A New Way to Manage Out-of-Scope Work

Managing Change Orders and T&M Tickets can be a slow, frustrating process, and one that often results in delays, disputes, and lost revenue for Specialty Contractors. For BrandSafway estimator and project manager Travis Troxler, who has spent his fair share of time buried under stacks of time tickets, tracking labor hours, and chasing signatures, it was just part of the job. That all changed when his team on the Hotel Del Coronado project adopted Clearstory.

"My favorite part of Clearstory is not having to go through the stacks and stacks of tickets," he says. "Everything is detailed, tracked, and organized. No more piles on my desk—it's all right there in front of me." With instant access to approvals, real-time documentation, and automated processing, Clearstory removed the bottlenecks that once made T&M tracking a challenge.

It made all the difference at the Hotel Del Coronado, a project that brought immense operational challenges. With extensive T&M work, countless Change Orders, and a need for seamless collaboration between Subcontractors and the General Contractor, the traditional manual process was proving to be inefficient and cumbersome.

BrandSafway, a leader in scaffolding and access solutions, played a key role in the renovation, managing an array of critical tasks—including extensive scaffolding, shoring, and hoisting systems. Troxler led the BrandSafway team on this project and was again expecting the inefficiencies of paper-based T&M Tickets and manual Change Order processing. However, with Clearstory, those challenges became a thing of the past.
 

The Clearstory Impact: Speed, Transparency, and Peace of Mind

Before adopting Clearstory, BrandSafway and other Specialty Contractors at the Hotel Del Coronado project relied on paper tickets and manual documentation for tracking T&M work. The process often led to lost or misplaced tickets, creating delays in billing and risking potential revenue loss.

Without real-time visibility, it was difficult to track approvals and changes in the field, and manual pricing required extensive administrative work to bundle and process Change Orders. Disputes over work performed were common due to vague descriptions and missing documentation.

"Prior to Clearstory, I’d go through stacks and stacks of time tickets, trying to decipher handwriting, track down missing approvals, and match tickets with work descriptions,” Troxler explains. “It’s time-consuming and leaves a lot of room for error."

Like many seasoned professionals, Troxler was initially skeptical about adopting a new software system. "When they first told me we were going to be using Clearstory, I was not excited," he admits. But after a short onboarding process and a few training sessions, his perspective shifted entirely.

Clearstory’s intuitive interface and ease of use made the transition smooth, even for those who were less than tech-savvy. "After a couple of weeks, it becomes second nature. It’s very user-friendly," he says. Even field foremen, who were accustomed to traditional time tickets, adapted quickly. "Our foremen picked it up really quick... It’s just a much smoother process," Troxler notes.

With Clearstory, the BrandSafway team saw immediate improvements in efficiency and accuracy. The platform provided a centralized system where all T&M work could be logged, tracked, and priced in real time.

Rather than filling out a time ticket with vague descriptions and hoping for approval, Troxler and his team could attach photos and detailed notes, eliminating any uncertainty. The system streamlined the pricing of Change Orders by automatically incorporating labor rates, rental costs, and freight charges, making manual tracking almost obsolete.

Clearstory also improved communication with Swinerton, the general contractor on the project. "It makes communication seamless. Everything is transparent—no more digging through emails or chasing signatures. Everyone is on the same page," Troxler explains

Improved GC Communication = Change Orders Approved in Weeks Instead of Months

The adoption of Clearstory delivered significant operational improvements for BrandSafway at the Hotel Del Coronado project. Some of the most notable success metrics include:

Most importantly, the peace of mind that came with real-time tracking was invaluable.

"I used to stress about losing revenue because a ticket didn’t make it back to my desk or got lost in a superintendent’s gang box,” Troxler says. “Now, I see everything happening in real time."

For Troxler and his team, Clearstory proved to be more than just another software tool—it was a game-changer.

The ability to track, document, and process T&M work digitally not only saved time but also ensured that BrandSafway was compensated accurately and efficiently for all work performed.

"With Clearstory, you don’t have to worry about stacks of paperwork, missing signatures, or miscommunications,” Troxler says. “It’s all right there in front of you, in real time. It’s a phenomenal tool.”