I am now a licensed Architect. I have worked with my Uncle since I started studying architecture. He is extremely old school. So much so that he does rely mostly on hard copy drawings and has little exposure to CAD and similar software. He had designed many projects in my country and has a great team of engineers working for him. But the office is now run down. It is old with cracks everywhere and leaks, file cabinets containing two-decade old projects and documents. We do not have a PM and no one else would love to bring the firm back to life as much as I do.
We have the following departments ( Civil, Architecture, MEP, and Land Survey). We have about 19 employees at the meantime. But yet, I feel I need to revamp this firm and bring back its glory new-school style.
Since I am pretty much a fresh graduate I lack much of the experience many of you have. So I would love to hear some advice. The office will be torn down and done from scratch that means I will have to bring in an IT team to help with all the new wiring etc.
If there already is a similar thread with the same points, that would be great.
Alright so I need recommendations regarding the following
- Server system ( I have had many problems before with colleagues saving a file as "20.10.2015 client A villa' and then find out that the latest revised one was 19.10.2015" this was truly a nightmare. How can I sort this out. How can I establish a server system with a single file that can be edited simultaneously. Is there a software?
- Organization : How to organize all my projects, clientele, documents. Should it be digital? What should my secretary be responsible for?
We have 3 Civil engineers (1 structural, 2 site engineers)
4 Architects
3 MEP engineers
4 Land surveyors
2 Secretaries
1 accountant
Believe it or not. Up till today all invoices, salary slips, etc have been hand-written. All accounts and payments have been registered in a blue book (also by hand).
So how does everyone sort their accounts these days? Design costs, downpayements, Balances? is there a specific software?I plan on hiring younger secretaries that have better new-school exposure.
What else should I be aware of and how can I bring this firm back to life?
Apologies for the long post.
Larchinect
Nov 9, 15 2:11 am
"Smart entrepreneurs proceed without complete knowledge because you don't succeed by waiting until you know everything. Waiting for experience is what employees will tell you to do-owners know this is foolish. " --Gruen
Yes!! Regardless of whether or not it has much bearing on the discussion, I fully agree. Well stated.
bahraini
Nov 9, 15 2:39 am
Thank you Gruen, Larchinect, and Richard for your positive comments. I have consulted my colleagues one by one and they are all very optimistic. They love this firm just as much as I do and they are looking forward for a revival. Like I said in my earlier posts, we are tearing down our space and redoing all the partitions, wiring, server system, and a bunch of MEP work. Our seniors are even more excited about all this. Especially the interior and all the old carpets and walls are going down. The old cabinetry and shelving are also being redone. So its pretty much a complete make over. That portion is already taken care of, the reason I came here is for the next part (refer to post 1). All in all, I just wanted to listen to your professional recommendations and plan this not alone, but with my seniors.
Thanks to the people who are addressing the topic.
A.I.
Nov 9, 15 6:35 am
Take what some of these people write with a grain of salt. I'm beginning to notice that 90% of the comments on this forum are negative, and rarely do you get useful feedback on anything.
Maybe, if you're on here long enough, and part of the same strain of elitist ideology, you'll be able to roam the forums like a rabid dog bullying people in to submission. And if that doesn't work, then you can simply use your 'pull' with the admins to censor the forums and remove threads that undermine you.
Hello everyone,
I am now a licensed Architect. I have worked with my Uncle since I started studying architecture. He is extremely old school. So much so that he does rely mostly on hard copy drawings and has little exposure to CAD and similar software. He had designed many projects in my country and has a great team of engineers working for him. But the office is now run down. It is old with cracks everywhere and leaks, file cabinets containing two-decade old projects and documents. We do not have a PM and no one else would love to bring the firm back to life as much as I do.
We have the following departments ( Civil, Architecture, MEP, and Land Survey). We have about 19 employees at the meantime. But yet, I feel I need to revamp this firm and bring back its glory new-school style.
Since I am pretty much a fresh graduate I lack much of the experience many of you have. So I would love to hear some advice. The office will be torn down and done from scratch that means I will have to bring in an IT team to help with all the new wiring etc.
If there already is a similar thread with the same points, that would be great.
Alright so I need recommendations regarding the following
- Server system ( I have had many problems before with colleagues saving a file as "20.10.2015 client A villa' and then find out that the latest revised one was 19.10.2015" this was truly a nightmare. How can I sort this out. How can I establish a server system with a single file that can be edited simultaneously. Is there a software?
- Organization : How to organize all my projects, clientele, documents. Should it be digital? What should my secretary be responsible for?
We have 3 Civil engineers (1 structural, 2 site engineers)
4 Architects
3 MEP engineers
4 Land surveyors
2 Secretaries
1 accountant
Believe it or not. Up till today all invoices, salary slips, etc have been hand-written. All accounts and payments have been registered in a blue book (also by hand).
So how does everyone sort their accounts these days? Design costs, downpayements, Balances? is there a specific software?I plan on hiring younger secretaries that have better new-school exposure.
What else should I be aware of and how can I bring this firm back to life?
Apologies for the long post.
"Smart entrepreneurs proceed without complete knowledge because you don't succeed by waiting until you know everything. Waiting for experience is what employees will tell you to do-owners know this is foolish. " --Gruen
Yes!! Regardless of whether or not it has much bearing on the discussion, I fully agree. Well stated.
Thank you Gruen, Larchinect, and Richard for your positive comments. I have consulted my colleagues one by one and they are all very optimistic. They love this firm just as much as I do and they are looking forward for a revival. Like I said in my earlier posts, we are tearing down our space and redoing all the partitions, wiring, server system, and a bunch of MEP work. Our seniors are even more excited about all this. Especially the interior and all the old carpets and walls are going down. The old cabinetry and shelving are also being redone. So its pretty much a complete make over. That portion is already taken care of, the reason I came here is for the next part (refer to post 1). All in all, I just wanted to listen to your professional recommendations and plan this not alone, but with my seniors.
Thanks to the people who are addressing the topic.
Take what some of these people write with a grain of salt. I'm beginning to notice that 90% of the comments on this forum are negative, and rarely do you get useful feedback on anything.
Maybe, if you're on here long enough, and part of the same strain of elitist ideology, you'll be able to roam the forums like a rabid dog bullying people in to submission. And if that doesn't work, then you can simply use your 'pull' with the admins to censor the forums and remove threads that undermine you.