How EM3 automated construction draw processing and eliminated manual compensation calculations
Automated
End-to-end draw pipeline replacing a fully manual cycle
~0 manual
Special split calculations handled entirely by the engine
Side-by-side
Multi-cycle draw comparison (e.g., 4/01 vs. 5/01) with automated validation
Client-ready
Structured output reports with no manual assembly or reformatting
Industry
Construction Finance & Accounting Automation
Organization
EM3, in partnership with Kelli Schott at Elite Accounting & Advisory Services, an accounting firm managing construction draw processing across multiple active projects
Challenge
Fully manual draw processing: pulling reports, running compensation calculations including complex special splits, comparing draw cycles, and reformatting output for client review consumed significant accounting hours per cycle.
Solution
An AI-powered draw process platform that automates report ingestion, compensation calculation (including special splits), draw-cycle comparison, and structured output generation, validated on live client draw data.
The Challenge
Construction draw processing is one of the most manual, expertise-intensive tasks in construction finance. For accounting firms managing multiple projects, each draw cycle requires pulling contractor pay applications from the client platform, validating every line item against the project budget, calculating compensation including complex special splits, and producing output reports formatted for client review. With no automation in place, this consumed significant accounting professional time per cycle, and the complexity of special splits meant errors could only be caught by someone with deep domain knowledge.
Draw report ingestion was entirely manual
Pulling reports from the client's platform, exporting data, and preparing it for calculation required manual steps before any real work could begin, compounding the time burden of each cycle.
Complex special splits required expert accounting knowledge
Standard line items were labour-intensive enough, but special splits, where compensation calculations diverge from standard formulas, required experienced accounting judgement and manual intervention on every draw.
No automated draw-to-draw comparison or validation
Reviewing changes between draw cycles (e.g., 4/01 vs. 5/01) was done manually, pulling both reports side-by-side and reconciling differences by hand, with no systematic validation process.
Output reports needed manual formatting for every client
After calculations were completed, the results had to be reformatted to match client-specific output expectations, adding time to each cycle and introducing additional opportunities for error.
High professional time cost per draw cycle
Each cycle (ingestion, calculation, comparison, formatting) consumed meaningful accounting hours that could not scale without proportional headcount growth.
The Solution
Attri worked directly with Kelli Schott at Elite Accounting to build an AI-powered draw process platform aligned with real construction accounting workflows. The system automates the full cycle from report ingestion through to client-ready output, tested and refined on live draw data from actual projects.
Automated Draw Report Ingestion
Draw reports exported from the client's platform are ingested automatically, with no manual data extraction or preparation steps. The system reads and structures the data ready for calculation.
Compensation Calculation Engine (incl. Special Splits)
Handles standard line item compensation as well as complex special splits, the formulas that diverge from standard logic. Validated iteratively against real draw data to ensure accuracy before full deployment.
Multi-Cycle Draw Comparison & Validation
Automated side-by-side comparison across draw cycles enables reviewers to see exactly what changed between, for example, the 4/01 and 5/01 draws, without manual reconciliation.
Structured Output Report Generation
Final output reports are generated in a format aligned with existing accounting workflows and client expectations: structured, consistent, and ready for review without additional reformatting.
Additional Features
Report Ingestion
Auto-ingest from client platform exports.
Line Item Calculation
Standard and special split compensation.
Draw Comparison
Side-by-side validation across cycles.
Validation
Iterative accuracy review on real data.
Output Generation
Structured reports ready for client review.
Works with your existing tools
The Results
| Metric | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Manual processing time | Significant accounting hours consumed per draw cycle | Significantly reduced, automated pipeline handles ingestion through output |
| Special split calculations | Manual accounting work requiring expert judgement per cycle | Automated calculation engine, validated on real draw data |
| Draw cycle comparison | Manual side-by-side reconciliation of exported reports | Automated comparison across cycles with structured validation |
| Report output | Manual formatting per client, per draw cycle | Structured output generated automatically, ready for review |
| Accuracy validation | Dependent on reviewer expertise, no systematic check | Iterative validation pipeline tested on live client draw data |
Full draw cycle automated from raw report export through to client-ready output.
Complex special splits, the hardest part of draw processing, handled accurately at scale.
Output aligned to existing Elite Accounting workflows, requiring no change management on the accounting team side.
Iterative refinement pipeline folds newly surfaced edge cases back into the engine.
Why It Worked
Built with real accounting expertise
Attri worked directly with Kelli Schott at Elite Accounting, a practitioner who runs this workflow daily. The system was designed around real-world accounting logic, not theoretical requirements.
Tested on live draw data before deployment
Validation was conducted on actual draw reports from real construction projects, not synthetic test data. Every edge case was refined against production data before the system was considered complete.
Special splits handled accurately at scale
The hardest part of draw processing, complex special splits that require domain knowledge, is precisely where the calculation engine was most thoroughly validated.
Output aligned to existing workflows
Reports are generated in a format that matches how Elite Accounting already presents work to clients, so no change management was required on the accounting team side.
Iterative refinement built into the process
The testing and validation pipeline is designed for ongoing improvement, so each review cycle can surface edge cases that are folded back into the engine.
Security & Compliance
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