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Procurement is supposed to be a repeatable process. In reality, it’s anything but.
Every project has unique challenges, every subcontractor has quirks, and every quantity surveyor or contract administrator juggles countless deadlines.
Yet procurement is where your project either sets sail or starts to sink. Get it right, and you lock in margin, reduce risk, and bring trades on board with minimal drama. Get it wrong, and you’re patching scope gaps, managing cost blowouts, and fielding phone calls no one wants to make.
This article highlights common pitfalls and construction procurement best practices that actually work.
They’re drawn from real projects, not wishful thinking.
Procurement sets the tone for everything that follows: how closely you hit budget, whether the programme holds, and how well you get along with your supply chain.
It’s the only phase that touches every trade before they set foot on site (you can think of it like this: 85-90% of a project's costs go through your procurement process). If it’s structured, timely, and transparent, projects start strong. If it’s rushed or reactive, you’re already behind.
Many procurement issues don’t start out loud. They build slowly, then show up later as cost, conflict, or delay.
Poor scope definition is the first culprit. One missed line in a joinery package, or a vague clause around temporary works, can spiral into a margin hit. We’ve seen entire scopes copied from old projects unedited. Saving time upfront can cost tens of thousands down the line.
Hidden costs are another trap, especially with prime cost (PC) sums and provisional allowances. When design isn’t locked or supplier input is missing, numbers are guessed. Those guesses get baked into the programme, and a 40k item ends up costing 70k — and the subcontractor won’t wear it.
Deadlines slip mainly due to poor visibility. If a package is due for award on March 15th, but the CA is busy and no one follows up, it can sit dormant for weeks. By the time it’s awarded, the preferred contractor might have moved on or increased their price.
Disconnected approvals also slow everything down. One QS told us they had to send a recommendation through three people across two systems — one was on leave. The package sat untouched for 12 days.
Vendor relationships fall apart when they’re neglected. If you ghost subcontractors on feedback, send unclear scopes, or drag out sign-off too long, they remember. Next time, you might not get their best number. You might not get any number at all.
These aren’t edge cases. They’re standard outcomes in the old way. Improving them means changing how you work, not just what you work on.
Procurement isn’t guesswork. When it’s structured and consistent, you get fewer surprises and more control. Here’s how to move from reactive to reliable.
Scope gaps don’t appear during prestart meetings — they appear as variations and disputes. Use a consistent template for each trade. Don’t copy and paste from your last project unless you’ve reviewed it line by line. Flag incomplete design areas clearly. Document assumptions.
As one commercial manager put it: ‘Everyone’s doing things differently. That’s the problem. That’s where the mistakes come from.’
Subcontractors can’t price what they don’t understand. If your tender docs are vague or inconsistent, you’re inviting confusion — and blown-out rates.
Use consistent return dates, clear scope inclusions, and standard instructions. Everyone then responds to the same brief. It’s fair, fosters trust, and usually yields sharper pricing.
Decisions without structure are tough to justify and even harder to repeat. Create a scoring matrix for every trade and define your weightings early. Whether it’s 50% cost or 30% programme, consistency keeps bias out and margin intact.
If you push all risk onto the subcontractor, they’ll walk or price it in. Either way, you lose. Contract terms should reflect reality. Mirror key head contract clauses but avoid overreaching. Be clear on liquidated damages, notice periods, and scope risks. Don’t let your special conditions contradict your general ones.
A subcontractor onboarded properly and treated fairly is more likely to deliver. Track compliance, delivery histories, and lessons learned in a single system. Focus on facts, not just reputation. That way, you’re not relying on memory or hearsay next time you go to tender.
Manual schedules can’t keep up with 15 projects and hundreds of trades. Automation shows you what’s late, what’s due, and who’s responsible — no chasing. Reporting becomes live, not a monthly scramble.
Ignoring risk doesn’t make it disappear. It just shows up later — usually with a cost attached. Assign who drafts, who checks, and who signs off. Use checklists. Keep records. A simple, orderly structure stops issues before they escalate.
Manual schedules only show what someone remembered to update. They’re outdated once the pace picks up. You only spot a late package when it’s already late.
Automated schedules replace that guesswork with live data. Every package is tracked from scope issue to contract execution. If something slips, you see it immediately. No chasing and no surprises.
See how it works in practice: ProcurePro’s procurement schedule.
You can’t manage what you can’t see. A live schedule reveals the status of every package — where it’s up to, who’s responsible, and when it’s due. If joinery hasn’t gone to tender, there’s no need for a meeting to find out. You address the delay before it becomes a crisis.
Spreadsheets hide problems in cells. An automated schedule shows milestones on a timeline. You see which packages are on track, which are late, and what’s next. No more endless tabs or email chains.
You can’t just award a package and hope. Automated schedules factor trade-specific lead times. If roofing needs a 10-week lead, the system counts back to show when you must award. Miss the date, and the risk is flagged.
Manual schedules don’t identify who’s holding things up. With automation, each task is assigned directly. If a recommendation sits idle, you know who’s responsible. That transparency halts delays before they snowball.
You won’t need to copy data between tabs or chase updates. The schedule updates the moment work happens. Tender sent? Status changes. Contract signed? Milestone ticked off. You spend less time reporting and more time delivering.
Every project is different, but we hear the same questions from commercial teams.
Use a two-stage approach. It lets contractors see the design early, so they can highlight missing details before pricing, not after contract award.
Digital platforms cut out copy-paste mistakes, versioning confusion, and missed steps by centralising processes. Packages move through a set path with no rework or guesswork.
Yes, when you give them clarity early. If subcontractors help shape the scope, they don’t need to buffer their price to cover unknowns. You get sharper numbers and fewer variations.
Procurement doesn’t unravel because people don’t care. It unravels when too many approvals, files, and systems exist in too many places. Even the best teams waste time chasing information instead of making decisions.
A connected approach gives your team structure. One platform, one set of rules, one place to collaborate. Scope, tender, recommendation, and contract — all visible, all tracked, all moving. You don’t need a spreadsheet to tell you what’s behind. You already know.
If you’re ready to stop firefighting and start working smarter, book a demo.
James Metcalfe
