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How to use bonus data to spot problems before they cost you

Your bonus data shows you what’s working and what’s not. Here’s how to read it like a coach, not just a bookkeeper.

When a job goes over budget or someone’s bonus drops and they don’t know why, you’ve already got a problem. The goal here is to catch that kind of thing before it snowballs.

Your ProPay and bonus data tells a story every week. You don’t need to stare at spreadsheets all day. You just need to know what to watch for, and what it means.

Let’s walk through it.

1. Start with the basics: look for red flags

You’ll see patterns once you know what to look for. These are the usual suspects:

⚠️ Low ProPay Efficiency

  • If someone’s at 45% efficiency and everyone else is at 90%, something’s off.
  • Might be a bad job setup. Might be the wrong person on the job. Might be a training issue.
  • Use it as a signal, not a judgment. Start a conversation.

🚫 Unpaid Jobs

  • These are jobs that don’t show in bonus statements.
  • Not because you didn’t get paid by the customer, but because the job isn’t marked Complete or doesn’t have hours and revenue attached.
  • Field team won’t see a bonus, and they’ll ask why.

❌ Missing Hours or Revenue

  • Bonus = Revenue - Hours. If one of those is missing, your data’s broken.
  • Happens when time logs aren’t synced or job info isn’t updated.
  • The fix: double-check your time-tracking integration and make sure jobs are closed out properly.

😬 Unclaimed ProPays

  • Jobs with no crew assigned = no one gets paid.
  • Usually an admin error, but it feels personal to the crew.
  • Fix it fast or risk trust issues.

2. Zoom out and look for patterns

One bad ProPay? Not a big deal.
Three bad ones in a row for the same crew? That’s a trend.

Use the ProPay Report or Efficiency View to:

  • Spot teams that are slipping
  • See if budget problems are tied to certain job types
  • Check if bonus drops match changes in assignments

If it feels like something’s off, you’re probably right. The data just confirms it.

3. Use the data to coach, not criticize

Bonus data isn’t for punishing people. It’s for helping them win.

Use it in your weekly rhythm:

  • Tailgate talks → “Here’s where we crushed it. Here’s where we slipped.”
  • 1-on-1 check-ins → “Let’s look at your last few jobs together. What’s working?”
  • Planning → “This kind of job keeps going over. Let’s figure out why.”

The best managers don’t just see the data.
They use it.

Wrap-up

Every ProPay is a little report card. The goal isn’t to hand them out and walk away. It’s to read them, talk about them, and improve.

Don’t wait for bonus complaints to find out something went wrong. Your bonus data is already telling you what needs attention. You just have to listen.