Why Every Project Needs A Client Decision List
Why Every Project Needs A Decision List
Hurry Up And Wait
It’s one of the biggest complaints I hear about clients or friends going through builds. Here’s one story I heard this past weekend: nearing the end of a major renovation, a new, raw wood front door was installed. As you may or may not know, raw wood shouldn’t exist on a project without some kind of treatment, whether a paint, stain or clearcoat, these stop the wood from discoloring as it is touched or handled. So the clients wake up one morning to go to work and there’s a painter at the front door, prepping to paint the door black. Problem is, the clients don’t want the door painted black, they want a dark stain. Paint and stain are very different. Paint stays on the surface of the wood and has a very uniform appearance, stain is absorbed into the wood, and the wood grain is most often visible. The painter replied that he didn’t have the stain spec, and he’d need it before he started. At 8am, the client is now frantically trying to source a stain spec, while his wife is getting their daughter ready for school, and nobody is happy about having to make this decision while a painter waits literally at the front door. A rushed decision is a bad decision.
The Problem
This scenario is all too common, and it usually plays out like this. For example, the builder looks ahead two or three weeks and realizes they don’t have a shower fixture spec for the plumber to install when doing the rough in plumbing. The plumber will need to install a specific valve behind the shower wall in three weeks. There’s a two week lead time for this valve, so the builder contacts the client and says “hey, we’ll need a decision on your shower fixture by the end of the week.” For the builder, that’s plenty of time to choose something. For the client, whose family’s week is slammed with dance classes, hockey practices, and parkour after work, getting husband and wife together alone at a plumbing store to decide on not just one fixture, but a consistent theme and style for all bathroom fixtures, is not always doable. Not only that, but now the client feels rushed to choose all bathroom fixtures, and feels like their options have narrowed to what they see at whichever store they visit, because they don’t have time to order something online if they see something they like. This ripple effect is something builders don’t often see or understand.
The Solution
How would a decision list have helped this situation? Let me explain. A Client Decision List (CDL) is a list of material or product selections that need to be made on a project, but more importantly, each material or product has an ordering deadline attached to it. A CDL directly references the project schedule for it’s deadlines, ensuring the impacted trades have two things: a) the knowledge of what it being installed further along in the project, and b) the products or materials are on site when they are required. The CDL is presented to the client before the project starts, not only giving them ample time to choose products, but a roadmap and timeline to make the choices within. They can start looking online at bathroom fixtures and have a clear idea of that landscape, feeling like they can make informed decisions. They can buy products earlier if they’re on sale, they can reuse products if they want. They can schedule time to meet at the plumbing store when they kids are occupied. Choosing products can become an enjoyable experience, instead of a stressful one.
Where Do I Get One?
A CDL is made by the builder, or you can reference mine for free here. It’s basically a fillable document that I make, referencing the schedule, doing basic math. I figure out when I’ll need the material, subtract the lead time, subtract another week for safety, and that date is my deadline for that specific decision.
Now it does take some experience, and there are some material choices that are required way before the products are needed, as they affect other scopes of work, but that’s where the builder’s experience is leveraged, the client doesn’t need to stress about it.
For The Builder
A CDL shows your clients that you’re organized and professional, and that you care about the client experience. Making a CDL helps drive questions about sequencing and constructability that will help you understand the project better also. It will help to clarify and adjust your project schedule, and getting these choices made early will help ensure you don’t have costly delays and/or rework to do. Generally, it keeps the sailing smooth.
For The Client
When a builder hands you a CDL at the start of the project, it’s reassuring that your builder has meticulously planned out your build, and isn’t taking the stance that “it’ll be done when it’s done.” A CDL helps you plan out your decision making process, giving you more options and the ability to enjoy the process. It helps you feel like part of the process, not just an auxiliary member that signs the cheques. The CDL also helps drive your questions, and can help clarify the building process if there are parts that are unclear.
Winners and Losers
It all sounds pretty gravy, doesn’t it? Guess what? It is. Yes, it takes the builder a little bit of time to make the CDL, but it’s a form that is reusable for every project, you just need to adjust the dates based on the specific project. And if you’re an organized builder that is doing this internally anyway, your client will really appreciate the organization and advanced notice if you share it with them. A Client Decision List is a win for everyone, because the last thing anyone wants is for the painter to be standing at the front door with a brush in his hand.
Thanks for reading…
Aaron