I'm after your best time saving tips that your architecture firm adopts. Do you use checklists/ templates and/ or internal guides to help projects get done in less time?
We use templates for projects extensively. Everything from fee creation to close-out. Excel spreadsheets for generating a fee, a Revit template (including specification key notes) for production, Microsoft Planner for Project Management. List goes on and on and on. If we had to do this from scratch on every project our overhead costs would be bonkers.
How would you start a contract for a project? You would never just fire up Microsoft Word and start typing. So don't approach the rest of your job like that.
We have some office templates and project forms but all are essentially blank slates just the formatting is different. I guess yours contain much more info with prompts so you can knock out things really quickly. You'll also get consistency that way..
We are working up a Revit template but it it's a time consuming process in itself. As a from we don't have a specialism /niche and take on a wide variety of projects in different sectors so we might need more than one template file?
Fees! Another area that requires improvement! Well let's just say they aren't there. Hence we are trying to improve the back end as much as possible. It sounds like you've got this locked down!
I never heard of Microsoft planner! Need to go away and look at that one asap!
Thanks again for the advice.
Feb 2, 22 3:40 am ·
·
tduds
"As a from we don't have a specialism /niche and take on a wide variety of projects in different sectors so we might need more than one template file?"
There's a lot more similarity across project types than you might think. Find those and standardize them. The way I look at it, your very high level stuff (sheet layouts, code, general notes, views, legends, schedules) is the same or similar in any drawing set. Your very detailed stuff (interior materials, cladding, envelope details, doors + windows) also has a lot overlap because you're buying from suppliers much more than custom fabricating.
Template your framework, and build a 'kit of parts' library for your materials, details & spec. This allows you to spend more time in the middle-scale, where design actually happens.
"As a from we don't have a specialism /niche and take on a wide variety of projects in different sectors so we might need more than one template file?"
The biggest time saver tip is don't do that. Find a specialty / niche & hammer it. You'll be more efficient, more profitable, and more useful.
Feb 2, 22 3:14 pm ·
·
whistler
Be careful for what you wish for... if the sector tanks due to economic, cultural, health issues you may not wish to have all your eggs in one basic. I am guessing if you only design restaurants over the last two year it might be a pretty quiet market. I agree that you do need to find some efficient, repetitive aspects in ones work. ( not suggesting repetitive designs ) but template, formats and details that can be collated and added to drawing sets quickly allow us to prepare BP package promptly and efficiently, which allows me to define accurate pricing for clients and ensures us a decent level of profitability. IE our smaller single family homes always have a very similar format their BP applications.
Obviously you should diversify some & be able to pivot if you have to. But trying to be a complete generalist isn't efficient & will decrease your earning potential.
Everyone should have a bread & butter sector, then a smaller percentage of diversification.
Feb 3, 22 11:05 am ·
·
whistler
Agreed, as a small firm you can't do it all. The other reason for diversification is having a varied income stream. ( public / private / speculative sources ). Different projects and client types create project work that varies in length too. Houses can be a fairly quick turn around and so you need a high volume of them to stay busy, where as schools, health care or planning work can extend for years and creates a different billing cycle which is nice to have.
Time saving tips in practice
Hi all.
I'm after your best time saving tips that your architecture firm adopts. Do you use checklists/ templates and/ or internal guides to help projects get done in less time?
hire quality staff.
1. Time
2. Quality
3. Cost
You can have any 2. If you want it fast it will either cost you more or it will have lower quality.
Fast, nice, cheap: Pick ONE.
We use templates for projects extensively. Everything from fee creation to close-out. Excel spreadsheets for generating a fee, a Revit template (including specification key notes) for production, Microsoft Planner for Project Management. List goes on and on and on. If we had to do this from scratch on every project our overhead costs would be bonkers.
How would you start a contract for a project? You would never just fire up Microsoft Word and start typing. So don't approach the rest of your job like that.
Thanks for all the comments so far.
We have some office templates and project forms but all are essentially blank slates just the formatting is different. I guess yours contain much more info with prompts so you can knock out things really quickly. You'll also get consistency that way..
We are working up a Revit template but it it's a time consuming process in itself. As a from we don't have a specialism /niche and take on a wide variety of projects in different sectors so we might need more than one template file?
Fees! Another area that requires improvement! Well let's just say they aren't there. Hence we are trying to improve the back end as much as possible. It sounds like you've got this locked down!
I never heard of Microsoft planner! Need to go away and look at that one asap!
Thanks again for the advice.
"As a from we don't have a specialism /niche and take on a wide variety of projects in different sectors so we might need more than one template file?"
There's a lot more similarity across project types than you might think. Find those and standardize them. The way I look at it, your very high level stuff (sheet layouts, code, general notes, views, legends, schedules) is the same or similar in any drawing set. Your very detailed stuff (interior materials, cladding, envelope details, doors + windows) also has a lot overlap because you're buying from suppliers much more than custom fabricating.
Template your framework, and build a 'kit of parts' library for your materials, details & spec. This allows you to spend more time in the middle-scale, where design actually happens.
"As a from we don't have a specialism /niche and take on a wide variety of projects in different sectors so we might need more than one template file?"
The biggest time saver tip is don't do that. Find a specialty / niche & hammer it. You'll be more efficient, more profitable, and more useful.
Be careful for what you wish for... if the sector tanks due to economic, cultural, health issues you may not wish to have all your eggs in one basic. I am guessing if you only design restaurants over the last two year it might be a pretty quiet market. I agree that you do need to find some efficient, repetitive aspects in ones work. ( not suggesting repetitive designs ) but template, formats and details that can be collated and added to drawing sets quickly allow us to prepare BP package promptly and efficiently, which allows me to define accurate pricing for clients and ensures us a decent level of profitability. IE our smaller single family homes always have a very similar format their BP applications.
Obviously you should diversify some & be able to pivot if you have to. But trying to be a complete generalist isn't efficient & will decrease your earning potential.
Everyone should have a bread & butter sector, then a smaller percentage of diversification.
Agreed, as a small firm you can't do it all. The other reason for diversification is having a varied income stream. ( public / private / speculative sources ). Different projects and client types create project work that varies in length too. Houses can be a fairly quick turn around and so you need a high volume of them to stay busy, where as schools, health care or planning work can extend for years and creates a different billing cycle which is nice to have.
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