The Monday Morning Building Product Advisor
Issue #132

Today's issue is a shorter one. But I thought you'd appreciate a little "insider baseball" about some architectural project stuff you probably don't always get to see or hear about.

Last week, a rep called and said, “Whatever happened to that project we helped you out with? I’ve been watching for it so I can submit a quote, but I haven’t seen anything yet…”

The project isn’t dead, and it hasn’t been handed off to another architect. For now, it’s just sitting on a shelf.

We finished the drawings months ago. Everything was specified, coordinated, and ready to bid. But the project went quiet because it’s waiting for USDA funding approval before it can move forward.

We’ve seen that wait stretch to 6 months on past projects.

I’ve noticed that most product reps think a finished set of documents means the project is moving forward right away. That’s not always true. Sometimes, it’s just sitting on a shelf, and the reason isn’t about the design.

And it’s usually completely out of the architect’s hands. But it's helpful for you to understand that it does happen.

USDA isn’t the only agency that can cause these waits.

From what I hear from other architects, HUD approvals can work the same way for multifamily and public housing projects. And…

• School bond cycles can delay projects until voters approve funding, sometimes for a whole budget cycle.
• Historic tax credit reviews can freeze a rehab project for months while paperwork moves through the state.
• Environmental reviews can also delay public projects if they’re big enough.

Each agency has its own timeline, but the result is the same. The documents are finished, but the project isn’t moving forward right away.

Now, there are other situations where a project does actually die on the vine.

Recently, a rep reached out to ask about a project where he had helped me with some waterproofing details. I checked with the lead architect and found out the developer went out of business. Now we’re waiting to see if a new developer picks up the original plans.

In most cases, product reps don’t check in to find out why.

…And most architects won’t send an update to every rep who helped us. We’ve usually moved on to other projects to keep our time billable during the wait.

Here’s what you can do while a project is on hold.

The waiting period isn’t wasted time. It’s actually an opportunity, but most product reps miss it.

Maybe your product has a few changes or updates. If it’s the architect’s Basis of Design, we would like to know whether we need to make a few quick fixes to the spec.

If there were a code change during the wait, we’d really appreciate a heads-up on how it might affect our project.

If a product’s lead times change and you have a simple fix for the specs, the waiting period is the perfect time to tell your architect. We aren’t under bid pressure, so we may have time to review and update things before the documents are finalized.

What you don’t want to do during this lull is pitch something new that wasn’t already part of the project.

Save that conversation for another time for the next project.

“What happens if I wait for the RFP instead?”

Once funding is approved and the project goes out to bid, simple changes can become more complicated.

A product update that could have been handled with a quick email during the waiting period now needs an addendum or a change order. That takes longer, creates more paperwork for us, and honestly, we’re much less likely to make the change once we’re busy with other bidding tasks.

So don’t wait for the RFP or a call from the contractor. If you know a project is delayed by USDA, a school bond, or something else, ask your architect directly if it’s on hold.

Then make the most of that time.

The rep who called me last week will send me a product update before the project goes out to bid. And I can make a quick change to 2 or 3 lines in the spec. And it’s not because he’s lucky… It’s because he simply asked.

If you have a project that might be on hold right now, reply and let me know what funding source it’s waiting on. I’ll let you know if that’s a normal delay or something you should ask about.

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That's it for this week!

Here's to building more than just buildings, and see you next week,

Neil Sutton
​Architect | Speaker | The Product Rep Coach

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P.S. Do you really want inside an architect's head?

When you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can start working with me:

• Product reps: If you want to be better at connecting with architects, reply, and let's chat.
• Business owners or Team Leaders: You can book an Architect Connections Training for your team. Reply, and I'll send you the details.
• Speaking: If you would like me to present at an upcoming group meeting, get in touch, and let’s talk!

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