Boutique Design - October 2019 - 50

good purchasing company, a good vendor and a good installer to figure that
out early on-and that takes time. That's why we need to be hired early on
because a lot of those opportunities go out the window if we aren't."
Don't fall victim to the speed of the internet when it comes to actually
writing specifications. "More is less," says Ronnie Bray, executive vice president,
and principal, Bray Whaler. (The Smart-Specs Interiors™ sessions at BDNY Nov.
10-11 provide the how-to in detail.)
"It's easy to find a pretty picture or to photoshop a concept and call it a
spec," Chipouras warns. "The industry needs to get back to basics and teach
more about product development and actual details that need to be reviewed
and included on specifications, prior to issues arising. Simple templates listed
by commodity that include all necessary details is an easy starting point.
Custom items need to be designed and should be reviewed with at least one
vendor not only to get a ballpark on cost but to ensure they fit within the
budget. Additionally, if the custom specifications include all the necessary
details for product development, this will help stay on schedule."
A major sticking point for PMI has been designers specifying retail, touting its
design impact. "It's very difficult to buy from those companies because, in most
cases, you have to pay up front," Langmade says. "You also never know when
you'll get the product exactly," he adds. "You take delivery of it whenever they
want to ship it, and sometimes we get to the end and are told, 'We're out of stock'
or 'We discontinued that item.' It doesn't work in the hospitality industry."
And, that's not all, says Langmade. "There's no quality control in terms of
damaged or missing pieces and there's no return control. Copyright issues can
arise. I understand getting an inspiration from them, but designers are paid to
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design. So, if they have an inspiration, it should be drawn. There's nothing wrong
with an inspirational photo, but give us some dimensions; tell us what you want."
On the flip side, Benjamin reminds designers-and owners especially-to
pay closer attention to the accounting closeout for a project. Every single dollar
should be accounted for, which is another issue that can turn complicated very
quickly if a purchaser doesn't understand the technicalities of state sales taxes.
"For example, a fabric ships from state #1, goes to state #2 for flame and
stain treatment, goes to state #3 to be put on a lounge chair, state #4 where the
warehouse is, to state #5 where the hotel is," he says. Where and when did the
product accrue a tax and for what? If your purchasing firm doesn't know, you
could be in for some auditing problems down the road.
"Because the states are all fighting each other so much for sales tax, it's a
much bigger problem than it was five or 10 years ago," he explains. "People are
too focused on what's the cost of the item today and what's the lead time today.
They don't understand it's critical until two years later and they've got the sales
tax auditor from the state of wherever knocking on their door." Addressing this
issue upfront in kickoff meetings is mission critical, as is talking about the flow
of communication, approval and cash overall.
"Does the designer approve the purchasing agent's POs? Some owners want
the designer to see it, some don't. Is it a project manager or third-party asset
manager?" asks Benjamin. All these questions need to be asked and answered
in order to structure the deal for success from the get-go.
Locke agrees for the last word on this relationship status: "It's all about
good will, trust and communication. And the best way to keep the focus on
that is to discuss these things up front and in a transparent manner." 

C O U R T E S Y O F B E V E R LY H I L L S H O T E L & B U N G A L O W S

BUNGALOW 22, BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL & BUNGALOWS; PURCHASING SERVICES:
BRAY WHALER; INTERIOR DESIGN: CHAMPALIMAUD DESIGN
http://www.boutiquedesign.com
Boutique Design - October 2019

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