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Canned Reports
What are Canned Reports?
Canned reports are predefined reports that provide information about various construction processes. Unlike ad-hoc reports—which are customized each time they’re run—canned reports follow standard layouts and include pre-set fields that provide consistent information on an ongoing basis. Subcontractor account teams can set these fields to include data related to project progress, labor costs, equipment utilization, material usage, safety incidents—anything that they frequently compile for their analysis or are required to report to other stakeholders.
The key benefit of canned reports is having regularly scheduled visibility into key metrics and insights without recreating the same reports and analyses each time. This enables subcontractor accounting teams to focus less on compiling data and more on strategic analysis and monitoring. Furthermore, they provide quick, comprehensive visibility into a company’s financial processes to help accountants identify issues early on, analyze costs and variances, validate invoices, and ensure compliance on an ongoing basis.
Canned reports are typically generated from construction project management or accounting software. However, when it comes to accounts receivable (A/R) and billing reporting, Siteline takes the cake. With Siteline, subcontractors can easily:
- View the status of all their pay apps—filterable by various project details—to stay on top of collections.
- Track and compare GC payment times and benchmark their performance to inform bid prices.
- Analyze overhead costs and cash flow health to optimize financial performance.
- Evaluate A/R performance by office and project manager to identify successes and opportunities.
See for yourself! Schedule a personalized Siteline demo today and learn how our A/R and billing reporting capabilities can strengthen your construction business.
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Other construction terms
What is an Allowance?
In construction, an allowance is a predetermined dollar amount included in a contract to cover materials, fixtures, or finishes that haven’t yet been selected. Allowances are typically used for flooring, lighting fixtures, plumbing fixtures, appliances, or other finish materials (things that contribute to the project’s aesthetic) where the owner may want flexibility to make selections as the project evolves.
Here’s how allowances work: When contractors bid on a project, they’ll include specific allowance amounts (e.g., $5,000 flooring allowance). Once construction begins and the owner chooses actual materials, the costs are reconciled against the allowance. If the materials cost less, they receive a credit. If more, the owner pays the difference via a change order.
Siteline can help you track and manage those change orders, ensuring you get paid for that difference. Learn more about how Siteline streamlines change order management here.
What is a Transmittal?
A transmittal in construction is a formal document that accompanies the delivery of project materials like drawings, specifications, reports, or samples. It’s like a receipt that creates an official record of what was sent, when it was sent, and who received it.
Transmittals typically include document details, revision numbers, dates, and any special instructions about enclosed materials. They’re essential for keeping everyone—from the field to the back office—on the same page throughout the project.
Just like transmittals ensure project documents don't get lost in the shuffle, Siteline brings that same level of transparency to subcontractor billing workflows. It gives subcontractors a centralized solution for managing pay applications, tracking compliance and payments, and spotting cash flow holdups before they derail operations. Interested in learning more? Book some time with us.
What are Bid Prices?
Bid prices in the construction industry refer to the amount a contractor proposes to charge for a particular project or service tendered by a client or project owner. These prices are usually determined after the contractor carefully assesses the project's scope, requirements, and the associated material, equipment, labor expenses, and overheads. The bid prices are essentially the predicted cost of the project plus the profit margin of the contractor. The client or project owner usually picks the contractor with the most comprehensive and competitively priced bid, assuming all other important factors like experience and capability are deemed satisfactory. It's noteworthy that bid prices can be subject to negotiation, and post-bid changes could occur following project change orders or unexpected construction conditions.
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