Once finished with sales, the client and the specifics of their brief are handed through to our engineering and project management team. The project manager works hand in hand with the client to work through the details of the dream, portrayal of this idea through detailed drawings, prototyping and production preparation.

The emphasis for this relationship with the client is to establish common and consistent touchpoints to ensure all stakeholders remain on the same page and mutual understanding for the direction of the project is maintained.

For example, with the 275 George Street, Sydney fit-out, our project manager, Tristan, discussed the specifics of working through a complex project that featured a product that was not standard. The main challenges of this project lay in the desired finishes and shaping of the product specified. Eventually, a curved feature lining in a durable yet aesthetic mirror finish – a polished black stainless steel material was approved.

Upon confirmation of a job, the project management team sit down with the production and sales people, to brainstorm options and processes for how the product is going to be produced, the logistics of the project and commitments to delivering the client’s dream.

These processes undertaken by our team are not only beneficial to the running of a smooth project internally, but also give the client peace of mind knowing they are dealing with a professional team who are providing them all the necessary information for them to have complete confidence in the process.

Once the product for a customised project has been determined, in most cases the clients is provided with full-size prototypes and finish samples to ensure they know exactly what they are going to receive. This eliminates client stress and reassures them that their commitment to the company will deliver the desired finished result for the project.

This transparency again is of benefit to all stakeholders when the project is able to be approved and completed smoothly, without any remakes, added labour and delays.

In the case of the 275 George Street project in Sydney, a full-size prototype was created and approved by the client. The high degree of quality of the prototype was such that it was repurposed and utilised as one of the panels in the final installation. This only reiterates the approach of quality and importance SUPAWOOD places on our prototyping process, discarding the idea that samples are a rushed creation from spare materials in the factory.

Another vital component of the project management process that our team are all heavily driven by is the lead time, also a SUPAWOOD companywide commitment.

Working with the sales team again in the early stages of another largely customised project, the Research School of Physics (RSP) project at the Australian National University was project manager Sailesh.

When the RSP custom WAFFLE BLADES design came through, it was the vision of the designer to have the slats very narrowly spaced – spacing that was far from the SUPAWOOD standard WAFFLE BLADES profile, which has much wider gaps.

A blade design of this intricacy had only been done before for a project for which SUPAWOOD was not specified. Keeping in mind the main features of the WAFFLE BLADES product while trying not to compromise the creating of a very customised design, Sailesh went away and created a drawing to present to the client, which was eventually approved and specified. In a generic situation where the client is not satisfied with the initial drawing design, SUPAWOOD has the capability and professional resources to create detailed drawings to a high standard using our CAD process and our dedicated drafts people.

Further on throughout the project, Sailesh and our team had the opportunity to put together prototypes for the client. Using the same process used for the prototypes in the 275 George Street fitout, prototyping was approached with a mindset to quality and an understanding that the sample received by the client was identical to the final product to be installed.

On this point, a control sample is also often created and dispatched to the client, so that they have the means to compare it with the final project, ensuring they receive what we promised and the exact product and finish solution they signed off on.

The attention to detail with any project spans past the prototyping, and into the acquiring and sourcing of quality materials.

As the RSP project spanned over a long period of time, some of the Natural Timber Veneer panels supplied up to 18 months prior to the last consignment underwent significant aging and had, therefore, effectively changed colour.

Understanding the nature of these products, Sailesh and our experienced project management team were able to touch base with the client to brief them on this aging process, and ensure that the newer panels were not installed with the older ones as this would affect the overall appearance of the finished project. It was also confirmed to the client that eventually overtime the aging process would slow and even out throughout the project.

This passion for clients and attention to detail, hand in hand with professional experience and knowledge of our products is just another example of how the SUPAWOOD team works to instil confidence in their clients, keeping them on the same page throughout the whole project process.

In summary, through the evidence of past projects, and the passion and professionalism with which every project is approached, clients can have full confidence in the SUPAWOOD products they are investing in. This comes with the bonus of having a transparent and willing team that is constantly checking in and touching base with them, and who are able to approach the challenges with a positive attitude. The SUPAWOOD team takes immense pride in turning client dreams into reality.