WHAT EVERY CLIENT WANTS
Project management provides the framework for managing complex projects in a controlled and predictable manner, thereby increasing the likelihood of achieving successful outcomes. The benefits of good project management for architectural firms as a business is evident. Efficiency, risk management, and higher quality are valuable qualities of a firm that every client wants. But not all project management is created equal.
Healthcare facility planning
Project management for a healthcare design project is unlike any other architectural challenge and requires a highly specialized expertise that typical architectural firms do not have internal resources for.
Typically, it is not profitable for an architectural firm to dedicate an internal resource to monitor the following KPIs during healthcare facility planning, therefore receiving the advice of an external consultant can be beneficial for the business.
Healthcare facility planning
Collaborative design process in healthcare projects
In day-to-day operations of an architectural firm, the following KPIs can provide valuable insight to help sustain the business for years to come.
Cost-Efficiency in Healthcare Architecture
For Healthcare Architects, cost efficiency is important from a business perspective as most healthcare projects in Canada have limited budgets funded by public funds.
From fee proposals to resource allocations and hiring, understanding the profitability on a per project basis is an extremely valuable KPI for a firm to stay ahead in the market.
But collecting project-wide data, monitoring the expenses and understanding the inefficiencies of the process to then implement mitigation strategies requires a background in healthcare design, architecture, business as well as project management.
Resource Allocation
For Healthcare Architects, resource allocation has been a regular topic of discussion in every management meeting since the Covid pandemic. Architects with true expertise in healthcare design are a rarity as acquiring this expertise requires a career-long dedication to the field.
With shortage of expertise in resources, but high demand for architectural design by healthcare organizations, it is critical for healthcare architectural firms to manage their existing resources effectively and hire new resources efficiently.
Stakeholder Management
The number of stakeholder engagements required in a collaborative design process in healthcare projects makes it highly complex from a project management perspective.
From management of schedules to relationships and personalities, staff change management becomes highly critical to monitor and gain insight into whether the value gained from a particular stakeholder participation justifies the associated costs.
Quality control
Whether it is project implementation, staff knowledge, or relationship management, quality control in all aspects is important for long term business reputation and trust by clients. It is also a key value of successful project management. However quality control for a highly complex project such as healthcare design is difficult at the best of times. With shortage of specialized resources, cost control and stakeholder expectations to manage, quality control is a tall order for any architectural firm.
Project Management in healthcare design requires creative problem-solving in project-specific situations. Whether it is for technology integration, sustainable healthcare architecture or accommodating building codes and regulations.
It is an art that can deliver financial benefits to any organization that monitors the variables closely and takes proactive action to set itself up for success as a business.
Stay tuned for the upcoming topics in our quarterly updates next year:
- Agenda Clarity
- Cost per stakeholder
- Presentation Quality
- Rescheduling frequency
- Stakeholder attendance rate
- Duration efficiency
- Internal Workflow Analysis for Architectural Firms
- Resource Allocation within Architectural Firms
