FIS Consultant Len Bunton shares his thoughts on why businesses should learn to say, No.

These monthly Blogs are designed to help FIS Members avoid common traps and build on our focus on collective experience.  They share ideas about improving the commercial management of your contracts. In other words, instilling best practice into the way FIS members run and manage their business. What I have endeavored to suggest is ways to ensure you get paid on time, and what you are due.

FIS Consultant Len Bunton shares his concerns about the payment and cash flow issues in the construction industry in the UK.

“Everybody who reads this will be acutely aware of difficulties in the current marketplace, and what I would like to do is to share some recent experiences and to highlight some recommendations to allow businesses to find a way through an exceedingly difficult period.

“What we have experienced recently as a number of significant failures of contractors and subcontractors in the UK, and there is no doubt that these failures result in a trail of devastation for the supply chain who have been involved. What members need to do is to minimise risk. I have recently been involved with a number of FIS members in dealing with payment and cash flow issues, and the level of difficulties that are being experienced is extraordinary and after 40 years in this industry I do not think I have seen so many issues arriving on so many projects.

Here, Len provides some suggestions and recommendations for you to take on board.

These monthly Blogs are designed to help FIS Members avoid common traps and build on our focus on collective experience.  They share ideas about improving the commercial management of your contracts. In other words, instilling best practice into the way FIS members run and manage their business. What I have endeavored to suggest is ways to ensure you get paid on time, and what you are due.

FIS Consultant Len Bunton talks about the work that he carries out for members, and summarises some guidance that will help member organisations to improve cash flow within their organisation.

The assistance we provide usually starts with a phone call from a member organisation who has some sort of payment problem, and the answer is to respond quickly and to be provided with relevant communications and try to understand why the member is not being paid. The second stage of that would be to endeavor to have a discussion with the other party involved, and to get their side of the position and to see if there can be some sort of compromise that will allow the member to be paid.

These monthly Blogs are designed to help FIS Members avoid common traps and build on our focus on collective experience.  They share ideas about improving the commercial management of your contracts. In other words, instilling best practice into the way FIS members run and manage their business. What I have endeavored to suggest is ways to ensure you get paid on time, and what you are due.

FIS Consultant Len Bunton talks termination of contracts. This is another minefield, and another good reason you should read contracts.

Here, Len discusses what can you do to reduce exposure to a threat of termination.

These monthly Blogs are designed to help FIS Members avoid common traps and build on our focus on collective experience.  They share ideas about improving the commercial management of your contracts. In other words, instilling best practice into the way FIS members run and manage their business. What I have endeavored to suggest is ways to ensure you get paid on time, and what you are due.

FIS Consultant Len Bunton looks at the importance of keeping records and why this is vital.  It is not uncommon for disputes to emerge on contracts that were concluded 3-4 years ago, so your records need to be collated and stored and archived, because you never know when you might need them.

These monthly Blogs are designed to help FIS Members avoid common traps and build on our focus on collective experience.  They share ideas about improving the commercial management of your contracts. In other words, instilling best practice into the way FIS members run and manage their business. What I have endeavored to suggest is ways to ensure you get paid on time, and what you are due.

FIS Consultant Len Bunton looks at the Contractors Right of Suspension and the process that should be followed.

These monthly Blogs are designed to help FIS Members avoid common traps and build on our focus on collective experience.  They share ideas about improving the commercial management of your contracts. In other words, instilling best practice into the way FIS members run and manage their business. What I have endeavored to suggest is ways to ensure you get paid on time, and what you are due.