Commercial projects can be intimidating, there is so much coordination and decision to be made before the first box of material even gets to a job site. We believe knowledge is power and understanding the commercial timeline and what to expect is vital to ensuring a stress-free smooth process project!
Preparation is Key
The more you are prepared for your commercial project the smoother it will go. Commercial timelines tend to have tighter time restraints as they are often based on "off-season" availability. Many commercial clients that we work with have a limited amount of time they have to complete a renovation so preparation is key to making everything run faster.
If you aren't sure of the design you want for your project, your first step would be to take the time to work with one of our sales associates to pull a look together. If you already have a vision for your project your first steps are still to meet with a sales associate to go over material options that meet your budget and select the product that best fits your wants and timeline needs. To learn more about preparing for a commercial project check out our blog.
Understanding Commercial Timelines
As we mentioned above Commercial project timelines tend to be tighter with more time constraints. Starting earlier is always better with commercial projects, life happens and unfortunately so are supply chain issues and production delays. If you need more design help give yourself time to look at your choices and your overall design so you don't feel rushed. If the flooring is part of a larger renovation in the space we need to be able to accommodate for that as well to make sure everything is completed in a timely manner.
Understanding Commercial Language
There are a few terms that will help when discussing timing during the selection process:
In-stock refers to material that could be sitting on the shelf at one of Avalon's warehouses and would just need to be transferred to the end location. This allows a quick turnaround for projects on extremely tight timelines. The only restriction could be the size of the job which may require more material to be brought in.
In stock could also be referenced when talking about SPECIAL ORDER items as well, meaning the material is available with the vendor. Special order items refer to items that are coming from another company and shipped to us. Every company we work with has its own line of stock creating a selection of styles that are considered "Quick Ship." If it is in stock at the company it should be loaded on the next truck and only take transit time. If a quick ship style is not available at the time of order, it will take up to a certain amount of time to produce a certain amount of material. These timeframes and quantities are mill-dependent but typically could take up to a month to turn around with shipping.
Special order items are items that the company does not hold extra stock in and are subject to a manufacturer's timeline. Depending on the product, mill, raw goods availability, and logistics, this could be anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks. Unfortunately, like all manufacturers, we have been navigating longer delays & obstacles due to new challenges, brought on by the Pandemic. We do our best to combat these issues by constantly looking at new supply sources and encouraging all our customers to plan early. If a manufacturer is behind on producing a project there is nothing we can do to make the item come quicker or ship out to us faster.
Understanding the timeline will help you prepare for remodel day and schedule everything in a timely stress-free manner.
