Jill Davis
Is 2017 the year that your office build-out will get underway? When it comes to taking on a tenant improvement project, hiring an effective project manager is a step you cannot afford to skip.
The project management team is the engine behind projects that keeps them moving. A project manager does far more than pushing a project over the finish line. A project management team keeps a build-out from going off course, preventing delays or going over budget with each decision. But even more than leading the build-out, the value of a project manager comes into play when he or she is involved from the very beginning of a project – especially with regards to the budget.
The Value Of Project Management
Still not convinced your build-out needs a project manager’s eye as it’s completed? When taking on a build-out, project managers review space plans with a critical eye to save time and money. They also lead the charge in evaluating a building’s existing conditions and mechanical infrastructure. Experience in the field gives managers the ability to determine where owners can save money and how the schedule can be condensed.
Consider a recent project we worked on at CBRE/New England for a technology-based firm’s new 20,000-square-foot office space with a limited budget. The project management team worked with the advisory and transaction services team to find a second-generation space, which cut the project cost by 35 percent, and saved two months on the overall schedule. Maintaining a keen-eyed perspective in the management of this process allowed us to save our client both time and money.
Getting Involved Early
Keeping things on track is easier when project managers are involved from the onset. They can set the tone and proper pace of the project. Starting on the right foot allows for a better chance of delivering an on-time project and effective budget management. At CBRE/NE we establish long lead items and communicate the schedule and budget from day one. Clients get the most value when we’re involved early on, since being engaged from the beginning allows for upfront planning. This ensures that the facility is designed with all real estate, operational, technical, logistical and physical requirements in mind, and ultimately reduces the risk of potentially costly charges down the road. Take for example the arduous process of evaluating potential buildings for specific electrical and mechanical requests. For a 60,000-square-foot client with a heavy industrial kitchen requirement, engaging early on helped our team efficiently lead the vetting and due diligence process to find a space that meets the requirements and stay within our client’s target budget.
An Impartial Representative
As the owner’s representative – independent from the design or construction team – project managers have an impartial perspective that no other team member can provide. They can ensure that everyone is working hard for the client’s best interests and focus on making sure their space is built correctly, for the right budget while sticking to the agreed-upon schedule. They can also bid all services from design through construction to a minimum of three bidders including IT, AV, security, furniture and move-in coordination.
Whether providing an impartial voice to keep all parties on track or ensuring that the project is completed within the budget and on time, an active project manager is vital to the process. Getting them on board to lead from the very beginning will ultimately save time and money, and effective managers will see that your project goes off without a hitch.
Jill Davis is associate project manager at CBRE/New England.
