EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES

CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILTY

Progress is deeply rooted in the communities it serves. Our HQ is in Rochester Kent, where we have employed mainly local staff since 1994. The team at Progress are actively engaged with the following charities:

  • Cobham Primary School PTA
  • Gravesend Rugby Club

ENVIRONMENT

Like most companies in the construction sector, Progress is responsible for specifying or procuring large volumes of materials. We actively avoid materials with a high carbon foot print and seek suppliers who work hard to reduce their impact on the environment. As an example, our primary furnishing production partner has removed plastic packaging entirely from it’s production line, an all paper / cardboard based solution means we can deliver a 100% recycled packaging for furnishing projects.

Our transparent micro project management process also reduces the resources and energy taken by contractors bidding in the tender process.

YOUNG TALENT

Progress runs two apprenticeship schemes each year, one place in our design team, one place in our project management / business development team. The design placement is structured to break the cycle of no experience / no job opportunity so common in the creative sector.

THE PROCESS

Construction is often considered a negative and confrontational sector. Those that have procured construction or design work both (domestically and commercially) often experience a service which dramatically changes during the works. Pre construction everything seems plausible, possible and practical, then when contracts are signed everything becomes, challenging, difficult or even impossible.

No other industry has remained so stuck in it’s ways through the technological revolution.

The majority of the issues stem from antiquated project structures which create layers of complexity and responsibility. Contractors subcontract nearly everything they do, one party protects itself from another, payment flows are slow, resources and contracts are more concerned with being able to blame another party should things go wrong than encouraging positive outcomes in the first place.

The sector’s response to the market demands of faster project delivery than traditional construction models allowed was Design & Build. D&B puts all responsibility with the contractor, client’s believe it de risks a project but in reality the risk has simply been “packaged” and sold back to the client as a single contract. When design is delivered by the contractor responsible for the project as a whole, the client loses independent oversight and very often, quality suffers.

Some clients respond to the risks of D&B by employing Architects / Designers to create a concept design (but then stop altogether or start working for the D&B contractor) pre contract and a Project Manager to control the contractor. A solution which takes a delivery model built entirely on subcontracted responsibility / activity and adds two more layers!

Progress is different. We provide complete design and project management / procurement, our role replaces the design & build contractor as we take full responsibility for the performance of the package contractors physically doing the work. The model is flat, efficient, very fast and simple. It’s disruptive.

Projects are fully developed to the equivalent of RIBA stage 4 technical design pre tender. The package contractors bidding on the project know exactly what is required, there is no confusion or “estimating” or “PC sums”, instead a fully defined project, broken into packages of work to be delivered by specialists working as a team but fully coordinated (and guaranteed) by progress.

Our team does this quickly too. For the vast majority of projects we are able to fully develop the design, specification and tender with contractors in the same timescale as the lawyers take to negotiate the property lease (usually 6 weeks).

Transparently structured, clients see the cost input and fully understand the project. We call this micro project management / procurement.

It works. Progress delivers projects to a great standard, on time and budget every time. What’s more our fees are much less than the savings associated with not having a D&B contractor on the project.

We are so sure of our model and ability that 50% of our fees are only payable on a successful project outcome.

Progress is the only project management company providing micro management / procurement and no others guarantee results backed by their own fees.
Trust Progress with your next or even first office, help disrupt the sector and get a great result.

INSPIRATION

Our team feels passionately about great design and supporting change management through design.

The workplace has evolved and continues to change at a remarkable place. Our team takes inspiration from many sources. We are constantly building on previous project successes to ensure new clients enjoy the results of having such an experienced design and management team behind their project.

Progress likes to work in all sectors but there is no sector that we enjoy more than creating the first office for an early stage business leaving a co-working or serviced office behind.

The energy and enthusiasm our team brings to each project is reinforced by these clients, we love the engagement and being part of their journey.

The CEO’s and COO’s of early stage businesses are fearless and enthused, what better client group could we hope for ?

Many of our client’s are disruptors too, we understand each other and the benefits of having a flatter delivery model is clear and evident.

Experienced support is really important to those creating an office for the first time.

Progress is a very safe pair of hands. Our team will make sure that the right questions are asked of the business at the right time, for sure you’ll end up with a great looking space, but it will also certainly be practical too. Work places must function to support the business and talent within it, from day 1, right through to the end of the lease.

LET’S PROGRESS TOGETHER