March Online Surgery: Disaster Recovery
There are many articles and blogs on ‘how to do it’ and some of these include advice on ‘how not to do it!’
However, what happens when a contractor knowingly or unknowingly creates a disaster and you are left to pick up the pieces. Professional Project Managers call these ‘Disaster Recovery’ jobs.
Once selected, we place our trust in contractors and professionals to act in our best interests – and of course, in the vast majority of cases projects run smoothly and relatively stress free. However, an unfortunate reality is that, on occasion, things can go wrong. It is sometimes not easy to differentiate between incompetence and malicious damage, and they are as bad as each-other when your project has been condemned.
Seemingly small individual problems, in isolation can be hidden away, however when all are added together these can quickly accumulate into a serious set of problems – leading to a loss of trust and a badly stalling project.
The painful dilemma is, do you limp on with your contractor or do you ‘cut your losses’ and start again with someone else? Sometimes it is necessary to take a step backwards in order to move your project forwards again.
You will have invested a great deal in your project – both financially and emotionally – and sometimes seeking an independent view is the best solution. The good news is, specialists are available, with a specific set of skills and a steady nerve, ready to unravel the source of the problems, and begin a process of mediation and making good. They will be experienced in spotting the warning signs that a contractor is hiding something, not following best practice or meeting the terms of your contract.
Produced by the team at The National Self Build & Renovation Centre and delivered by Karim Malhamé MRICS, Project Manager at CLPM.
Hear from our experts in the field of disaster recovery by clicking the video below.