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No project team starts a job planning for disputes but, in construction, conflict is often inevitable. Whether it’s from extension of time (EoT) claims, scope changes or cost disagreements, disputes can derail timelines, inflate budgets and erode trust between project stakeholders.
A study by an Australian-based firm found that disputes account for an average of 2.6 per cent of total construction costs. To put this into context, the Australian government was expected to spend about $248 billion on construction between FY2021/22 and FY2024/25, which equates to more than $6.45 billion in dispute-related costs.
To reduce risk and ensure successful project outcomes, forward-thinking contractors and developers are turning to visual progress tracking—a smarter, more proactive approach to construction oversight.
Platforms such as Timescapes use compact, solar-powered, wireless cameras to continuously capture high-resolution, time-stamped imagery of the job site. This creates a reliable visual record that teams can use to validate work, confirm weather impacts, track site conditions and substantiate or challenge claims.
Instead of relying on diaries, memory, emails, or scattered site photos, project teams have a single source of truth. This not only speeds up dispute resolution, it also helps prevent disputes from arising in the first place since everyone is looking through the same lens.
During a complex bridge project in remote Canada, Graham Construction used Timescapes to give their client—based offsite—direct access to real-time visuals and site data. When a change order was questioned, the team remotely verified the scope using the visual record, resolving the issue in a matter of days instead of weeks.
The New Zealand Ministry of Education offers another example. When a contractor claimed a balustrade installation was complete, Timescapes imagery showed only 50 per cent had been installed. Payment was withheld until the job was finished, reinforcing accountability and protecting the ministry’s budget.
Across hundreds of projects in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, visual progress tracking is helping project teams reduce ambiguity, improve communication and derisk high-value decisions.
While the return on investment from dispute management alone is significant, the benefits of visual progress tracking extend well beyond conflict scenarios.
Enhanced stakeholder trust: Real-time access to visual progress builds credibility with clients, investors, and partners.
Improved efficiency: Teams can identify bottlenecks, spot underused equipment, and track deliveries without needing to be on-site.
Streamlined approvals: Visual proof of progress helps accelerate payment applications and release of investment funds.
Better reporting: Project managers can easily generate updates for executives, councils, or owners without hunting down reports and photos.
In today’s high-stakes construction environment, visual progress tracking is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s becoming a new industry standard. For developers and GCs managing complex, high-value projects, it offers a form of insurance and evidence, leading to peace of mind.
Download the free eBook from Timescapes to learn how project teams are using this technology to resolve disputes, build trust, and deliver better outcomes across civil, commercial, and infrastructure projects.
The Urban Developer is proud to partner with Timescapes to deliver this article to you. In doing so, we can continue to publish our daily news, information, insights and opinion to you, our valued readers.
