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.

If you are a small or mid-tier contractor, planning is rarely your only problem. The programme is where cashflow, access, design interfaces, procurement, early warnings and compensation events all meet. Industry precedent: under NEC, the Project Manager’s acceptance of a programme does not change the Completion Date or the Contractor’s obligation to meet it, because the Completion Date can only be changed in accordance with the contract. Under NEC, the programme is not just