When creating a new store or delving into a new fitout, there’s much to consider. It’s human nature to think of all the exciting stuff first, such as the look and feel, signage, technology and merchandising. When there are so many incredibly interesting and wonderful things to consider, the planning and structure around all of the above can fall by the wayside. Unfortunately, it’s the project management which will make the project a success. Love it or loathe it, you need to get to know th
e left side of your brain and get some structure in your fit out.
Fitting or refitting a store can be a stressful job because of the many tradespeople, details and technical specifics involved, as well as the added headache of having tight deadline to adhere to so that your shop is open for business on time and 100 per cent ready for your customers.
Managing a design project involves lots of organisation, communication, time, patience, and dealing with issues. There’s much to consider, such as building consents, fire safety standards, other building and council regulations and the like.
Project management can often mean dropping everything to meet a tradesperson on site to resolve a problem or finalise measurements. Project management is all about thinking on your feet and coming up with solutions – continuously and consistently. Sometimes you even have to remember to breathe.
If you engage a designer, the optimal scenario is to have an expert in design and project management. That way, there’s not too many chefs…. and we all know what happens when there’s too many of those!
When engaging someone to project manage your ‘baby’ they should commit to achieving the delivery and budget goals you’ve set for the fitout. They should ensure that it’s a smooth operation and they take away the stress by taking care of the entire process, from the very first brief to after you’ve opened for business. This usually involves a very clear and concise system that clearly communicates the process, step by step, for all parties involved.
It’s all about clear and timely communication and if you have access to a portal whereby you have access to all relevant documents, drawings, minutes, photos and project updates, then you’re in a good hands. This mean you should be able to log in at any stage to see these master documents and the process of your project.
We believe great design and project management go hand in hand and without each other the entire build and project has the potential to collapse. My advice, engage the experts in both so you have time for your creation.
Lizzi Hines is MD of Spaceworks. For more information, phone 0800 2 FIT OUT, or visit www.spaceworks.co.nz
