ADDED VALUE

Is a good project manager the secret to success for a complex commercial design project?

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It’s no secret that project management (PM) plays an essential role in ensuring the success of any project. For designers, having a skilled project manager on board not only provides structure but also solves logistical challenges, mitigates risks, and fosters a collaborative environment. The benefits are multi-layered, allowing designers to focus more on the creative process while the project manager ensures everything stays on track.

Here, we speak to three industry leaders about how project management adds value to both designers and other stakeholders before, during and after the design process, offering a roadmap for the best practices and processes to follow.

THE CRITICAL ROLE OF EARLY INVOLVEMENT

One of the most significant advantages of having a project manager engaged early in the process is their ability to guide critical project decisions from the outset. As Nathan Hones, partner and COO at Carter Hones Associates, points out, “There are three critical times during the lifecycle of a project where the project manager can offer the most value: the choice of the consultant team, the decision of procurement strategy, and the selection of a suitable contractor.

These early decisions lay the foundation for the entire project, ensuring that the right team is in place, the procurement strategy aligns with the project’s needs, and the chosen contractor is well-suited to bring the vision to life.

Without a project manager, designers often bear the burden of advising on these complex decisions, which can lead to misalignment between the client’s expectations and the reality of the project’s constraints. Hones stresses that clients often struggle to select the right designer or procurement approach without a PM’s expertise.