Eight steps to a successful site refresh

Article author: Alan King
Position: principal, Langmon Surveyors

At its heart, building – like most other jobs – is straightforward. Most of the time all that is required is common sense and understanding. I’m never frightened to say what I think – so, when I’m dealing with someone who thinks they know what they’re talking about, I’ll very often say to them: “Did a mate of yours tell you that down the pub?” I’m not saying the person down the pub is wrong but statistically, they probably will be!

I typically work for small retailers – John O’Hanlon at Waylands, for example, has got 10 sites, but even when when I first met him when he was at Ridgeway it ‘only’ had 30. But these retailers still just wanted the basics done right, which is the best place to start. You can make it as complicated as you like, but I try to make it as uncomplicated as possible.

I naturally come at things from the point of view of building – dealing with the manufacturer is the sensitive bit. For example, John’s two Kia retailers have had the global sales concept work done. During that process, I had to make it clear to them that I work for the retailer, not the manufacturer. If something in the build is mandated, I will not push back on it and I will incorporate it to the best of my ability. However, if it is something that is not obligatory – but OEMs try to encourage people to have it – I will evaluate it in my own mind and see if I can justify it.

A good philosophy is that if you want to be a member of the club, you’ve got to pay the membership fee. If the membership fee in auto retail means you’ve got to spend £1,100 on a leather armchair in the customer waiting area, don’t quibble – just get on with it. The three main retailer groups I work for – Martins, Heritage and Weyland – are all very good at not wanting people to push back on what the manufacturer actually mandated. It was quite evident that, when someone had taken over a retailer an a town, the former operator had been pushing back and the manufacturer had got fed up with it.

It’s a fine line between being a pushover and being firm. But success comes from finding the right balance. Here is my guide to the best way forward when looking to refurb or rebuild a site.

1) The retailer needs to have a project manager who is completely independent of the manufacturer.  Brand guardians often hold themselves out as being best-placed to lead the retailer through the entire process. However, from the retailer’s perspective, their impartiality is fundamentally flawed due to commercial considerations of working for two masters of unequal influence. If a manufacturer’s network development manager calls and asks a question I would never lie to them – but I work for the retailer, not the manufacturer.

2) Both the retailer and project manager need to have implicit trust in each other.  The retailer needs to trust the project manager spending their money as they would their own (and being aware of and mindful of the differences in spending decisions between owned and leased premises and long/short term refurbishments etc). In turn, the project manager needs to trust that they understand the retailer’s requirements and expectations – and that they will ‘re-brief’ the project manager immediately if anything operationally changes in how the completed tasks must work for the processes, followed by the dealership staff. I see no shame in the project manager broadcasting – and effectively managing – a retailer client change of plan/change of mind (although with Waylands, that very seldom happens).

3) Once the brief is set out and the retailer agrees the budget/knows when they can have the front door keys – the project manager needs to be free to implement. If the project manager has to refer back to the retailer for decisions on building issues (as opposed to matters that impact on operational issues) then the ability to make immediate decisions at site meetings, during phone calls and ad-hoc site visits is lost. This scenario leads to frustrations on site, delays, loss and expense claims and all manner of aggravation that everyone can do without (and are a clear sign of failure all round).

4) Keep the building team small and tight – and make sure that between you all you cover all the basics without any dramas so that the bigger issues (or simply those that really matter – however small) have the necessary management time available.

5) Make sure the architect and structural engineer know who is the boss. Never let the retailer choose and impose them upon the PM. This approach rarely works and can be fatal, project-wise. Always use the same approved inspector for building regulation approval.

6) Keep the same team and be loyal – there’s nothing worse than changing from job to job based on cheapest price. At its most basic – for example – anyone can be taught to lay a brick, but caring how that brick is laid invariably comes with the bricklayer knowing that if they do it well they will automatically be offered the next job. If they think they will only get the next job if they undercut every other bricklayer, then why are they going to care very much about the current job? You hear and come across lots of project managers (and retailer’s property directors) who know the price of everything,  but have no concept of value.

7) If the project manager is loyal to the team this, in itself, creates an atmosphere of mutual reliance between all parties. There is also an implied obligation to return favours – which need to be called in when faced with sticky situations – and a small, tight, bright and happy team will always pull something out of the hat when one party is up against it.

8) Always make sure no-one wants to play poker with you, as they never know if you are bluffing. You many not have a Plan B, but if someone is not pulling in the right direction never be afraid to tell anyone – whether it be a consultant, contracts manager, surveyor, commercial manager, site manager or anyone else – to “…get in your car/van and [go away]”! Oh and add: “Make sure you telephone your boss as soon as you leave the site, because I will be calling them myself later today.”  Your magic wand might be tired but it never fails completely!