How do design changes affect the programme?
A change after design freeze can ripple through approvals, procurement and site work. A moved partition may affect sprinkler and detector layouts, which may require revised fire-safety drawings; a new meeting room may need extra air-conditioning capacity, which may change equipment orders. Make changes early, ask for the programme impact in writing before approving them, and treat late changes as a decision with a cost in days as well as dollars.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Commercial Fit-Out Programmes in Singapore: Realistic Timelines and Where Delays Come From. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
A Singapore office or retail fit-out runs through design, authority approvals, landlord submissions, procurement of long-lead items, site works, testing and commissioning, fire-safety certification and handover. Delays usually come from approvals, late design changes, long-lead M&E items, landlord working-hour limits and coordination. Early landlord submissions, early procurement and a baseline critical-path programme tracked weekly are the main defences.
More questions on this topic
- How long does a commercial office fit-out take in Singapore?
- What is the critical path in a fit-out programme?
- Why do landlord approvals delay fit-outs?
- Can I move in before the Fire Safety Certificate is issued?
- What should I ask my fit-out contractor for at the start?
- Who is responsible when a fit-out is late?