How Do We Work Together?
At Hobbs + Associates, we are clear that “We work for you”, and not “You work for us” – as it can sometimes feel with external assistance. So, the main question is not “What do we require?” but “What do you require and when?”.
We time our work to follow your program and the availability of documentation during that program. We work primarily from the documentation – drawings and schedules – that you issue to us. We will raise written RFI on queries and comments that we have arising from your documents.
From the start of the engagement and during the engagement, we will discuss with you and agree with you the milestones at which your documents will become available for us to use for coordination and milestones at which we will deliver drafts and final copy of the specifications. Of course we also understand that programs are always subject to change, so the timing of the milestones may change – and usually do – but the intent and shape of the coordination can remain in place. We will keep in touch with you about that.
We find that all of this work is conducted best when you are at your desk and we are at ours – no matter where we are located. Long past are the days when we would chew up hours and hours of facetime – your valuable time – looking over sets of printed drawings and asking questions sheet by sheet.
We find that it all works the same nowadays whether we are both located in the same city or in different states, as is just as often the case. Document exchange, emails, phone calls when needed – are also so instant. Our RFI can be answered at a time that suits you, rather than an inconvenient time for a pre-arranged meeting.
Most projects now have short and demanding delivery programs, so we have adjusted the way we work so as to be able to work as late as possible in the program, when your documents are as developed as they can be. And the more developed are your documents, the less questions will we have. At earlier stages, we avoid asking questions about content that we anticipate will be added as the documents are further developed.
