How Swift Underground Eliminated Spreadsheet Chaos and Unlocked Real-Time Visibility
An underground utility contractor grew to manage 2,800+ jobs and billed $29.5M in invoices with complete visibility into every project.
Spreadsheet chaos was bleeding profit
Swift Underground grew quickly from an ISP background into a full-scale underground construction business. But their internal systems couldn't keep up.
Excel spreadsheets ruled everything. Estimates of all sizes required significant time and effort, and accuracy was always an issue. They used ClockIt for time tracking, but it couldn't track equipment hours on a per-project basis.
The result? Projects went over budget without anyone realizing it until it was too late. Invoicing was delayed. Cash flow suffered. And profitability was something they discovered months after a project closed - if they were lucky.
Six problems that could no longer be ignored
- Inaccurate labor and equipment tracking ClockIt couldn't separate labor from equipment hours on a per-project basis.
- Manual Excel estimates were error-prone Estimates of all sizes required significant effort and accuracy was always an issue.
- No real-time budget vs. actuals visibility Projects went over budget without anyone realizing until months later.
- Revenue leakage from scope creep Unaccounted build method changes created payment collection issues.
- Invoicing delays hurt cash flow Billing fell weeks behind field work, compressing cash flow when they needed it most.
- Bonding reports nearly impossible Work On Hand reports required for bonding couldn't confirm correct numbers each month.
We had one project that saw a 30% increase in a build method that was not accounted for until product was in the ground, this created issues in collecting payment for the additional work.
Field-first tracking that works in the dirt
While searching for a solution, Swift Underground reviewed and tested dozens of construction management platforms. Aimsio was chosen for its project-level tracking and unlimited users.
The standout feature? The ability to track both employee and equipment hours at the individual timesheet level - giving crews responsibility for accurate reporting and management the power to monitor true project costs as they happened.
Swift Underground spent several hours with a dedicated Onboarding Manager and Developer who helped customize forms and templates to fit their specific workflows right out of the gate.
- Real-time labor, equipment & materials tracking Timesheets capture hours at the individual level, giving true project cost visibility in real time.
- Flexible and unlimited price books Total control over charge-out rates with unlimited price book configurations per project.
- Power BI integration for deep analytics Custom dashboards aggregate financial data, labor, and equipment into comprehensive reports.
- Tailored onboarding for unique workflows Dedicated team customized forms and templates to match how Swift Underground actually operates.
The integration with Power BI was also a huge selling point for the possibilities that software unlocks on the analytical side of large data sets.
Real-time visibility. Real profit control.
Aimsio didn't just digitize Swift Underground's operations - it gave them the financial control they'd been missing.
Project managers now have live access to job performance. Labor and equipment hours flow directly into the system, updating in real time. No more waiting months to see if a project was profitable.
Revenue leakage from scope creep and missed billing has been eliminated. Invoicing turnaround is dramatically faster. And with complete visibility, Swift Underground now confidently pursues larger, more complex contracts they previously would have hesitated on.
When paired with an accounting software and reporting platform like Power BI, Aimsio closes the circle on the financial and management insights we need to continue to operate successfully.
How Aimsio transformed their day-to-day operations.
If you are a construction company looking for a reliable way to track labour and equipment hours while gaining real-time visibility into project performance, Aimsio is worth serious consideration. It has been a game-changer for our business.
See Swift Underground in action
Short clips from the field and office - real crews, real timesheets, real results.
More than just Swift's story
Swift Underground is one of many field service teams sharing their experience with Aimsio. See what operations managers, project leads, and CFOs are saying across every major review platform.
