If You Are Partnering With Another Firm, Here's What To Look For
- Friday, 06 January 2017
Partnerships with other construction firms are key to getting certain clients, or to getting projects done on time and on budget. However, coordination and communication are of the utmost importance if you want to make sure your partnership succeeds. Here's what to look for:
Companies that cooperate with each other can end up getting a bigger slice of the pie. Partnerships will allow your small construction firm to cater to bigger clients, and innovate in ways that could not have been done on your own. So here are a few ways you can ensure company partnerships are win-win situations:
Working culture alignment
As we have mentioned in the past, your company's working culture is there whether you purposely designed it or not. Your company culture is equivalent to a person's character, and if it isn't compatible with the other company's ethos, then a healthy prosperous relationship is unlikely to happen. Both companies don't need to have the exact same working culture, but they do have to share the same values. Dismissing this point would be like forgoing a building's foundation and going straight to brick laying. The building will quickly collapse.
Transparency and communication
When working on one or more projects together, information sharing is key. For example, if your partner doesn't know how much material is needed to complete X task, then not only will X task fail, but all dependent tasks as well, and ultimately your project. This, of course, isn't good for your project deadline or budget. Be transparent, give them access to your construction management system, and you can all be on the know everywhere you go.
Cross-company teams
Don't be afraid to form new teams within this alliance. Cross-company teams made up of subject-matter experts will ensure better quality and happier customers. Unity is what makes your alliance strong. If you withhold resources and knowledge, your alliance will not succeed.
Skills that complement each other
Take Nike and Apple. They are very different companies in two very different industries. However, they acknowledged what their users needed and how their products could complement each other to satisfy them. The same can happen within the construction industry, or better yet, a construction company partnering with a company from a different industry. Always look at the big picture.