We recently asked Laura O’Laughlin, one of our Project Managers, to share some behind-the-scenes insights.
We recently asked Laura O’Laughlin, one of our Project Managers, to share some behind-the-scenes insights. Here’s what we asked and how she responded:
What do you feel are the top 3 most important aspects of the project manager’s job?
To be approachable and friendly – it’s important for clients, vendors, fellow employees, contractors, etc. to be able to discuss things with a PM.
To be Reliable – as a PM, you want your clients to know they can trust you and count on you to get the job done for them! The more we can do to help alleviate any stress for the client as they go through a renovation, the happier they’ll feel!
Organization – Without this, it will be tough for clients to have confidence to run their projects. Organization and open communication help to make the job successful!
- What was your most recent / or most important project to date?
The project I’m currently working on now is Mazzoni Center. They are moving from their existing space to a newly renovated space within the city of Philadelphia!
- What does the project entail and were there any specific challenges?
This newly renovated space has 4 floors of office space – ranging from offices and workstation areas to patient therapy rooms and patient exam rooms.
With all the different types of spaces, it was fun for our designer and Account Executive to work with the client to capture their vision for the space.
Now, as we are installing the product (we are halfway done), it’s fun for me to see their vision come to life! As a PM, this has been a fun but challenging project just because of the location of the building – it’s a tight street with parking on either side, so we had to be creative in order to maneuver around 53 foot trailers to get close to the site.
- What’s your best advice for someone who is thinking about revamping their office space i.e. what are the critical factors that should be considered before embarking on the project?
I think it’s important for them to think about what will help make people excited to come to work every day. You want associates to have a comfortable yet vibrant environment to generate ideas/solutions. On average, people in the US spend more time at their work then they do at their own home, so you want it to be a place they can call their home!
- Why does a client benefit from working closely with a Project Manager like you as opposed to trying to handle the project by themselves?
We specialize in this industry so we know everything that is required by the manufacturers. It may not seem complicated, but there are many details that need to be accounted for each project. We have a whole team (Account executive, Designer, Client Manager, Project Manager, Operations, and Accounting) who works to ensure the success of every project. We are all about teamwork!
- What’s the profile of your perfect client / project and why?
Someone who is authentic, friendly and has a vision! We like to work with our clients to provide options in order to make their vision come to life!
