Managing a hotel renovation or new construction project is a complicated logistical puzzle. Each piece has to come together at just the right time and be the right fit. Sometimes this can cause some frustration, but with the proper maneuvering and time, the end result is well worth it.
One of the outcomes of waiting for the right pieces to fit is a feeling of being on hold. When the project is at this pause point, there are still some things you can do to keep the project on track.
Communication
There is a reason that communication comes up in almost every how-to or self-help article. A little communication goes a long way to solving many issues. When everyone is on the same page and aware of what is going on, it not only relieves a little of that stress that comes with feeling like you’re left in the dark – it could also lead to a resolution. In a team situation, everyone is looking at the same thing in a different way. There could be ways to if not solve an issue, at the very least work around it, or avoid additional problems.
We understand that sometimes, a project reaches a point where we just have to wait for a few of the right pieces to keep filling in that puzzle. Be upfront and have open communication regarding what kind of waiting period you expect, and the reason for it. It could be due to budget, waiting to find the right teams, finalizing the design, and many other reasons.
Prepare for Known Factors
The hospitality industry is both a reliable constant while also being dynamic and ever-changing. Meaning, the process for each project is largely the same, but some of the details are always shifting. We’ve seen over the last four years how quickly a 10 week lead time can change to a 16 week lead time, or how the prices and timeline for securing freight have shifted.
The good news is that lead times are known in advance and can be considered. If you have a hard end date, factors like lead times can largely affect that timeline, especially if the progress is paused for any length of time. Fortunately, there are things you can do to prepare and be working on while waiting for the next step.
Talk with your Procurement Agent
As mentioned previously, there are many reasons why a project can be waiting for the next step. There are different approaches and solutions that your purchasing team may be able to do, depending on what the specific piece is that is missing.
We can help you finalize your FF&E budget, especially if it’s a project working with brand standards. We can take that scope and flag requirements and compare them to previous projects meeting those criteria and help you come up with a really good preliminary budget. We also work with the designer to help verify the quantity verification, ensuring that the right number of items is in the budget and it’s not too high or too low.
Depending on what the pause is, we are still able to work on your behalf in the interim. When that final piece does fall into place, everything else will fit right after that so much quicker because they were actively being worked on already.
