Successful fit-out projects are the result of a chain of strategic decisions made long before anyone sets foot on site. As Gareth Stone, Lloyds Banking Group Account Manager at Morris & Spottiswood, explains, we believe that the real secret to successful project delivery lies in early collaboration – establishing close partnerships from the very beginning that fundamentally transform how projects are conceived, planned and executed.
From the client’s perspective, involving contractors early on through Pre-Construction Services Agreements (PCSA) or similar arrangements helps to de-risk a project. Accountability shifts from an isolated client to a shared contractor ownership, as the contractor becomes invested in the project’s success from day one, helping to define the Employer’s Requirements. For the client, this can be incredibly reassuring compared to more traditional contractual arrangements, because they have derisked the project before construction even starts.
Early engagement allows contractors to provide more realistic cost estimates based on boots-on-the-ground experience. Contractors understand the practical realities of build speed, material costs, and labour demands. Crucially, having helped define the brief, design programme and budget, they are professionally motivated to deliver efficiently and within the project’s parameters of success.
Communication is another key area where early collaboration is particularly beneficial, enabling all parties to preserve the ‘golden thread’ of traceability. Traditional terms of engagement come with a higher risk of fragmented coordination and handover between multiple parties. Having a consistent contractor through all project stages, reduces misinterpretation, substandard work or ‘passing risk over the fence’. Having a continuous ‘golden thread’ has become particularly important in our post-Grenfell regulatory environment.
This streamlined communication translates directly into faster delivery. When contractors are involved from the outset, construction mobilises quicker because they’re already informed about the project’s risks and opportunities. Rather than spending time analysing, planning and preparing the build – they already know the critical path as early as RIBA Stage 3.
Morris & Spottiswood’s end-to-end approach amplifies these benefits through our agile supply chain model. Unlike major national contractors who may take weeks to mobilise resources, our regional network enables rapid deployment with local knowledge that proves invaluable. We understand local legislation like emission zones, have established relationships with local authorities for access arrangements, and can draw upon trusted suppliers who know the area’s unique challenges and opportunities. While our full turnkey offering and access to cross-discipline expertise within the wider Morris & Spottiswood Group, means we can act swiftly to provide a fully joined-up service to our clients.
Our build knowledge, practical skillset and customer care enable a deeper level of planning reliability and efficient construction strategies. Our buildability expertise, when combined with early design input, results in solutions that are not only architecturally sound but buildable and maintainable.
True collaboration requires a client-contractor relationship based on trust and care. Early engagement changes the traditional approach fundamentally and when clients embrace genuine partnership, contractors are free to focus on finding solutions, creating a foundation for exceptional project outcomes that benefit everyone involved.
For more information about Morris & Spottiswood, visit: https://www.morrisandspottiswood.co.uk/