How quickly can this actually be up and running?+
The project setup, four gate documents, programme, and live portal are in place in week one. There is no ramp-up period, no orientation month. The infrastructure arrives with the engagement. Most clients have a structured Monday report before their second weekly meeting.
We already have someone handling this internally. Why would we need this?+
If the person handling design is also doing three other jobs, the design process is not being managed. It is being survived. dpow.agent is the dedicated function -- ISO 19650 naming, weekly reporting, consultant pressure, programme tracking -- with no dilution. That is a different thing to someone fitting it in.
What happens to all the project data if the engagement ends?+
Everything is built in your systems from day one. Registers, programmes, documents. Nothing lives in a private inbox or a personal drive. You own the data from the moment it is created. If the engagement ends, the infrastructure stays. Your team picks it up with a full handover.
Do you actually understand our kind of work?+
Twenty years delivering fit-out, bespoke joinery, specialist interiors, and major commercial packages for contractors including Skanska, McLaren, and Mace. The background is fabrication and site work first, design management second. That matters when you are dealing with lead times, tolerances, and packages that have to be right before they leave the workshop.
Is the cost worth it compared to hiring someone full time?+
A Head of Design on payroll costs around £100,000 all-in per year -- salary, National Insurance, pension, and three months notice to exit. That is before the time to hire, onboarding, and the risk of a wrong appointment. One avoided design error or one revision caught before it reaches site pays for six months of retainer. That happens on most projects.
We tried a freelance design manager before and it did not work.+
The most common failure is the absence of infrastructure. Someone arrives and does their best, but there is no programme framework, no document register, no reporting cadence. dpow.agent arrives with the systems already built. Week one is structured delivery. The portal is live before the first consultant meeting.
What if we only need help for a short period?+
There is no lock-in. Cancel with one month notice at any time. There is also a Project Launch option for a fixed scope -- full intake, gate documents, programme, portal set up -- as a one-off. You can carry it forward yourselves or continue with the monthly retainer. Either works.
How does it work in practice week to week?+
Every Monday a structured report lands covering programme status, outstanding items, consultant performance, and what needs a decision that week. The client portal is live around the clock. Design team meetings are chaired and minuted. Consultants are held to their deliverable dates. If something is drifting, it is flagged before it becomes a problem on site.
