Careful Consideration of Fees?

Another interesting post over at Design Intelligence:

Problems with Pricing

Scott Simpson

"One inevitable effect of the recession is that more firms are chasing fewer projects. Hence, the odds of success are greatly diminished, and those firms that do win new commissions often have to discount their fees, sometimes substantially, in order to secure the work. To compound the problem, firms that have shed staff are spawning their own competition. The same qualified people who used to be employed can now compete on a much lower cost basis, which further drives down prices.

Since most projects have a lifespan of several years, this not only affects profitability in the near term, but it has long-term consequences as well. When the recession subsides and work becomes more plentiful, projects that suffer from low fees run the risk of becoming orphans. To recover financially, firms will be tempted to concentrate on the newer, more profitable projects at the expense of the older losers. This can cause quality problems, ultimately affecting the overall reputation of the firm... Continue Reading the Article...."