The drawings were clean. The shipments were “on time.” So why did the job still overrun?
Project overruns don’t always come from big failures. Often, it’s an accumulation of friction—scope creep, sequencing mismatches, or undocumented install delays—that never shows up in the RFP. But PMs feel it, log it, and adjust their vendor list accordingly.
Field-level contributors to overrun:
Refractory materials that require double the cure time due to site conditions
No install support for substituted glass components with different prep needs
Missed coordination with other trades—causing rework or schedule stalls
Distributors who avoid this trap don’t just ship product. They:
Flag sequence and install risks up front
Recommend job phasing when lead times slip
Capture delays in a format PMs can use to justify change orders or defend schedules
PMs remember the supplier who helped them explain the delay—not the one who caused it.
