How's your contract progressing?

When you're focused on getting the job done, it's easy to overlook many of the contract admin tasks that - for most people in construction - are probably not the most exciting part of the working day!

But beware of overlooking or simply not bothering with seemingly inconsequential tasks, which, remember, you have agreed to do when you signed the contract. It could be one of the main reasons why you don't make the expected profit on jobs or fail to win repeat business.

One of the biggest risks is not keeping accurate records of how the contract is progressing. When things change as a result of things like material delays, the weather or design alterations, many Contractors and Sub-Contractors will simply make a verbal agreement with the client and hope that goodwill prevails for fair and full payment at the end of the contract. But this can come back to bite you!

Why you need to get everything in writing

Take a look at Cherry's scenario and see if it's familiar

The solution lies with what we call Monthly Progress Auditing. This is where you make sure your progress records accurately reflect the past and the on-going plan deals in the present and best predicts the future.

You'll probably be aware of 'cause & effect', 'critical path' and all that, but are you on top of it? Are you accurately predicting when deliverables are required? Is the programme being updated at appropriate intervals?

Doing this makes it easier to identify a delay early on, giving you more time to notify and report it, correct it and put mitigating or alternative steps in place. Not only does this enable to you plan your work better, but it protects you against allegations of delay and prevents fewer disputes relating to delays.

How Quantum CPM's Monthly Progress Auditing service helps

Our Monthly Progress Audit service helps Contractors and Sub-Contractors to ensure accurate records are kept throughout the project. These can be used and relied upon, if necessary, as well as identifying any issues as early as possible.

This involves our contract specialists evaluating your progress against the programme and, if a delay is identified early on, they will flag it up. This gives you time to correct it and catch up.

The Monthly Progress Audit service is just one of the services we offer to help Contractors and Sub-Contractors protect themselves in construction projects so they can deliver their work as promised with the minimum fuss or risk of financial loss.