Working with Trusted Contractors
“But aren’t all contractors trustworthy?”
Well; I’m sure they are or the vast majority of them are. It is worth making the point though that whether a consultant or a client it pays to work with those you can place your trust in and we see the benefits of this time and again.…
As a project manager it is our responsibility to try and ensure when tendering or negotiating works that we have belief in whoever is to be appointed. This holds true whether the job is a minor works refurbishment, a large single project or a major strategic new build.
A few examples include an East Midlands based client who has used the same design and build contractor with negotiated build contracts under supervision from ourselves to consistently deliver a number of warehouse and production units for their own occupation over a 20 year period. This particular contractor has deserved the trust though by combining the important factors of quality, value, delivery and finish. They are currently closing in or completing their largest £2 million projeft with another £500,000 job likely to follow pretty quickly.
The benefit for contractors to stay close to their clients and the consultant teams are that they should always stand the best chances to get the next job without having to competitively tender. Building a relationship with trusted contractors will work for both parties.
Another good example is a recent job completed in Fife where we have been using for a number of years the local contractor ‘Commercial Units Scotland Ltd’ where they have just completed a £250,000 refurbishment project to bring back 25,000 sq ft of former production and office space ‘back to life’ – the attached photo shows how it looks today with practical completion looking likely this week. The Glenrothes based contractor has been consistently working with us as part of our asset management of a large tract of employment property that we look after in the town.
Managing relations with contractors further afield than a simple ‘hours drive’ from the office also means that you have to have trust in those you work with.
Disclaimer: The views expressed within this article or weblog (‘blog’) are the personal views of the contributors and authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of any named companies or their employees.