The cash flow challenge: retentions and milestone billing in construction
In construction, payment often comes long after the work is done. Northern Metal Roofing regularly faced delays due to milestone billing, retentions and slow client approvals. With upfront costs for materials, labour and compliance, the business was under pressure to keep projects moving while waiting months to be paid.
Chasing overdue invoices drained internal resources. Traditional finance options like overdrafts and short-term loans introduced fixed repayments, personal risk and a lack of cost transparency. The company needed a flexible, non-debt solution that could support growth without increasing liabilities.
The solution: Payments on Demand for construction & roofing contractors
Northern Metal Roofing adopted Marmalade's Payments on Demand platform to eliminate cash flow delays. By issuing invoices with updated payment details, the business could access cash upfront without taking on debt or giving up control.
The platform integrated with their accounting software, streamlining payment matching, reconciliation and automating professional follow-ups on overdue invoices. This removed the need for manual collections and reduced reliance on costly debt recovery services.
Results
- Improved working capital without loans or overdrafts
- Hours saved each week on invoice chasing
- Automated follow-up for overdue payments
- No interest, no lock-in, no personal guarantees
- Transparent, real-time control over invoices
Commentary
"Marmalade gave us a flexible, transparent solution that freed up working capital without the usual headaches," said the company's General Manager, Jon Causer. "The automated payment matching and follow-ups have made our receivables process far more efficient. This is a fantastic all-in-one solution from a forward-thinking payments company."
