Whether you’re building an office from the ground up or building out the interior space, what’s most important to you: time, budget, or specifications? Are you:
-
Pressed for time, wanting your office up and running as quickly as possible?
-
Financially focused? Do you want to stick to the budget, no matter what?
-
Detail-oriented, desiring every element to be exactly as you envision?
When advising our dental clients before their project begins, we recommend thinking through these questions. While all three are important, typically one should take the lead and drive your decisions.
Choosing one will help you focus on what you originally wanted when you’re in the thick of the project, and ultimately help you reach your goal. However, making all three a priority may cause analysis paralysis when it’s time to make decisions.
To illustrate the idea using a simpler scenario, imagine you were in the market for a vehicle. Which approach would you choose to the buying process?
-
Time-based: Would you go to the nearest dealership and purchase a vehicle based on its ability to be driven home today? The drawbacks of this approach could be the vehicle’s make and model aren’t exactly what you need, and you may need to be flexible with your budget.
-
Budget-based: Would you research a vehicle until you found one that fit your budget? This approach may take a bit of time, and the vehicle that matches your budget may not be what you need.
-
Specifications-based: Would you research exactly what you want, and custom order the vehicle? That could mean sacrificing dealership discounts and waiting for the vehicle to be made and delivered, which could result in a higher sales price and longer wait time.
Consider enlisting a dental construction expert before your project begins to be your advocate, help you prioritize, and establish a plan. You can lean on his or her expertise to help you focus, accomplish your goals, and be in a better position to achieve your second and third priorities.
Working with a professional dental-specific project manager to oversee the process is the most important factor in successfully opening your doors on time and staying on budget. With Xite Realty, one contact exclusively represents your interests throughout the planning, bidding and vendor selection phases; and handles the coordination of the entire project.
This article was originally published by the TDA Perks Program and updated on May 23, 2019.