Cash Flow Tip 9 - The Project Schedule and Cash Flow

The smoother the project schedule is, the smoother your cash flow will be.

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Large variations in the resource loading across a project’s duration impact cash flow and field productivity.  

Cash Flow: Tip 9 The Project Schedule and Cash Flow

Labor intensive contractors are impacted the worst because there is zero cash flow float on labor costs. Labor is paid within days of being incurred without any ability to stretch the payments out at all.  

The best schedule you can have for cash flow is one that ramps up smoothly, holds at peak production for a period of time, and then ramps down smoothly. The closer you can get to this schedule flow on your projects, the smoother they will run.

Schedule management starts with making clear production assumptions during the bid process and where applicable, getting those integrated into your contract.  

From there, focus on planning your project and keeping a level schedule flow in mind.  

Plan your Schedule-of-Values (SOV) for maximum cash flow based on the project schedule. 

Leverage your relationships to negotiate the best schedule flow and SOV you can.  

We are revamping our publicly available cash flow workshop that includes these 18 tactics that contractors can use to accelerate cash flow. Stay informed of updates on release.


Cash Flow
Great cash flow is a key driver of valuation and successful successions. Running out of cash is is the #1 reason contractors fail. Improving cash flow improves your Return on Equity. Protect yourself and never let cash flow be the limitation to your profitable growth....

Cash Flow
Great cash flow is a key driver of valuation and successful successions. Running out of cash is is the #1 reason contractors fail. Improving cash flow improves your Return on Equity. Protect yourself and never let cash flow be the limitation to your profitable growth....

Strategic Market Experiments
A growing contractor must systematically allocate 10-20% of their resources, including talent and capital to Strategic Market Experiments that have a probability of growing into a major market and becoming a "Strategic Choice."
The Productivity-Talent Bonus
Contractors will receive a major talent bonus when they put a relentless focus on field productivity. They will become “Talent Magnets” for the best in the industry making them unstoppable even in the face of major talent shortages.
TOOL: Effective Scoreboards & Scorecards Outline
One-page summary that can be used with your team to align them around the why, what, and how of effective scoreboards and scorecards. Next steps include worksheets to inventory and evaluate your current state of scorekeeping and designing the future.