Self-Reflection & Questions To Ask Before Awarding A Commercial Construction Project
In the dynamic and challenging world of commercial construction, choosing a construction partner goes beyond cost considerations. Completing a project (on time and within budget) also correlates to selecting a partner who shares your values and corporate culture.
This alignment is crucial for a successful project.
By meticulously assessing your partner’s communication, reliability, and employee commitment, you can enhance the likelihood of a smooth and successful project and strengthen your brand and corporate image.
When considering who will win the award for your commercial construction project, it's important to leverage your experience and history with previous projects. This knowledge should guide your considerations beyond the appeal of the lowest bid.
Behind the chosen partner is a unique business entity with its owners, employees, and subcontractors. Considering their identity, process, and corporate culture is as crucial as their proposal. Past performance is a reliable indicator of future work and can help you avoid pitfalls.
We recommend self-examining and analyzing historical performance before awarding the project. Here’s a brief guideline for this process, including questions and objective historical reflections:
What is your top concern or worry?
Reflecting on past mistakes can provide valuable insights for making better decisions. Recall a scenario where a project encountered numerous setbacks due to poor communication and a lack of accountability from the chosen contractor. Delays, subpar workmanship, and a general disregard for customer satisfaction tainted the entire process, leading to a disappointing experience for all parties involved. This reflection can give valuable insights and strengthen decision-making.
Analyze the communication history with each project contractor during the review process. This is a crucial step in the decision-making process. Responsiveness, attention to detail, and the quality of questions can reveal a lot about a company's reliability and corporate culture. A contractor who consistently provides prompt and clear responses, asks insightful questions and demonstrates a genuine interest in understanding the project's requirements is likelier to be a reliable partner.
Have you considered aspects of the corporate/company culture of the contractor you are considering? While it may be challenging to gauge a company's culture fully during budgeting, interactions with its representatives can offer valuable insights. Employees who take ownership of their roles, are willing to go the extra mile, and prioritize customer satisfaction are invaluable assets. These traits often reflect a company's values and commitment to excellence, which can translate into successful project execution.
Reviewing lessons learned from the past is invaluable. It reinforces the importance of thoroughly vetting potential construction contractors based on their projects, track record, communication skills, and corporate culture. A low bid should never overshadow the contractor's ability to execute the project efficiently and prioritize customer satisfaction.