Performance tracking, analysis technology aims to optimize to asphalt paving operations
By John Sheedy
Trimble Director of Product Management
Special to NAPA NOW
As increasingly complex operating challenges test even the asphalt pavement industry’s most experienced contractors, leaders like Lancaster Development are turning to connected technology to improve efficiency and their ability to make timely, data-driven decisions. According to Mark Galasso, president of Lancaster Development, the benefits are especially clear in performance tracking and analysis.
Tight production windows, material costs, labor shortages and larger, more complicated jobs leave little room for inefficiency. Yet many contractors still rely on paper logs, spreadsheets and disconnected tools to track hours, production, materials and equipment utilization.
The availability of connected technology, combined with a growing recognition that how data is collected, standardized and shared directly affects performance, is creating new opportunities for asphalt contractors.
The Limits of Paper, Spreadsheets and Fragmented Tools
Paper time cards, handwritten daily reports and spreadsheet-based tracking were once industry staples. Today, their limitations prevent many contractors from keeping pace with the scale and complexity of projects. The challenges compound for operations spanning multiple crews, plants and regions. Outdated methods stall progress and hinder decision-making through:
- Delayed visibility into job performance
- Manual re-entry of the same data into multiple systems
- Inconsistent formats that make it difficult to analyze data across jobs or regions, benchmark performance or identify trends
- High error rates, particularly under pressure
When data is scattered across spreadsheets, emails and disconnected systems, project managers often spend more time searching for and reconciling data than acting on it. By the time performance issues become visible, the opportunity to correct them and keep projects on schedule or budget has passed.
The Shift to Connected Field Performance Tracking
Advanced field performance tracking workflows address these challenges by creating a single, connected source of operational data, from the jobsite and the plant to the back office. Information is captured once, at the source, and made immediately available to everyone who needs it.
Rather than foremen writing daily reports by hand or rekeying hours, quantities and equipment usage into spreadsheets at the end of a shift, field teams enter information directly into electronic field logs that align with the bid and plan. Labor hours, production quantities, materials and equipment utilization are recorded in a consistent format, eliminating duplicate data entry and reducing errors. The data is available in near-real time to project managers, allowing them to compare actual performance to estimates and operational plans while the work is still underway, rather than days or weeks later.
Galasso points to capturing accurate data once and making it available across the organization as one of the biggest operational wins. “With B2W Track, we simplified how daily job information is captured in the field,” he said. “There’s nothing worse than having to enter data multiple times. It delays the flow of information and creates inconsistencies. Now, the data is entered once in Track and flows through the system, so everyone is working from the same information.”
Connecting Workflows Across the Business
Lancaster’s approach centers on connecting workflows across estimating, field tracking, scheduling and equipment maintenance so that data moves seamlessly between systems. That connectivity across B2W solutions reduces friction, minimizes manual processes and ensures that decision-makers, from the field to the back office, have immediate access to accurate, up-to-date information.
“A system that communicates across the entire organization has allowed us to eliminate a lot of the chaos – and chaos costs money,” said Galasso. “When we evaluated platforms, we were looking for something that could handle estimating, field tracking, equipment maintenance and scheduling in one system. That’s what we found, and it’s made a big difference in how efficiently we operate.”
Extending Field Data to Estimating and Accounting
The true value of connected workflows is realized when field data flows directly into estimating and accounting systems.
Field teams need simple, intuitive tools that reflect how work actually happens, while back-office teams require structured data to manage budgets, payroll, forecasting and financial reporting. When these systems operate in isolation, contractors lose both speed and accuracy.
Lancaster prioritized this connection early, starting with B2W Estimate as the foundation.
“Estimating is the foundation of what we do,” said Galasso. “As more estimates are produced, our winning bids have become progressively more profitable. That’s the result of having better data and better visibility into our actual production.”
Connected workflows bridge that gap by ensuring:
- Electronic daily logs and field-centric reporting streamline data collection
- Labor hours are recorded once and transferred electronically
- Production and material quantities align with bid items and phase codes
- Equipment utilization data supports both operations and cost analysis
- Performance versus plan can be evaluated daily, not weeks later
“As Estimate and Track work together, the field can see the budgets and assumptions from the estimator,” he added. “That visibility allows teams to adjust in real time and continuously improve performance.”
When jobsite data flows seamlessly into accounting and ERP systems, contractors gain timely insights into performance and the data they need to make confident operational and financial decisions.
“Timeliness with Track is essentially instantaneous,” said Galasso. “The foreman enters information in Track, and that data flows directly into our accounting and estimating workflows, so we’re not waiting on reports to understand performance. We’re seeing it in real time and making decisions with accurate cost data. The biggest advantage is that everyone in the company can see the same information.”
Data Strategy and Standardization
For Lancaster, data standardization is closely tied to a broader strategy of connecting systems and centralizing information.
The company is building a data lake to bring together information from multiple platforms, supported by API integrations through Trimble. This allows Lancaster to pull reporting from across systems and reduce silos.
“The goal is fewer clicks, less duplication and better visibility across the business,” said Galasso.
From Reporting to Optimization
The ultimate goal of connected performance tracking is not just documentation, but continuous improvement. When contractors can see how production, labor, materials and equipment perform against plans, they can:
- Adjust crews and resources
- Identify and replicate best-performing practices
- Improve future bids using real production data
- Protect margins by catching issues early
As competition intensifies, asphalt contractors can no longer afford to treat data as an afterthought. The shift away from paper, spreadsheets and disconnected systems is not about adopting technology for its own sake; it’s about bringing clarity to an increasingly complex operating environment.
For contractors like Lancaster, that shift is already underway, as they move toward fully connected operations where data flows seamlessly across systems and decisions are made in real time. Those that get there first will have a clear advantage in how they bid, execute and scale.
John Sheedy is a director of product management at Trimble with more than 25 years of experience in hardware and software solutions.
He has a leadership role in the development of specialized Trimble applications for heavy civil construction estimating, performance tracking, resource scheduling and equipment maintenance, and in their integration with additional Trimble solutions.