Set reminders ahead of the deadline, not on it
A reminder on the day an application or notice is due is a reminder to panic. Set one a few working days out so there's time to prepare the document properly, and a second on the day as a backstop.
Updated: . By Jack Butler-Kettle, Construction Claims Consultant.
Why it matters
An application due on Friday needs the measure done, the variations priced and evidenced, the document written and someone senior to sign it off. None of that happens in an hour. If the only reminder fires on the day, the application goes out thin, with figures nobody has checked. Or it goes out late and may not count for that cycle. The first reminder, a few working days out, turns the deadline into a task with a start date. The second, on the day, catches the cycle where the first was seen and forgotten. Between the two, the document gets the time it deserves.
How to do it
- Add a first reminder 5 working days before each application date and notice deadline, addressed to the person who prepares the document.
- Add a second reminder on the deadline day, addressed to the person who sends the document, as the backstop.
- Name the document in the reminder, with the cycle number, so nobody has to work out what it refers to.
- Start the document the day the first reminder fires, even if you only write the cover.
Example
Illustrative example. The scenario and figures are invented.
The facts
A subcontractor's QS must submit application seven by the 25th. It will claim £120,000, including £18,000 for two variations that still need pricing and evidencing. The reminder system fires 5 working days ahead and on the day.
What happens
- The first reminder fires on the 18th and the QS starts the application, listing the measured work and the two variations.
- The QS asks the site manager for the instructions and photographs of the varied work, and gets them on the 20th.
- The QS writes the application on the 22nd. The commercial manager reviews and signs it on the 23rd.
- It goes to the named recipients on the 24th. When the second reminder fires on the 25th, the QS closes it.
The application
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Measured work | £102,000 |
| Two variations, priced and evidenced | £18,000 |
| Applied for | £120,000 |
The outcome
The application goes in a day early, with both variations priced and evidenced. The main contractor's Payment Notice values them in full, not at nil for lack of back-up.
To have this set up for you, see our Underpayment Prevention service.