Substantial Completion Starts More Than the Closeout Clock
What owners should resolve before the certificate is accepted and the move date takes over. The drawings had been approved, the fire alarm tested, and…
Knowing the Building Commissioner Didn’t Speed Up the Permit
Political support, experienced attorneys, and well-connected expediters were expected to compress the building-permit schedule. Nobody could identify which review would move faster. “We have the…
What Makes a Capital Project? (And What the Forecast Can’t Tell You)
A five- or ten-year forecast identifies individual capital needs. The owner still has to decide which ones belong together. The five-year forecast placed lighting in…
Pencils Down. But Just One More Change.
Before the owner pays for more design, the team has to determine whether the project changed or the original scope missed it. “Pencils down.” No…
The Room Was Ready. Nobody Could Start the Meeting.
The technology worked exactly as designed. The employees still couldn’t start the meeting. The executive walked into the conference room early for the call. This…
The New Office Opened. Everyone Else Started Comparing.
A workplace investment at one address changes expectations everywhere else—and leaves facilities to explain the difference. While I was developing this article, someone told me…
The Business Unit Had a Project. The Capital Plan Didn’t.
The request sounded simple until someone priced everything required to make it work. “We just need to move a few walls.” The business unit wanted…
The Facilities Director Left. The Decision Process Got Exposed.
The knowledge may remain. Context and authority may no longer sit in the same place. The Facilities Director is gone. They may have retired, taken…
The Executive Sponsor Is Not an Appeals Court
A vendor disagreed with a decision and took it to someone more senior. The owner is the one who has to live with what happened…
The Cost Wasn’t Eliminated. The Options Were.
Some construction budget decisions don’t save money. They decide what the next capital project has to undo. Every capital project starts with more ideas than…
The Building Gets Transferred. The Reasoning Often Doesn’t.
Capital projects don’t just transfer buildings. They transfer the consequences of decisions—often without transferring the reasoning behind them. I’ll never forget a General Manager saying…
Every Project Gets an Explanation. Not Every Explanation Is True.
The project is finished. The budget has been reconciled. The punch list is complete. The team gathers for the lessons-learned session. Someone asks what went…
The Hidden Signal That Your Organization Has Outgrown a Facilities-Only Approach
The tipping point isn’t more projects. It’s when every new priority begins changing the assumptions behind projects already in the plan. Organizations don’t wake up…
“Your Guy” Still Has to Earn It
When trusted recommendations quietly change the conversation. I’ve worked with owners and decision-makers who recommended consultants, contractors, and design teams for all kinds of reasons….
Every Executive Has an Attention Budget
What Capital Projects Reveal About Executive Leadership A capital construction project generates a stack of reports every month, and most executives will never read past…