Oracle Textura helps Metcalf keep costs in check amid its regional building boom

Listen to Nick Borini of Metcalf Builders talk for a few minutes and it’s clear that he’s a firm believer in the effectiveness an automated payment management system brings to every construction job.

As the controller for one of northern Nevada’s most dynamic builders, Borini speaks from experience. With business booming across the region around Reno and Carson City, he calls construction payment management application Oracle Textura a “saving grace” for Metcalf’s wide range of commercial jobs.

“Our projects range from multi-family housing, hotels, senior living facilities, self-storage, industrial, medical, and tenant improvements, and I'm dealing with subcontractor billings, compliance documents, and lien waivers on a daily basis,” Borini says. “We use Oracle Textura for every single job, no matter how big or small.”

Keeping pace with company growth

Emerging from the pandemic, Metcalf has experienced tremendous growth over the past three years. Oracle Textura allows Borini and his accounting team of three to focus on other areas that accommodate Metcalf’s expansion while keeping pace with a growing volume of subcontractor billings, lien waivers, and compliances. That not only provides peace of mind for Borini’s team, but it also enhances Metcalf’s relationship with their subcontractors.

“Subcontractors can get billings in and reviewed easily, and if there are revisions, it's very simple in Oracle Textura,” Borini says. “They appreciate an easy-to-use, efficient payment system. They enter in their banking information themselves and, instead of waiting for checks in the mail, receive speedy ACH payments––it’s huge with our subcontractors.”

Utilize the Oracle Textura learning tool

Working on smaller projects, such as tenant improvements, means some of their subcontractors are mom-and-pop shops that may not be familiar with the advantages of an automated construction payment management system. But once Borini and his team walk them through Oracle Textura’s advantages, 100% will jump onboard.

“We use Oracle Textura for every single job, no matter how big or small.”

—Nick Borini, Controller, Metcalf

“It can be intimidating working with a new technology. Once they see how easy it is to use Oracle Textura, how much faster they’ll get paid, it becomes a no-brainer for them,” he says. “When they log in for the first time, they may not know how to use it. But we typically send the Oracle MyLearn link that includes tutorial videos. Once I send that, they’re good. Everything's working on their end.”

Oracle Textura limits the need to increase staff

Having all parties use a single collaborative platform is a boon to Borini’s team and Metcalf as a whole. The company tends to run lean, and Oracle Textura’s many features support their workload without having to add staff.

Borini recalls the first time he used Oracle Textura after joining Metcalf. At a previous job, his accounts payable person had a bookcase with stacks of lien waivers that often wouldn’t be signed until the end of the month. Subcontractors would sign multiple conditionals and unconditionals at the end of a project, and there was a lot of stress and risk under that manual process, he says.

"If we didn’t have Oracle Textura, we’d need at least two other people in our department."

—Nick Borini, Controller, Metcalf

“I was blown away once I was introduced to Oracle Textura; I fell in love almost immediately,” he says. “I can’t imagine how much more difficult our growth would be. If we didn’t have Oracle Textura, we’d need at least two other people in our department. I’m not sure how companies manage all this work without it.”

Prior to Borini joining Metcalf, he says the organization first used Oracle Textura in 2016 on a project at the request of the owner. “Metcalf wanted the job so they agreed, and the company was so impressed with the efficiencies it created, they adopted it for everything moving forward,” says Borini.

He shared some words of advice to other contractors in a similar position: “The efficiencies around the subcontractor billing payments, lien waiver, and compliance tracking alone are worth it. The time it saves, and you're mitigating your risk because you won’t accidentally pay something you shouldn't. The system keeps you on track and makes sure that your subcontractors are diligent in providing what they need not only to get paid, but to be on site.”

Putting Oracle Textura’s core capabilities to work

Among Oracle Textura’s core capabilities, Borini finds himself frequently using the analytics. For example, if he wants to see how much work they’ve done with a particular subcontractor or how much work is under contract, he’ll use Oracle Textura analytics to retrieve the information.

The lien waiver tracking also is a particular favorite feature for Borini, especially as the company grows in volume.

With Oracle Textura there’s no chasing, no follow-ups or worries if they’re in the wrong format or incorrectly dated. It removes the stress off Borini and his team as well as the ownership group.

“We know as soon as we get a subcontractor paid, I can guarantee our owner that I’ll have the unconditionals in three days. That is absolutely huge for us.”

See Oracle Textura in action and find out why contractors of all sizes choose this solution to increase productivity and mitigate risk.