Change orders are about more money for additional work. Early recognition and documentation allows the parties to use the change order provisions in the contract to address problems during the project, as opposed to dealing with a claim after project completion. It can be impractical to isolate and define all of the costs resulting from the problems during the performance of the affected work. This situation is typical when the problems involve delay and disruptions that are caused by unforeseeable conditions. Neither party should be expected to negotiate and execute change orders prior to the isolation and definition of all additional costs flowing from the performance of the affected work.
Schedules are about time and effort.
Time and effort equal money. More time and extra effort equals additional money. Accurate and detailed resource loaded schedules are an excellent tool to recognize and document the time and cost impacts of problems. Proof is typically provided via schedule delay analyses utilizing currently accepted techniques. In concert with the above records, pictures speak thousands of words.