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The Worlds of Facility Management and Workplace are, by definition, highly mobile and evolutive.

On these pages, you will find technical articles, news, reports on congresses and conferences in which Spaceonmove took part as well as positions or “mood tickets” which should give you a particular insight into these two fields. Nice readings.

A project that is off to a good start…

Posted on by Christian Hadorn | Article

In the professional world of projects – whether technical, financial or construction-related – we often hear the saying: ‘A project that starts badly ends badly.’ And it must be said that this is often true.

But why not adopt a more positive outlook? After all, ‘a project that starts on the right foot is more likely to end well’: a simple principle that is often overlooked yet proves to be crucial to the success of a project.

Without claiming to reveal any new truths, let’s remember that a solid project relies above all on a team of experts, rigorous planning, and in-depth analysis of the challenges, opportunities, and potential difficulties.

Large-scale projects must also include a precise risk assessment. These are inevitable – technical, financial, human, and scheduling – and must therefore be anticipated, documented, and, as far as possible, controlled. This approach is integral to a good start: think about success, of course, but also think about risks.

The fundamentals of a successful project launch.

Here are some key elements that determine the success of a project from its earliest stages:

• A robust organisation, made up of specialists in each field, supported by clear specifications and an unambiguous division of roles.

• An experienced, charismatic and unifying project manager who can inspire their team with positive momentum over the long term.

• A competent and resilient project team that can rise to challenges and provide concrete solutions to obstacles.

• Reliable service providers with the necessary technical and financial capabilities, even in difficult conditions.

• Controlled financial resources, with safety margins to deal with unforeseen events.

• Complete and structured documentation, including on contractual and sensitive aspects, consistent with the project’s challenges.

• An advance communication strategy to ensure stakeholder buy-in and limit resistance to change.

• Caution in the selection of partners, avoiding unjustified co-optation practices as much as possible, even if they may sometimes seem unavoidable in certain contexts.

• A balance in governance, where neither the client nor the service providers should step outside their role: the former should not replace the experts, and the latter should not take over the project management.

These principles may seem obvious. However, with more than 30 years of observation and participation in projects of all kinds, one or more of these points are regularly overlooked. This is unfortunate, because very often, the difference between a simply successful project and a remarkable project lies in these details.

Thank you for reading and see you soon.

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