Office Furniture - Delivery and Installation Day Management

Contact the facilities manager or site contact the afternoon before delivery with a direct access question. Record the confirmed access window, loading bay details, and contact name in the job record.

Brief the installation crew before departure. Issue the works order with the floor plan, zone layout, installation sequence, and site conditions. Confirm which zones take priority if the day runs short.

Count all items against the delivery note before signing. Record any shortages or damaged goods on the delivery note before signing. Photograph damaged items immediately and notify the supplier in writing the same day.

Install furniture by zone in the agreed sequence. Track labour hours against the works order estimate. Record any unexpected delays with the cause - site condition, missing items, or client-requested changes.

Carry out a joint walkthrough at the end of the day. Review each zone against the schedule of furniture. Record any incomplete items or defects on a formal snag list signed by both the installer and the client contact.

Raise the installation milestone invoice on the same day as sign-off. If a snag retention was agreed, raise the main invoice less the retention amount and schedule the snag clearance visit separately.

Our installation crew arrives on site and cannot get access to the building because the facilities team were not informed that delivery was happening that day.

We sign for a full delivery on site but discover items are missing or damaged after the vehicle has left, leaving us with no evidence to dispute the supplier's invoice or claim replacement.

Our final invoice is held up for weeks because snag items are mixed into the main invoice total and the customer refuses to release payment until every defect is resolved.

What should we do if goods arrive short on the delivery day?

Record the shortage on the delivery note before signing - write the actual quantity received for each item, not the quantity shown on the document. Photograph the delivery as received. Notify the supplier in writing the same day with the short item list and your job reference number. Update the works order to reflect which zones can and cannot be completed, and notify the client before they discover the issue themselves.

How do we handle a client who is not available for the end-of-day walkthrough?

If the primary client contact is unavailable, ask them in advance to nominate a representative who can sign the snag list on their behalf. If no one is available at all, send a written summary of the installation outcome and any outstanding items by email the same day, and ask for written acknowledgment within 24 hours. Do not raise the milestone invoice until you have a signed or written acceptance.

When should the snag retention be released as a separate invoice?

The snag retention invoice should be raised on the day the snag list is formally cleared - when all items on the signed snag list have been rectified and the client has confirmed acceptance in writing. Do not raise it speculatively or on a calendar date. If snags are minor and the client agrees in writing at the end of installation day, the retention can be invoiced immediately.