Building Control Before Mobilisation
Tacmin.ai entered the scene as an embedded capability — integrating seamlessly with the contractor’s own processes, people, and platforms. A comprehensive repricing and planning exercise was initiated before the first machine hit the ground. Led by TacminMadini, and supported by the contractor’s commercial and engineering teams, the aim was simple: validate the bid against practical delivery realities. Every activity in the bill of quantities was unpacked and repriced from first principles — using site-tested productivity norms, real equipment outputs, and resource costs derived from the contractor’s own history. This process excluded margin and overheads, establishing a base of “allowed costs” — the hard numbers needed to manage risk and protect margin.
From here, a constraint-based programme was developed. Durations were built from real crew outputs, not assumptions. This formed the backbone of a delivery schedule grounded in the contractor’s capabilities — not generic timelines. With every cost and every day accounted for, execution could begin with eyes wide open.
Turning Plan into Performance from Day One
Unlike conventional planning tools, Tacmin.ai was designed to remain in operation throughout delivery. As execution commenced, the platform tracked site activity in real time — capturing daily logs, productivity shifts, and material consumption as it occurred. Variances from plan weren’t reviewed monthly — they were flagged as they emerged. Discrepancies became data points for immediate action. Whether it was an underperforming subcontractor or a material delivery delay, corrective decisions could be made quickly — before costs spiralled or timelines slipped. Verified activity data fed directly into progress-based valuations, aligning capital drawdowns with actual site output.
Executed entirely on an AI-powered Digital Construction Management System, Tacmin.ai enabled a closed-loop environment where cost, time, and output were synchronised. Reporting was no longer retrospective — it was real-time.
Leadership That Leads with Insight
For the first time, the contractor’s leadership could view operational and commercial performance through a single pane of glass. Burn rates, completion forecasts, procurement gaps — all visible without relying on stitched-together spreadsheets or late reports. Commercial teams used the system to track cost-to-complete against first-principles benchmarks. Procurement strategies were adjusted proactively. Project managers re-sequenced tasks based on live constraints, not anecdotal updates. The platform wasn’t a tool — it became the contractor’s project control tower.
And while decisions were being made on-site, Tacmin.ai delivered end-to-end project lifecycle reports to senior management — providing continuous alignment across operational, financial, and strategic levels.
Intelligence That Speaks the Contractor’s Language
Behind every insight was Tacmin.ai’s back-office intelligence engine. A library of calibrated performance models, industry benchmarks, and engineering norms translated field complexity into structured outputs. This wasn’t plug-and-play software — it was contractor-specific oversight powered by real inputs. Actual labour rates, supplier pricing, machine specs, and historical project data all fed into the models — ensuring relevance and eliminating generalisations. Tacmin.ai’s engineers and project controllers delivered not just raw numbers, but recommendations the contractor could trust.
This embedded intelligence is what differentiated Tacmin.ai from standalone cost software. It was not a system added to the project — it was part of how the project was delivered.
The Integrator: Connecting Insight with Action
Central to this integration was the Tacmin.ai Integrator — a project professional fluent in both the system and the site. The Integrator worked shoulder-to-shoulder with field teams, bridging the gap between system output and on-site implementation. From pre-start workshops to daily production meetings, the Integrator ensured that insights turned into action. Cost controllers, foremen, and supervisors alike came to view the Integrator not as a consultant, but as a teammate — someone who made them more effective.
Delivering Control by Design
By embedding Tacmin.ai from the outset, the contractor transitioned from cost-based guessing to strategy-led execution. What could have been a reactive project became a structured performance machine. Cost control was achieved through visibility, not pressure. Schedule discipline came from logic, not firefighting. And performance improvement was continuous — not conditional. Tacmin.ai delivered more than oversight — it brought together the planning, delivery, and commercial arms of the business into one integrated ecosystem. The result: projects delivered with confidence, not crisis.
To explore how Tacmin.ai can bring structure, foresight, and proactive control to your next infrastructure or mining project, contact: Sarel Blaauw
Disclaimer: TacminMadini protects client confidentiality. This case study reflects a real project; however, all identifying details have been removed. While Tacmin.ai supports multiple contractors, cost data, resource inputs, and operational models remain strictly confidential. Since 1996, TacminMadini has supported contractors across tenders, transformations, disputes, and oversight — always with a fair, practical, and independent approach.
