James Fischer-Myall · Sign out
4 | Early Risks, Opportunities and Quick Wins
Protect delivery now, and hold the bigger opportunities until the pipeline is complete
Risks
- Change that distracts from delivery. This is the biggest risk I'd bring as a new starter. Mitigation: no new systems or restructures in 30 days, and Level 2 only where it helps live jobs
- A committed job slipping on time, cost or quality. Mitigation: weekly live-jobs check-in and clearing blockers quickly
- Over-committing: new work stretching current crews and plant. Mitigation: capacity check with the general manager before new commitments
- Cash gaps if milestones aren't invoiced promptly. Mitigation: invoice as each milestone is completed
- Losing the team's trust by coming across as corporate. Mitigation: listen first, be on site, and help before suggesting anything
Quick wins
Only things that help the current pipeline, using existing tools:
- Level 1 Clear the blockers job leads raise in week one, and let them know it's done
- Level 1 Confirm tickets and inductions for everyone on live sites
- Level 2 Invoice each milestone as it's completed and follow up overdue debtors weekly
- Level 2 Capture variations on live jobs as they happen
- Level 2 One short weekly check-in on live jobs, with owners and dates
Opportunities, once the pipeline is delivered
- Level 3 Use actual costs from completed jobs to price future quotes more accurately
- Level 3 Plan crews and plant ahead of the next pipeline
- Level 3 Reduce manual admin, such as supplier invoice processing
- Level 3 A simple KPI pack built from existing systems
- Level 3 Grow recurring maintenance work off the back of completed jobs
Put forward at day 30. The owner and general manager decide the timing.
Examples of the later opportunities
To show how I'd approach the Level 3 opportunities, I put together three small prototypes on invented data. They aren't proposals for the 30-day engagement. They're examples of what could be considered once the committed pipeline is delivered, if the owner and general manager want to go down that path.
Level 3 Margin early warning →
Forecast margin at completion, with exceptions, owners and due dates.
Level 3 Invoice reader →
Reads a scanned invoice, checks ABN, GST, PO and duplicates, and suggests the GL account.
Level 3 Plant allocation →
Lowest-cost weekly plan across owned plant and hire, checked against tickets and inductions.