Early-stage decisions shape your entire project’s success. Avoid budget overruns and delays by aligning teams, data, and delivery models from day one. This guide shows you how to build smarter from the start—and sell smarter too.
Why Early Decisions Make or Break Your Project
The first 10% of a construction project isn’t just about paperwork and permits—it’s where most of the risk is either locked in or eliminated. If you get this phase right, everything downstream becomes easier, faster, and more predictable. If you get it wrong, you’ll spend the rest of the project reacting to problems that could’ve been avoided.
Here’s why this early phase matters so much:
- Design choices made too early without input from field teams or suppliers often lead to rework.
- Delivery models chosen without considering collaboration can create friction between stakeholders.
- Scope decisions made in isolation can trigger change orders, delays, and cost escalations.
Let’s break this down with a simple comparison:
| Early Decision Area | Good Practice (Low Risk) | Poor Practice (High Risk) |
|---|---|---|
| Scope Definition | Collaborative scoping with input from all parties | Owner-led scoping without contractor involvement |
| Delivery Model | Design-build or IPD with shared incentives | Traditional design-bid-build with siloed roles |
| Team Setup | Early onboarding of suppliers and subs | Late involvement of key trades and vendors |
| Data Environment | Shared platforms for drawings, RFIs, schedules | Email chains and disconnected spreadsheets |
Now imagine this scenario: A developer kicks off a mid-rise commercial build with a fixed budget and tight timeline. They choose a design-bid-build model and finalize the architectural plans before consulting the structural engineer or the concrete supplier. Once construction begins, the foundation specs don’t match local soil conditions, triggering redesigns and delays. The concrete supplier flags that the specified mix isn’t available locally, adding cost and lead time. By the time these issues are resolved, the project is 6 weeks behind and 12% over budget.
This kind of situation happens more often than you think. And it’s not because people aren’t working hard—it’s because the early decisions didn’t include the right voices.
Here’s what you can do differently:
- Treat the first 10% as a strategic phase, not a formality. Use it to align goals, clarify risks, and build trust across the team.
- Bring in your product and service partners early. If you sell building materials or construction services, this is your chance to help shape specs, logistics, and cost plans in ways that benefit everyone.
- Use early-phase checklists to avoid blind spots. These should cover design coordination, procurement strategy, delivery model selection, and stakeholder alignment.
To help you visualize the impact, here’s a simple table showing how early-phase decisions affect downstream outcomes:
| Early Decision | Downstream Impact |
|---|---|
| Involving suppliers early | Fewer change orders, better material availability |
| Choosing collaborative model | Faster issue resolution, less finger-pointing |
| Aligning on scope | Reduced RFIs, clearer expectations |
| Centralizing data | Fewer miscommunications, better schedule control |
When you treat the first 10% of your project as a launchpad—not just a checklist—you set yourself up for smoother builds, happier clients, and stronger margins. And if you’re selling construction products or services, this is exactly where you want to be involved. Early influence leads to long-term value.
The Hidden Cost of Fragmented Teams and Data
When your project team isn’t aligned from the start, you’re not just risking miscommunication—you’re building inefficiency into every layer of the job. Fragmentation shows up in subtle ways at first: duplicated efforts, missed RFIs, conflicting schedules. But over time, these small cracks widen into costly delays and budget overruns.
Here’s what fragmentation typically looks like:
- Designers working in isolation from field teams
- Subcontractors receiving outdated drawings
- Suppliers not looped in until after specs are locked
- Owners making decisions without full visibility into trade impacts
Each of these disconnects creates friction. And friction costs money.
Let’s look at how fragmented data environments affect performance:
| Data Environment Type | Impact on Project Performance |
|---|---|
| Centralized (shared platform) | Faster issue resolution, fewer RFIs, better coordination |
| Fragmented (email, spreadsheets) | Delays, rework, lost information, scope confusion |
Imagine a scenario where the structural engineer updates beam sizes due to load changes, but the update isn’t pushed to the shared folder. The steel fabricator receives the old drawings and begins production. By the time the error is caught, materials are wasted, and the schedule slips by two weeks. The cost? Tens of thousands in rework and lost time.
You can avoid this by:
- Using shared platforms for drawings, RFIs, and schedules. Everyone sees the same version, reducing errors and confusion.
- Setting up real-time communication channels. Tools like integrated project dashboards or mobile field apps keep everyone in sync.
- Assigning a data coordinator early. This person ensures updates are tracked, shared, and verified across all teams.
When your data flows smoothly and your teams are connected, you reduce risk and increase speed. And if you’re selling construction products or services, this is where you can shine—by offering solutions that plug into these systems and make coordination easier.
Turning the First 10% into a Strategic Advantage
Most construction professionals treat the early phase as a checklist: get permits, finalize drawings, lock in contracts. But if you shift your mindset and treat it as a strategic launchpad, you’ll unlock better outcomes across the board.
Here’s how to make that shift:
- Use collaborative delivery models. Design-build, CM-at-risk, and IPD align incentives and reduce adversarial relationships.
- Bring suppliers and service providers in early. Their input can optimize material choices, lead times, and installation methods.
- Use early-phase workshops to align stakeholders. These sessions clarify goals, identify risks, and build trust before construction begins.
Let’s say you’re supplying HVAC systems. If you’re involved early, you can help the design team choose units that fit the building’s energy goals, local availability, and install constraints. You can also flag lead time issues before they become schedule killers. That’s not just selling a product—it’s solving a problem.
This kind of early involvement positions you as a strategic partner. You’re not just responding to specs—you’re helping shape them. And that leads to stronger relationships, repeat business, and better margins.
How to Set Up for Success: Practical Steps
Getting the first 10% right isn’t about luck—it’s about process. Here are practical steps you can take to make sure your project starts strong:
- Define roles and responsibilities early. Who owns what? Who approves changes? Who coordinates subs? Get this nailed down before kickoff.
- Choose tools that support collaboration. Look for platforms that integrate drawings, schedules, RFIs, and procurement in one place.
- Build a kickoff checklist. Include items like:
- Stakeholder alignment session
- Procurement strategy review
- Risk mapping exercise
- Data environment setup
- Supplier engagement plan
Here’s a sample checklist to guide your early-phase setup:
| Kickoff Checklist Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Stakeholder alignment session | Clarify goals, roles, and expectations |
| Procurement strategy review | Identify long-lead items and sourcing risks |
| Risk mapping exercise | Surface potential issues before they escalate |
| Data environment setup | Ensure shared access to drawings and schedules |
| Supplier engagement plan | Bring in product experts to optimize decisions |
These steps aren’t complicated—but they’re often skipped. And skipping them is what leads to chaos later.
If you’re selling construction products or services, this is your chance to be part of the solution. Offer kickoff support, spec reviews, or logistics planning. Help your clients get organized early, and they’ll keep coming back.
Selling Smarter Through Better Project Starts
When you help clients get the first 10% right, you’re not just selling materials—you’re selling confidence. You become the partner who helps them avoid surprises, reduce risk, and hit their targets.
Here’s how to position your products and services during early phases:
- Highlight how your solutions reduce risk. For example, pre-engineered systems can cut install time and reduce field errors.
- Show how your logistics support improves speed. Just-in-time delivery, staging plans, and packaging options can streamline workflows.
- Demonstrate lifecycle value. Products that lower maintenance costs or improve energy performance are easier to justify early.
Let’s say you offer waterproofing systems. Instead of waiting for the spec to land in your inbox, you join the early design meetings. You help the team choose a system that fits the building’s climate, budget, and install schedule. You flag compatibility issues with other trades. You offer training for the field crew. Now you’re not just a vendor—you’re a trusted advisor.
This kind of early involvement builds loyalty. It also gives you more control over how your products are used, which reduces risk and improves outcomes. And when clients see you as part of their success, they’ll bring you in again and again.
3 Actionable Takeaways
- Treat the first 10% of every project as a strategic phase. Use it to align teams, clarify risks, and set up systems that support collaboration.
- Integrate your products and services into early planning. Don’t wait for specs—help shape them by offering insights, support, and value.
- Use shared data environments and collaborative delivery models. These reduce friction, improve speed, and make your projects more predictable.
Top 5 FAQs About Early-Phase Construction Strategy
1. Why does the first 10% of a project matter so much? Because it sets the foundation for everything that follows. Poor early decisions lead to rework, delays, and budget overruns.
2. What’s the best way to align teams early? Hold a stakeholder alignment session before kickoff. Define roles, goals, risks, and communication protocols.
3. How can suppliers add value during early phases? By helping optimize specs, flagging lead time issues, and advising on install methods and logistics.
4. What tools help reduce fragmentation? Shared platforms for drawings, RFIs, schedules, and procurement—ideally cloud-based and mobile-friendly.
5. How does early involvement help me sell more? You position your products as part of the solution, not just a line item. That builds trust and repeat business.
Summary
The first 10% of your construction project isn’t just a starting point—it’s a decision-making zone that determines how the rest of the job unfolds. When you treat it as a strategic phase, you reduce risk, improve speed, and set up your team for success.
For construction professionals, this means shifting from reactive to proactive. It means using collaborative models, shared data, and early engagement to build smarter. And it means seeing kickoff not as a formality, but as a launchpad.
If you sell construction products or services, this is your moment to lead. By helping clients get the first 10% right, you become more than a supplier—you become a strategic partner. And that’s how you build stronger relationships, better projects, and a more resilient business.