Claims Management Tools of the Trade

Owners rely on project reports in order to make decisions

The nature of the typical construction project is such that owner, contractor, and other entities progress from project inception to completion while at the same time endeavoring to satisfy their (often competing) objectives. The result is an industry characterized by high potential for conflict, with substantial evidence that only the most rare of projects is completed without changes or claims.

In this contentious construction environment where change can be expected and even anticipated, project management best practices can be applied and used as powerful and effective techniques to avoid claims. This paper discusses claims avoidance as an organizational objective, with the implementation of tools to address and focus efforts on minimizing the occurrence and impacts of claims through internal controls, accurate record keeping, audit and change management methodologies