230 likes | 316 Views
Learn how to optimize your interactions with professionals like attorneys, accountants, and surgeons. Discover strategies for selecting the right consultant, setting clear expectations, and fostering successful partnerships. Get insights on achieving exceptional results and avoiding common pitfalls.
E N D
The Bargain Heart Surgeon: Are You Getting the Best Value From Your Professional Service Providers
How To: • How to get more value from your design professionals. • How to get better value for the taxpayer’s dollar. • How to eliminate conflicts and depoliticize the selection process. • How to achieve the highest form of competition.
How Did Your Last Project Go? • Did you get what you wanted? • Did you get what you needed? • Did you survive? Was your boss pleased? Were the end users pleased?
Professionals • Attorney • Accountant • Doctor • Financial planner • Engineers • Architects
What Criteria Would You Include In Your Request For Proposal (RFP)?
RFP Criteria • Experience • Success rate • Medical board complaints • Number of surgeries of this type – per day, per year, etc. • Team qualifications • References
Example – Heart Surgery • Diagnosis is for double bypass • During surgery doctor finds triple bypass is needed • Additional cost – but eliminates the second (and costly) surgery • Longer recovery time – but done only once rather than twice • Are you glad it was done then rather than later?
Did You Get What You Want? • What was the reason you sought a design professional? • Supplement your staff • New expertise • No time to implement with your own staff
Was The Result What You Needed? • Were there unexpected changes to the project? • Did it fulfill or exceed your expectations? • Were you satisfied with the final result?
What Could You Have Done Better? • Better identify the needs • Select a firm/team with the best experience doing this type of project • Select the firm with the best approach
How To Get What You Need • Clearly articulate in your RFP what you are seeking • Understand that you can’t identify all variables • Be flexible and rely on the design professional for guidance • Allow the design professional to be innovative
Request for Qualifications RFQ = Successful Project
Selecting the Consultant • Past experience • Available staff & pertinent skills • Project approach/innovation • Specialized expertise • Proximity to project
Promote the Project to Qualified Firms • ACEC/MN • Referrals from other companies • Referrals from other governmental agencies
Short List • Choose 2-4 firms from RFQ responses • Interview those firms • Visit firms
Partnering Relies Upon: • Mutual respect • Good communication • High level of trust • Mutually beneficial relationship
Partnering With Your Heart Surgeon • Weigh pros and cons of procedure • Define expectations and risks (scope) • Agree on response to unknowns (e.g. bad heart valve) • Establish fee based on agreed upon scope
“If you want to select a project designer on the basis of least cost to design, I will give you a project which costs me the least to design. If you want to select a project designer on the basis of least life-cycle cost, I will use my brains and experience to give you a project which will cost you the least to design, build and maintain.” Source - APWA Red Book, August 2006