What Construction Controllers Should Be Thinking About for The Rest of 2025
- Speedsters
- Aug 12
- 6 min read
A construction controller's guide to managing risk, cash, and uncertainty using data, discipline, and the right digital tools.
If you’re a construction controller in 2025, your job description should include “tightrope walker”. You’re balancing project-level budget control, cash flow forecasting, vendor management, and audit readiness, all while navigating the highest material tariffs in decades and a sluggish, uncertain economy.
Margins are tighter. Payments are slower. And every decision, from what you buy to when you pay, can ripple across your company’s cash position and project viability.
This isn’t the year to wing it. It’s the year to double down on discipline, digitization, and data, so you can not only survive the volatility, but also lead your company through it.
Here’s what to focus on as 2025 winds down, and where smart tools like Speedchain can help you do more with less stress.
1. Project-level financial control
Why this matters now:
With material costs up across the board (steel +8.2%, copper +12%, and fabricated bridge metals up an eye-popping 22.5%), job-level financial discipline is your first, and sometimes only, line of defense.
Most projects are already operating on razor-thin margins. Add in misallocated costs or late expense entry, and profit fade becomes a certainty, not a risk.
Actions to consider:
Reinforce your cost code structure. Every project should use a standard coding framework that matches your ERP and is applied to field and office purchases.
Make receipts mandatory. Require photo capture of all receipts, including materials, rentals, meals, and even gas. Set a policy requiring documentation for reimbursement.
Automate data capture. Use mobile-friendly platforms that allow field crews to log purchases in real time, with approvals routed to supervisors.
Schedule weekly “real talk” budget reviews. Set aside 15 to 20 minutes for PMs and controllers to review cost-to-complete and address surprises before they snowball.
Real-world result:
A commercial client transformed their spend review process using Speedchain’s digital receipt management. By capturing and consolidating receipts within the platform, they accelerated approvals and gained a clear, immediate view of company spending. This made their daily financial process simpler and much faster.
2. Cash flow forecasting: Make it a living thing
Why this matters now:
Construction account reconciliation is notoriously slow. In 2025, the majority of firms are still experiencing payment delays. Meanwhile, borrowing costs are up (6–7% for most construction loans), and tariffs have bumped input prices by 5–7% across the board.
In short: cash is king, and visibility is everything.
Actions to consider:
Build a rolling 13-week forecast. Not a one-time spreadsheet, but rather something updated weekly with actuals from AR and AP.
Match accounts payable to project timelines. Know when materials and subcontractors are paid, and when you can safely delay without risking relationships.
Use digital cards. Platforms like Speedchain allow you to issue cards with preset limits for field crews, enabling faster payment without losing control. For recurring vendors, you can authorize a card on file with a designated spend limit.
Offer early-pay perks. Can you shave 2% off a bill by paying early? If it helps keep your projects moving and you’ve got the cash, it’s often worth it.
3. Systems integration: Say goodbye to double entry
Why this matters now:
If your systems don’t talk to each other, your team is wasting time and making preventable errors. In 2025, seamless integration has moved from a luxury to a fundamental business requirement.
Industry data shows firms that integrate project management, accounting, and field tools see a 15–20% lift in project efficiency and cut close time nearly in half.
Actions to consider:
Pick a system to integrate with. Start by linking Speedchain transactions to Procore or Sage, for example. This integration automatically syncs field purchases directly to your PM or accounting software, eliminating manual data entry and providing real-time visibility into job costs.
Audit your data flows. Where are people entering the same information twice? Where do mistakes consistently pop up?
Standardize your file naming and documentation. One naming convention for receipts, one storage location, one retrieval process.
Train the why, not just the how. People embrace technology when they understand the impact it has on reducing errors and stress.
Example payoff:
A builder could integrate Speedchain and Sage to create a single data stream. This would allow them to cut reconciliation time significantly, eliminate spreadsheet errors, and give PMs real-time visibility into project budgets. The finance team? Well they’d be happier than ever.
4. Defend and stretch your runway
Why this matters now:
Tariffs, rising debt, and unpredictable payments make liquidity management a full-time job. With 20–36% of firms citing major cash flow problems, you can’t afford to be passive.
Actions to consider:
Stress-test your cash runway. What happens if a $200K payment is delayed by 90 days? How many payrolls can you cover? Understand your thresholds.
Secure working capital now. Don’t wait until cash is tight. Maintain good standing with lenders and fintech platforms.
Give field teams structured access to funds. Speedchain lets you issue project-specific cards with adjustable limits. Site needs get met, while budgets stay intact.
Track credit usage like you track spend. Know how much of your line is available, and what’s burning fastest.
5. Audit readiness and empowering the controller role
Why this matters now:
Audits are more thorough. Expectations are higher. And digitizing your audit trail can reduce prep time by 80% and slash external auditor questions by over 60%
Actions to consider:
Run internal mini-audits every six months. Focus on risky areas: payroll, vendor compliance, and field expenses.
Go paperless. Store everything, receipts, W-9s, insurance certifications, in a standardized, searchable system.
Assign ownership. Don’t let audit prep be “everyone’s job.” Split responsibility, and track progress.
Example payoff:
A supplier was processing transactions one-by-one, and their manual workflow was consuming hours of their work day. Now, using Speedchain’s bulk upload feature, they can code and post multiple transactions to their accounting software in a single step. This capability has dramatically streamlined their process, turning what was once a time-consuming task into a quick and simple click of a button.
6. Stay Curious: What Worked Last Year May Not Work Tomorrow
Why this matters now:
Tariffs shift. AI advances. Payment platforms evolve. If you’re not learning, you risk falling behind. Controllers who dedicate even one hour a month to learning create more adaptive, resilient teams.
Actions to consider:
Bookmark your favorite industry newsletters (like Procore’s Construction Newsletter). Schedule time to read and reflect, staying current on industry trends.
Host monthly “what we learned” huddles. Pick a new tool or concept to review and discuss.
Create safe space for experimentation. Let your team pilot a new approval workflow or process tweak, and share what they learn.
Controller tip:
Start a “fail file”, aka a shared document where team members log what didn’t work and what they learned. Transparency builds trust and speeds up improvement.
2025: The economic and policy landscape
Challenges | 2025 Snapshot |
Average import tariff on materials | 27.7% (up from <1% in 2024) |
Tariffs on steel/copper/aluminum | 50% (effective July 2025) |
Average DSO | 39–56 days |
Firms reporting late payments | |
Construction loan rates | |
Project cost inflation from tariffs | |
Firms reporting major cash strain | |
Realized benefit from better spend controls | ≥5% per project |
Final thought: Don’t just survive the rest of 2025—lead through it
Controllers today wear more hats than ever. You're a financial strategist, tech translator, risk manager, and operational quarterback. That means your success this year won’t come from hustle alone; it will come from discipline, automation, and thoughtful tech adoption.
Tools like Speedchain? They’re not just for the fintech space. They’re for you, the practical, get-it-done controller who wants a cleaner close, tighter controls, and less “where’s that receipt?” at 6 PM on a Friday.
You don’t need to change everything overnight. Instead, just pick one improvement like cash flow, coding, or system integration, and start there. Consistency is the real competitive advantage.
And when the next unexpected invoice, tariff hike, or payment delay hits (because it will), you’ll be ready, not rattled.
This guide provides a forward-looking plan for a smooth and strategic second half of 2025, putting you in control, one well-documented purchase at a time.
About Speedchain
Speedchain Inc. is a global provider of modern commercial card programs and advanced expense management solutions. The company is focused on delivering greater visibility, control, and efficiency in managing project-level spend, vendor payments, and corporate expenses. The Speedchain platform enables finance teams and employees to streamline financial operations, access industry-leading rewards and benefits, and leverage the underlying data this activity generates via its platform features, AI capabilities, and partner interfaces.
For more information, visit: www.speedchain.com or contact us at sales@speedchain.com
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