Change orders can help your business build trust & protect your bottom line – or it can let valuable opportunities slip through the cracks. Sound familiar?
In the construction & manufacturing world, change orders (CO’s) are an important touch point between you & your clients. For Business Developers, these touch points can make or break your next opportunity with that client. Client’s notice how you handle each change order & curve ball that gets thrown at you– are you transparent? Responsive? Capable?
Change orders can build your reputation, project profits, and set yourself apart. The question is, are you using change orders to benefit you or are they just another pain point in your process?
Let’s take a look at how the right tools (and thoughtful approaches) can make you stand apart in the CO process.
1. Standardized Intake: Catch Issues Early and Keep Things Simple
No one likes scanning through dozens of emails & documents trying to find specific details. Instead, a clear, structured intake from (think Power Apps and SharePoint) makes inputting COs less time consuming & frustrating. An intake form can bring together scope of changes, cost impact, time impact, attachments, and more, all in one spot. Gather requirements & resources and get all the information you need up front. No more chasing team members or scanning email threads.
Why it works: Teams who switch to forms find out about issues sooner, sidestep confusion, and cut down on headaches. Adding a structured form to your CO process makes everyone’s life a little easier.
2. Approval Workflow: Transparency That Builds Confidence
Approvals shouldn’t slow your team down – they should be quick, easy & painless. Using automated workflows (think Power Automate) your CO requests pass through the chain of command without bottlenecking. From project managers & operations to finance & executives – digital workflows are simpler to follow and create a ‘paper’ trail you can easily follow.
Why it works: When clients ask questions like “How do you prevent schedule and cost overruns?”, you can walk them through a real process (you can even show them the workflow you follow). It’s a confidence boost, both for your team and for the folks signing your checks.
3. Client-Ready Narratives: Explaining the Why, Not Just the What
While field notes and technical RFIs are important for internal notes, not all clients speak construction jargon. Utilizing tools like Copilot for M365, can help you convert details into clear explanations, site your sources & aggregate information from previous projects.
Why it works: When clients understand the why and the what, we see fewer hold-ups and faster signoffs. It’s not surprising that a little extra clarity goes a long way – especially with business developers who are primarily focused on building trust.
4. Data-Driven Insights: Learn and Improve with Every Project
Loggins COs is a great first step – but if you aren’t then using the data - you’re missing out big time. A well-kept log (approval times, impact, categories, reps, etc.) will not only help you stay organized, but it can also fuel your decision making & show insights into your team. Tools like Power BI help turn that data into visuals – that can lead to action.
Why it works: Imagine going after a new project and being able to show that 95% of your COs are approved within 48 hours. That’s the kind of detail that puts you ahead of the competition. Using your own data to win more work is game changing.
What These Changes Look Like in Action
These aren’t just ideas – we’ve seen these solutions help our current clients. Here are some examples:
- A Fortune-200 Manufacturer cut their review time down from hours to minutes by automating agreements, signatures, and storage—a method we’ve helped adapt for AEC teams to keep projects moving without administrative delays.
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An Industrial Producer swapped out an old form for one built with Power Apps, and suddenly, submissions were accurate, attachments weren’t lost, and everyone knew the status. It’s the same approach we recommend for clean, efficient CO intake in construction and engineering.
Want to Take the Next Step?
A strong CO process isn’t just about documentation - it’s about building trust, protecting margins, and setting your team apart. Whether you’re trying to improve intake, clarify communication, or get more from your data, working with a partner who gets the details can make all the difference.
We combine our Microsoft expertise with in-depth industry knowledge to create practical tools – helping turn COs into advantages, not headaches. If you’re ready to make your process work for you, your team and your clients, we’re here to talk through what’s possible.
