分包商管理

Your structural steel erection is now 18 days behind the approved schedule. We're at 62% complete versus 78% planned. This is the third consecutive week of slippage. What's your recovery plan?

I acknowledge the delay. Two root causes: we're short three qualified welders — two went back to Paraguay for family reasons and we haven't been able to replace them. Second, the bolt consignment for the roof trusses had the wrong grade — we returned it and the replacement arrives tomorrow. I'm bringing in a welding crew from our Cordoba project — five welders arriving Monday. With that, I can accelerate to 2.5 bays per day instead of the current 1.5. We'll catch up within 4 weeks.

Four weeks to recover is too long. The MEP contractor is scheduled to start in this area in 2 weeks. If the steel isn't ready, they'll be standing idle and that back-charge hits your account. I need you to work extended shifts — 12 hours, 6 days — starting Monday until you're back on schedule. I'll approve the overtime premium for 3 weeks maximum.

Understood. Extended shifts accepted. I'll also add a night shift for bolt-up work only — that's lower safety risk than lifting. Let me confirm the manpower numbers by this evening. We'll have a revised look-ahead on your desk by 6 PM.

We submitted our final account 6 weeks ago — ARS 28.5 million. You've only certified ARS 22.1 million. The difference of ARS 6.4 million is mostly our claim for the additional ground treatment work that your geotechnical report didn't flag. We want this resolved within 7 days or we'll suspend work on the remaining scope.

Let me address this directly. First, threatening suspension is not the way to resolve this — it triggers a contractual default. Second, on the additional ground treatment: we've reviewed your claim. The contract clearly states in Clause 4.2 that the subcontractor is deemed to have inspected the site and satisfied themselves with ground conditions. The boreholes were at 25-meter centers — within industry standard. Your team hit rock lenses in between boreholes, which is a known risk in this geology. However — we recognize you incurred real costs. Let me propose a commercial resolution.

I'm listening. What's your offer?

The certified amount of ARS 22.1 million stands for the base scope. For the additional ground treatment, instead of fighting about contractual entitlement, we'll cover 60% of your documented direct costs — that's ARS 2.8 million — as a commercial settlement, full and final, with no admission of liability. This gets cash in your hands within 14 days and avoids 6 months of disputes. If you reject this and go the claims route, you're looking at a year minimum to resolve it. And you'll lose the remaining scope work in the meantime.