Have you ever signed a contract for
what feels like a good price, then
watched helplessly during the job as
your costs rose far above
what you projected? Your
early optimism turned to
frustration and despair as
profits drifted uncontrollably
away.
This familiar, disheartening
scenario points up the
fact that every job includes
some unpredictable costs
that can easily grow out of
control. Like a puzzle, some
parts of the jobs can be
fitted into place easily, while
others remain a mystery
until work has progressed.
Reducing risk and gaining control in
the game of contracting often depends
on being able to identify and separate
out from the whole as many pieces of
the puzzle as possible.
One of the most powerful control
tools for