When the schedule is the client’s top priority

“Determining whether a project is schedule-driven or cost-driven isn’t a minor detail: it’s a fundamental decision. Trying to prioritize both at the same time leads to inconsistencies that create more problems than are solved.” — Hugo Careau, P.Eng., Decarbonization 

Ulric Chayer: Exactly. In a schedule-driven project, cost, performance and robustness still matter, but they’re always assessed through the lens of the schedule. This choice directly influences governance, decision-making speed and risk tolerance. This is what it all comes down to. After priorities are set, decisions become simpler, more consistent and, most of all, more intentional.

Hugo Careau: In these projects, intermediate milestones can’t be pushed back without consequences. Assuming delays can be recovered later on is often an illusion. As a result, delays add up and jeopardize the final deadline. Meeting each milestone on time becomes essential for overall project success. 

Hugo Careau: Chasing the perfect solution is often one of the fastest ways to fall behind. This doesn’t mean compromising technical rigour. It means recognizing that the time required to optimize every component at that project stage is simply not compatible with the initial objective. When the schedule is the constraint, the priority is to deliver a project on time and that works rather than waiting for an optimized solution that arrives too late.

In practice, “good enough” becomes a deliberate and fundamental strategy. This doesn’t mean that project or installation quality are neglected; it still matters greatly. What changes is the pace and the way we achieve it. In this type of project, the first goal is to demonstrate that the solution works, then optimize it over time, after the initial version is delivered.  

One of our strengths is our ability to support projects beyond the initial phase. Our teams have the necessary expertise to support subsequent phases, incorporate lessons learned and improve solutions over time.

Ulric Chayer: It’s also worth noting that this type of project requires a specific mindset. Not every team feels at ease operating outside its usual comfort zone. Making decisions with incomplete information, committing to imperfect choices and accepting that we’ll optimize later on all require maturity and a specific type of personality. Under tight deadlines, the urge to optimize everything upfront can feel reassuring, but in reality, this reflex is often what puts the project at risk.  

Ulric Chayer: When schedules are tight, individual performance is no longer enough. You can have the best expertise, but if collaboration breaks down, the project stalls. Trust, transparency and the quality of working relationships become decisive factors. Looking for someone to blame when an issue arises wastes valuable time. What truly makes the difference is the teams’ ability to remain focused on a single question: What do we do next to move the project forward? 

“Performance becomes a shared effort when we move beyond ‘my scope’ and ‘your scope’ and everyone feels responsible for the overall result.” — Ulric Chayer, P.Eng., Department Manager, Mechanical Engineering 

Integrated teams are essential. When silos are broken down, information flows more freely, everyone feels accountable for the overall outcome and efficiency improves. Under intense time pressure, governance and day-to-day communication protect the schedule just as much as technical decisions.

Hugo Careau: Absolutely! This human aspect is often underestimated. A tight schedule can push teams to make processes more rigid or introduce additional controls, such as extra reviews or more approvals. In reality, this rarely works. What best protects the schedule is alignment, allowing teams to respond to issues and make tough decisions quickly. Without trust and shared accountability, even the best technical decisions lose their effectiveness.

This human aspect also shows up in project structure. In schedule-driven projects, the project manager plays a crucial role, particularly as a conductor.  

Coordination and management are sometimes seen as non-essential costs to be minimized, but in fact, they’re key investments. They align teams, speed up decision-making and reduce friction that can derail schedules. It pays off by preventing delays and errors that could otherwise compromise the entire project. 

In time-sensitive projects, the risk isn’t in deciding too early, but rather in deciding too late. Sticking to the schedule doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. It means changing how decisions are made, accepting uncertainty and relying on truly shared performance.