In today’s competitive construction landscape, data isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a builder’s best tool for growth.
That was the core message of the recent BusyBusy + Breakthrough Academy webinar, “Data That Builds: How Smart Contractors Track, Use, and Win with Better Data.”
The session brought together two industry leaders: BusyBusy, the labor management platform built by contractors for contractors, and Breakthrough Academy (BTA), a business coaching organization that systemizes trade companies for sustainable growth.
Together, they delivered a masterclass on how real-time data, practical systems, and the right culture can transform good contractors into great ones.
The Reality Check: Why 75% of Construction Companies Fail
Construction is full of talented builders who know how to execute. But as the BusyBusy team pointed out, 75% of construction companies fail within 10 years — not because they can’t do the work, but because they don’t have the systems to measure, manage, and improve their operations.
There are three critical phases to every job:
- Estimate
- Execute
- Evaluate
Most contractors excel at execution and estimating, but stumble when it comes to evaluating a job in real time. That’s where data becomes the difference between guessing and growing.
Labor is the biggest variable cost on the jobsite. “If you’re not tracking it accurately, you can’t manage your profitability.” explained the BusyBusy team
BusyBusy captures that data. Breakthrough Academy teaches you what to do with it.
The Profit Power of 1%
BTA’s co-founder Danny Kerr put profitability in perspective:
“A 5% drop in gross profit can literally cut a company’s net profit in half.”
That gap often comes from small inefficiencies, a crew taking extra trips up ladders, underbilled change orders, or idle equipment.
Fixing those small things, the “battle of the 1%,” can double a company’s profits. And it starts with visibility. BusyBusy’s easy, accurate time tracking helps contractors identify those 1% gaps and close them for good.
Changing the Culture: From ‘We’ve Always Done It That Way’ to Continuous Improvement
As the AlignOps team put it, the six most expensive words in construction are:
“We’ve always done it that way.”
That mindset limits innovation.
Real progress happens when teams start measuring, questioning, and improving together.
BusyBusy’s data tools make that possible,turning subjective conversations about performance into clear, factual discussions.
Breakthrough Academy helps owners create the right culture of accountability, where employees don’t just want to be seen as great — they want to become great.
When data is transparent and incentives are aligned, performance naturally improves.
A $500,000 Lesson in Measurement
One of the most striking examples came from BusyBusy’s founder, who discovered that a foreman on one of his excavation crews had restricted all dump trucks to first gear, thinking it would protect them.
It didn’t.
The result was a half-million-dollar productivity loss. The excavator sat idle waiting for trucks to return, while the company unknowingly burned cash.
With better data and job tracking, that mistake would have been caught within hours, not weeks.
That’s the power of measuring what matters.
Systems, SOPs, and Scaling Smart
Once the right data is flowing, the next step is turning it into systems.
BTA excels here, helping contractors implement:
- Clear KPIs and goals for every role
- SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) that document best practices
- Performance-based job descriptions that define success by metrics, not guesswork
BTA members see an average 69% profit increase in their first year, thanks to better structure and accountability.
BusyBusy provides the ground-level visibility that makes those systems work — from tracking hours to identifying which crews or projects are performing best.
Implementation Matters: Keep It Simple and Supported
Both companies emphasized that success with data isn’t about having the most software — it’s about implementing it well.
BusyBusy simplifies that process by:
- Offering customizable packages — start with time tracking, then expand into scheduling, reporting, and safety as your systems mature.
- Assigning a dedicated implementation specialist to help you align the app with your existing workflows.
- Turning timecard data into actionable dashboards your leadership team can actually use.
Let’s be real.. who cares about data if it’s not accurate? “Our goal at BusyBusy is to make it easy enough that your crews want to use it.
Stop Building in Isolation
Contractors don’t have to figure everything out alone anymore.
Technology and partnerships like BusyBusy and Breakthrough Academy are changing the game — helping construction businesses move from chaos to control, and from effort to efficiency.
“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel anymore. The systems for scaling a construction business already exist. You just have to start using them.” – Danny Kerr Founder at BTA
Learn More
To explore how BusyBusy can help you capture accurate labor data and turn it into powerful business insights, visit busybusy. Or to chat with Breakthrough Academy to learn how to put that accurate data into play.
