When it’s time to start a commercial project in Maui, you may feel like you have several different projects going on at once that you’re managing on your own. Scheduling, budgets, and other things can cause a project to escalate without oversight. But while you’re trying to build something, you may find yourself handling a lot more than you thought you would. Inevitably something could be overlooked in the process, causing more problems than you already have.
A project manager can take that off your plate and make it all work.
What A Project Manager Does
Having a PM is more along the lines of hiring a “right hand” to help with the project, letting you concentrate on what you do best while your commercial building project is happening.
You can manage your project on your own—in addition to the job you already have. Or you can get help with managing a building project to ensure that it’s completed to spec and kept under budget. Here’s what a project manager can do for you.
- Once the project is green-lighted, planning is a vital part of getting it started. A project manager helps set correct expectations about deliverables, including a timeline and costs. Prior to beginning a project, a PM can help create the scope of the project, the plan, and a schedule, as well as policies and processes, to support the project’s objectives. He or she will also organize teams, team structure, and projects into parts and tasks.
- Assist with the selection of the site. Chances are you’ll already have a broker for the site selection process. But a project manager can also be helpful, with such things as budget projections for different site spaces, as well as test fits for each property. The PM can also advise on the amount of TI (tenant improvement) that you’ll need to negotiate into your lease agreement.
- Assist with the design process. A PM can also arrange all the steps and vendors required to design your ideal space. This includes coordinating a design team, other vendors, and the phases required to design the ideal commercial space for your company.
- Permits and bids. The pre-construction period includes vendor selection as well as the permits required to begin the project. Construction drawings, the general construction manager and general contractor are also part of this phase, and a project manager works to manage and arrange all of it.
- Construction and supervising. Once the actual construction is underway, a PM directly supervises all of the vendors and contractors, regularly inspecting the worksite to make sure the project is completed on time and within the budget. The PM will also update you with regular updates, and coordinate FF&E (furniture, fixtures & electrical) installations and other related tasks.
- Once the project is completed, the project manager will coordinate your move-in, as well as help with any issues you may have once the move-in is completed.
You can hand all this and more to your project manager, and they handle the management of the project. You can concentrate on your regular job and let the PM handle everything under your supervision.
Eight Questions To Ask A Project Manager Before You Hire Them
As with any professional you hire, you’ll need to ask some questions first. You want to know if this PM works for a reputable firm, if they understand your vision. Here are some important questions to ask, but feel free to add your own.
Some questions to begin with:
- Can you share some testimonials from recent previous clients?
- Can you provide names and contact information for some of your references?
- Who are some of your current clients and what types of projects have you done for them?
- Do you have any case studies from recent, relevant projects that I can review?
- What types of projects are you typically involved with, i.e., office, retail spaces, shell space, second-gen?
- Do you have a list of similar projects you’ve done in the last five years?
- What was the outcome of your last project? Did it go as planned?
- What qualifications and certifications do you have?
Of course, you’ll have more questions to ask, and you should. It’s important to know who you’ll be working with over the duration of your construction project because you’ll be working closely with them and relying on them for everything until everything is complete.
Commercial Building Project? Let Pro Draft Handle The Details
A commercial building project is a big undertaking. Left unchecked, things can go in a different direction than you planned—and over budget. Pro Draft can help with architecture, drawings, project management, blueprints, permits, and answer all of your questions before the first day of construction. We’re happy to help, and will work to ensure your project is exactly the way you envision.
Call Pro Draft today at (808) 579-9050 or 1-800-499-4699 from the Mainland
