In construction, operations and accounting often feel like they’re running in parallel—but never quite connected. One’s in the field pushing schedules forward, the other’s buried in spreadsheets trying to make sense of the numbers after the fact.

But what if they didn’t have to be at odds?

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We sat down with Julian Miller, Director of Operations at NS Builders, for a deep dive into how his team has built a system where field decisions and financial visibility go hand in hand. With experience spanning high-end residential, large-scale commercial, and tech-forward building systems, Julian knows what works—and where builders are bleeding margin without even realizing it.

The Disconnect That Costs You

Julian sees it all the time: operations teams don’t realize how much their day-to-day impacts the bottom line. An invoice that sits in a PM’s inbox for three days? That’s missed early pay discounts. A lost receipt? Unbilled costs and lower gross margin. And when it’s time to explain the budget to the client? Good luck.

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The root of the problem, Julian says, isn’t intent—it’s process.

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Most builders don’t have one. And that’s why even fast-moving companies lose money in places they don’t see until it’s too late.

Why Field Work Needs Financial Discipline

“You can’t just say, ‘that invoice will get paid,’” Julian explains. “If it sits too long, or gets missed entirely, you’re not just delaying payment—you’re damaging your subcontractor relationship, and probably killing your budget accuracy too.”

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NS Builders moved to ACH payments and built their approval workflows around systems like Procore and Adaptive so nothing gets lost in the shuffle. Subs know when they’re getting paid, PMs can approve on the fly, and the accounting team isn’t chasing down half-coded expenses.

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That’s not just operational efficiency—it’s brand protection.

Paper Checks Are a Hidden Tax on the Industry

One of the more surprising parts of the episode? Julian’s take on why the construction industry is still weirdly committed to paper checks.

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From contractors driving hours to pick up a check to invoices sitting in mailboxes for weeks, the old way of paying vendors is costing builders thousands—in time, fuel, and lost opportunity.

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“It’s wild,” he says. “Imagine if your employer said, ‘We mailed you your paycheck. You’ll see it in two weeks.’ You’d lose your mind.”

Visibility Creates Freedom (and Profit)

Julian and his team use connected tools to keep real-time visibility across every project—budgets, changes, POs, approvals, and payments all live in one place. That means the field and the office are always aligned. PMs know where the job stands. Accounting knows when to cut checks. Leadership knows when there’s an issue—before it shows up in the books.

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Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Project managers can track live budgets and spot overruns before they snowball.
• Accounting teams know exactly when payments are ready to go—and when they’re not.
• Leadership gets real-time financial snapshots without waiting on end-of-month reports.
• Vendors and subs get paid faster and with fewer errors, strengthening relationships.

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That clarity is what gives NS Builders the ability to scale without chaos. “If you want to grow, you can’t afford to have financial visibility show up two weeks after it matters.”

Final Thoughts

Whether it’s unbilled receipts, missed approvals, or just poor coordination, builders are losing real money to inefficiency—and often don’t even know it. But as Julian points out, it doesn’t have to be complicated.

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A system, clear roles, and the right tech can turn a scattered back office into a real engine for profit.

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