Over the past quarter, we’ve spoken with contractor businesses across multiple trades, ranging from small engineering teams to larger regional service providers.
This ‘State of the Trades’ update shares the key operational patterns we’re seeing in the industry, where time is being lost, where cash flow is being impacted, and where processes are beginning to improve. While every business is different, it’s fascinating to see common themes frequently emerge across the sector.
For contractor businesses, operational efficiency directly affects margin, cash flow and the ability to scale without adding headcount. Small gaps in workflow, particularly between job completion, invoicing and payment, continue to create hidden costs across the sector.
Key operational trends
1. Invoicing delays continue to impact cash flow
Across most businesses, invoices are still being raised three to seven days after job completion, and in some cases longer. This delay is rarely due to the work itself, but rather:
- Waiting for worksheets.
- Clarifying job outcomes.
- Re-entering incomplete information.
That lag extends debtor days and creates avoidable cashflow pressure. Contractors who are improving this have:
- Same-day worksheet submission standards.
- Clear engineer-to-office handoff processes.
- A view of invoicing as part of the job lifecycle rather than a back-office task.
2. Admin time per job is higher than expected
When operational touchpoints are mapped end to end: job logging, updates, chasing information, invoicing and payment follow-up— the average admin time per job is typically 15–25 minutes. This is often underestimated because it is spread across multiple roles and systems.
Businesses reducing this are focusing on:
- Removing double entry.
- Standardising job notes.
- Using consistent status workflows.
3. Chasing paperwork remains a daily operational drain
Office teams continue to spend significant time:
- Chasing engineers for worksheets.
- Clarifying incomplete job information.
- Re-keying data back and forth into multiple systems.
Where this is controlled, there is usually:
- A defined ‘job completion standard’.
- Accountability for worksheet quality.
- Simple, repeatable processes for information capture.
4. Credit control is largely reactive
In many contractor businesses, credit control is still handled on an ad hoc basis when time allows, rather than as a scheduled operational activity. Contractors with stronger cash flow management tend to:
- Run a fixed weekly credit control routine
- Use standardised communication templates
- Assign clear ownership of the process
The difference is less about tools and more about consistency.
5. Interest in automation is growing, but adoption is still early stage
There is clear curiosity around automation and AI, particularly in reducing repetitive admin tasks. However, live workflows are still relatively rare. The main barriers are:
- Uncertainty about where to start.
- Limited time to redesign processes.
- Low confidence in changing established ways of working.
The opportunity remains significant, particularly in areas such as worksheet handling, invoice triggering, linking up with Customer portals and status updates.
Quarterly snapshot
Based on aggregated operational conversations and reviews:
- Typical admin time per job: 15-25 minutes.
- Common job-to-invoice delay: 3-7 days.
- Most time-consuming task: Chasing job information and paperwork.
- Automation adoption: Early stage across most businesses.
What’s improving across the sector
There are positive shifts:
- Growing awareness of the admin costs per job.
- More focus on process consistency.
- Increased openness to integrations and improved workflows.
- Greater operational ownership from the office and Service Managers.
These changes suggest a gradual move toward more structured, efficiency-led operating models.
Focus areas for the next quarter
Based on current patterns, three practical priorities for contractor businesses are:
- Reducing the gap between job completion and invoicing.
- Standardising engineer job notes and handoff processes.
- Introducing simple, scheduled credit control routines.
These areas offer the most immediate impact on cash flow and administrative workload.
Looking ahead
We will continue to track operational trends across contractor businesses and share an updated State of the Trades next quarter, with a focus on engineer productivity and job flow. Contractor businesses that would like to contribute their perspectives to future updates are encouraged to participate in ongoing discussions within the sector.
Contributing to future State of the Trades updates
This quarterly snapshot is shaped by ongoing conversations with contractor businesses about how work actually flows day to day, from job completion through to invoicing and payment.
We’re continuing to gather perspectives from across the sector, particularly around admin time, job handoffs, credit control processes and the practical adoption of automation.
Contractors who would like to share their experiences and compare approaches with peers can take part in these discussions within the Fixflo Trades: Operations, Tech & Automation Group, where operational challenges and workflows are explored in more detail. Insights from those discussions will help inform future State of the Trades updates.
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