How much of the overrun is the client's

Anyone running a lump sum design assignment knows this. The monthly report says the EAC got worse, not why. Some is the client's, changed directions and late information. Some is your own rework. Telling them apart means reading the journal, the minutes and the requests side by side, the night before the meeting.

One case on our Try page: a street and utility design, monthly reports June through October. Yesper traced the lump sum overrun back to the project journal: 55% is supported there, and $19,586 of that was never requested in writing.

You walk in knowing what you can ask for. Items without a written request turn up while there's time to write one, instead of when the invoice is questioned. Same for the rest of the Try page: a fee proposal against the staffing plan, a design schedule against the due dates, the month-end portfolio review.

Try it yourself →