BERKELEY, Calif. — Blu Banyan Inc. has announced a new partnership with Lumber aimed at solving one of solar contractors’ biggest financial blind spots: true labor cost visibility by project and phase.
Blu Banyan, developer of the SolarSuccess platform built on Oracle NetSuite, said the integration connects Lumber’s time tracking and payroll engine directly into SolarSuccess (and its construction-focused complement, BuilderSuccess), eliminating manual reconciliation and spreadsheet rework.
The companies say the integration allows solar and construction contractors to see what labor actually costs on each job — broken out by phase and component — directly inside NetSuite before books close.
Closing the Labor Cost Gap
Labor is typically the largest variable in solar project margins, yet many contractors rely on disconnected systems. Time may be recorded in one platform, payroll processed in another, and job-cost reporting rebuilt manually weeks later.
That delay can result in late visibility, inaccurate estimates, hours of month-end cleanup and unexpected margin erosion.
The new integration is designed to address that issue by automatically pushing payroll data into the correct project and phase categories inside SolarSuccess. Phases such as site survey, installation, permitting and commissioning are mapped to payroll results without manual adjustments.
“Solar teams don’t just need payroll to land in the financial system. They need labor costs to hit the right project phase, quickly and consistently, so the numbers match how jobs are actually run,” said Jan Rippingale, CEO of Blu Banyan. “SolarSuccess provides that job structure inside NetSuite, and Lumber brings the payroll engine,” she added. “Together, we’re giving solar and construction customers accurate labor costs by project and phase without days of manual cleanup.”
Real-Time Visibility for Operations and Finance
Under the integration, Lumber captures time data in the field and processes payroll. Once payroll runs, SolarSuccess automatically posts labor costs to the appropriate job and phase, allowing operations and finance teams to see the same numbers at the same time.
For example, a contractor managing 30 residential installations per month can track actual labor costs for each phase — such as site survey versus installation or punch list work — using real payroll data instead of projections.
The companies say this enables faster decisions on overtime, staffing adjustments and bid pricing before the next project cycle begins.
“Blu Banyan understands how solar and construction companies actually run their jobs, and that alignment made this partnership a natural fit,” said Girish Ramachandra, Head of Partnerships at Lumber. “By working together, we’re connecting Lumber’s time, payroll, and compliance data directly into SolarSuccess so customers get accurate, job-level labor costs while staying aligned with certified payroll and multi-state requirements,” he added. “The result is cleaner data, stronger compliance, and a lot less manual work for ops and finance.”
Addressing Compliance and Multi-State Complexity
The companies note that solar contractors operating across multiple states or under union pay scales often face added compliance requirements, including certified payroll reporting.
By tying time, payroll and job-cost accounting into a single structured system, the integration aims to reduce compliance risk while simplifying reporting across jurisdictions.
As margins tighten and project volumes increase, executives say the ability to understand labor costs in near real time — rather than weeks after a crew has moved on — is becoming a competitive necessity.
Available Now
The SolarSuccess and Lumber integration is available immediately to solar and construction companies using the platform. Both firms are offering demonstrations and consultations to interested contractors.
Blu Banyan develops solar-specific business management tools on NetSuite, while Lumber provides workforce management technology focused on time tracking and payroll for construction companies.
The partnership reflects a broader push in the solar and construction sectors to integrate field operations, payroll and financial systems into unified platforms that support faster decision-making and stronger margin control.
Originally reported by EIN Presswire in The News Star.
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