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Use cases

The situations that bring us in

Eight problems we meet in construction SMEs. If you recognize one of them, that is probably where to start.

01

Between the bid and the invoice, information goes missing

“We bid, we win the contract, and then nobody knows exactly what was promised. Quantities change, extras get agreed verbally on site, and at invoicing time we fight to work out what is actually billable.”

What we look at

The real path information takes between estimating, dispatch, the site and invoicing. Where it gets entered, how many times, and at what point it stops being reliable.

What you receive

The real path of your files, with the places where information gets lost, measured in lost time and unbilled amounts.

What changes

What was promised to the client stays traceable all the way to the invoice, and extras stop evaporating between the site and the back office.

02

“I don't know what each job actually earns me”

“The year-end financials say the company is profitable. But I could not tell you which job made money and which one lost it.”

What we look at

How hours, materials and purchases are attributed — or not — to a specific job. And the gap between the price bid and the cost actually incurred.

What you receive

A job-level profitability method that works with the tools already in place, along with a read of your most recently completed jobs.

What changes

The next bid rests on your real costs, and the jobs that are losing money become visible before year end.

03

The same information entered three times

“The supplier invoice arrives by email. Someone enters it in the job tracking spreadsheet, then someone else re-enters it in accounting. Timesheets take the same route.”

What we look at

Where your data actually lives: which documents circulate, in what form, and how many times the same information is retyped each week.

What you receive

A count of the re-entry hours, and the places where they can disappear — sometimes through a simple setting, sometimes through a bridge between two existing tools.

What changes

Administrative hours recovered, in a sector where job vacancies have more than doubled since 2018.

04

The software bought, then abandoned

“We bought a management system two years ago. Two people half use it, the others went back to the spreadsheet. And we are still paying for the licence.”

What we look at

Whether it is Procore, Buildertrend or a Quebec estimating tool: what the tool actually does, what the company needs, and why the gap widened. Most of the time, the answer lies in how people work and how the tool was set up.

What you receive

A clear verdict: put order into what you already have, or replace it. With a plan to support the rollout in the first case.

What changes

You pay for a tool your team actually uses. That is our basic principle: order before tools.

05

Public contracts: prompt payment sets the schedule

“We work on public contracts. Since prompt payment came in, the mandated payment schedule and documentation force us to produce records we are not used to producing, on tight deadlines.”

What we look at

The requirements of Quebec's prompt payment regulation (Règlement sur les paiements et le règlement rapides des différends en matière de travaux de construction) that actually apply to your contracts, what the company already produces, and the precise gap between the two. The regime is phased in: since September 8, 2026 it covers public building contracts from $75,000, and from September 8, 2027, every public construction contract.

What you receive

The documentation process that meets the deadlines with the office team you already have.

What changes

Regulatory deadlines stop being a risk, and access to public contracts stops being held back by paperwork.

06

The extras that end up in dispute

“Subcontractors move ahead, changes get decided on site, and six months later we are still arguing about who was supposed to pay for what.”

What we look at

How changes are requested, approved and documented — and exactly when the written trace disappears.

What you receive

A change management process, and the minimum documentation that holds up in a disagreement.

What changes

Fewer end-of-project arguments, and a defensible position when they happen anyway.

07

The company grew, but its structure did not keep up

“We were five, now we are thirty. Everyone does a bit of everything, and nobody knows exactly who is responsible for what anymore.”

What we look at

The company's real structure: who decides what, who does what, and where responsibilities overlap or fall between two chairs.

What you receive

A clarified structure and roles, suited to your current size and the size you are aiming for.

What changes

Everyone knows what is expected of them, and leadership can finally delegate.

08

The owner handles everything, and never has time to think long term

“Every decision goes through me. I solve problems all day, and next year's planning is always still to do.”

What we look at

How decisions get made today, what could be delegated, and where the company wants to be in three to five years.

What you receive

A clear vision and priorities, and a governance that makes delegating possible.

What changes

The owner gets time back to lead, and the company keeps moving even when they are away.

Good to know

The situations described above are the ones we meet in construction SMEs and related sectors. They describe common problems, not completed engagements. Aplomb Conseil is a young firm: we will publish the results achieved at our clients once they have been measured, with their agreement.

Recognize one of these?

The first conversation is to state your problem in one sentence.