The world of high-end interior design is a wonderful place to work, but it can be daunting for our clients when there’s so much to take on board. When projects are undertaken it’s important to understand the requirements of the client and who should be communicating them. One of the key things that we’re often asked to clarify is the difference between a client representative and a project manager. This article will help to understand the difference between the two understanding how to best get the most of the project by ensuring roles are allocated appropriately.

What is a client representative and what do they do?

Ultimately, the clue is in the name – in the world of high-end interior design, they’re there to represent the client’s best interests and be their eyes and ears. They’re a communicator who advocates for the client’s needs, represents their interests, and resolves any issues on their behalf should they arise. They undertake a range of different individual tasks, among which are offering product or service recommendations for luxury interior design, suggesting solutions, and assisting with troubleshooting. This is normally especially good when a client is not in the country, so that they have someone on the ground to have their back.

What is the role of a project manager and what are their responsibilities?

Again, a project manager does exactly that – they are in charge of managing the project in any situation, but especially for high-end interior design. This manifests as a range of different roles and responsibilities over the course of the project, fundamentally steering the ship over each stage of the process. They should liaise with the consultant team and contractors to ensure deliverables are met and then subsequently report into the client representative with regular updates. The project manager, or PM, is the day-to-day point person on the project.

Understanding where the roles of a client representative and project manager crossover

There is some overlap between two jobs that involve the fundamental running and organisation of the project but it’s important to identify the differences, and for each role to respect the other. The client representative may want to do some of the project manager’s organisational jobs too, but if there’s a PM, then it’s not the client representative’s role. The fundamental role of the client representative is to protect the client’s best interests, not the interests of the team.

Can client representatives make great project managers?

The short answer is yes! We know this because we have done both in the high-end interior design projects that we’ve successfully undertaken. It’s important to recognise and acknowledge that one person is undertaking two roles, and as such, you need to wear two hats and be able to identify the boundaries and different needs of each role in accordance with the priorities of the position. The skills that a client representative needs are often the same as the project manager’s, but the key difference is the application, which means that so long as the person can identify this, they’re sure to succeed.

What’s the best process of ensuring client representatives and project managers work well together across projects?

The best setup between a client representative and project manager involves the PM reporting to the client representative with updates and urgent issues. Outside of this, the client representative doesn’t need to be involved in the day-to-day operations of the process. The project manager’s job description means that they cover the majority of the organisational tasks – the client representative must respect this and understand that their ability to do more does not necessarily mean that they should overstep the boundaries of their role as representative. On top of this, a good working relationship of trust, communication and honesty is important for function and success in the long term.

Choosing your client representative?

We’re often asked whether the client representative should be provided from the PM's company or be provided by the client themselves. The answer is that the client representative should be someone the client trusts above all else, because of the importance of communication, transparency, and representation. This means that normally, choosing someone from within their organisation or a close person to them personally is the best way to go in order to ensure a successful and productive relationship.

Final Thoughts

All in all, this should clarify that client representatives and a project manager are different roles that involve different responsibilities and perform different functions. Where the project manager is in charge of the project and the logistical and organisational factors throughout the process, the client representative is dedicated to advocating for the needs of the client and supporting their objectives. The client representative and the project manager should be two different people, or else if it is the same person, they should be aware of the distinct boundaries between the two.

If you’re interested in knowing more about how SP3 London can support you across your project when it comes to Project Management, Design Management and more, get in touch with us today.

Client Representative Role versus a Project Manager