A breakdown of costs on a field ticket or invoice, separating charges into labor hours, equipment usage, and materials consumed.
LEM (Labour, Equipment, Materials)
Related Terms
Lump Sum
Cash FlowA pricing model where the contractor agrees to complete a defined scope of work for a fixed total price, regardless of actual costs incurred.
DSO (Days Sales Outstanding)
Cash FlowThe average number of days it takes to collect payment after a sale. For field service companies, DSO measures how long between completing work and receiving payment. Industry benchmarks range from 30-60 days.
Day Rate
Cash FlowA pricing model where contractors are paid a fixed daily rate for equipment and/or personnel, regardless of the amount of work completed that day.
T&M (Time and Materials)
Cash FlowA pricing model where the contractor bills for actual time spent and materials used, plus markup. Common for work where scope is uncertain.
Revenue Leakage
Cash FlowRevenue that is earned but never collected due to operational inefficiencies. Common causes include lost field tickets, unbilled equipment hours, forgotten third-party charges, and documentation errors. Industry estimates suggest 1-5% of revenue is lost to leakage in paper-based operations.
Net 30/Net 45/Net 60
Cash FlowPayment terms indicating when payment is due after invoice date. Net 30 means payment within 30 days. Many operators use Net 45 or Net 60, extending subcontractor cash cycles.
Latest Cash Flow News
Eni Cuts Annual Capex by $2B, Raises Shareholder Payouts Under 2026-30 Plan
Italian energy major Eni is reducing annual capital investment by roughly EUR 2 billion and boosting shareholder distributions under its updated five-year plan, a shift that signals tighter upstream spending through 2030.
yesterday Cash FlowAlberta Landowners Block Oil Company Operations Over Three Years of Unpaid Lease Payments
Edmonton-area landowners erected blockades against MAGA Energy after the company allegedly failed to pay land lease fees for three years, highlighting payment risks for field service contractors.
6 days ago Cash FlowTariffs Push Construction Input Prices Up 7% to Start 2026
January saw a sharp spike in nonresidential construction costs, driven by tariff-affected materials like copper, steel, and industrial controls. Here's what subcontractors need to know.
20 days ago Cash FlowStudy: Mid-Sized Field Service Companies Losing $1.8M Annually to Operational Inefficiency
New research quantifies the true cost of paper-based field operations. Revenue leakage, admin overhead, and delayed approvals combine to drain nearly 5% of revenue for a typical 75-person operation.
22 days agoRelated Guides
Job Costing for Field Service Companies: How to Know If You're Actually Making Money
A practical job costing guide for oilfield and construction subcontractors. Track labor, equipment, and materials per job to find profit leaks and bid smarter.
Compliance GuideHow to Read and Negotiate an Oilfield Master Service Agreement (MSA): A Subcontractor's Guide
Learn which MSA clauses actually matter for oilfield subcontractors: indemnity, insurance, payment terms, and change orders. Know what you're signing.
Cash Flow GuideHow to Reduce Field Ticket Rejections: A Subcontractor's Complete Guide
Learn why field ticket rejections happen, what every ticket must include, and proven steps to get oilfield invoices approved faster and protect your cash flow.
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