For many contractors, the hardest part of growing a business isn’t finding the work; it’s getting qualified to do it.

More and more clients are turning to compliance platforms like ISNetworld®, Avetta®, and Veriforce® to manage vendor approvals. These systems are designed to streamline the process, but for contractors unfamiliar with how they work, they often have the opposite effect.

What looks like a simple document upload can quietly become the reason your bid gets overlooked, your account stalls, or your crew can’t mobilize. If you’re missing work you know you’re qualified for, hidden compliance issues could be the reason.

Let’s take a look at the most common mistakes and what you can do to fix them.

1. Assuming a Safety Manual Is Enough

One of the most common misconceptions contractors have is that their internal safety manual covers all the platform requirements. While it’s a good start, most clients and all compliance platforms want to see more than just your policies.

They’re looking for:

• Completed RAVS® or T-RAVS® programs

• Site-specific safety documentation

• Up-to-date OSHA logs and EMR letters

• Proof of ongoing employee training

• Certificates of insurance with the correct language

• Evidence that your documents are aligned with the client’s requirements

2. Letting Documents Expire Without Realizing It

Most platforms track expiration dates for every document you upload, including insurance, EMR, training records, and more. If one item expires and isn’t updated in time, your profile can drop in score or go inactive without warning.

3. Overlooking Client-Specific Requests

Each client on a compliance platform may have slightly different documentation needs or different scoring thresholds. A document that satisfies one client might get flagged as incomplete for another.

4. Ignoring Profile Grades

Your letter grade (A, B, C, etc.) on platforms like ISNetworld® isn’t just for internal tracking; many clients use it to decide who gets work. A drop from A to B might not seem like a big deal, but to a client with a competitive bid pool, it can be the deciding factor.

5. Waiting Until the Last Minute to Submit

Some contractors don’t realize how long the submission and approval process can take. Uploading documents the night before a job starts, or after a client requests access, leaves no room for revisions or clarification.

How to Avoid These Mistakes Without Burning Out

Staying on top of every requirement, update, and deadline is hard, especially if you’re also managing field work, hiring, billing, and day-to-day operations.

That’s why more contractors are outsourcing compliance support to a dedicated team that knows the platforms inside and out.

At Industrial Compliance & Safety, we help contractors:

• Create accurate, client-ready safety programs

• Monitor and maintain documentation across platforms

• Respond quickly to platform requests or corrections

• Keep grades high and expiration dates under control

• Avoid costly mistakes that put contracts at risk

If You’re Qualified for the Work, Don’t Let Paperwork Get in the Way

Many of our clients came to us after a bid fell through, not because they weren’t qualified, but because their compliance profile didn’t reflect it.

If you’re spending hours trying to figure out what went wrong, or if your submissions keep coming back flagged or incomplete, we can help.

Let’s make sure your paperwork works for you, not against you.