The bigger your business is, the less likely you are able to spare extra staff to oversee projects. When you’ve got a major construction project on the horizon, many companies want to know whether it’s better to assign someone to in-house project management, or outsource it to another company with similar (or increased) expertise.
Your project manager needs to be able to stay on top of delays, budget increases and the actual scope of the project. Can you really spare other people to take on additional duties, or would it be smarter to hire dedicated staff to take it on for you? For many companies, outsourced project management is the best way to go. Here’s what to consider when you’re trying to decide:
- Think about your goals and priorities: What do you hope to accomplish with this project—and more importantly, what will project management mean for your staff, your bottom line and your company’s health and wellbeing? Are construction projects a large part of your business, or is this a once-in-a-blue-moon type of situation? As you might imagine, if you’re going to continue construction projects on a regular basis, you might want to hire your own in-house staff—but if it’s a once- or twice-yearly endeavor, you’re much better off working with outsourced help.
- Consider whether outsourcing can teach you something: The best thing about outsourced project managers is that they are true experts in their field. If there’s a problem, they’ll know how to fix it. If there’s a benefit to be gained, they’ll understand how to identify and capitalize upon it. Because it’s the job they do day in and day out, it’s much easier for them to get up to speed and oversee projects. It’s often quite enlightening for companies to work with outsourced project management companies. Not only will they entrust their project to someone who can comfortably handle everything involved, but any staff on hand will undoubtedly learn a lot.
- Decide whether you can afford to hire extra staff: What’s your overhead for this project? Chances are, you didn’t include hiring multiple full-time employees for the duration of the project and beyond. Adding more employees is a big financial and organizational responsibility, especially if your construction projects aren’t always a given. If you want speed, efficiency and knowledge, it’s always a better bet to outsource your project management. Later on, you might decide to add your own branch for in-house project management—but most of the time, it costs more than working with another company.
Are you debating whether to outsource or delegate project management in-house? The decision is different for every company and every project—but for the most part, working with an outsourced company guarantees expertise, experience and expedience.
If you’re debating whether to outsource your project management, you have plenty of options. Make sure you talk to the team at ACMS Group. We can take your project from the planning stage through quality assurance. Reach out to us today to get started.