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While no two customers or projects are alike, at DCS we approach both in the same way. That is, we genuinely value the establishment and nurturing of a true partnership with our customers. We never want a transactional relationship with them. Because our purpose is to deliver on our promises so that our customers can deliver on theirs, it’s in everyone’s best interest to ensure that each project proceeds with minimal disruptions or unexpected developments.
For those reasons, DCS strongly prioritizes project execution best practices through collaboration and coordination at the outset of every project. This, along with transparency and trust, forms the foundation of every project engagement — whether it’s the first project with a new customer, or the 50th with a long standing one.
What does that look like in action? Here, I’ll share how we ensure smoother project execution through five partnership best practices.
Obviously, every customer wants their project completed on budget and on time. That’s a given. However, when meeting with a customer at the outset of a new project, DCS project managers always seek to gain a better understanding of the top priorities. That might include completion of a specific portion of a project ahead of others, or a willingness to accept more flexible delivery dates if certain equipment becomes available before others.
For example, in a recent project the DCS team initially planned to install one section of a system prior to subsequent areas. Upon discussing those plans with the customer, they advised us that they didn’t plan to use that equipment until several months after the targeted completion date. Knowing that detail early in the process allowed us to revise our plans to prioritize a different zone, which helped us mitigate any schedule risk for the other components in the system that the customer deemed critical. In some cases, this communication can even save the customer money, assuming the original plan involved any expedited fees or overtime hours.
Consider this to be like creating the ground rules for communication around the project and its progress. It’s critical that DCS gains an understanding of the customer’s expectations at the beginning of the project to avoid miscommunications — or missed communications — as much as possible.
Therefore, we always ask customers for their preferences on the following:
We verify these communication expectations with every customer — even the ones we’ve worked with before. That’s because sometimes project managers change, or the level of project complexity may differ from previous work.
For example, the customer may be managing a general contractor to build a new greenfield site, and there are certain milestones they must complete before our installation can begin. Or, in a retrofit of an existing facility, the customer may need to make alternate arrangements to keep operations up and running as we work to expand their system. In either case, it’s critical to establish a roadmap to support timely communication across our partnership.
At DCS, each project has a dedicated project team whose members are introduced to the customer at the outset of every new project. We want to be sure the customer’s project team has all of the correct contact information at their fingertips so that we can promptly respond to any questions or concerns.
Likewise, we ask our customers to share their preferred contacts. Sometimes it’s a single point person. Alternately, it may be a team of people, but only certain people need to be in the know about minute details, while others only want to be informed when major milestones occur. Regardless, we make every effort to capture those details during the project kickoff meeting to ensure that no gaps happen. That enables us to maximize our customers’ time by communicating the right details to the right people at the right moment.
Of course, everyone is busy. That goes for both sides of the DCS-customer partnership. But, if either side does not respond to a question or concern in a timely manner, project progress could be impeded. Therefore, DCS’ project managers make every effort to reply to customer requests as quickly as possible.
Further, we absolutely understand that sometimes customers cannot answer our queries immediately — or even within 24 to 48 hours. When there’s a critical question to answer or a decision to make, however, we try to explain the urgency of the request and the potential impact a long delay might have on the project budget or schedule.
This also ties into transparency. It’s imperative that DCS is transparent with our customers about what could be affected by extensive lag time in a reply. For example, it might negate our ability to secure more favorable pricing or a faster delivery timeframe on a piece of equipment.
Sometimes, the customer’s project management team may have to obtain authorization from higher up in the organization, and they let us know that they need more time. What’s important to ensuring a successful project and partnership is that both sides are open, honest, and striving to be as responsive as possible.
Also falling within the realm of transparency is the need for both sides to promptly share any potential or actual changes that may impact the project and its timeline. Change is a constant in today’s world, and system integration projects are not immune. DCS’ project managers work hard to keep the schedule and all its moving parts intact. However, if a disruption occurs, we not only communicate it to our customers, but we also share options for mitigating it.
Likewise, we ask our customers to let us know immediately if they realize a change to the system needs to be made — or even if there’s a possibility of changes occurring. By knowing these shifts as soon as possible, our team can begin building a contingency plan in order to minimize the effect of those changes. Certainly, change is never easy, but it’s absolutely a lot easier to manage when it’s communicated early. And, it might even have a positive impact on the project’s timeline or budget!
Want to Experience a Smoother Project?
Partner with DCS for your next supply chain solution and enjoy a collaborative, transparent relationship that’s focused on your success. Connect with us and let us know how we can help improve your next project experience, or if you have any questions on our project execution best practices
AUTHOR:
Will Price, PMP
Program Manager
will@designedconveyor.com
