Data-Driven Decisions: Using Your Business Information to Gain Competitive Edge

In construction, the smallest details often make the biggest difference — a few lost hours, a missed markup, or a material order that doesn’t match the plan. Multiply that across dozens of projects and suddenly, your margin disappears.

The solution isn’t just working harder. It’s working smarter by using data. Builders who capture and analyze their job data make faster, more profitable decisions — and stay competitive in a tight market.

Here’s how to turn your everyday information into powerful business insight.

Step 1: Track the Right Metrics — Not Just Everything

You don’t need spreadsheets for everything. Start with 5–7 metrics that impact profit and workflow directly.

Key data points for builders:

• Actual labor hours vs. estimated hours (per task or phase)

• Change orders: issued, approved, collected

• Material cost overruns by category

• Subcontractor performance (on-time % or rework %)

• Gross profit margin per project

• Project duration vs. projected timeline

Focus on trends — not isolated numbers. A single overrun may be luck. A pattern is a problem worth fixing.

Step 2: Use Tools You Already Have

You don’t need fancy dashboards to start being data-driven.

Use:

• QuickBooks Projects or Classes for job cost tracking

• Excel or Google Sheets for labor logs or equipment tracking

• Buildertrend/CoConstruct/JobTread for integrated data by phase

• Google Forms for simple field input or daily logs

What matters is consistency. It’s better to track three things every week than 20 things once a quarter.

Step 3: Assign a Data Champion

Choose one person to be responsible for:

• Collecting job data weekly

• Entering or organizing reports

• Sharing trends with your leadership team

This could be a PM, estimator, office manager — anyone who’s detail-oriented and familiar with your systems.

Tip: Make this a 30-minute weekly task — not a quarterly scramble.

Step 4: Review Results Monthly — Not Just Year-End

Great builders do job closeouts and monthly dashboard reviews. They ask:

• Where did we make or lose money?

• What repeated across multiple jobs?

• Are our estimates still aligned with real-world costs?

• Who’s excelling — and who needs coaching?

Decisions get better when the data is fresh.

Step 5: Use the Data to Adjust Pricing, Processes, and People

The goal isn’t just to collect — it’s to improve.

With clear data, you can:

• Adjust your labor rate assumptions in estimates

• Negotiate new supplier terms for over-budget materials

• Address underperforming crews with coaching or retraining

• Double down on profitable project types or client profiles

Information leads to action — and action leads to better margins.

Step 6: Share Wins and Improvements With the Team

Data shouldn’t live in the office. Let your crews and managers know:

• Where they saved time

• Where a good estimate paid off

• When a new process worked

Celebrate these moments. It builds buy-in — and motivates better data moving forward.

Final Thought

Data doesn’t need to be complicated — but it needs to be intentional. Builders who measure performance, review it often, and adapt accordingly gain a real edge. You’ll estimate tighter, schedule smarter, and scale more sustainably.

At CMS, we help builders stay on track with real-time delivery insights, pricing transparency, and responsive service — so you’re never left guessing.

Need a material partner who supports your data-driven approach with accurate tracking and jobsite coordination?
📞 Contact Construction Material Specialists in Grand Rapids — we deliver clarity with every load.