With widespread builder liquidity issues and the threat of insolvency constantly looming, it’s probably no surprise that IPEX has proven to be a very popular tool amongst developers, lenders and project managers.
The ability to cross-check subcontractor payments against the QS assessment and identify non-payment before approving further claims removes a major development risk.
But while many have jumped at the chance to make sure that progress payments are going where they should (IPEX has more than $1 billion in project funds already committed to the platform); a number of developers (and lenders) have indicated that they’re struggling to have that conversation with their builder.
For some, the thought of imposing payment oversight on long-standing builder partners makes them a little uneasy, others are happy to communicate their wish for greater controls but simply don’t have the negotiating power to enforce them.
Whatever the reason, if a project does proceed without IPEX, the developer and lender not only lose the benefits that come with ring-fencing project funds, they also lose subcontractor payment transparency. They’re back to collecting a ‘stat dec’ each month and hoping they get lucky.
Whilst IPEX is typically set up in a quite ‘builder-friendly’ manner anyway, (contract/payment values and builder margins are hidden from the developer/lender as standard), IPEX is now giving developers the option to take this a step further—a fallback position if they can’t quite get standard IPEX controls over the line.
IPEX Monitor operates under the same principles as the standard IPEX platform with one key difference; builder withdrawal restrictions are removed.
Builder prelims, margin and additional letting gains can be withdrawn from the project account without developer oversight or approval however, the developer and lender can still see who’s been paid, when and how much (expressed as a percentage of sub-contract paid to date), allowing any payment issues to be identified before they approve the next claim.
IPEX Monitor removes a builders’ only legitimate objection—an inability to access letting gains without having to disclose them—but retains the payment transparency as a deterrent to ‘bad’ behaviour.
Yes, the builder could do the wrong thing however, they know that they’ll be caught before their next claim is approved with immediate consequences—at best, escalation to full IPEX controls, at worst, contract termination (and potentially more).
Developer/lender feedback to IPEX has been very clear; in an ideal world, subcontractor payments would be off limits to the builder, however, commercial realities mean that level of protection is not always attainable.
But even if you’re not in a position to impose builder withdrawal controls on your next project, IPEX Monitor means that you no longer need to concede on subcontractor payment transparency as well.
Whilst your builder does get a little more rope, the opportunity to misuse funds remains small; failure to pay any subcontractor or supplier in line with the QS assessment will be immediately evident, limiting the risk of funds misappropriation (and demonstrably better than relying solely on that monthly ‘stat dec’).
Knowing that subcontractors are being paid is half the battle. IPEX Monitor gives you the payment information you need to be sure that your builder is honouring their obligations under the build contract, without the awkward conversation.
If your builder pays their subbies, they’ll agree to IPEX Monitor—book a free demo here
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