“For construction management, I still need a QS, don’t I? Are there any scenarios where I don’t need one? How would I get one? Do I have to employ them?” There are different ideas around how you should set up a project management team on a construction site. O’Reilly, an online learning platform for construction,… Continue reading I still need a QS though, right?
Blog
Risks and Opportunities for Developers
In any industry, for a project to be a success, a defined strategy is critical. Construction and development are no different. Building a plan gives the team a focus, an understanding of the end-goal: why are we building what we are building and what are our metrics for success? Having these metrics and purpose crystal… Continue reading Risks and Opportunities for Developers
The Construction Playbook
The construction industry contributes between £90-£110b to the UK economy each year, approximately 7% of the countries GDP. Harnessing this level of spend, controlling it and turning its focus towards being more efficient, greener, sustainable, and more productive is nothing new as this aspiration has been around for a long time. However, as the UK… Continue reading The Construction Playbook
Where do I find a good project manager?
Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, once said that: “The secret of my success is that we have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the world.” I’m sure this resonates with us all. No matter which business we are in, recruitment plays a fundamental role in our business’s success, profitability, and… Continue reading Where do I find a good project manager?
Early Contractor Involvement
UK construction has been the subject of many independent reviews, with a general theme being that it needs to become less adversarial to become more effective and efficient in the delivery of projects. The key example being the Latham report in 1994, which was a big advocate for more partnering to combat these adversarial relationships.… Continue reading Early Contractor Involvement
Insurance Profiles
Recently, the Supreme Court has found in favour of small firms to receive payments from their insurers regarding claims for the effect of COVID-19, specifically business interruption insurance after contesting entitlement for some time. Notwithstanding this, Lloyds of London estimated that as a global industry the impact of COVID-19 on insurance companies is expected to… Continue reading Insurance Profiles
Whole Life Costs vs Value Engineering
As a developer, you may be concerned about the whole life costs of your project, but equally if you intend to only fund the initial capital costs, why would you need to consider the life cycle costs of a building? You only want to build it, realise a return on your investment, and then move… Continue reading Whole Life Costs vs Value Engineering
In what circumstance is Construction Management not suitable for a developer?
Construction Management is a distinctive procurement route in that the developer (also known as the client) places, and then manages, individual subcontracts with separate specialist subcontractors as opposed to employing a principal contractor to undertake this work on their behalf. Although I’ve endorsed Construction Management in previous articles as a lean route for SME developers,… Continue reading In what circumstance is Construction Management not suitable for a developer?
Step in Rights
A funder of a development will usually have a right to achieve a benefit in return. This could be that a particular type of product, material or layout is installed, therefore in typical circumstances collateral warranties would be requested by the funder which effectively act as a duty of care to the third party. They… Continue reading Step in Rights
Give me the numbers!
Can developers make big savings on construction management? In previous articles, we talked at length about what Construction Management is, how it differs from the traditional ‘main contractor’ procurement route, and what the benefits are of this fresh approach. In this article, let’s delve into the numbers and explain the exact financial implications. Construction costs… Continue reading Give me the numbers!