Construcciones Yamaro: Why builders are outgrowing spreadsheet-based progress claims

Payapps helps reduce the admin drag behind progress claims. (Images: Payapps)

As project values rise and delivery environments become more complex, the pressure on builders is not only being felt on site. It is also showing up in the workflows that sit behind project delivery – particularly in the way progress claims are managed.

By Ian Moss, marketing leader for Australia and New Zealand at Payapps – An Autodesk Company.

Hubexo’s 2026 Construction League shows just how large that challenge is becoming. According to the report, Australia’s top 50 builders commenced 722 projects in 2025, with the combined value of those starts rising 32 per cent to $43.9 billion. Against that backdrop, 34 of those builders are now Payapps customers. That is not simply a technology milestone. It points to a broader shift in the market, where builders are putting more focus on the commercial workflows that influence productivity, visibility and control.

Misty Cronin, head of sales at Payapps.

For many builders, progress claims are still managed through a mix of spreadsheets, emails, PDFs and manual follow-up. That may feel workable for a time, but as workloads increase, those processes can start to create a steady build-up of friction. Teams spend more time chasing information, correcting errors, following up on missing documents and trying to piece together claim status across disconnected systems. In the Payapps guide Smarter Progress Claims for Builders Big and Small, that friction is framed as “admin drag” – the kind of hidden inefficiency that slows teams down and makes growth harder to support efficiently. The same guide highlights recurring issues such as spreadsheet dependence, too much chasing, weak visibility and workflow bottlenecks.

That matters even more in the current market. Builders are right to be cautious about overheads and new investment in a tougher economic environment. But there is also a cost to doing nothing. When progress claims are still handled through fragmented, spreadsheet-based processes, the business continues to absorb the hidden cost of rework, delays, manual administration and poor visibility. Over time, that can make growth more expensive than it needs to be. The question is no longer just whether technology is worth the investment. It is whether the current process is already costing more than it appears.

According to Misty Cronin, head of sales at Payapps, that is one reason more builders are taking a closer look at their progress claim workflows.

“What we’re seeing is that leading builders are treating progress claims as a workflow that has a real impact on team efficiency, visibility and growth,” says Cronin. “When 34 of Australia’s top 50 builders trust Payapps, it points to a broader shift in the market – away from fragmented, spreadsheet-based processes and towards more structured, scalable ways of working.”

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There are practical examples of what that can look like. In one case study, MAX Build reported that after improving its progress claim process with Payapps, it was able to take on projects 20–25 per cent larger than previously possible without adding more staff. Spaceframe, meanwhile, reported claims-processing time savings of 25–30 hours per person per month after streamlining its workflow. Different businesses, different operating models, but the same broader theme: when progress claims are better structured, teams can get more done with less friction.

This is not really about replacing one tool with another. It is about recognising that progress claims sit at a critical point in the commercial process. When the workflow is clear, consistent and visible, teams are better placed to assess claims efficiently, keep approvals moving, strengthen compliance and create more capacity for higher-value work. When it is fragmented, those same teams can end up buried in admin.

For builders wanting a clearer view of where their own process stands, Payapps has developed a Progress Claims Health Check – a practical 10-question assessment designed to help teams understand whether their current workflow is scale-ready, functional but under pressure, or creating unnecessary growth friction. It is a simple way to assess whether your progress claim process is helping the business move forward – or quietly holding it back.

The post Why builders are outgrowing spreadsheet-based progress claims appeared first on Inside Construction.

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