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Sarah Constructions Streamlines Progress Claims and Strengthens Subcontractor Cash Flow

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Payapps replaced fragmented spreadsheets with a single workflow for claims, compliance and early payment requests.
Standardised, scalable claims processes: Payapps replaced fragmented spreadsheets with a single workflow for 1,800+ progress claims per month across 30 active projects.
Significant time savings for project and finance teams: Automating progress claims saves accounts and project managers up to a full day each week—skilled time now redirected to building rather than processing.
Supporting subcontractor cash flow and supply chain stability: Subcontractors can request earlier payment on approved claims, helping manage cash flow while strengthening relationships and project outcomes.
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About Our Customer

Established: A leading South Australian-owned and operated commercial construction company founded in 1961. It is now a third-generation family business with a 60+ year legacy of delivering landmark projects.

Industry Focus: A diversified commercial builder specialising in large-scale vertical construction, complex social infrastructure, and modular solutions.

Clientele: Trusted by major institutional and private clients, including the Department for Infrastructure and Transport , University of Adelaide, Flinders University, Catholic Education SA, Australian Naval Institute, Woolworths Group, and Coles.

Workforce: Supported by a team of over 170 direct staff (and more than 450 across the broader Group), fostering a “People First” culture through graduate programs and long-term career development.

Operations: Renowned for a highly collaborative Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) model, focusing on “building relationships, not just buildings.”

The Challenge

  • Fragmented and manual claims processes: Progress claims were managed through spreadsheets, email correspondence, and updates across the Jobpac ERP, creating duplication and excessive administrative effort across projects.
  • Limited visibility and compliance risk: Without a single workflow, claim status, compliance documentation, and approval deadlines were difficult to track, increasing the risk of delays and regulatory non-compliance.
  • Cash flow pressure across the subcontractor network: Even when claims were processed correctly, subcontractors often faced cash flow pressure due to timing gaps between project payment cycles and their operating costs.

Before Payapps, Sarah Constructions managed progress claims through a fragmented, largely manual process built on spreadsheets, email threads, and updates in their Jobpac ERP system.

Every claim required coordination between project teams, commercial managers, and accounts payable, with no single integrated workflow to keep everything aligned.

Across roughly 30 active projects, teams were handling around 50–60 claims per project per month. According to Lewis Skittrall, Head of Commercial, the absence of a consistent system made it difficult to maintain efficiency as the business scaled.

“At that scale, the process itself became the constraint, consuming a disproportionate amount of skilled time in data entry, reconciliation, and back-and-forth between site and accounts.”
Lewis Skittrall, Head of Commercial, Sarah Constructions

The Payapps Advantage

  • A single, integrated process across all projects: Sarah needed a consistent framework to manage claims, approvals and compliance across projects, replacing fragmented spreadsheets and email coordination.
  • Greater transparency for internal teams and subcontractors: Payapps provided clear visibility of claim status, documentation and approvals for project teams, finance staff and subcontractors.
  • High subcontractor familiarity and adoption: Many of Sarah’s subcontractors were already familiar with Payapps from working with other builders, giving the business confidence the platform could be adopted without disrupting long-standing supply chain relationships.

 

Head of Commercial for the Sarah Constructions Group, Lewis Skittrall, had prior experience working with Payapps in another construction business and understood the benefits it could bring.

Sarah evaluated Payapps as part of a broader initiative to improve process efficiency and reduce the administrative burden across projects. Commercial, project delivery and finance leaders were involved in the decision.

Rather than committing to an immediate full rollout, the team adopted a project-first trial, implementing Payapps on a single project to validate the Jobpac integration and time-saving outcomes before expanding the system across the business.

Sarah Constructions - South Australian Housing Development Project

Subcontractor adoption was also a key consideration. Many subcontractors were already familiar with Payapps through working with other builders, and Sarah supported the remainder of its subcontractor base through a communication and consultation program to ensure a smooth transition.

Now subcontractors could benefit from a uniform claims process they recognise and have used across multiple projects, regardless of which Sarah Constructions site they are working on.

For Sarah’s internal teams, Payapps enabled a shift from reactive administration to proactive management, freeing teams to focus on higher-value work rather than paperwork.

Clear workflows and centralised documentation provide consistent visibility of claim status and outstanding actions, while integration with the ERP improves the accuracy of financial forecasts and reduces manual re-keying.

With this digital foundation in place, Sarah also gained the visibility required to explore further improvements to how it supports its subcontractor network — including enabling subcontractors to request earlier payment on approved claims within the existing Payapps workflow.

“When we trialled Payapps, we could see a significant improvement in the payment claims process. As well as increased visibility, time saved by our finance team and project managers has allowed them to focus on more productive tasks.”
Lewis Skittrall, Head of Commercial, Sarah Constructions

The Results

  • Significant time savings across project and finance teams: Automating the claims process has reduced administrative workload for accounts and project teams, freeing up time to focus on higher-value activities.
  • Improved governance and visibility across projects: Centralised documentation and structured workflows provide clearer oversight of claims, compliance documentation and approval timelines.
  • Greater subcontractor cash flow support with commercial and operational benefits: By enabling subcontractors to request earlier payment on approved claims, Sarah provides greater cash flow flexibility across its supply chain while contributing to improved project margin outcomes and greater financial predictability.

Following the successful rollout of Payapps across its projects, Sarah Constructions quickly began to see measurable improvements in how progress claims were managed across the business. Processes that once relied heavily on spreadsheets, manual updates, and email coordination were replaced with a structured, contractdriven workflow. Project teams and finance staff now have clear visibility of claim status, supporting documentation and outstanding actions through a single system.

The improvement in efficiency has been significant. Both accounts payable staff and project managers reported saving between half a day and a full day every week that was previously spent consolidating claims, chasing documentation or manually reconciling information between systems.

Integration with the Jobpac ERP system has further strengthened financial governance by reducing manual re-keying of data and improving the accuracy of financial reporting and forecasting. At the same time, subcontractors benefit from a clearer and more transparent process. They can see the status of their claims at any time, reducing the need to follow up with accounts teams and helping maintain strong working relationships across projects.

“Payapps is saving us a lot of time every month, but just as important is the reduction of risk exposure and improved compliance. Our subcontractors are enjoying much more visibility of where their claims are at without the need to email or call our accounts team.”
Lewis Skittrall, Head of Commercial, Sarah Constructions

With the core claims process streamlined, Sarah has also been able to introduce the option for subcontractors to request earlier payment on approved claims when needed.

Subcontractors can choose to accelerate payment by 1–3 weeks in exchange for a transparent discount. This provides a targeted tool to support workforce expansion, large material purchases, or compressed programs without the friction of external finance.

Because the feature sits within the existing Payapps workflow, the process remains transparent and consistent. Subcontractors interact with the same system they already use to submit and track claims, removing the need for informal requests, manual arrangements or one-off negotiations between project teams and subcontractors.

For Sarah Constructions, this provides a structured and governed way to support subcontractor liquidity while maintaining clear financial oversight. The early payment discount also introduces a modest commercial benefit, contributing to improved project margin outcomes while avoiding the administrative burden that often comes with ad-hoc payment arrangements.

“Improving liquidity across the supply chain ultimately strengthens project delivery outcomes and reduces insolvency risk. Early Payment became a logical extension of the Payapps system once we had visibility across our progress claim ecosystem.” – Lewis Skittrall

Early payment requests are available to eligible subcontractors on eligible projects, ensuring the process remains controlled, transparent and aligned with Sarah’s broader financial governance framework.

 

The Sarah Constructions team on the Panorama Hotel project.

Transform Your Progress Claims

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