Enhancing Business Performance

Call us now on 01252 653454

• Home
• » FAQ
• » Why do I need a project manager?

Why do I need a project manager?

Providing a single point of responsibility for your office project

The purpose of this article is not to scare Clients into thinking that they must employ a Project Manager for every project, however there should be no doubt that embarking on a refurbishment or fit out project is a serious business, which could have significant financial and non financial consequences to your business if not managed effectively.

So if you are considering undertaking either an office refurbishment or fitting out project and you have little or no experience in managing projects we would strongly recommend that you employ a Project Manager at the earliest possible opportunity.

A great deal of technical knowledge and experience is required of the refurbishment & fitting out industry in order to deliver a successfully completed project on time, within budget and to a high standard of finish. Needless to say this becomes even more prevalent the larger the building and complexity of the Clients requirements.

To project manage a refurbishment or fitting out project effectively you should not overlook the fact that a substantial amount of time needs to be dedicated to the project both on a daily and weekly basis, which most Clients can ill afford. So it is really important that you start by considering this question:-

"Do we have both the time and experiences to project manage this scheme?"

Or

"Alternatively would it be more cost effective to engage a company who would manage all aspects of the project on our behalf?"

To help you consider the above question you should consider that a project can normally be broken down into three specific phases those being:-

Pre Contract - Phase 1 -

This refers to all feasibility, survey, design development, specification writing and tender activities prior to work commencing on site by the Contractor.

Contract Phase - 2

Relates to all work carried out from when the Contractor commences work on site through to date of Practical Completion of the works.

Post Contract Phase - 3

All activities that is required after date of Practical Completion such as on going maintenance and defects liability.

Enough emphasis cannot be placed on the fact that the success of any project is very dependant on the quality of the completed work at Pre-Contract stage. If critical activities and processes have not been completed properly it is likely that your project will not reach a successful completion as anticipated and you could be asked to pay for unforeseen costs by the contractor.

Not withstanding the above it is not unusual for lay Clients not to fully appreciate what is entailed to refurbish or fit out their offices. Neither would it be reasonable to expect Clients to have an in depth understanding of the processes or scope of works required to deliver a project that meets their expectations.

Workplace Concepts takes advantage of our Project Management experience and proven processes to work closely alongside its Clients to assist them to fully understand their requirements and consider the various options before making critical decisions, which concludes in a detailed set of Employer's Requirements (defined scope of works).

A Project Manager will act on behalf of its Clients to ensure that their best interests are being maintained throughout the three key phases of the project. Needless to say your best interest can only be achieved by a Project Manager, who can provide independent and professional and advice.

Clients should be cautious of Contractors who say that they can offer free design services and could project manage the scheme on their behalf. Clearly this is not possible as there would be a direct conflict of interest from the very outset of the project.

How can you be sure you get value for money?

The majority of projects are cost sensitive and one of the roles of a Project Manager is to develop a comprehensive tender package that reflects your requirements. These documents are essential to obtain competitive tenders and for giving you piece of mind that the contractor's agreed Contract Sum has been fully market tested.

A position of confidence can only be achieved through independent consultancy companies such as Workplace Concepts. Contractors will profess they can tender the individual work packages and add an agreed percentage to cover overheads and profit.  This method of procurement is simply not a cost effective proposition and remember that your Project Manager is employed by you to represent your best interest, whereas a Contractor may seek to explore alternative avenues in the interest of maximising their profit.

Engaging a Project Manager with a proven track record such as Workplace Concepts will incur professional fees, however these fees will be recouped from the financial and non financial benefits brought to your project.

If you are not sure that you require the services of a Project Manager for your forthcoming office project please refer to the link below which will take you to a typical project flow chart, indicating just some of the activities that would be undertaken by a project manager.

The above information is only intended to be a brief guide and does not take into account all the roles and responsibilities that project managing undertakes. You may wish to click on the link Typical Project Flow Chart to give you a better understanding of the methodology at a glance.  

If you would like any further information please contact Workplace Concepts by either calling the telephone number below or use our online enquiry form and we will contact you within 24hrs.