TRI-NORTH BUILDERS Customer Story
TRI-NORTH BUILDERS
Tri-North Builders, headquartered in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, has been a nationwide leader in construction for 43 years. Accounting supervisor Lori Walter, with over 24 years of expertise in managing large-scale commercial projects and 12 years at Tri-North Builders, plays a central role in overseeing financial operations to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget. When the company sought to streamline subcontractor payments and reduce redundant tasks, they chose GCPay to centralize data and optimize workflows.
Recognizing the Need for Change
Before GCPay, subcontractor billing, lien waivers, and compliance were managed manually at Tri-North Builders. Invoices arrived by email or mail, and data had to be entered manually into Viewpoint Vista, the company’s project management platform. “We had seven to nine people spending about 30 hours a week on these tasks, and it was all manual,” Lori says. Since implementing GCPay, only one or two people now manage these processes, spending about 20 to 30 hours per week—a significant reduction in labor. “It’s allowed us to refocus our team and better support both project managers and subcontractors.”
Lori Walter
Accounting Supervisor
Company Info
Headquartered in Fitchburg, Wisconsin
Streamlining Processes through Automation with GCPay
Automation was an essential feature Tri-North Builders sought from a new solution. The integration with Viewpoint Vista, along with features like automated lien waivers and payment tracking, made GCPay stand out. According to Lori, “The fact that lien waivers were automatic and that we could prevent non-compliant subs from invoicing was a huge win for us.” GCPay’s ability to handle certified payroll and owner-specific lien waivers streamlined several processes, allowing Tri-North Builders to keep all relevant information accessible in one place. “GCPay lets us roll data into Viewpoint seamlessly, so we aren’t going back and forth between platforms.”
“BEFORE GCPAY, OUR PROCESS WAS ALL MANUAL “IT’S ALLOWED US TO REFOCUS OUR TEAM AND BETTER SUPPORT BOTH PROJECT MANAGERS & SUBCONTRACTORS.”
Lori Walter, Accounting Supervisor
Leadership and Team Training for Success
The transition to GCPay wasn’t without challenges, but Tri-North Builders’ leadership provided crucial support. “When the CEO said, ‘We’re doing this, and you have three months to get everyone trained and onboard,’ we knew it was a priority,” Lori recalls. The CEO’s endorsement motivated the team, and GCPay’s customer support was instrumental in easing into the transition. Project managers were encouraged to reach out to GCPay’s customer service team whenever needed, which helped simplify the learning curve. “The customer service team was excellent. They were there every step of the way, answering questions and providing support without making anyone feel naïve. That made the whole experience a lot easier.”
Strengthening Subcontractor Relationships and Business Impact
GCPay has positively impacted Tri-North Builders’ relationships with subcontractors, allowing them to submit invoices with ease and ensure compliance. For subcontractors, the platform’s accessibility on any web-based device has been invaluable. Lori tells us, “We’ve had situations where a subcontractor submitted the wrong insurance certificate by mistake. GCPay’s system caught it, preventing any issues.” This compliance feature, which prevents non-compliant invoices from being submitted, was a key factor in Tri-North Builders’ decision to choose GCPay over another product.
The platform’s audit trail feature also ensures transparency, enabling the team to resolve issues efficiently. “More than once, we’ve used the audit trail to clarify discrepancies in payment timelines,” Lori states. “If a subcontractor thinks they billed us months ago, we can pull up the exact date of submission and resolve it immediately.”
“THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM WAS EXCELLENT. THEY WERE THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND PROVIDING SUPPORT WITHOUT MAKING ANYONE FEEL NAIVE.”
Lori Walter, Accounting Supervisor
Achieving Significant Business Outcomes
The impact of GCPay on Tri-North Builders has been profound, improving efficiency, visibility, and control over projects. “The system has given us more control and visibility over our projects than we ever had before,” Lori explains. The integration with Viewpoint Vista allows project managers and the accounting team to assess project statuses, spot issues early, and make informed decisions.
Tri-North Builders now completes key processes faster, with streamlined compliance and transparent billing. “We implemented a note in the audit trail for when checks are mailed, which our project managers and subcontractors appreciate,” Lori shares. This addition has made tracking payments simple and helps keep subcontractors informed.
For Tri-North Builders, GCPay has transformed their payment and compliance processes. Their experience with GCPay’s seamless integration with Viewpoint Vista, responsive customer support, and robust compliance features has allowed them to simplify their subcontractor management. This has ultimately delivered time-saving benefits across all project phases. Lori says, “If someone asked me if they should use GCPay, I would say absolutely. It’s user-friendly, it’s efficient, and it has completely streamlined our processes!”
“THE SYSTEM HAS GIVEN US MORE CONTROL AND VISIBILITY OVER OUR PROJECTS THAN WE EVER HAD BEFORE. IT’S USER-FRIENDLY, IT’S EFFICIENT, AND IT HAS COMPLETELY STREAMLINED OUR PROCESSES!”
Lori Walter, Accounting Supervisor
