In construction, a certain amount of chaos is expected – a sudden change in the weather, an unexpected supplier delay, or a last-minute project brief amendment. But when it comes to managing money on-site or on-the-go, chaos is the last thing you need.
Yet, all too often, finance teams grapple with precisely that: missing receipts, delayed reimbursements, and a frustrating lack of clarity around who spent what, where, and why. This not only slows down projects but also transforms finance teams into overwhelmed admin machines.
It’s time to flip the script. Here’s how you can bring order, visibility, and true, productive control to your on-site spending.
1. Swap shared cards for smart ones
The idea of one shared credit card per site might seem efficient at first glance. That is, until the mystery charges start rolling in, and no one can remember who went on the last-minute supply run. This approach quickly leads to confusion, unaccounted spending, and a mountain of reconciliation work.
Imagine instead giving each team member a smart company card tailored to their specific needs – whether virtual, physical, or temporary. With solutions like Pleo, you can set spending limits that align perfectly with your project budgets. Every transaction is then automatically tracked, tagged to its relevant project, and visible in real time. Confusion becomes a thing of the past, the crumpled receipts are out of sight and out of mind, and you end up with crystal-clear spend data from the outset.
When you have a clear picture of where your money is going, you can keep projects on track and ensure your teams stay within budget, avoiding costly chaos.
2. Reimburse faster, without the foot-dragging
Asking employees to pay out of pocket and then “hang on for finance to approve it” is a guaranteed way to kill morale and create unnecessary friction. It’s frustrating for your on-site teams and creates a backlog for your finance department.
With Pleo, site teams can snap a picture of the receipts and get reimbursed in seconds. Crucially, reimbursements can be processed in under 24 hours. Finance retains complete control over approvals, while your team members can focus on their core responsibilities without the added financial burden or the need to chase up claims every Friday. Fast-moving projects deserve fast-moving processes, not month-end backlogs and frustrated crews.
3. Automate the tasks no one has time for
Manual expense reports might be manageable when you have a single site and a handful of employees. When having to keep track of multiple sites, projects, and teams, they are a significant source of inefficiency and errors. The sheer volume of transactions and the time spent on manual data entry become a major drain on resources.
Automation is the answer, and our expense management system completely transforms the process. It captures receipts, automatically matches them to the correct spend, categorises expenses, and seamlessly integrates everything into your accounting system.
This means your finance team is no longer bogged down with chasing missing information, correcting errors, or manually entering line items at the end of every month. It’s like upgrading from handwritten ledgers to laser scanners – the job gets done, but with significantly less effort and greater accuracy. You shouldn't need a full-time headcount just to close the books.
4. Eliminate double-work with smart integrations
The disconnect between on-site expenses and headquarters reporting is a common pain point. If your systems aren’t communicating, you’re losing valuable time and introducing the risk of expensive errors. Data silos lead to manual reconciliation nightmares and a constant chase for missing information.
By integrating your expense management platform with your existing accounting tools (like Xero, QuickBooks, and NetSuite), you can create a streamlined finance workflow from the ground up. Expense data flows directly from the site team’s purchase to your accounting dashboard, with VAT correctly captured, costs properly tagged, and reconciliations made effortless. When your finance tools truly work together, your projects – and your entire team – run much smoother.
5. Control spending before it spirals
By the time overspending appears in a report, it’s usually too late. True financial control comes from guiding decisions at the moment of purchase, not merely analysing them in hindsight. You need a mechanism to prevent budget overruns before they occur.
Dynamic spend controls, embedded within the purchasing process, give your teams a clear understanding of what they can and cannot expense before they make a purchase.
This leads to fewer questions, faster approvals, and empowers your finance team to act as strategic advisors, guiding spending decisions rather than simply cleaning up after them. It’s proactive control, built into every card swipe.
Take control of construction costs for good
Construction is inherently complex. Your finance processes, however, don’t have to be. By adopting smart spending solutions, you can build a system that’s simple, scalable, and perfectly suited to the realities of site-based work.
The results speak for themselves. Fewer bottlenecks, greater visibility into your spending, and total control over your project budgets.
For more information on how Pleo can help your construction business, visit Pleo for construction companies.
