Not all Depreciation Reports are created equal
By Richard Shatto April 2013
Understandably, with all BC strata's required to have a depreciation report by December 2013, the clock is quickly ticking. Such deadlines are like blood in the water and inevitably sharks begin to circle. One group I spoke to, founded by a group of lawyers, had obviously seen the business opportunity. They had hired some junior engineers and had developed their "marketing machine". Their business plan was to quickly pump out as many depreciation reports as they possibly could at the lowest possible price. Clearly, though they talked quality, they were selling price.
But, like virtually all things in business and life, we tend to get what we pay for – and consulting is no exception.
There are three main variables that need to be considered when making any purchase: Price, Quality and Service and it's important to decide where you stand on the balance between the three. And, as noted above, not all consultants and consulting firms are the same, so keeping in mind the number of people depreciation reports affect and the long-term repercussions they have, you need to choose carefully for your strata's needs.
You may be in a strata that decides a report without all the bells and whistles is okay, though at a minimum, you should be looking for a study that provides quality building data and an analysis that will stand the test of time. Whatever your criteria, communicate these preferences and don’t be afraid to have a discussion on intelligent ways to get what you need.
Definitely be wary of companies promising you champagne on what is obviously a budget for beer. Price, Quality and Service are always related. If you are considering a company that has given you a low price, no matter what their qualifications, ask yourself what is being sacrificed? What factors are being limited? Is there a quantity of time? Is it type or quality of analysis? Is it inspection data? What are they limiting that could lower the quality of the service? Perhaps the building inspection be limited to a walk-about or the data analysis will be database look-up rather than a professional quantity surveyor's analysis. And, if you do go with the cheapest price you may even sacrifice both quality and service.
Point Nexus is committed to helping our clients find the right balance between Price, Quality and Service. And, to assure you of a truly professional report we don't cut costs on either the inspection process or the data analysis. It it sounds too good to be true, we encourage you to let your common sense be your guide. After all, it is your investment and your decision will affect a lot of people for a long time.
But, like virtually all things in business and life, we tend to get what we pay for – and consulting is no exception.
There are three main variables that need to be considered when making any purchase: Price, Quality and Service and it's important to decide where you stand on the balance between the three. And, as noted above, not all consultants and consulting firms are the same, so keeping in mind the number of people depreciation reports affect and the long-term repercussions they have, you need to choose carefully for your strata's needs.
You may be in a strata that decides a report without all the bells and whistles is okay, though at a minimum, you should be looking for a study that provides quality building data and an analysis that will stand the test of time. Whatever your criteria, communicate these preferences and don’t be afraid to have a discussion on intelligent ways to get what you need.
Definitely be wary of companies promising you champagne on what is obviously a budget for beer. Price, Quality and Service are always related. If you are considering a company that has given you a low price, no matter what their qualifications, ask yourself what is being sacrificed? What factors are being limited? Is there a quantity of time? Is it type or quality of analysis? Is it inspection data? What are they limiting that could lower the quality of the service? Perhaps the building inspection be limited to a walk-about or the data analysis will be database look-up rather than a professional quantity surveyor's analysis. And, if you do go with the cheapest price you may even sacrifice both quality and service.
Point Nexus is committed to helping our clients find the right balance between Price, Quality and Service. And, to assure you of a truly professional report we don't cut costs on either the inspection process or the data analysis. It it sounds too good to be true, we encourage you to let your common sense be your guide. After all, it is your investment and your decision will affect a lot of people for a long time.
No comments:
Post a Comment