How Construction Advisory Firms Stop Project Problems Before They Start
Bisnow · 25 March 2026
TL;DR
New York-based SBI Consultants, a strategic advisory firm with nearly 30 years of experience, specialises in identifying and resolving construction project risks before they escalate into costly delays or failures. Led by president Wajdi Atallah, SBI works across project phases — from early feasibility through to completion — helping developers manage cost models, scheduling, stakeholder communication, and risk registers. The firm's philosophy, 'keep the pace, keep the peace,' centres on bringing the right decision-makers together quickly when problems emerge. Notable projects include the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, where SBI distilled a 500-page critical path schedule into a single colour-coded page, enabling the museum to open on time. The firm argues that early expert engagement consistently delivers stronger returns than reactive troubleshooting.
Our take
For South African property developers and construction stakeholders, the lessons here translate directly. Local projects face their own version of SBI's cautionary tales — delayed financing, municipal approval bottlenecks, load-shedding disruptions, and escalating material costs all compress margins and stretch timelines in ways that catch even experienced teams off guard. The core insight is straightforward: spending money on expert oversight early is almost always cheaper than fixing problems mid-build. South African developers, particularly those scaling into new metros or tackling mixed-use schemes, often underestimate how location-specific variables — think Joburg CBD logistics versus a Gqeberha coastal development — affect both cost and scheduling. The 'distil complexity into clarity' approach is equally relevant here, where multi-stakeholder projects involving municipalities, Eskom, and private contractors can quickly become communication nightmares. Agents and buyers evaluating off-plan purchases should also take note: asking developers whether independent project monitors are in place is a reasonable due-diligence question that could save significant heartache down the line.