Note: Client details anonymized. All metrics are real and verified.
The Problem Nobody Talks About
"We're busy. Revenue's solid. But we're not making more money." Sound familiar?
This $8M construction founder had been wearing three hats: CEO, COO, and CFO. His "financial management" was checking the bank balance every Friday. EBITDA had been flat for two years.
First month finding: over $200K on the table annually—money already earned but invisible.
Phase 1: Making the Invisible Visible (Months 1-2)
AI-powered real-time job costing—project-level P&L for every job. Plus a 13-week rolling cash flow forecast.
Phase 2: Fixing the Leaks (Months 3-4)
McKinsey: companies eliminating 25% of manual tasks save 18% on labor annually [1].
Leak #1: $180K/year in unbilled change orders. Leak #2: Payment terms mismatch freed $120K working capital. Leak #3: Broken overhead allocation causing underpricing.
Phase 3: Scale (Months 5-12)
Forrester TEI: 248% ROI from process automation [2]. Construction AI scheduling: $25M+ savings on major projects [3].
Three AI workers deployed: invoice automation (20→2 hrs/month), change order capture, compliance reporting.
The Results
+65.1% EBITDA year-over-year. $241K additional annual EBITDA.
Sources: $180K captured revenue, ~$40K cost reduction, ~$21K pricing discipline. Working capital improved $120K. 15+ hours/week freed.
Lessons
1. Fractional CFO: manufacturer achieved $2.1M annual benefit from $192K—11x ROI [4].
2. Cash flow ≠ profitability. 3. Manual processes are expensive.
