If this year has shown us anything, it is that the industry is picking up, renovations are back on track and we are dealing with accelerated schedules. So what are ways we as a team can work together to make production and installation move along seamlessly so the project can stay on schedule? This is a tricky question; because while the unforeseen will happen, there are a few strategies, we as a purchasing agent have to help create a successful project outcome.

Following these 10 key points listed below will help accelerated projects:

1. Make sure the team (client, project manager, designer and purchasing team) has a understanding of what the schedule is and what kind of schedule cushion, if any, each project has. Keeping the
entire team in the loop when it comes to changes in the schedule such as: dates being moved up or pushed back, installation schedule changes, alternate vendors selected for lead time reasons, are all key points to communicate.

2. Have a firm budget and make sure everyone is following it. This creates less chance for items to be reselected or put on hold with the potential of missing dates. Oh, and only have one budget that all project team members are working from.

3. If the client has strategic suppliers that they have established relationships with, including pre-approved terms of sale and warranty information, try to use these vendors whenever appropriate, as we will save time in the process.

4. Make sure that purchase order and change order approvals are approved by the appropriate parties as soon as possible.

5. Once vendors have been awarded the job, have them work closely with the design team so submit- tals can be issued and approved quickly and con- cerns can be addressed in a timely manner.

6. Try to keep specification revisions at a minimum. The more revisions the more likely there will be a chance for confusion, misunderstanding, and dates slipping.

7. Before changes are made, make sure vendors are upfront with all team members if the changes have the potential of creating issues with the pro- jected ship dates.

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Written by:
Christina Carson, Project Coordinator
Tracy Sutter, Project Coordinator

Information at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere...

At Benjamin West, we have made major investments in technology to benefit our clients around the globe. Our proprietary purchasing software technology provides our clients with a major competitive advantage from both an operational and productivity perspective.

Our Revolutionary Purchasing Management (RPM) provides a warehouse of information and allows our clients to have real-time, 24/7/365 access to purchasing, accounting and reporting functionality, at both the property and corporate levels. It provides a seamless informational link between the client and the procurement firm. Want to know what the spec was for the chair you ordered 2 years ago? No problem; it is a click away for the Benjamin West Project Manager. Our clients can log in at any time and find answers to questions such as: what is the budget? What is the forecast? How much have I spent to date? How much is in the bank account? What is the estimated ship date for the carpet?

Not only can our clients find immediate answers to their operational questions, RPM can also upload data to client I/T systems. This eliminates the front-end data entry portion of a project, such as GL coding, thereby increasing client productivity and accounting accuracy. As any owner that has been through a sales tax audit will know, having a clear trail of every dollar spent, what was attributable to product, tax, freight, fee, and in some states, taxes on freight and fee, is invaluable.

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Written by:
Steven Angelier, CFO and GM

With the New Year just around the corner and “model room season” quickly approaching, please keep in mind the Chinese New Year when developing your schedules for your upcoming projects. The year of the Dragon will begin on January 23, 2012 and will last until the first week of February. During this time, factories in China shut down productions in order to allow their workers to return home for the holiday. If you are developing your schedule now please allow for two to three extra weeks during the Chinese New Year to accommodate for these closures.

For additional information regarding current industry lead times, please contact your Benjamin West team.

Written by:
Alexa Docheff, Business Development Coordinator