Commercial Refit-outs
Most of the large retail organisations regularly engage in rebranding and store refit-outs as it is considered a vital move in maintaining their place in the market and ultimately, their market share. As described above, a commercial refit is considered a significant investment, not just because the outcome may have potential implications on the company’s position or image in the market, but also due to the potential loss of revenue in the interim while the refit works are being carried out. Thus, it is essential for companies to get the re-fit right the first time. A thorough and competent project manager can be of great value and assistance to the final outcome, from assisting in the planning process and providing educated and practical advice at the design stage through to the control of costs and programme as works progress, thereby ensuring delivery of a quality project to meet the client’s specific requirements.
To put it simply, the key to getting the project right is careful planning involving the right people. A good project manager has the skills to drive the project to completion to achieve the organisation’s goals and vision within the agreed timescales, quality and budget.
While many of these large companies are well aware of the marketing efforts and strategies involved in optimising sales and may, in fact, have their own internal planning and design teams to carry out the store refit designs, an experienced and competent project manager can add value by offering advice regarding legislative requirements in relation to proposed works (e.g. Fire Safety in respect to changes in escape routes, Resource Consent for signage, etc.) and various other building related issues. For instance, for older buildings (especially buildings constructed before the year 2000), it would be required to carry out a thorough invasive investigation to ensure there are no deleterious materials such as asbestos present. If these materials are found to be in the building, there could be considerable delays if a plan has not been implemented in advance. This may also be a good time to consider how health and safety legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Regulations will affect your potential building and refit design.
Throughout the planning and design stage, the project manager is of real value, being able to offer insight on projected timescales which allows the client to make appropriate plans, enabling them to minimise profit loss through efficient timing and control of the construction programme. The project manager will also communicate with all members of the design team to ensure plans are harmonised and the design process is completed within the defined timeframe so every aspect runs smoothly and start dates are not held up.
Careful consideration must be taken in the design to ensure that the client’s requirements are met and that solutions are reasonably practicable, bearing in mind the construction must be of high quality and durability to withstand the heavy foot traffic that retail stores experience. Health and Safety is another important aspect to consider and thorough care should be taken with regards to the design of shelving, racking and so forth, to ensure that they place no danger to employees, occupants or shoppers, especially small children. Respective designs should be revised to ensure that they meet with relevant health and safety legislation as well as compliance with the Building Code.
Once the feasibility study has been undertaken, the detailed design is developed and consents are in place, the project manager can then use their expertise to assist with acquiring an appropriate contractor to carry out the required works. This process is important due to the tight timeframes and thus the contractor must be aware of the constraints enforced by this type of work and plan the work accordingly to produce a realistic programme and respective deadlines for the different elements of work. The chosen procurement route will depend on multiple factors including the client’s requirements, the complexity of the works involved and the preferred risk strategy to be adopted by the client; however, the project manager can offer expert advice on the options available to ensure that the contractor selected has the skills and expertise to carry out the works.
While the construction works are being undertaken both the client and the contractor need to be aware of the significance of forward planning and how important it is to keep to the programme. Suppliers must also be selected with care to ensure they can be relied upon to meet deadlines and quality requirements. Throughout this phase, the project manager will constantly review the progress of works against the contractor’s programme to ensure that the works proceed to plan and that any possible delays or potential issues are anticipated and mitigated against (e.g. through allocation of additional labour/ longer working hours) to avoid any delay to Handover. A close eye will also be exercised over the budget as variations will not only add to project costs but delay the works.
Once the building works have been completed, there must be an appropriate time frame allocated for re-merchandising of the store before re-opening can commence. While some minor works may still be able to be carried out alongside, building works must essentially be completed and handed over prior to the client’s staff re-occupying to prepare the store for the opening.
Like the majority of building projects, a store re-fit is a complex process and coupled with the potential losses of profit or temporary rent costs taken on while a store is closed, adequate planning and the right team are essential in delivering the refitted store on time, to the quality required to impress potential customers, and within the client’s specified budget. Through their skills, knowledge and experience our project managers are invaluable in achieving all these goals to ensure a successful outcome, maximising the potential financial and economic gains to the client in return for their investment.
For more information email us a prendos@prendos.co.nz or call us - 0800773636.