18 Details That Make a Huge Difference in Cash Flow

Improving cash flow substantially enables sustainable growth.

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There are 18 tactics contractors can use to improve cash flow at the project and the company level. Capital is one of the 3 basic constraints for any contracting business so continuous improvement of every process related to cash flow enables sustainable growth.

Cash Flow: 18 Details that Make a Huge Difference.
  • Just like improving field productivity there is no single tactic that will make cash flow good forever.  It is important to use the lean principle of Kaizen building a culture, operating rhythms and processes around incrementally improving every detail.
  • Not every tactic will work on every project or with every contractor but taken together these 18 tactics are guaranteed to significantly improve your cash flow.  
  • While the executives and the finance team play a big part in cash flow the majority of the tactics are within the control of the project team and are the direct responsibility of the Project Manager.

We are revamping our publicly available cash flow workshop that includes these 18 tactics that contractors can use to accelerate cash flow. Stay informed of updates on release. 


18 Details That Make a Huge Difference in Cash Flow
Great cash flow is a key driver of valuation and successful successions. Running out of cash is is the #1 reason contractors fail. Improving cash flow improves your Return on Equity. Protect yourself and never let cash flow be the limitation to your profitable growth....

18 Details That Make a Huge Difference in Cash Flow
Great cash flow is a key driver of valuation and successful successions. Running out of cash is is the #1 reason contractors fail. Improving cash flow improves your Return on Equity. Protect yourself and never let cash flow be the limitation to your profitable growth....

Builder and Business Manager Integration
A successful and sustainably growing construction business has the right balance of builder and business manager skills on the team.
2024 Contractor 5-Year Growth Rates (ENR Top 400/600 Lists)
"More companies die of indigestion than starvation." - David Packard (Founder of HP). Growth is challenging for all contractors. The decision to grow must be intentional and aligned with strategy and capability. 5-Year growth stats from 2024.
Lead Measures and Outcomes: Starting with the Schedule of Values (SOV)
It is nearly impossible for a contractor to have consistently great cash flow if they have a Schedule-of-Values (SOV) that isn’t loaded properly and integrated with the project schedule, including a projection of the cash flow.