The Value of an Experienced Team

The Value of an Experienced Team

Project manager’s perspective

Patrick NG

OYOB

 

 

 

Often as a project manager you reflect on the skills, competencies, and experience in your development team. 

Over the last two quarters, our projects have had even greater acute demands. Needing highly specialised and technical skills in multiple areas around the intricate requirements of planning procurement. The layers and complexities around this process can often take years, of which some aspects are completely unquantifiable. And trying to encapsulate the vast array of resources, the sheer number of consultants, along with the inordinate amount of time spent to procure the various aspects of a project- is a feat in itself.

 

 

The process usually encompasses site evaluation and preliminary design as a first step, with analyses to be followed closely by preliminary financial feasibility studies. After these have been evaluated, a more elaborate design is then commenced by the Architect, usually with the assistance of secondary consultants’ advice. With further review, the project is then developed to a stage suitable for planning evaluation. For a multi-lot subdivision project, the consultant team could be substantial and the time for site investigation, assessment, review and coordination can sometimes take years to collate into a coherent form suitable for lodgement with authorities and Council.

 

 

Depending on the complexity of the application could take from three months to a year, especially for assessment and approval of the design proposal, by way of a ‘Use and Development’ planning permit. This period of assessment is usually unquantifiable due to the nature of the processes involved and a lack of any clearly defined statutory time frames. 

 

For a development project, the planning process represents a high level of risk in time and cost and this is typically why such projects are not embarked upon by smaller or inexperienced developers. However, upon successful application – in most cases,  there is a significant reduction in risk followed by an increase in valuation in which larger developers work to maximise.

 

Diagram source: Kris Kowalski Architect

 

A planning permit defines the applicable uses for the land, however the permit in itself, is still not sufficient enough in detail nor suitable for construction. This is when after the issue of a planning permit, the real work begins! From construction, documentation, specifications, building details, materials and finishes schedule, structural and civil engineering computations, services engineering design, internal joinery and cabinetry details-  all components that will need to be resolved and recorded by way of a set of Construction Plans suitable for the procurement of Building Permit approval. Then finally the project can tender to builders and commence construction.

This is where we are grateful to have a highly skilled and experienced team to manage and deliver the our projects to the quality and. Without a team of such individuals projects can sit at standstill with loss opportunity and potential costly setbacks and fails.

Putting all these pieces together over months to potentially a year or more takes a highly skilled, educated and experienced team to manage and deliver the expected quality that councils, planners, builders and the end market is looking for. Without a team of such individuals projects can sit at standstill with loss opportunity and potential costly setbacks and fails.

 

Patrick Ng

Executive Chairman, Project Director and Lead Architect
2006 Dual Commercial Winner, National Grand Master Awards, Delfin Caroline Springs

OYOB