Commercial
Health Check
Find the hidden commercial risks costing you margin before they become six-figure disasters.
Independent diagnostic that identifies exactly where you're exposed.
Main Contractors
Subcontractors
Specialist Trades
New build
Refurbishment
Infrastructure
National & Regional
30+ Years Construction Commercial Experience
The Problem You’re Sensing
Your margin's eroding.
Projects that should make money don't.
Cash flow's unpredictable.
Variations aren't being recovered.
Final accounts take months and always disappoint.
You know something's wrong.
You just can't pinpoint what.
Your team says everything's under control.
Your systems look reasonable.
But the P&L doesn't lie.
Typical symptoms:
Margin erosion with no obvious cause
Cash flow forecast never matches reality
Final accounts consistently worse than forecast
Variations submitted but not recovered
Payment applications regularly challenged
Claims taking too long to prepare
Commercial decisions made on instinct not data
Team firefighting, not managing risk
The real problem
You're treating symptoms, not diagnosing the disease.
What The Health Check Delivers
Independent Commercial Audit
Forensic review of your commercial function, systems, processes and capability.
Not a generic report. A quantified diagnosis specific to your business.
What’s Assessed
Commercial Capability
Team structure and skill levels
Decision-making authority and escalation
Capacity vs workload analysis
Training and development gaps
Role clarity and accountability
Systems & Processes
Contract administration procedures
Change control and variation management
Payment application accuracy
Cash flow forecasting reliability
Claims preparation and management
Document control and evidence retention
Final account processes
Current Project Performance
Sample project commercial reviews
Risk and opportunity identification
Forecast accuracy assessment
Payment cycle efficiency
Variation recovery rate
Claims position analysis
Strategic Commercial Position
Contract strategy and risk appetite
Procurement approach
Subcontractor management
Client relationship management
Commercial policy effectiveness
Investment
Three Tiers Based On Business Complexity
Essential
Health Check
£2,995
Single project deep-dive
Commercial process review
Team capability assessment
Quantified findings report
Priority action plan (top 5 actions)
60-minute review session
Ideal for:
Single-site contractors and subcontractors, £5-20m turnover, 1-3 live projects
pability needed but cant justify full-time hire
Standard
Health Check
£7,950
Three project deep-dives
Full commercial systems audit
Team capability and capacity analysis
Quantified findings report
Priority action plan (top 10 actions)
Implementation roadmap (phased)
90-minute review session
Ideal for:
Multi-site contractors and subcontractors, £20-50m turnover, 3-8 live projects
pability needed but can't justify full-time hire
Comprehensive
Health Check
£12,950
Full portfolio review
Complete commercial systems audit
Team capability and capacity analysis
Strategic commercial position assessment
Quantified findings report
Priority action plan (top 15 actions)
Implementation roadmap (6-month phased)
Two 90-minute sessions (findings + implementation planning)
Ideal for:
Main contractors, £20m+ turnover, 8+ live projects
pability needed but can't justify full-time hire
Compare to
Cost of inaction: Margin erosion continuing, opportunities missed, risks unmanaged
Full commercial director hire: £150k+ salary for capability you may only need temporarily
Generic consultancy: £15-25k for general reports that don't quantify findings or prioritise actions
What You’re Actually Buying
Visibility of exactly where you're exposed
Quantified commercial risks and opportunities
Prioritised action plan you can implement immediately
Independent perspective without political bias
Benchmark against best practice
Who This Is For
Main Contractors
£5m+ turnover, growing businesses
Experiencing margin erosion without clear cause
Cash flow unpredictable despite forecasting
Final accounts consistently disappointing
Taking on more complex work
Commercial function feels chaotic
Subcontractors
3m+ turnover, growing businesses
Variations not being recovered
Payment applications regularly challenged
Claims taking too long to prepare
Commercial team overwhelmed
Systems not keeping pace with growth
Your Situation:
You know something's wrong commercially
You can't pinpoint the specific causes
You need independent diagnosis
You want quantified findings, not vague observations
You need actionable recommendations, not generic advice
You value implementation roadmap over theoretical reports
What Clients Say
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Matt's pragmatic, professional and detailed approach instils confidence in the senior team, enabling us to quickly understand complex issues and make informed decisions. Matt is an invaluable commercial asset to the business, known for his intelligence, integrity and reliability.
Matt Hiley
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Novus Property Solutions -
Matt's management skills, in-depth understanding of complexities and his results-oriented approach make a positive impact on our operations. He demonstrates resilience and agility towards all challenges, manoeuvring projects towards a successful completion.
Richard Carmichael
MANAGING DIRECTOR
EQUANS -
Working with Matt has been invaluable to our company; his understanding of UK construction and his commercial support is impeccable, even more so when it comes to challenging projects where his strategies have mitigated potential risks. His practical advice is always direct, tailored to our needs, and incredibly effective.
Jake Clarke
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Enviroply Roofing -
Matt's expertise has assisted us in mitigating significant project risks, resulting in a high level of client satisfaction and improved profits. He is a highly credible professional with excellent communication skills.
Stewart Quinn
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR
Slingco Limited
Typical Findings Examples
Subcontractor
£12m Specialist
Assessment scope: Standard Health Check, three projects reviewed
Key findings
£340k in variations submitted 3-6 months ago with no active pursuit strategy
Payment application process taking 21 days internal prep vs 7-day contract requirement
No systematic final account preparation - last 4 projects settled 12-18 months post-completion
Commercial manager capacity 55% of workload - decisions delayed, risks missed
Contract review identifying 35% of commercial risks pre-signature
Priority actions
Implement variation pursuit tracker - potential recovery £180k+ over 6 months
Streamline payment application process - improve cash flow by 14 days
Assign resource to final account preparation - accelerate settlement on 3 projects
Recruit additional commercial support - eliminate capacity bottleneck
Enhance pre-contract review process - catch 80% of risks before signature
Client outcome
Implemented actions 1-3 within 60 days, recovered £127k in variations, improved cash flow by 10 days, settled 2 final accounts within 4 months
Main Contractor
£45m Regional Builder
Assessment scope: Comprehensive Health Check, portfolio review
Key findings
Cash flow forecasting accuracy 68% (industry best practice 85%+)
Variation recovery rate 62% of submitted value (should be 85%+)
Final accounts averaging 7% below forecast outturn
Commercial team structure: 1 CD, 2 CM, 4 QS for 12 projects - understaffed by 2 FTE
No formal contract strategy process - commercial risks assessed inconsistently
Claims preparation averaging 6 weeks (should be 2-3 weeks)
Document retention inconsistent - evidence gaps on 40% of variations
Priority actions
Implement weekly cash flow discipline - improve forecast accuracy to 90%+
Systematic variation pursuit process - target 80%+ recovery rate
Final account strategy from project start - eliminate 7% margin leakage
Recruit 1 Senior QS + 1 QS - restore capacity to workload
Contract review procedure - catch risks pre-signature
Claims preparation framework - reduce prep time to 3 weeks
Document control system - eliminate evidence gaps
Client outcome
Implemented phased over 6 months, forecast accuracy improved to 88%, variation recovery increased to 79%, final accounts within 3% of forecast, hired 2 QS roles, reduced claims prep to 3.5 weeks average
Subcontractor
£7m Fit-Out Specialist
Assessment scope: Essential Health Check, single project focus
Key findings:
£2.8m project: forecast outturn £2.65m (margin 5.4%)
Identified £180k in missed variation opportunities (work done, not claimed)
Payment application errors costing 18-day cash flow delay
No active final account strategy - likely to settle below forecast
Commercial manager working on 4 projects simultaneously - this project under-managed
Priority actions:
Immediate variation claim submission - £180k potential recovery
Correct payment application errors - accelerate cash flow
Implement final account preparation now (not post-completion)
Allocate dedicated QS time to this project - 2 days/week minimum
Weekly commercial review meetings - catch future issues early
Client outcome
Submitted £180k variation claim within 2 weeks, corrected payment applications (recovered 12-day delay), implemented final account tracking, forecast outturn increased to £2.78m (margin 7.1%)
How The Assesment Works
Step 1
Scoping Call
30 minutes, free
Understand your commercial situation
Identify key pain points and symptoms
Confirm appropriate assessment tier
Agree project sample for review
No obligation, no pitch
Step 2
Information Gathering
(you provide)
Project commercial data (sample projects)
Current commercial processes documentation
Team structure and capability info
Recent financial performance data
Any existing reports/audits
Data handled confidentially, Non-Disclosure Agreements as standard, returned or destroyed post-assessment
Step 3
Assessment
1-6 weeks depending on tier
Forensic review of commercial function
Project sample deep-dive
Systems and process analysis
Team capability assessment
Benchmark against best practice
Step 4
Findings Report Delivery
Quantified findings with £ values
Priority action plan (ranked)
Implementation roadmap (phased)
Quick wins identified
Resource requirements outlined
Step 5
Review Session
Present findings and answer questions
Prioritise actions based on your constraints
Clarify implementation approach
Identify support requirements (if needed)
No obligation for ongoing work
What Happens After The Assessment?
Three Options:
Option 1
Implement Yourself
You have the capability and capacity. The findings report and action plan give you the roadmap. No further support needed.
Option 2
Selective Support
You implement most actions internally but need specialist support on specific items (e.g., complex claims, contract negotiations, process design). Scope specific project work as needed.
Option 3
Implementation Partnership
You want ongoing support to implement the recommendations. Consider Commercial Director On Demand retainer for implementation oversight and team mentoring.
No pressure to continue working together. The assessment stands alone as complete deliverable.
FAQs
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Essential: 1-2 weeks from information receipt to delivery
Standard: 2-3 weeks
Comprehensive: 4-6 weeks
Timeline depends on information availability and complexity.
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Typical requirements:
Project commercial data (CVRs, forecasts, variation logs)
Recent payment applications
Contract documents (sample)
Team structure info
Commercial process documentation (if exists)
Detailed list provided after scoping call.
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Yes. All information handled confidentially. Returned or securely destroyed post-assessment. No client details shared without permission.
Confidentiality is of utmost importance. We will enter into a formal joint Non-Disclosure (NDA) Agreement for all Health Checks to project your information and for your peace of mind.
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You control disclosure. Findings delivered to you. You decide what to share, when, and with whom.
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That's the point. Independent assessment identifies issues you might miss internally or avoid addressing. Findings are delivered professionally with solutions, not blame.
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No. You receive findings and recommendations. Implementation is your choice. No obligation for ongoing work.
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Yes, if you want support. Can be project-specific work or Commercial Director On Demand retainer for ongoing implementation. But assessment stands alone as complete deliverable.
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Independent perspective without internal politics or bias. Benchmarked against best practice. Quantified findings with £ values. Honest assessment without career risk for assessor.
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Findings are evidence-based. We discuss disagreements in review sessions. If methodology or conclusions are genuinely flawed, we address it together. But most "disagreements" are uncomfortable truths.
Next Steps
Ready to diagnose what's costing you margin?
Option 1
Book a Scoping Call
https://calendly.com/matt-lockett/30m
Discuss your situation, confirm appropriate tier, agree scope
Option 2
Call Direct
07545 533968
If you need assessment started this month, call now
Option 3
Email Enquiry
Brief outline of symptoms, I'll respond within 24 hours