r/ContractManagement

Ok, so I got an email yesterday from a client that said they have won a $1.3 million dollar federal contract. They are the first client so far to win a contract using our software. We have only been out for a couple months and this helps prove that we took our decades of experience in the field and built something that is actually helping people compete more. We are excited to see more winners, coming down the pipeline. Now lets see whose next, we have over $4 million in our entire pipeline.. Lets end the year strong!!!!

What advice would you give to a new hire who is a contracts manager?

QSs who work with smaller contractors/subbies — what commercial mistakes do you see most often?

I’m thinking of businesses that are strong operationally but don’t yet have a full-time QS/commercial team and are starting to take on larger, more contractual work.

Things like:
Missing notices/deadlines
Poor variation tracking
Doing extra work without securing entitlement
Weak applications/records
Not fully understanding contracts
Poor cost/value and margin visibility

What tends to cost these businesses the most money?

And if they couldn’t justify a full-time QS, what tools, processes or support would you put in place first?

Also interested in what you think could realistically be automated/systemised versus what still needs an experienced QS.