How one construction firm cut payroll processing time in half by connecting field data to payroll
Before Corfix: manual chaos and double entry
A mid-sized construction firm with roughly 100 employees had a familiar payroll challenge.
Crews filled out paper timesheets at the end of each week. Supervisors texted corrections to the office. Payroll and safety data lived in separate systems.
Every Friday, the admin team spent most of a day entering hours by hand, cross-checking safety logs, and reconciling cost codes for multiple projects. Errors were common, particularly missed overtime and unapproved hours.
It wasn’t that the payroll team lacked skill or attention. They lacked visibility. They couldn’t see what was happening on-site until after the work was done, so by the time issues surfaced, payroll was already in progress.
The problem beneath the problem: disconnected data
The real issue wasn’t the payroll software itself — it was the data feeding it.
With time tracked on paper, safety completed separately, and certs stored in Excel, each pay period meant rebuilding information from scratch.
Common pain points included:
- Inconsistent or late timesheets
- Safety forms missing for paid hours
- Unclear job cost codes
- Extra admin hours spent verifying compliance
On average, processing one payroll cycle required eight staff hours between data entry, verification, and corrections.
The Corfix rollout: integrating time, safety, and payroll
The company in question implemented Corfix in November to be ready for January payroll.
They began by standardizing daily workflows:
- Crews clocked in and out using the Corfix mobile app or shared tablets on-site.
- Safety forms were tied directly to shift completion, so no clock-out without all forms signed (a major compliance win).
- Supervisors approved hours daily, while admins could see real-time totals in the dashboard.
By December, all crews were logging time and safety in one place. Payroll data was already clean before processing began.
The results: accuracy and time saved
Within the first quarter of 2026, payroll processing time dropped from eight hours to under four.
Corrections were almost eliminated, and only minor job code edits remained.
Additional measurable outcomes included:
- Fewer pay disputes: Hours were tied to approved safety records, reducing “missing time” issues.
- Improved compliance: 100% of hours paid had an associated safety record.
- Faster reporting: Weekly summaries were available instantly for management and auditors.
Because field data was captured automatically, payroll staff no longer spent Mondays tracking down approvals. The payroll system was fed verified hours directly from the field.
The ripple effect: cleaner operations overall
The gains didn’t stop at payroll:
– Supervisors stopped double-reporting data.
– The safety coordinator used the same system for incident tracking.
– The accounting team used Corfix’s export tools to push verified hours into their existing accounting software, no double entry required.
With one platform driving all field documentation, admin time was reduced, compliance documentation was always ready, and payroll accuracy became a given.
Key takeaways
- Adoption drives accuracy: When workers use the same tool for time and safety, payroll data improves automatically.
- Clean data cuts costs: Fewer manual touchpoints mean less rework and faster processing.
- Timing matters: Implementing before year-end avoided duplicate records and tax reconciliation headaches.
- Scalability: With data standardized, the team could easily onboard new projects and workers without adding admin load.
Looking ahead
This firm’s transition is typical of what happens when payroll, safety, and timekeeping live in the same workflow: cleaner data, fewer disputes, and more predictable pay cycles.
For payroll and finance leaders planning for 2026, the lesson is clear: The path to better payroll doesn’t start with payroll software. It starts with the field.