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Project Controls & KPIs

Document Type: Advanced Procedure
Version: 1.0
Last Updated: February 2026
Distribute To: Project Managers, Project Controls, Executives
Complexity: Enterprise-level

Purpose​

Establish a comprehensive project controls framework with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for proactive project management and executive reporting.

Project Controls Philosophy​

Reactive: Reviewing what happened (most contractors) Proactive: Predicting what will happen (best-in-class)

For enterprise contractors, project controls should:

  • Predict problems before they occur
  • Quantify impact in real-time
  • Enable data-driven decisions
  • Provide early warning indicators
  • Support claims and disputes

Project Controls Framework​

        ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
        │         EXECUTIVE DASHBOARD              │
        │    (Portfolio KPIs, Alerts, Trends)      │
        └────────────────────┬─────────────────────┘
                             │
        ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐
        │                    │                    │
   ┌────▼─────┐       ┌─────▼─────┐       ┌─────▼─────┐
   │  COST    │       │ SCHEDULE  │       │  RISK     │
   │ CONTROL  │       │  CONTROL  │       │  CONTROL  │
   └────┬─────┘       └─────┬─────┘       └─────┬─────┘
        │                   │                   │
        └───────────────────┴───────────────────┘
                            │
        ┌───────────────────┼───────────────────┐
        │                   │                   │
   ┌────▼─────┐       ┌─────▼─────┐       ┌─────▼─────┐
   │  DAILY   │       │  WEEKLY   │       │ MONTHLY   │
   │ REPORTS  │       │ MEETINGS  │       │  REVIEW   │
   └──────────┘       └───────────┘       └───────────┘

Cost Control KPIs​

Primary Cost KPIs:​

KPIFormulaTargetAction Trigger
CPI (Cost Performance Index)BCWP ÷ ACWP≥1.0under 0.95
Cost VarianceBCWP - ACWP≥$0Negative trend
EAC VarianceCurrent EAC - Original Budgetunder 3%over 5%
Committed Cost %Committed ÷ BudgetTrackExceeds 100%
Burn RateCost/Day vs. Budget/Day±10%over 20% variance

Secondary Cost KPIs:​

KPIFormulaPurpose
Labor ProductivityUnits ÷ HoursEfficiency tracking
Material Waste %Waste ÷ PurchasedMaterial control
Subcontract BuyoutAwarded ÷ BudgetBuy-out savings
Change Order %CO Value ÷ Original ContractScope stability
Pending Change %Pending COs ÷ ContractRevenue risk

Schedule Control KPIs​

Primary Schedule KPIs:​

KPIFormulaTargetAction Trigger
SPI (Schedule Performance Index)BCWP ÷ BCWS≥1.0under 0.90
Schedule Variance (days)Planned - Actual0Negative trend
Critical Path FloatMin float on CPPositive≤0 days
Milestone VariancePlanned vs. Actual datesOn timeAny slip
Activities BehindCount behind schedule0over 10% of activities

Secondary Schedule KPIs:​

KPIFormulaPurpose
RFI AgeDays openDesign response
Submittal StatusApproved ÷ RequiredProcurement
Lookahead AccuracyCompleted ÷ PlannedPlanning quality
Manpower vs. PlanActual ÷ PlannedResource loading

Quality Control KPIs​

KPIFormulaTargetAction Trigger
First-Time Pass RatePassed ÷ Inspectionsover 95%under 90%
Punch Items/1000 SFItems ÷ (SF/1000)under 1.0over 2.0
Rework Cost %Rework $ ÷ Direct Costunder 1%over 2%
NCR Closure RateClosed ÷ Issuedover 90%under 80%
Defects per InspectionDefects ÷ Inspectionsunder 0.5over 1.0

Safety KPIs​

KPIFormulaTargetAction Trigger
TRIR (Total Recordable)(Recordables × 200,000) ÷ Hoursunder 2.0over 3.0
DART Rate(DART × 200,000) ÷ Hoursunder 1.0over 1.5
Near Miss RatioNear Miss ÷ Recordableover 10:1under 5:1
Toolbox Talk AttendanceAttended ÷ Required100%under 90%
Inspection CompletionComplete ÷ Required100%under 100%

Financial KPIs​

KPIFormulaTargetAction Trigger
MarginProfit ÷ ContractPer bidBelow bid
Margin FadeCurrent - Prior month0Any negative
Over-billing %Over-billed ÷ Contractunder 15%over 20%
Under-billing %Under-billed ÷ Contractunder 10%over 15%
AR Aging (over 60 days)ARover 60 ÷ Total ARunder 10%over 20%
Cash PositionCollections - DisbursementsPositiveNegative

Project Health Dashboard​

================================================================
            PROJECT HEALTH DASHBOARD
================================================================

Project: _________________  Period: _____________

================================================================

                      STATUS
Metric          Value    Target   Status    Trend
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
COST:
CPI              ____     1.00     🟢🟡🔴     ↑ ↓ →
EAC Variance     $___     under 3%      🟢🟡🔴     ↑ ↓ →
Margin           ___%     ___%     🟢🟡🔴     ↑ ↓ →

SCHEDULE:
SPI              ____     1.00     🟢🟡🔴     ↑ ↓ →
Days Behind      ____     0        🟢🟡🔴     ↑ ↓ →
CP Float         ____     over 10      🟢🟡🔴     ↑ ↓ →

QUALITY:
Pass Rate        ___%     over 95%     🟢🟡🔴     ↑ ↓ →
Open NCRs        ____     0        🟢🟡🔴     ↑ ↓ →

SAFETY:
TRIR             ____     under 2.0     🟢🟡🔴     ↑ ↓ →
Open Actions     ____     0        🟢🟡🔴     ↑ ↓ →

FINANCIAL:
Billing Status   ____     Even     🟢🟡🔴     ↑ ↓ →
AR over 60 days      $___     under 10%     🟢🟡🔴     ↑ ↓ →

================================================================

OVERALL PROJECT HEALTH: 🟢 On Track | 🟡 Watch | 🔴 At Risk

KEY ISSUES:
1. _________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________

================================================================

Early Warning Indicators​

Leading Indicators (Predict Problems):​

IndicatorWhat It PredictsResponse
RFI volume increasingDesign problemsDesign meeting
Labor hours trending upProductivity lossCrew analysis
Material deliveries lateSchedule delayExpedite/re-sequence
Sub complaints increasingCoordination issuesCoordination meeting
Change orders pendingRevenue/cost uncertaintyProcess COs
Safety near-misses upIncident likelySafety stand-down

Lagging Indicators (Confirm Problems):​

IndicatorWhat It ConfirmsResponse
CPI < 1.0Cost overrunRecovery plan
Actual > Planned datesSchedule slipRecovery schedule
Rework costsQuality issuesQC intervention
TRIR increaseSafety failureInvestigation

Reporting Cadence​

Daily:​

  • Safety observations
  • Manpower count
  • Work completed
  • Issues/delays

Weekly:​

  • Cost status (burn rate)
  • Schedule status (lookahead)
  • RFI/Submittal status
  • Open issues

Monthly:​

  • Full KPI review
  • EAC update
  • Cash flow update
  • Executive report

Quarterly:​

  • Portfolio review
  • Trend analysis
  • Lessons learned
  • Forecast accuracy review

Executive Portfolio Dashboard​

================================================================
         EXECUTIVE PORTFOLIO SUMMARY
================================================================

Period: ____________  Total Backlog: $_______________

================================================================

PROJECT SUMMARY:

| Project | Value | % Comp | Margin | Health |
|---------|-------|--------|--------|--------|
|         |       |        |        | 🟢🟡🔴 |
|         |       |        |        | 🟢🟡🔴 |
|         |       |        |        | 🟢🟡🔴 |
| TOTAL   |       |        |        |        |

================================================================

PORTFOLIO KPIs:

Metric                    Value     Target    Status
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Active Projects            ___       ___      🟢🟡🔴
Total Backlog             $___      $___      🟢🟡🔴
Blended Margin            ___%      ___%      🟢🟡🔴
Net Over/(Under) Billed   $___       $0       🟢🟡🔴
AR > 60 Days              $___      under 10%      🟢🟡🔴
Portfolio TRIR            ____      under 2.0      🟢🟡🔴

================================================================

WATCH LIST:

Project           Issue                  Action Required
_______________  ____________________   _________________
_______________  ____________________   _________________
_______________  ____________________   _________________

================================================================

Technology Integration​

Project Controls Software:​

  • Oracle Primavera (Schedule)
  • EcoSys/Hexagon (Cost)
  • Procore (Field)
  • Power BI/Tableau (Dashboards)
  • BLDR Pro (Integrated)

Data Requirements:​

  • Single source of truth
  • Real-time updates
  • Automated calculations
  • Drill-down capability
  • Mobile access
  • Advanced WIP Analysis
  • Schedule Delay Analysis
  • Risk Management
  • Monthly Reporting

References​

  • AACE Total Cost Management Framework
  • PMI PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge)
  • CFMA Construction Financial Management
  • CII (Construction Industry Institute) Best Practices

Template provided by support.construction. Enterprise-level project controls for sophisticated contractors.