How QS and commercial teams typically approve time-critical site requirements – covering lead times, supplier onboarding, purchase orders, and common causes of delay.
Quick Answer: What QS teams need to approve site set-up packages
- QS approval focuses on risk, not specification. The priority is lead time certainty, scope clarity, and avoiding programme delay.
- A quote does not usually reserve availability. Stock is typically secured only on written instruction or purchase order.
- Common PO blockers are administrative. Supplier onboarding, insurance certificates, and internal system setup cause most delays.
- QS teams need options, not a single price. Comparable unit sizes or configurations help decisions move faster.
- Welfare is a frequent trigger. It is mandatory, time-sensitive, and often procured late, bringing QS into the process.
On most projects, site set-up packages do not fail because of technical complexity.
They fail because procurement and onboarding happen late, under time pressure, and with incomplete information.
This is often where Quantity Surveyors and commercial teams step in – not because the package is high value, but because delays create programme risk, cost exposure, and unnecessary administrative friction.
Welfare units are one of the most common examples. They are mandatory, time-sensitive, and frequently ordered after contract award or during mobilisation. That combination means QS teams are often asked to approve options, confirm lead times, obtain supplier documentation, and raise a purchase order quickly – sometimes with limited notice.
While this article uses welfare unit hire as the worked example, the same commercial principles apply to many site set-up requirements: temporary facilities, cabins, short-notice packages, and any supplier appointment that sits on or close to the critical path.
The sections below set out the practical checklist QS and commercial teams typically work through when approving site set-up packages – based on how these decisions are made in practice.
When QS and commercial teams take ownership of site set-up
Site set-up packages often sit outside core trade scopes. In reality, they land on the QS desk at predictable
moments in the programme.
- Immediately after contract award, when mobilisation dates are fixed
- During fit-out or refurbishment phases requiring temporary facilities
- When headcount, programme, or site constraints change
At these points, the objective is not optimisation – it is maintaining site operability without delay.
Why site set-up packages create disproportionate programme risk
Although often treated as minor packages, site set-up requirements directly affect whether a site can function.
A delay rarely affects a single trade. It impacts productivity, compliance, and daily operations, which is why QS and commercial teams are drawn in quickly when issues arise.
The commercial risk is not usually the hire cost. It is the disruption caused when something fundamental is not in place when the site needs it.
The QS checklist for approving site set-up requirements
Most QS-led approvals follow a consistent pattern. The checklist below reflects the information typically
required to move from enquiry to purchase order without friction.
- Scope clarity: what is being supplied and in what configuration
- Comparable options: alternative sizes or specifications with clear cost differences
- Lead time certainty: earliest realistic delivery based on actual availability
- Duration assumptions: minimum hire period and expected off-hire
- Servicing or attendance: frequency and chargeable elements
- Commercial structure: hire, delivery, collection, and variables
Lead times, availability, and reserving stock
A common source of delay is the assumption that a quotation secures availability.
For welfare units and similar temporary facilities, availability is finite. A quote confirms pricing, not reservation.
In most cases, stock is secured only once a purchase order or written instruction is received. This is why suppliers allocate units on a first-come basis when availability is constrained.
Supplier onboarding: what usually blocks a PO
Many site set-up delays occur after the commercial decision is made, when the supplier cannot be set up on internal systems in time.
- Insurance certificates
- Supplier onboarding forms
- Confirmation of trading details
- Agreement of standard terms
These steps are routine but time-sensitive. Treating onboarding as part of procurement, rather than an afterthought, prevents avoidable delay.
Purchase orders and invoicing: avoiding downstream issues
Clear purchase orders reduce both delivery problems and later invoice queries.
- Full site address and postcode
- Start date and expected duration
- Unit type or specification
- Servicing or attendance schedule
- Project reference or cost code
Where changes occur, clarity on how variations are instructed helps avoid disputes at account stage.
Why welfare is often the trigger
Welfare units are not unique, but they expose site set-up failures quickly.
They are mandatory, visible, and directly affect whether a site can operate. As a result, they are frequently procured late and under pressure – bringing QS teams into the process.
Next steps
For QS and commercial teams, keeping site set-up packages on track is usually about sequencing, clarity, and early engagement – not additional cost.
Clear scope, confirmed availability, and supplier onboarding handled early are usually enough to prevent even time-critical requirements from becoming programme risks.
Related guidance
- ecowelfare units for construction sites
- applying for a credit account
- emergency welfare provision
- Top 10 Quantity Surveying Firms UK
