Programme Best Practice

For contractors, pre-construction planning is not “getting ready to start”. It is building a credible, auditable delivery plan and the control system you will use to manage progress and change.

Excel is great for registers and dashboards, but risky as the master NEC programme. Here are 7 pitfalls that undermine cause and effect, plus fixes using a lean logic linked schedule.

Construction planning in 2026: how to win and deliver projects successfully Introduction: planning in an age of chronic delay Despite decades of progress in tools and standards, global construction still struggles to deliver projects on time and on budget. Recent systematic reviews show that delays remain endemic across building, infrastructure and industrial projects, with recurring root causes such as design changes, weak planning, poor site management, resource shortages a

Practical Differences for Contractors on Programme, Reporting and Compensation Events For contractors delivering engineering and construction projects in the UK and internationally, the choice between NEC and FIDIC isn’t just a legal technicality – it changes how you plan, report and secure entitlement to time and money. Programme requirements, reporting expectations and the way changes are valued all work differently under each form. If you treat them the same, you increase

Why Cashflow Now Lives Inside the Programme Cashflow remains one of the defining determinants of contractor survival. Multiple studies identify poor cashflow forecasting and weak financial planning as major contributors to contractor insolvency—even on technically successful projects (Ejaz & Nawaz, 2020). As construction projects become more complex and financially constrained, researchers emphasise the need for integrating real project data into cashflow modelling rather tha

In the landscape of UK infrastructure and construction projects, NEC3  and NEC4  contracts have emerged as best-practice frameworks for collaborative delivery and proactive risk management. One of the most critical yet misunderstood elements of NEC planning is the Time Risk Allowance (TRA) . Embedding realistic TRAs into your programme not only demonstrates compliance with NEC’s ethos but also safeguards project objectives, budgets, and relationships. What Are Time Risk Allow

Industrial engineering and building contractors-whether specialising in M&E, mechanical, civil or electrical works-face growing demands from Tier 1 clients to deliver under NEC3 and NEC4 frameworks. By embedding advanced construction project planning , leveraging Primavera P6  and partnering effectively with a planning consultancy , your business can consistently meet client expectations, protect margins, and win repeat work. 1. Master NEC3 & NEC4 Essentials for Subcontractor

A consultant-grade guide to acceptance-ready NEC programmes for M&E: practical sequencing, procurement, commissioning, updates, and CE time impact evidence.