How often should a Design Manager visit site?

27 Mar 2019

Tags:

Construction,

Design Manager

In a Design Managers role its not unusual for them to be overwhelmed with paperwork and drawings and it can be all to easy to neglect visiting site.

In this blog we asked design managers in construction for their thoughts on the importance of this and how often a construction design manager should visit site.

Whilst there are many variables to the frequency of site visits required based on project values, sector and stage of the project, from speaking to Design Managers it was suggested that a Design Manager should be visiting site from a minimum of once a week to as much as three times a week or in some cases being on site full time.

So in a role where driving design, chasing external consultancies, liaising with subcontractors and meeting clients takes up so much time, why is it still so important to make time for regular site visits? We have outlined the feedback on this question below:

It is essential to ensure that subcontractors are working to the latest drawings, this will massively save time on work being required to be redone.

Opportunity to spot poor workmanship or defects, its important to take ownership on this and not just expect the project manager to notice.

To spot delays early if design does not live up to onsite conditions.

To build up relationships with the site team and subcontractors, this will pay dividends further down the line when you need them to go the extra mile or put in a favour.

To conclude whilst its easy to put off that site visit in favour of getting more paperwork done, the feedback has highlighted that its important to have a regular presence on site and this investment of your time will be rewarded in the long run.

Want to learn more about us at Talk Recruitment Ltd?

Talk Recruitment Ltd is a specialist recruiter of Design Managers UK-Wide and would be delighted to assist you with your job search by introducing you to our client portfolio.

For more career advice or to apply for Design Manager vacancies contact Talk Recruitment Ltd on 0121 748 1433 to discuss further.

View our Testimonials (you will note most are for Design Manager candidates) and feel free to check out our Recruitment Blog with regular specific articles for Design Managers.