How to analyze the profitability of a construction site without spending hours on it in 2025?

The traditional method (and why it no longer works)

Step 1: Data collection (15-20 minutes)

• Gather paper timesheets or scattered Excel files

• Collect supplier invoices and delivery notes

• Look for the initial quote and budget forecast

• Find notes on the progress of the project

Step 2: Consolidation (15-20 minutes)

• Enter/re-enter hours into a spreadsheet

• Value each hour at the employee's loaded hourly rate

• Add up all supplies

• Calculate the actual total cost

Step 3: Analysis (10-15 minutes)

• Compare actual cost vs budget forecast

• Calculate variances in € and %

• Estimate progress and project the final cost

• Calculate the forecast margin

Step 4: Report production (10 minutes)

• Format in Word or Excel

• Generate graphs

• Export to PDF

• Send to stakeholders

Total: 50-65 minutes per project

For 10 projects analyzed every week: 8-10 hours per week = 35-43 hours per month

The modern automated method with Dropia

Data collection: 0 minutes (automatic)

• Mobile time tracking is captured automatically

• Supplies are tracked on site via smartphone

• Budgets are in the system from the creation of the project

• Progress is updated during visits (30 seconds)

Consolidation: 0 minutes (automatic)

• Dropia automatically values each hour at the correct rate

• Costs are aggregated in real-time per project

• Totals are calculated instantly

• No re-entry, no Excel formulas to check

Analysis: 2 minutes (consultation)

• Open the project dashboard

• Review the key indicators already calculated

• Immediate view of the situation: green, orange, or red

• Identify variances and potential causes

Report production: 1 minute (automatic generation)

• Click on "Generate PDF report"

• Select the period and desired format

• Professional document created instantly

• Direct send via email or download

Total: 3 minutes per project

For 10 projects: 30 minutes per week = 2 hours per month

Gain: 33-41 hours per month, equivalent to 4-5 full working days!

Practical guide: Quickly analyze with Dropia

Daily dashboard method (5 minutes/day)

Every morning:

1. Open the Dropia application on computer or tablet (10 seconds)

2. Check the multi-project view (30 seconds)

   • Spot projects in red or orange (requiring attention)

   • Check alerts from the previous day

   • Identify time tracking anomalies to correct

3. Deep dive into problematic projects (2-4 minutes)

   • Click on each orange/red project

   • Check the progress/consumption variance

   • Verify the forecast margin

   • Identify the cause (high hourly cost, low productivity, excessive supplies)

4. Decide on actions (1-2 minutes)

   • Note corrective actions mentally or on paper

   • Schedule interventions for the day

   • Notify the work supervisors if necessary

Result: Complete view of all your projects in 5 minutes

The 3 levels of quick analysis

Level 1: The flash analysis (10 seconds/project)

A quick glance at the color code Dropia:

• 🟢 Green: All is well, no action needed

• 🟡 Orange: Increased monitoring recommended

• 🔴 Red: Intervention needed

Ideal for the daily review of 10-15 projects.

Level 2: The detailed analysis (2-3 minutes/project)

For orange and red projects:

• Review the 5 key indicators

• Read the details of the variances

• Check the breakdown of costs (labor vs supplies)

• Consult the timeline evolution curve

Allows for precise problem identification and decision-making for corrective action.

Level 3: The in-depth analysis (10-15 minutes/project)

For complex situations or in preparation for client meetings:

• Task-by-task analysis with detailed variances

• Productivity per worker on this project

• Complete event history

• Comparison with similar past projects

• Generation of the complete commented report

Occasionally necessary, not daily.

Shortcuts to save even more time

Shortcut 1: Automatic alerts

Configure Dropia to receive only important alerts:

• Budget exceeded at 80%

• Progress/consumption variance > 10%

• 
  

  Forecast margin < critical threshold

  
  

You no longer need to check everything: the system alerts you when necessary.

Shortcut 2: Scheduled reports

Schedule automatic report sending:

• Global weekly report every Friday at 5 PM

• Detailed monthly report by project on the 1st of the month

• Client report at the end of each phase

You receive documents directly without having to request them.

Shortcut 3: Favorites and custom filters

Create custom views in Dropia:

• "My urgent projects" (red and orange only)

• "Ongoing projects in the North region"

• "Structural work projects"

One click and you have the view you need, without searching.

Shortcut 4: The mobile application

Check profitability even on the go:

• On a project site, check its status instantly

• In client meetings, pull up current figures

• During transport, do your daily review

Testimonial: Business owner, 12 employees, 8 simultaneous projects

"From 6 hours to 15 minutes per week to analyze my profitability"

David, manager of a renovation company:

"Before Dropia, every week I would block my Friday afternoons to take stock of all my projects. I would gather timesheets, consolidate in Excel, calculate, and create my charts. Easy 6 hours, often spilling into Saturday morning.

And the worst part is that as soon as I finished, the numbers were already outdated.

Now with Dropia, I spend 15 minutes every morning reviewing my dashboards. I have real-time visibility, always up-to-date. Calculations are done automatically, alerts notify me of issues.

I have gone from 6h per week to 15 minutes a day, or 1h15 per week. I’ve regained almost 20 hours per month that I now invest in business development and client relations.

And I manage better than before because I can react immediately when there’s an issue, not a week later."

Errors to avoid

Error 1: Wanting to analyze everything manually

Even with Dropia, some want to recalculate themselves to verify. It’s a waste of time: trust the automatic calculations and invest your time in decisions and actions.

Error 2: Analyzing too frequently

No need to check profitability every hour. A quick daily review + in-depth weekly analysis is sufficient for 90% of situations.

Error 3: Ignoring alerts

Dropia alerts are calibrated to signal the real problematic situations. Don’t ignore them, address them the same day.

Error 4: Not utilizing history

Profitability analysis is not only for managing the present. Use the historical data from Dropia to improve your estimates and your business strategy.

Checklist: Effective profitability analysis in 2025

Initial setup (once):

• ✅ Set up loaded hourly rates in Dropia

• ✅ Configure alert thresholds according to your strategy

• ✅ Enter forecast budgets for all active projects

• ✅ Train teams on mobile time tracking and supplies

Daily routine (5 minutes):

• ✅ Open the multi-project dashboard

• ✅ Check color codes

• ✅ Address alerts from the previous day

• ✅ Deep dive into 1-2 orange/red projects if necessary

Weekly routine (30 minutes):

• ✅ Detailed analysis of all active projects

• ✅ Generation of weekly reports

• ✅ Steering meeting with work supervisors

• ✅ Decisions on corrective actions

Monthly routine (2 hours):

• ✅ Consolidated profitability review

• ✅ Comparative analysis across projects

• ✅ Historical data use for improving estimates

• ✅ Strategic adjustments if necessary

How much time is actually saved?

Conservative calculation for 10 projects

Traditional method:

• Weekly analysis: 6-8h/week = 26-35h/month

• Production of monthly reports: 5h/month

• Meetings based on incomplete data: +3h/month

• Total: 34-43h/month

With Dropia :

• Daily consultation: 5min/day = 1h50/month

• Weekly analysis: 30min/week = 2h/month

• Report generation: 5min/month

• Effective meetings with up-to-date data: 1h30/month

• Total: 5h25/month

Net gain: 29-38 hours per month

Valued at the hourly rate of a manager (50€/h): 1,450 to 1,900€ of monthly savings

Dropia Enterprise package cost: 59.90€/month

ROI: 24x to 32x the investment

Conclusion: Instant profitability analysis

In 2025, spending hours manually analyzing the profitability of projects has become unnecessary. Dropia automation does the calculations in real-time, generates reports with one click, and alerts you only when needed.

You go from 35-40 hours per month to 5 hours. These recovered 30-35 hours can be reinvested in business development, improving quality, or simply finding a work-life balance.

And above all, you manage better with less effort: the data is always up-to-date, the analyses are reliable, decisions are made based on facts and not impressions.

→ See the automatic analysis in action - Free demo