for everyone involved. Users in the field appreciated the talk-to-text feature to document on-site project activity. Having an easy way to snap and upload photos seamlessly for project reporting was also important for those working in the field and those in the office who are accountable for having reliable answers in weekly meetings.

Master Electric required a solution that:

• Allows field team members to measure efforts professionally, thoroughly track time and materials accurately, and submit change orders effectively
• Provides an efficient way to reference project activity in weekly team meetings and at-a-glance whenever needed
• Equips project managers with detailed information to know the status and needs of any project confidently
• Gives key stakeholders insight on what’s been accomplished on projects in near real-time, anticipate issues and timeframe ahead, and keep everyone informed and moving forward

Advice to contractors from a contractor

“Investing in and implementing technology should be a strategic decision. Know what problems you’re looking to solve and what’s required of the technology and your team to make sure this solution will be a success for everyone. When you’re spending time on internal headaches and overhead, you’re not spending that time on making money. Anything that helps save time in project management and accounts receivable processes is worth your attention.” ADAM KERR, Special Projects, Master Electric

“With our teams using Rhumbix, we can eliminate guesswork and speculation when bidding, and capture every change order. Plus, we don’t need hindsight to see where, when, and why a project veered off track. We see exactly where we stand every day and can anticipate issues before they become problems.”ADAM KERR, Special Projects, Master Electric

Adam elaborated on the company’s selection: “Our professionals are on the job because they are incredibly skilled at what they do. We do not want them spending essentially unbillable time on tasks that can be automated. By investing in technology like Rhumbix, we save time and keep our pros focused on the quality work we perform. When tech saves us time like that, it pays for itself and lets us perform better and look better to our clients, too—it’s a win all around!”