Matthews & Roberts

Contractor commercial management

Cost & Commercial
Management

Margin is rarely lost in one event. We keep forecasts, change and the cost position current throughout delivery so your management team can act on movement early.

Based in Liverpool. Supporting contractors across the UK.

Discuss your requirements

What we do

Cost, change and forecast managed from the contractor side

Commercial management on a live project is not a monthly reporting exercise. It needs continuous attention to cost, change and supply chain commitments as the work develops. Decisions made without current commercial information tend to be expensive ones.

We give Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 contractor teams extra commercial capability for forecasting, CVR, cost reporting, change control and governance without adding permanent overhead.

Need the work measured and valued as well? Quantity surveying covers applications, variations and final accounts.

What we provide

Cost reporting and CVR
A reliable monthly view of cost, value and margin.
Forecasting
Actual cost, commitments, accruals and cost to complete.
Change control
Change registers, notices and records kept in step with site.
Supply chain cost
Subcontract commitments and liabilities kept visible.
Cash flow management
Receipts and payments forecast and planned.

How we help

Cost and commercial management services

Open any service to see what it covers.

Cost control and budget management

Where the project is heading, not only where it has been.

We track actual cost, committed expenditure, accruals, liabilities and forecast cost to complete throughout delivery. You see margin movement as it happens rather than discovering it at completion.

Cost trackingBudget controlCommitted costAccrualsCost to completeMargin visibility

Commercial reporting, CVR and forecasting

Management information you can make decisions on.

Structured commercial reports and cost value reconciliation that give your management team a reliable view of value earned, cost incurred, committed liabilities, outstanding change, cash position and forecast final cost.

Commercial reportsCVRForecastingCash flowManagement information

Change control and contract management

Change captured at the time it happens.

Instructions, design development, access constraints and programme events that affect the contract price are captured as they occur. We run the change register, make sure notices are served and manage each event through the right commercial process. Measurement and valuation of the change sits with our quantity surveying service.

Change identificationChange registersEarly warningsCompensation EventsCommercial noticesContract administration
Quantity surveying

Supply chain and subcontract cost

The largest part of the cost base, kept in view.

Commercial oversight of procurement and the supply chain from package strategy through award, delivery and close out. We keep subcontract commitments, applications, variations and forecast final accounts visible in the reported position.

Package strategyTender comparisonsSubcontract administrationCommitmentsLiability tracking

Commercial risk management

Exposure identified before it becomes cost.

We identify commercial risk within the contract, programme, procurement and delivery before it turns into cost. You see where exposure sits and what commercial actions are available.

Risk identificationContract reviewCommercial exposureRisk registersMitigation

Cash flow management

Receipts and payments planned, not left to chance.

Project cash flow forecasts that show receipts and payments so funding needs can be planned and applications timed to support the cash position throughout delivery.

Cash flow forecastPayment timingApplication strategyFunding requirementsCash planning

Commercial governance

Consistent controls across one project or many.

Commercial procedures, registers and a regular reporting cycle set up so every project is reported in the same way. This can run on a single scheme or be retained across your business.

Commercial proceduresReporting cycleRegistersRetained support

Cost report no longer reflecting the project?

Speak to our team

Our approach

Visibility, control and records from award to final account

The principles behind effective contractor commercial management.

01

See the position early

Problems found early can be managed. Those found at completion cannot.

02

Capture change at the time

Change not recorded when it happens is hard to recover. Records and notices must keep pace with the work.

03

Control the supply chain

Subcontract cost is often the largest part of the cost base and needs structured management.

04

Protect cash flow

Cash flow is a management objective in its own right, not a result left to follow on.

When you need us

Commercial pressure builds when visibility falls behind

We can support from the start of a project or step in where extra capacity or tighter control is needed on a live scheme.

Your commercial team is under resourced

The project needs more commercial management than the existing team can give alongside other live commitments.

The cost position is unclear

The cost report does not reflect the project. Committed cost, accruals, subcontract liabilities or outstanding change are missing.

Change is not being managed

Instructions, design changes, access restrictions or programme events are affecting the work but the commercial position has not kept pace.

Subcontract costs are moving unseen

Package liabilities are rising without a clear picture of applications, variations, commitments or forecast final accounts.

Cash flow is under pressure

Applications are late, payment is disputed or the cash needs of the project are not being planned.

Margin is eroding

Reported margin is deteriorating and the team needs greater visibility to understand what is driving the movement.

The project has become more complex

Scope, programme or subcontract complexity has grown beyond what was expected at award and more commercial capacity is needed.

The detail

How we keep the commercial position under control

Scoped to the project and what the commercial position requires.

Cost reporting that reflects the project

Everything that moves margin, in one report.

Management teams decide based on the position as reported. Where a report misses committed cost, outstanding change, subcontract liabilities or accruals, those decisions rest on incomplete information. Our reports bring these together in a format built for decision making.

CostValueChangeCommitmentsLiabilitiesAccrualsForecastCash flowMargin

Change control

A live register and the records behind it.

Instructions are given verbally. Design develops after mobilisation. Access is restricted. Each event can carry a commercial consequence. We keep a live change register, flag events as they occur, make sure notices are served and build the records that support your position.

  • Change identification
  • Instruction log
  • Variation register
  • Compensation Event register
  • Quotation preparation
  • Agreed change records
  • Disputed change records
  • Commercial notices
  • Contemporaneous records

Subcontract and supply chain

The full subcontract lifecycle kept visible.

Subcontract cost is often the majority of the cost base. We manage it from package development through award, delivery and close out. Package measurement and account valuation can be added through our quantity surveying service.

  • Package scope development
  • Enquiry documents
  • Tender comparison
  • Award recommendation
  • Subcontract administration
  • Subcontract applications
  • Subcontract variations
  • Subcontract final accounts
  • Liability forecasting

Contract forms we work under

NEC, JCT, FIDIC and bespoke contracts.

  • NEC

    Early warnings, Compensation Events, Defined Cost, programme, payment and Project Manager interfaces.

  • JCT

    Payment, variations, loss and expense, extensions of time, subcontracts and final account procedures.

  • FIDIC

    Commercial support on projects using FIDIC forms where they apply to your scope and appointment.

  • Bespoke

    Commercial management built around the payment, change, notice and contract procedures in the project agreement.

Matthews & Roberts does not determine contractual entitlement. We help contractors keep records, submissions and commercial information in line with the project procedures. Contractual and legal advice should be sought separately where required.

What we produce

Deliverables scoped to your project.
  • Cost reports
  • Budget tracking
  • Committed cost schedules
  • Accrual schedules
  • Cost to complete forecasts
  • CVR
  • Cash flow forecasts
  • Change registers
  • Variation management records
  • Compensation Event records
  • Quotations
  • Procurement registers
  • Tender comparison reports
  • Subcontract administration records
  • Subcontract account management
  • Commercial risk registers
  • Monthly commercial reports
  • Management dashboards
  • Final account preparation support

Before award and during delivery

Commercial control from the first estimate.

The strongest cost position starts at tender, with risk and allowances understood before commitment. During delivery, commercial reporting works best when it sits close to the people managing the programme and the site.

Tender and pre construction supportProject management

Related services

Support around your commercial position

FAQ

Cost management questions from contractors

What does cost and commercial management involve for a contractor?

It covers the work needed to keep cost visible and protect your commercial position throughout delivery. That includes budget control, forecasting, CVR, cost reporting, change control, supply chain cost, cash flow and commercial governance.

How is this different from quantity surveying?

The two overlap on most projects. Quantity surveying measures and values the work through applications, valuations, variations and final accounts. Cost management takes a broader, forward looking view of cost control, forecasting, reporting, risk and governance. We provide either or both, depending on what the project needs.

Can you help if our cost position has already become unclear?

Yes. We carry out a commercial review to establish the current cost position, identify what is driving the movement and help you prioritise the actions needed to regain visibility and control.

Can you manage change and Compensation Events?

Yes. We help contractors identify, record and manage change under NEC and JCT contracts, keeping the registers, notices and quotations needed to protect your commercial position.

Can you produce cost reports and CVRs?

Yes. We produce structured commercial reports and CVRs covering current cost, value, committed liabilities, outstanding change, forecast final cost and cash flow.

Can you support subcontract procurement and management?

Yes. We support package development, enquiry, comparison, award and ongoing administration of subcontract accounts including applications, variations and final accounts.

Can you provide commercial support on NEC projects?

Yes. We support contractors with early warnings, Compensation Events, Defined Cost information where relevant, programme interfaces and payment. Contractual entitlement remains subject to the contract and appropriate commercial or legal advice.

Can commercial management be provided on a retained basis?

Yes. Contractors with several live projects can retain our support across the business, giving consistent commercial governance without adding permanent overhead.

Can you step into a project that is already underway?

Yes. We review the current position, put the necessary controls in place and provide ongoing support where commercial management needs strengthening or more capacity is required.

Where do you provide cost management support?

We are based in Liverpool and support contractors across the UK, including Liverpool, Manchester and the wider North West.

Cost and commercial management

Need greater commercial control around your project?

Whether you need extra commercial capacity, clearer cost visibility, better change control or a more reliable reported position, we can work alongside your team.

  • Cost control and budget management
  • CVR and commercial reporting
  • Forecasting and cost to complete
  • Change control
  • Supply chain cost
  • Cash flow management
Discuss your projectView all management services