Fitout projects in the residential, corporate, retail, and hospitality sectors can range from a focused, minimalistic design and buildout to large-scale operations involving a complex network of international stakeholders.
But regardless of the size and scope of the project, or even the sector, choosing a project management company or fitout company has significant advantages over hiring a general contractor.
Retail and hospitality operations in particular have a lot of skin in the fitout timeline. Each day that one of these businesses is not up and running incurs large costs. In the same vein, landlords have their own interests to protect and don’t take kindly to delays and unexpected costs on their end.
At the end of the day, there are simply too many moving parts to a fitout project to entrust to a single individual, namely a general contractor. No matter how qualified, how recommended, general contractors are not necessarily equipped to manage the various, intricate facets that large and even smaller projects require.
Fitting out your dream project is not just about construction. It’s about vision. It’s about creating a space that imbues the objectives and mission of your brand or purpose.
It’s also about design.
It’s about the science and mechanics of basic services we take for granted, like electricity and plumbing, and the incorporation of technology to not only enhance the space, but the process of creating it.
And never forget, it’s always about the law.
The legalities of your project are arguably one of the most important components — if one contract, one permit is not in place, the entire thing can fall to pieces or impart massive delays that drive both costs and emotional stress sky high.
There are a number of arguments in favor of hiring a project management or fitout company versus a general contractor to complete your fitout vision timely and efficiently. Here are the top 5 reasons you should consider hiring a professional fitout company.
Advocacy
By far and away, the best reason to hire a fitout management company over a general contractor is the advocacy that they provide. While a contractor is hired to carry out a job within certain parameters, the number one objective is to remain profitable himself (or herself).
Project management firms in the fitout business work differently.
They are independent, third parties whose entire role is to advocate for you, the client. Fitout firms will not earn any more money by cutting corners, delaying projects, or choosing certain vendors. Their sole purpose is to advocate for you at every step, putting the best interests of your project at the forefront of all stakeholders and ensuring that everything runs as smoothly as possible.
Cost
Retaining the services of a fitout company isn’t cheap, but the costs of not hiring one can far outweigh any fees you incur. Unfortunately, many clients have learned this the hard way.
Because fitout/project management firms are primarily concerned with advocating for you, they have zero stake in the game — and that’s a good thing. They can negotiate with vendors, landlords, and legal counsel without fear of retribution or a stakeholder threatening to not work with them in the future. More often than not, clients find that project management companies end up saving them significantly once the project has been completed.
Don’t put your eggs in one basket.
This could arguably be the primary reason not to go with a general contractor for your fitout needs, but it fits in line with advocacy. It’s simple — with a GC, you essentially have one manager to oversee every aspect of the planning, buildout, design, and construction process. If a problem arises with the GC, the entire project can instantly be in jeopardy. The system is inherently dangerous and risky.
In the ecosystem of the fitout firm, each stakeholder moves within their own sphere and is managed by the centralized team. If one stakeholder is inefficient or needs to be removed, they can be dealt with quickly and new blood can be brought in to keep the project on course. No one person or group can threaten the integrity of the project.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
Which brings us to the next crucial factor: teamwork. In the GC model, one individual manages moving parts, some of which are not his/her specialty and may even be shockingly foreign to the GC, who is the primary point of contact. In the fitout PM ecosystem, teamwork is facilitated and streamlined between all stakeholders who are held accountable by the system itself. The project management team has intimate knowledge of each facet of the process and can motivate, check, and remove team members if necessary. The more organized and open flow of communication not only brings out the best work, it’s an excellent tool to keep the project on schedule.
Time
Finally, hiring a project management firm to fit out your space will hands-down save you an immense amount of time. From the initial planning process to design and construction, having a team behind you to make sure milestones are hit and deadlines are made will net you more time to focus on other things: other projects, other aspects of your life.
We all know that time is money, but time is also stress. The longer a project takes to reach completion, the more stress all parties endure. It’s in the best interest of the fitout PM company to make sure everything gets done timely, whereas a GC can sometimes seek to profit from interludes and delays.
The goal of this article isn’t to beat up on general contractors, and in fact, A+ Solutions works with some of the most talented, esteemed contractors in Dubai. Instead, the idea is to point out that these roles are limited when it comes to the multitude of intricacies in a larger-scope fitout project.
Bottom line- If you want to save time, money, and stress on your fitout project, it’s best to put it in the hands of a project management company you can trust.
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