The gap between quote and spend
A project is quoted from a bill of quantities, then executed through subcontracts, material purchases and site labour. Each of these is tracked by a different person, and the three come together only in the finance department, usually a month late.
- Material purchased against a project is not always attributed to it.
- Subcontractor progress is certified separately from the client billing.
- Site progress is reported verbally, so the schedule slips before anyone records it.
Where the system helps
The project record becomes the single place where cost, progress and billing meet.
- Budget by phase, with committed and actual cost side by side.
- Subcontractor progress certification linked to the payment schedule.
- Material issue against a project, with excess flagged before it is consumed.
- Client billing generated from certified progress rather than from memory.
Working on site
Site conditions determine what the system can ask of the people using it. Progress capture works on a phone, tolerates intermittent connectivity, and does not require the user to type more than a quantity and a photo.
- Progress entry on a phone, with photo evidence attached.
- Offline capture with synchronisation when the connection returns.
- Daily report generated from the entries, not written separately.
Delivery scope
A contractor running several concurrent projects typically goes live in eight to ten weeks, starting with cost attribution because that is where the loss is largest.
- Project and phase structure with budget.
- Cost commitment and actual attribution.
- Subcontractor certification and payment schedule.
- Site progress capture and daily reporting.
