By Maria Mothibeli, Head of Operations at SPM
Some project costs are visible from the start. They appear in the quotation, the project schedule, the procurement plan, the labour allocation and the client agreement. Other costs only become clear once the work begins and the delivery team starts dealing with requirements that were not properly considered earlier.
By this stage, the client may already have approved the quotation, agreed to the timeline and started planning around the expected delivery date. Internal teams may also be preparing for work based on assumptions that operations has not yet tested.
This is a common risk in technical and infrastructure work. Operations is sometimes brought into the process after the commercial discussion has already happened. The opportunity has been discussed, the work has been priced, and the delivery team is then expected to execute.
This may appear efficient, but it can create pressure before the project has started. The issue is not always that the work was priced badly or that the timeline is impossible. The issue is that the practical requirements may not have been tested properly before the business made commitments.
Operational teams understand the details that affect delivery. They know what can delay mobilisation, what can affect site access, what resources are needed, what skills are required, and what information must be confirmed before the team can work safely and efficiently.
They also understand the impact of shutdown periods, permit requirements, client availability, safety files, specialised tools, spare parts, supplier lead times, travel arrangements and supervision requirements. These details affect cost, time, safety and service delivery.
When operations is brought in too late, the delivery team has to work within decisions it did not help assess. The team is expected to meet timelines, budgets and client expectations that may not have been checked against the actual conditions of the work.
This is where the business can start losing control of the project. The impact can show up in overtime, rushed procurement, extended site time, unnecessary travel, additional supervision and repeated internal coordination.
It can also affect the team’s ability to communicate clearly with the client, because new issues are being identified after expectations have already been set. A project does not have to fail for this to be costly.
The work may still be completed. The client may still be serviced. The invoice may still be submitted. Internally, the business will know when a project required more effort, more follow-up and more correction than it should have.
That matters because additional effort affects margin. It also affects people. Site teams carry the pressure when assumptions were made too early. Supervisors have to resolve issues that should have been identified before mobilisation. Managers spend time closing gaps that could have been addressed before the work was accepted.
This is why operational involvement should not be treated as a final check. It should be part of how the business protects delivery, margin and client trust.
When operations is included earlier, the business can price the work more accurately. It can identify what must be included in the scope, what must be excluded, what information is still outstanding, and what risks need to be discussed with the client before work begins.
This also helps the client. Clients need clear information. They need to understand what must be in place for the work to proceed. That includes access, isolation requirements, permits, shutdown windows, site readiness, drawings, asset information and the correct contact people.
These conversations are easier to have before the work starts. They are harder to have when the team is already on site and the client expects delivery to continue without delay.
Speed is important in business. Teams need to respond quickly to opportunities. They need to support clients and keep work moving. The problem comes when speed creates commitments that are difficult to deliver properly.
Operations does not exist to slow the business down. It helps the business understand what delivery will require before decisions are finalised.
In infrastructure and maintenance work, this is important. The work is technical, practical and site-based. It depends on people, equipment, access, safety requirements, planning and clear communication.
A decision made in an office must still be delivered under real site conditions. Strong businesses bring operational judgement into the process before the project is fully committed. They allow practical experience to inform pricing, planning and client communication.
This reduces avoidable pressure. It improves internal alignment. It protects the delivery team. It gives the client a clearer understanding of what is required.
Most importantly, it helps the business make promises it can deliver properly.
That is where good delivery starts.