When I first set out to write on this topic, the title was going to be “The Top 5 Reasons for a Dealership Owner to Hire an Owner’s Representative”. But as I mentioned in my previous post, while there are other firms that do specialize in representing dealership owners in managing their construction projects, our company takes a broader approach. Therefore, the term “Owners Representative” falls a bit short in truly describing who we are and what we do. As a dealership owner, facility upgrades, manufacturer brand standards, relocations, building improvements, and maintenance are all things that distract you from your daily business. Simply put, our approach is to be the resource for all your facility needs. From start to finish and even afterwards we stay engaged, even helping you maintain your facility well after the ribbon cutting is done and you’re occupying your new project.
“How hard can it be? I’m sure I can do this myself.”
If you are asking yourself, “Do I really need to hire someone to help me with my facility project?” The short answer is no. There are a number of dealers who decide to tackle it themselves, delegate it to their CFO, their fixed operations director, a relative, or someone else on the staff.
In almost every case, someone who doesn’t really know the design and construction industry is wearing the Project Manager “hat”, trying to figure out the project and make sense of a design book that the manufacturer requires them to follow. They then set off to hire an architect. I will elaborate in my next post on how this can go tragically wrong and set the project on a bad, expensive course. Finally, once the drawings are completed, they bring on a contractor to build or renovate the dealership.
The Project Manager, with little to no knowledge of construction contracts, or understanding of architectural drawings (and if they are complete and accurate), or if the subcontractor bids cover everything clearly, all while trying to understand what the brand truly requires in its image program, awards a General Contractor a multi-million-dollar project. On top of all of that, they still have to try and do their daily job.
Don’t end up spending a dollar to save a penny.
Sure, some will still say they don’t need help. I would argue that if you don’t think you will need help on your project, you most likely will. Construction projects such as these require constant oversight, understanding, and continuous decision-making A lot can go wrong during the process, costing you valuable time and money.
However, an automotive facility consultant who knows the business, and understands YOUR business can take a lot of the stress out of the project. Having someone who is looking out for your best interests can help ensure that your facility project goes smoothly, stays on schedule, and within budget. Those who have hired us will tell you, having ID automotive representing dealership owners in managing their construction projects saved them more money, time, and headaches than the cost of our services.
In closing, whether you hire us or another professional firm, let someone with experience help navigate the process. Let someone manage your project so you can focus on your business.