|

Business administration

 

• The principles of business management and factors relating to running a design practice and business. The resources necessary (technical, financial, IT, personnel) in order to run a business or a project.
• Different forms of architectural partnership and their respective legal implications.
  

Employment legislation

There are various elements you might consider:

• the requirements of the Employment Act and Working Time Directive or other local legislation
• taxation
• workplace health and safety
• employment contracts
• civil liability
• equal opportunities legislation
• how this impacts on different business structures, including working on site, at home and remotely.

Marketing and selling

Marketing activities are all those associated with identifying the particular wants and needs of a target market of customers, and then going about satisfying those customers better than the competitors. This involves undertaking market research on customers, analysing their needs, and then making strategic decisions. Selling includes the various techniques needed to raise the profile of the practice and obtain commissions. Your CPD goals might include learning about marketing and selling and how to employ various techniques and media, such as:

• how to develop business and marketing strategies
• how to undertake or commission market or customer research
• how to use relationship marketing techniques such as direct mail
• how to design attractive websites
• learning about effective advertising
• learning about new techniques, such as email and viral marketing
• learning about using the media, such as press releases and editorial features.
  

The Chartered Institute of Marketing| is an excellent source of information.

QM systems

• Assessing and organising quality control and programming systems in relation to the architect’s role in administering the building process, and operating quality management procedures which ensure the maintenance of design standards and intentions in relation to the client’s brief, management of change, budgetary and programme control
• Use of quality management toolkits
• Effective record keeping.

Risk management

• Manage risk in relation to construction and consultants contracts, liabilities, indemnities and insurance and awareness of mechanisms such as insurance to deal with liabilities.

Staff management

The skills required for the management of people within an organisation and a basic appreciation of interpersonal relationships, motivation, group dynamics, staff appraisal,
employment legislation and reward structures. This might also include:

• attainment of the Investors in People (IIP) standard or similar local initiative
• use of the RIBA Employment Guide.

Taxation, finance and VAT

The fundamental legal and accountancy best practice requirements as they pertain to taxation and VAT, for projects, contracts and the management of the business. The management of adequate financial controls for cost planning of projects and for the business.

Time and resource management

Effective management of resources which might include:

• RIBA and ARB codes requiring that you to have adequate resources to deliver a project
• project costing and cash flow
• the resources (technical, IT, financial, management, personnel) necessary in order to offer professional services for a particular project and the office workload
• assess the architectural services required to deliver a project effectively and the establishment of appropriate scope of works for all members of the project team
• manage, coordinate and integrate the work of other consultants and have an awareness of the terms of their appointments
• programme and manage the flow of information among the members of the design team
• use of relevant IT packages available for time and resource management.