We know our UPS man on a personal level (hi, Brian!) because he delivers packages to our studio at least once a day, sometimes multiple times a day. As the custom pieces are fabricated, and all orders are being fulfilled, we’re in constant contact with our vendors, ensuring all items will be arriving on the promised delivery dates. The procurement phase tends to be the longest part of the design process, especially during the tracking and expediting phase. If this happens, we’ll present you a comparable (or better!) replacement and get it on order ASAP. This is why it’s important for all of us to act swiftly. While it’s part of our process to verify product availability prior to presenting it, the reality is that items can become backordered or discontinued in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, it happens quite often in the design industry. Doesn’t it always feel like once you find a product you love, the company discontinues it? We prioritize communication, so if minor variations in final vendor pricing occur due to a change in material or shipping costs, we’ll notify you as soon as we become aware of it.ĭuring this phase, we want you to be prepared to expect the unexpected, because the reality of the design business is that things can change in an instant. Our vendors will send us acknowledgments, but in some cases, especially if it’s a new vendor, this can take several days. Remember all those components of a sofa that we needed to obtain pricing on during procurement? Well now it’s time to order each element, one by one, verifying all the details once more before it goes into fabrication.įrom ordering, to quality inspections, to managing the delivery to our warehouse, we act as your purchasing agent throughout this phase, accurately preparing all specifications and purchase orders. Once we receive your signed proposals and deposits, we initiate orders immediately. (Gulp!) We know it’s a big investment, but rest assured the outcome will be worth every penny! Once the proposal has been approved, you’ll need to be prepared to write that big check. If this is the case, you’ll have plenty of notice as we communicate this within your master schedule. In today’s world we’ve grown accustomed to next-day shipping (thanks, Amazon!) but it’s important to know that some orders, like custom furniture, could take upwards of 12 weeks to arrive. In our next meeting, we’ll walk you through the proposals and ensure you’re clear about what is being ordered and any potential timing issues with particular items. Once we’ve officially nailed down your item’s price, we develop detailed proposals which outline all charges pertaining to the items, such as the estimated shipping and warehousing costs (more on this below). To ensure that all components come together at the right place, at the right time, requires insane amounts of detail! This is why maintaining strong relationships with our vendors and having a detail-oriented procurement coordinator in the studio (thanks, Meridith!) is crucial for a smooth process. Procurement of items is a full-time job it’s tedious, time consuming, and imperative for the success of the project.įor example, ordering a custom sofa requires us to obtain pricing and availability for at least three components (the frame, the main fabric, cushion type, contrast welt fabric, etc.) that are itemized separately.
Excitingly enough, this part of the process is when your project begins to come to life right before your eyes!īut I’m getting ahead of myself… let me show you precisely what to expect during this time.ĭuring the procurement phase, we submit requests for official quotes from our vendors for every item we’ve spec’d for your project. You’ll notice that these phases have more detail than Phases 1 and 2, because of the large amount of coordination, communication, and management that is required to move the project along smoothly.
Today I’ll be detailing Phase 3: Procurement and Phase 4: Construction & Installation. A couple weeks ago, I shared Phases 1 and 2 of our buttoned-up design process: Schematic Design and Design Development.