The context
MA24 are a specialist contractor operating at the precise end of the construction spectrum - design, build, and commissioning qualification in highly regulated environments. When they were appointed as principal contractor to deliver a fit-out for a global pharmaceutical manufacturer, the requirements were clear: a facility of this kind needs exacting sequencing, careful documentation, and a programme strong enough to withstand regulatory scrutiny at every stage.
We were brought in to develop and manage the project programme. What began as a scheduling engagement evolved considerably over the life of the project; as the scope changed, the role changed with it - something that’s only possible when a client engages openly with the process.
A complex pharmaceutical fit-out, with a scope still taking shape
Delivering a pharmaceutical fit-out in a regulated environment demands a programme built for complexity from day one. The schedule needs to span the full project lifecycle: design, procurement, construction, and commissioning, while remaining detailed enough to drive daily site decisions, flexible enough to absorb scope changes as they emerge, and credible enough to support client reporting at every stage. MA24 recognised this early and partnered with us to build that foundation together.
Part-way through delivery, MA24 was awarded an additional package: hook-up of process equipment to existing services. A new scope, a new timeline, and new dependencies all needed to be built into the programme without losing continuity. Later still, late delivery of critical process equipment created an impact that had to be carefully quantified.
Ultimately the programme had to do three things at once: stand up as a reporting baseline, carry enough detail for daily site decisions, and survive commercial scrutiny.
What changed
A programme the site team could actually plan from
MA24’s approach called for room-by-room precision; their willingness to share site detail openly meant we could structure the programme to match it, mapping installations, completions, and handovers at the level the site team needed to work from. The result was a programme the whole team used as their single source of truth, updated weekly and genuinely reflective of how the project was being built.
When scope changed, the programme absorbed it
When MA24 was awarded the hook-up works package, the project timeline shifted significantly. Working closely with the MA24 team, we developed the hook-up schedule from scratch: mapping service connections, hook-up activities, and commissioning milestones, then linking them logically into the existing construction programme. The integrated schedule gave MA24 a revised project completion date they could use for cost forecasting, resource planning, and submission to their client. What had started as schedule management had grown into programme partnership.
When delays hit, the programme protected MA24’s position
Late delivery of critical process equipment created uncertainty around project timelines. We ran a working session with the project team, gathered all the relevant data - updated delivery dates, affected scope, downstream dependencies - and modelled the scenario in the live P6 programme. As a result, both MA24 and their client had a clear, evidence-based picture of the revised completion position.
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Outcomes
- A full lifecycle programme built from scratch, covering design, construction, hook-up, and commissioning - used as the project team’s single source of truth throughout delivery
- Programme detail rebuilt from area level to room by room, giving the site team a schedule they could track against and act on daily
- Hook-up works scope integrated into the live programme, with a revised project completion date used for client submission and cost forecasting
- Programme deliverables consistently submitted in line with agreed client timelines and accepted without revision, maintained across contract extensions and changing engagement levels.
- An 8-week programme impact modelled and quantified following late equipment delivery, keeping MA24's completion forecast accurate and up to date
- Engagement extended multiple times — a direct result of the value MA24 placed on having structured planning support throughout delivery
Lessons from the programme
A baseline is only as good as the detail beneath it.
High-level programmes look credible at first glance but fail the moment the site team tries to plan against them. Getting detail right from the outset, down to individual rooms or activities, is what makes a programme useful. It takes more effort early, but it saves a great deal of reactive work later.
Plan for scope to change, because on complex projects it usually does.
A programme treated as a fixed document becomes a liability the moment scope evolves. Structuring it to absorb new packages, new sequences, and new logic without requiring a full rebuild, means you can respond to change without losing continuity. On a project where new work can arrive mid-delivery, that flexibility is foundational.
Your programme is a commercial document as much as a planning one.
When delays happen, the quality of your programme determines the strength of your position. A well-maintained, logically sound schedule is the difference between quantifying impact with confidence and entering a difficult conversation with nothing to back you up. The investment in a credible programme pays back when you need it most.
