Drift is why you lose money.
It's the gap between what you bid and what you're actually doing. Between what you planned and what the field is delivering. Most subs don't see it until the job is over. By then, the money's gone.
What is Drift?
Drift is the invisible distance between your estimate and your execution. It's the hours that pile up without anyone noticing. The scope that expands without anyone tracking. The efficiency that erodes day by day.
You bid the job at 1,200 hours. You're at 1,400 and the job's 75% done. That's Drift.
You planned for 3 guys on that phase. You've had 5 out there for two weeks. That's Drift.
The GC moved your start date twice, added work to your scope, and now you're working out of sequence. That's Drift too.
Drift doesn't announce itself. It accumulates. And by the time you notice it, you've already lost the margin.
Conditions for Production
Your estimate assumed certain conditions. When those conditions aren't met, Drift happens. Here's what has to be true for production to match your bid.
For Each Worker
Show up
The person has to actually be there. Absenteeism, turnover, no-shows — it all creates Drift.
Be qualified
They need the skills to do the work. Send a helper to do a journeyman's job, and you're burning hours.
Know what to do
Clear direction. Clear expectations. If they're guessing, they're drifting.
Have the tools
Right equipment, right materials, on site and ready. Waiting is Drift.
Have access
The area has to be ready. If they can't get in, they can't produce.
No rework
Do it right the first time. Every redo is unbid labor.
Safe conditions
Safe environment to work productively. Unsafe conditions slow everything down.
For the Team
Right crew size
Too few people and you fall behind. Too many and you're tripping over each other. Both are Drift.
Proper sequencing
Work in the right order. Out-of-sequence work kills efficiency and creates rework.
Why Drift is hard to see
Drift doesn't show up in one big event. It's not a catastrophe. It's a thousand small things that don't get noticed because each one seems minor.
An extra hour here. A guy standing around there. A phase that took 10% longer than planned. None of it sets off alarms. All of it adds up.
Most subs don't have the systems to see it. Time gets logged in buckets too big to analyze. Progress gets measured by gut feel. By the time the job cost report comes in, it's history — you can't do anything about it.
You can't fix what you can't see. And Drift is designed to stay invisible.
667 hours of Drift. That's real money walking out the door.
What BlackHyve does about it
BlackHyve makes Drift visible. We connect your estimate to your field data so you can see the gap forming — while there's still time to do something about it.
Identify Drift. Route it for action. Control your story.
See hours against your estimate — live
Not at close-out. Not at the monthly review. Today. You know if you're burning faster than planned while you can still adjust.
Track the conditions that cause Drift
When your crew can't produce because of access issues, material delays, or out-of-sequence work — document it. Build the case for the change order.
Catch problems in days, not months
Weekly visibility means weekly course corrections. You don't have to wait until the job is over to learn you lost money.
Walk into the trailer with the paper
When the GC asks why you need more time or money, you have documentation. Hours. Impacts. Proof. The conversation changes when you have the data.
Know where you stand on Drift.
Stop finding out you lost money after the job is over. See the gap while there's still time to close it.