How Francis Thomas Contracting Strengthened Construction Operations with ProjectSOS for Construction

Customer Overview 

Francis Thomas Contracting has been serving Ontario's construction industry for decades, delivering heavy civil construction, site preparation, excavation, and foundation projects. As the company expanded, so did the complexity of managing projects, subcontractors, field crews, and financial operations. Supporting continued growth required a connected platform capable of bringing together project management, finance, and field operations in one environment.  

By implementing Oracle NetSuite alongside ProjectSOS for Construction from SnapOn Software, Francis Thomas Contracting gained the tools needed to improve project visibility, automate financial processes, and connect office and field teams through a single source of operational data. 

The Challenge

Construction projects generate a constant flow of information between project managers, field crews, finance teams, subcontractors, and suppliers. As project volume increased, relying on disconnected processes made it increasingly difficult to keep everyone working from the same information. 

Project updates, labour tracking, procurement, and financial reporting often required manual effort before they could be consolidated into meaningful project insights. Without immediate access to current project information, managers spent valuable time collecting data instead of making decisions.  

Field operations presented another challenge. Crews working across multiple job sites recorded hours, equipment usage, and material consumption manually before information was entered into the office systems. The delay affected scheduling, reporting, inventory management, and billing while increasing the potential for errors.  

Billing workflows were equally time-consuming. Progress billing and retainage management required significant manual oversight, while information needed by finance was spread across multiple processes rather than managed within a unified workflow. As projects became larger and more complex, maintaining visibility into costs, profitability, and project status became increasingly difficult.  

Francis Thomas Contracting needed a construction-focused solution that could streamline operations without sacrificing the flexibility required to manage complex projects. 

The Solution: ProjectSOS for Construction 

ProjectSOS for Construction extends Oracle NetSuite with functionality designed specifically for construction companies. Rather than relying on spreadsheets or disconnected applications, Francis Thomas Contracting was able to manage project costing, billing, retainage, and field operations from one connected platform. 

Several ProjectSOS solutions played a key role in the transformation. 

NS Job Costing Premium 

ProjectSOS Job Costing Premium provided real-time insight into project budgets, commitments, and costs throughout every phase of construction. 

Project managers no longer had to wait for manual updates to understand project performance. Instead, they could monitor budgets as work progressed, identify potential cost overruns earlier, and make informed decisions while projects were still underway. Finance teams also benefited from more accurate and timely project costing, improving financial reporting across the organization.  

NS Retainage 

Managing retainage is a critical part of construction accounting. ProjectSOS automated retainage calculations and tracking directly within NetSuite, reducing manual administration while helping ensure billing remained aligned with contractual requirements. 

Instead of maintaining separate spreadsheets or manual calculations, finance teams could manage retainage as part of their normal billing processes, improving both accuracy and efficiency.  

Field Service Management Integration 

Field operations became more closely connected with office teams through enhancements that simplified data collection and communication. 

Labour hours, equipment usage, service activities, and project documentation could be captured more efficiently, reducing delays between work performed on site and information becoming available within NetSuite. Enhanced scheduling, supervisor controls, and improved field reporting helped create a smoother flow of information between job sites and the office.  

Construction Project Dashboard 

Executives and project managers gained immediate visibility into active projects through centralized dashboards. 

Project status, financial performance, budgets, commitments, and operational activity were available from one location, allowing leadership to monitor performance across multiple projects without waiting for manual reporting or consolidating information from different systems.  

Connecting Construction Operations 

Beyond individual ProjectSOS capabilities, Francis Thomas Contracting established a more connected construction management environment within Oracle NetSuite. 

Project information, financial data, field activities, billing, procurement, and subcontractor management all operated from the same platform, allowing departments to work from consistent information throughout the project lifecycle. 

By reducing duplicate data entry and improving collaboration between field and office teams, the company created a more efficient operational model that supports both day-to-day execution and long-term growth.  

Business Outcomes 

With ProjectSOS for Construction running on Oracle NetSuite, Francis Thomas Contracting established a stronger operational foundation for future expansion. 

The organization now benefits from: 

• Real-time visibility into project costs and performance. 
• Faster access to project information for better decision-making. 
• Streamlined collaboration between office staff and field crews. 
• Automated progress billing and retainage management. 
• Improved financial accuracy through connected job costing. 
• A centralized platform supporting project management, finance, and field operations. 
• Greater confidence in managing increasingly complex construction projects.  

About ProjectSOS for Construction 

ProjectSOS for Construction is SnapOn Software's purpose-built solution suite for Oracle NetSuite, designed specifically for construction companies managing complex projects. 

From real-time job costing and progress billing to retainage management, project dashboards, and field operations, ProjectSOS provides construction organizations with the tools they need to improve visibility, strengthen financial control, and manage projects more efficiently—all within the NetSuite platform. 

Whether you're managing a handful of active jobs or coordinating multiple large-scale construction projects across several locations, ProjectSOS helps connect your people, processes, and project data in one integrated solution. 

Learn more about ProjectSOS for Construction or book a demo to see how SnapOn Software can help modernize your construction operations.