FTM (Change Order Sheet): what the project manager needs to know about this document to avoid letting a contract change run without a formal process — and losing financial control of the project
The CR lists 9 open FTMs. Some are “under MOE instruction,” others have a cost estimate awaiting a response. If you don’t manage each FTM with a number, a formal instruction, and a response deadline, you expose the client to claims on line items nobody has officially approved.
Type | Phase | Actors | Impact | Stakes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Document | Execution | MOE (project manager), Client (MO), Contractor, Architect | High | contractual | dedicated FTM section of the CR, tracking table |
1. Operational definition + common mistake
The Fiche de Travaux Modificatifs (FTM, “Change Order Sheet”) is the document that formalizes a change to a general contractor’s original contract during execution. It describes the nature of the change (removal, addition, change of material or layout), its origin (client request, technical constraint, incompatibility discovered), and triggers a costing process followed by approval before it’s contractually incorporated.
In this CR, the FTMs cover changes as varied as: “removal of trunking boxes in the meeting rooms,” “curtains to be integrated into the movable partitions,” “security system change,” “creation of partitioned rooms on Floor 4,” “removal of PMMA suspended ceilings,” “change of flooring,” “voice-data-image (VDI) cabling change.” Each has a number, an instruction issuer (MOE or architect), and a costing response deadline from the general contractor.
Many assume the FTM is just an informal request for a cost estimate — in reality, it’s the contractual document that triggers the TS / TSU process in a commercial general-contractor scheme: MOE instruction → contractor costing → MOE analysis → client approval → formal instruction. Without a numbered FTM, a change has no contractual existence and can neither be invoiced nor formally rejected.
2. Where it appears
In a commercial site meeting report — in a dedicated “FTM” section, sequentially numbered. Each FTM is a tracking line with issuer, subject, costing deadline, and status. In this CR:
“FTM No. 1 – removal of trunking boxes in the 4-person and 1-person meeting rooms: sent 09/04 // response requested 19/04 — 04/05: quote sent by DPr — Awaiting DPr response”
“FTM No. 7 – change of flooring: Under MOE instruction // The parquet solution is ruled out — 1st recommendation: base contract PVC – order placed by DPr”
3. How to read this entry in the CR
If you read “Under MOE instruction” → the FTM is at the instruction stage. Check that a formal letter or email will be issued with a costing deadline.
If you read “Awaiting response” → the cost estimate is overdue. Escalate to REMINDER if the deadline has passed and alert the client.
If you read “Order placed” → check that a formal instruction was actually issued before the order. An order placed with no formal instruction creates a risk of an out-of-contract commitment.
4. Who does what
Actor | What FTM means to them | Concrete action |
|---|---|---|
MOE / architect | A formal instruction for a change | Number the FTM, draft the written instruction, set the costing response deadline |
General contractor (EG) | A costing request to process | Produce the detailed quote within the deadline; don’t place an order without a formal instruction |
Client (MO) | Final financial arbitration | Approve or reject the cost estimate; sign off on FTMs with a positive budget impact |
Cost consultant (économiste) | Analysis of the contractor’s costing | Check the consistency of amounts against the contract and the MOE’s estimates |
5. What this changes in practice
A project manager who maintains an FTM tracking table can show, at any time, the exact status of each change, its budget impact, and its contractual status. A project manager who leaves FTMs “under instruction” with no number or deadline creates a budget gray zone in which the general contractor can push through unauthorized orders.
Failure scenario: FTM No. 7 (flooring change) is never formalized in writing. The contractor orders the carpet “per the MOE’s verbal instruction in the meeting.” The client discovers the order on a progress statement and disputes it. The contractor presents the meeting’s CR as proof of instruction. Without an FTM and a formal instruction, a dispute is inevitable.
6. Example of real wording
“FTM No. 6 – removal of PMMA suspended ceilings — 07/05: sent // response requested by 17/05”
“FTM No. 8 – VDI cabling change (2-person/4-person meeting rooms) — Under MOE instruction”
7. Points of caution
An FTM is not a formal instruction: it triggers the costing; the formal instruction triggers execution after financial approval.
An unnumbered FTM cannot be tracked contractually: always number them sequentially.
“Under MOE instruction” noted in the CR isn’t enough: written formalization with a deadline is required.
An order placed by the contractor before an FTM is approved is placed at the contractor’s own risk.
An FTM can result in a cost reduction (removal) — tracking must include changes in both directions to maintain an accurate budget balance.
8. Not to be confused with
Related term | Key difference |
|---|---|
Additional works (TS / TSU) | A generic term — the FTM is the document that formalizes the TS / TSU in a commercial general-contractor scheme |
Formal instruction (ordre de service) | Execution instruction after financial approval — the FTM precedes the formal instruction |
Contract amendment | An overall contractual change — a series of approved FTMs can feed into a periodic amendment |
Contract option | A clause anticipated at the tender stage — the FTM addresses a change not originally planned |
9. Related terms
Same phase (execution/changes): Additional works · Formal instruction · Contract amendment · Contract option
Same actor (MOE/general contractor): Progress statement · GED · Electronic approval workflow
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