https://peterherd.co.uk/ Practical UK business insight and project commentary en Sun, 08 Nov 2026 14:50:19 GMT https://peterherd.co.uk/two-week-absence-test-handover-file/ https://peterherd.co.uk/two-week-absence-test-handover-file/ Most handover files are written in the last week before someone leaves, which is exactly when they are least useful. This practical guide sets out a two-week absence test for December, when empty desks and skeleton crews expose whether a project relies on one person's memory. Peter Herd | UK Business Insight Project Delivery Sun, 08 Nov 2026 13:19:06 GMT https://peterherd.co.uk/closing-year-money-still-on-table/ https://peterherd.co.uk/closing-year-money-still-on-table/ Unspent contingency can look like an opportunity as the year closes, especially when someone suggests putting it to good use before December. This piece argues that leaving the money alone is often the more disciplined choice, and sets out a practical close-out rule that protects both the budget and the behaviour around it. Peter Herd | UK Business Insight Client Advisory Sun, 08 Nov 2026 13:19:06 GMT https://peterherd.co.uk/when-the-line-goes-quiet-supplier-silence-first-48-hours/ https://peterherd.co.uk/when-the-line-goes-quiet-supplier-silence-first-48-hours/ A key supplier going quiet mid-project is not always a crisis, but it is always a signal. This practical checklist covers what UK project leads should do in the first 48 hours, from escalation and paper trails to the conversation that surfaces the real problem. Peter Herd | UK Business Insight Project Delivery Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:19:00 GMT https://peterherd.co.uk/when-a-quick-question-becomes-a-change-request/ https://peterherd.co.uk/when-a-quick-question-becomes-a-change-request/ A client email that opens with 'just a quick one' can add a day of work before anyone has opened the budget. This piece sets out a simple triage for separating a clarification from a change, plus wording that keeps the relationship intact while protecting the project. Peter Herd | UK Business Insight Client Advisory Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:19:00 GMT https://peterherd.co.uk/polite-optimism-tax-six-kick-off-beliefs-2026/ https://peterherd.co.uk/polite-optimism-tax-six-kick-off-beliefs-2026/ Most 2026 budget overruns do not start with a bad decision. They start with a reasonable assumption that nobody tests in week one. This is a practical look at six common kick-off beliefs in UK project teams, how each one turns into cost, and the short audit that puts evidence behind the plan. Peter Herd | UK Business Insight Client Advisory Sun, 08 Nov 2026 05:23:05 GMT https://peterherd.co.uk/make-the-call-before-the-tinsel-november-decisions-2027/ https://peterherd.co.uk/make-the-call-before-the-tinsel-november-decisions-2027/ Some 2027 project decisions genuinely need a January start. Many do not. They are simply being parked because November feels busy and December feels impossible. Here is a short case for making the calls now, plus a lightweight decision log that stops 2027 opening with a backlog. Peter Herd | UK Business Insight Project Delivery Sun, 08 Nov 2026 05:23:05 GMT https://peterherd.co.uk/one-page-decision-log-uk-projects/ https://peterherd.co.uk/one-page-decision-log-uk-projects/ Most UK projects do not fail in a dramatic way. They drift because decisions live in emails, calls and memory. A lightweight decision log gives clients and suppliers one shared record of who decided what, when and why — without adding bureaucracy. Peter Herd | UK Business Insight Client Advisory Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:22:03 GMT https://peterherd.co.uk/five-habits-inflate-uk-project-costs/ https://peterherd.co.uk/five-habits-inflate-uk-project-costs/ Cost overruns rarely arrive with a warning. They leak in through small email requests, unclear sign-offs, slow feedback, unnecessary customisation and agenda-free calls. Here are five UK business habits that quietly inflate project costs — and one practical fix for each. Peter Herd | UK Business Insight Project Delivery Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:22:03 GMT https://peterherd.co.uk/cheap-proposal-trap-five-questions-uk-clients/ https://peterherd.co.uk/cheap-proposal-trap-five-questions-uk-clients/ The cheapest-looking UK project proposal is rarely the least expensive once scope assumptions, change control, payment terms and exit clauses are tested. These five questions reveal the real cost before you sign. Peter Herd | UK Business Insight Client Advisory Sat, 07 Nov 2026 21:25:59 GMT https://peterherd.co.uk/end-at-45-past-meeting-reset-uk-project-teams/ https://peterherd.co.uk/end-at-45-past-meeting-reset-uk-project-teams/ The default one-hour meeting is a quiet tax on decision speed in UK project teams. A 45-minute format — pre-reads, a named decision owner, a one-page log and a follow-up rhythm — can cut drag without losing the plot. Peter Herd | UK Business Insight Project Delivery Sat, 07 Nov 2026 21:25:59 GMT