Extra Value of Early Team Integration
Sometimes it’s a hard sell, because putting the whole team together at the front end of your project may seem premature and cumbersome. Some professionals may agree with that caution. However, bringing all aspects into focus in the initial planning process has many advantages that outweigh the resistance to do so.
Envisioning the full scope of a design project as early as possible can eliminate both misconceptions and serious conflicts further down the line.
Organizing your team leadership participators in brainstorming and troubleshooting eliminates unrealistic perceptions that may exist concerning factors of cost, feasibility and possibility!
If you are an old hand at design projects involving all modes from completely new build-outs to remodeling and refreshing, you will probably see the wisdom in addressing as much as possible, up front. On the other hand, if you are new at the game, it is worth your while to take a breath and slow down a bit. Jumping right in with a chosen first priority, then winging it as you move along -- continually searching for the next-needed expert – is a recipe for trouble.
It is kind of a tough call because when you have finally chosen your professional designer, you just want to steam ahead, full speed! The last thing you may want to hear is: Slow down and plan! Actually, it is the best time to trust to the experience and insights of the professional you have hired.
First, work with your design lead or project coordinator to consider all factors that will require special sub-contracting and expert providers. Often the critical “linkage” between aspects is not immediately apparent to clients who are newly involved in a complex interior design project.
Investing time in team organization is one of the smartest moves as you begin to activate your design vision. Every aspect of your project connects with other aspects. It is at those connective junctures where pre-knowledge and information works to avoid mistakes of timing and cost.
Does your landscape architect need to participate so early in the game when that is often the last phase? Does the drywall expert need to be at a sit down weeks before that skill comes into play? The answers range all the way from “No” to “Yes” depending upon how your professional designer approaches the planning process.
Some professionals want all factors present and accounted for well in advance as insurance for availability, appropriate cost factoring, integrated scheduling and compatibility with the design vision. It goes without elaboration that when all participants have a clear sense of the big picture and its rhythms, the process will probably move more smoothly and with fewer glitches. Acknowledging the segues from area to area, from interior to exterior and from one application to another is vital for smooth progress.
Most professional services schedules are charted many months in advance; some, years in advance. When participators know as soon as is reasonable where a skill or trade must interface in a project’s path, it is the best way to anticipate dependable availability. Many a good project has been brought to a halt because of poor timing and lack of pre-planning.
The “goodwill” factor cannot be over-emphasized! When you assemble your team ahead of calendar criticality, that is appreciated by all participators. They, in turn, can advance their own scheduling and predictably serve your project.
Photo Contributed by Robert Boccabella
Assembling your full team, planning and projecting -- in advance of need -- can be the most critical aspect of your project.
