Knowing Your Costs Is a Condition of Employment

But Can You Really Know What You Can’t See?

In construction, we like to keep things straight. Steel’s either plumb or it’s not. Concrete passed the test or it didn’t. And when it comes to budget? As I was taught as an intern (pictured) long ago, “Knowing your costs is a condition of employment.” That line has stuck with me for decades because it’s not just advice—it’s a mandate. If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know your project.

But there’s always a catch.

In today’s world of tech-stacked job sites, knowing your costs isn’t just about running a report anymore. It’s about contextual visibility. And that’s where most teams are still flying blind.

You see, the enemy isn’t a lack of data. No, we’ve got more data than ever before. It’s the fact that it’s all scattered across a dozen different tools, platforms and spreadsheets. One system for the schedule. Another for budgets. Yet another for RFIs. And let’s not forget, that special Excel workbook the accountant refuses to part with.

Siloed construction tech has us trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces hidden in someone’s truck.

And in that chaos, costs slip. Not because the team doesn’t care, but because they don’t have a complete picture. And you can’t manage what you can’t see.

Where We’re Failing: Disconnected Tech, Disconnected Truth

Ask a project manager how the job’s doing financially, and you’ll likely get one of two answers:

·      A number pulled from a spreadsheet last updated a week ago (which, I’ll be honest, is better than nothing)

·      A best-guess estimate peppered with caveats like, “We’re tracking okay unless we get hit with that change order.” or “It depends if the framing crew picks up next week.”

That’s not knowing your costs. That’s hoping.

Even with tools like cost-loaded schedules, earned value metrics and forecast curves, when those tools don’t talk to each other, it makes every decision a gamble on partial data that you hope tells the whole story.

And if we’re being honest, this problem is rooted in how we broke apart the construction process ourselves. For decades, we managed jobs through siloed disciplines where estimators estimate, schedulers schedule, accountants track spend and project managers build. But today’s projects move faster, carry tighter margins and face greater risk exposure. The old way of operating in silos just won’t cut it anymore.

The Turning Point: Integration Isn’t Optional—It’s Essential

Here’s the good news: technology isn’t the problem. Disconnected technology is.

We don’t need more tools. We need  better-connected tools. Systems that consolidate schedule, budget, actuals and progress into a single source of truth. Tools that talk to one another—sharing real-time updates between the field, the trailer and the office without the need for rekeying or reconciliation.

When you consolidate your project data, forecasts become more accurate because they’re grounded in real, current progress. This allows earned value metrics to move past the theoretical and into a live status report. Cash flow projections become predictive and you stop relying on gut feelings and start leading with facts.

I’ve seen it firsthand: projects that shift to integrated project management platforms don’t just manage costs better—they build with more confidence. They reduce rework, catch slippage earlier and make smarter calls in the moment.

Not weeks after the fact.

Building the Case for Tech Consolidation

If you’re as serious about knowing your cost as we were back then (and I hope you are), then here’s what to demand from your tech stack:

1. Centralized Cost and Progress Data
   Your scheduling tool should inform your earned value and your field reports should inform your forecasts. If those systems aren’t connected, they’re holding you back.

2. Field-to-Office Flow
   Data should come straight from the site—from mobile reports, progress photos and daily logs—not handwritten notes and after-hours emails. The longer data takes to get in, the less valuable it becomes.

3. Real-Time Dashboards
   Static PDFs and monthly updates don’t cut it anymore. You need real-time views that show your current CPI, SPI and cost-to-complete—so you can act now, not react later.

4. Built-In Forecasting Logic
   A good system doesn’t just report history; it projects the future. It should compare multiple forecasting scenarios—based on actual performance, productivity rates and trends and flag risks before they bite.

Final Word: Really Know Your Numbers (Seriously)

Construction will always be a business of hard decisions and high stakes. But making those calls with bad information is a risk that none of us can afford. Especially when the tools are out there to do better.

Knowing your costs is a condition of employment. But in today’s world, that means more than punching numbers into a spreadsheet. It means consolidating your tech, connecting your data and finally seeing the full picture of your project—not just the piece you’re holding.

It’s time to break down the silos. Because when your technology is disconnected, your understanding is too.

Construction is cool, tell your friends!

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