Happenings No 4. Freedom day

11 Oct

Freedom Day – call it what you may. But hey, congratulations are in order to all of us (in NSW) on working together as a community.

Given I am writing this blog on Freedom Day, I feel compelled to say something about our Covid journey.

First up, I feel very grateful to have been working in the building industry. Despite its own set of challenges, we have not only remained open, but as a commercial fit-out business, we have been very busy helping other businesses that had to take a hiatus, by working with them and their design teams to re-imagine their work spaces.

I am often asked about what my top tips are to getting an interior fit out done, sometimes at breakneck speed, with no compromise on quality.

Those that know me well, know that I personally can’t help but move like a road runner, fast.

I like to solve problems and I like to take action. It’s my norm. So I guess this helps, when often we are asked to deliver a fit-out in a short turn-around time

My top tips should come as no surprise, as they really are universal tips that apply to all sorts of businesses. This is really my personal spin on how I make them work for us.

Be prepared.

Preparation is like liquid gold. It applies to both the client and us.

A well-prepared client will know up front what they actually want done, a clearly defined scope of works, design plans and assessment of any local council requirements is a great start

Meeting with the client to work through the scope, gives us the opportunity to work through any potential issues and put forward solutions before the job kicks off.

I like to meet with all trades and take them through the scope so that there is no confusion on what needs to be done.

Preparation of the job continues with a well prepared timeline of the works to be done. This not only let’s all stakeholders know what will be done, when and in what order, but it gives a goal to work towards, which is critical to managing expectations with short time frames.

Be flexible.

Equally important to a well prepared and managed project timeline, is being flexible.

Things don’t always go to plan, especially so in the building game, and especially in the new post Covid norm world.

You may need to change the timing of the plan, move contractors around, and be flexible with whatever comes your way.

It is important to stay cool and be like the Fonz. This will make the job run more smoothly and keep your client happy too.

Talk, email, text, get in touch with your people.

Communicating regularly with clients, contractors, suppliers, and people we work with throughout the project is key. This will help us know early on if there is an issue with the scope, a material being delivered or manufactured, an issue that we did not anticipate, so we can resolve it swiftly. It allows us to keep everyone running on track to deliver a project on time and on budget.