Role of Client Quantity Surveyor - Case Study Example

Role of Client Quantity Surveyor in comparison with Contractor’s Quantity Surveyor Introduction Quantity surveying is centered primarily on the construction, its cost management and the budgets of the project. Quantity surveying requires a combination of financial, legal and technical knowledge. A quantity surveyor plays an integral central role in the whole management of construction projects. Client Quantity Surveyors and Contract Quantity surveyors play different parts in any construction project. This paper discusses and compares the roles played by both Client Quantity Surveyor and Contractor’s quantity surveyor in details and assesses the future developments within them. Role of the Client’s Quantity Surveyor compared to the Contractor’s Quantity Surveyor Quantity surveyors manage all costs that are related to construction projects right from the initial calculations up to the final or last figures. A surveyor seeks to minimize project costs while enhancing value for money, but achieving standards and quality as required. Surveyors get involved in a project from the beginning where the work’s estimates and costs are prepared (Cunningham, 2014). When a particular construction project is in progress, quantity surveyors are entitled to keep track of all variations to a contract that may possibly affect costs and also create reports that show profitability. Surveyors with specialized knowledge and experience may advance to offering vital advice on property taxation, provide post-occupancy advice, offer facility management services as well as offering advice on life cycle costing. Experienced surveyors also assist their clients in accessing and locating either alternative or additional sources of funds. A quantity surveyor works for either the client or the contractor (Kirkham, 2013, Pg.21). The major distinction Quantity Surveyors are the ones carrying out work on behalf of the client organization, also known as Professional Quantity Surveyors and those carrying out work on behalf of the contractors’ companies often referred to as a contractor’s quantity surveyor. A client’s quantity surveyor acts on behalf of the client, ensuring value for money and checking the accuracy of involved contractor applications for payment. Contractor’s quantity surveyor on the other hand is responsible for appointment of subcontractors’ accounts where they ensure that payment applications are both accurate and reasonable (Cunningham, 2014). They also deal with any variations that may occur. The contractor’s quantity surveyor has to submit payment applications to the client concurring with the agreed dates in the initial original contract. The Role of a Client Quantity Surveyor The client quantity surveyor also known as Professional Quantity Surveyor (PQS) is concerned with the entire role of financial management of a building project. PQS ensures that a client has secured their value for money and that on completion, the project will be in a position to provide some substantial added value to a client’s property assets (Cunningham, 2014). A client quantity surveyor carries out a variety of duties. Their roles include; Cost preparation Client Quantity surveyors prepare an approximate estimate of a project cost in the early stages when the construction project is being formulated. The surveyor at this stage will offer advice on alternative components, materials, the types of construction and also assist with feasibility studies (Towey, 2012, Pg.93). Cost planning A client surveyor plans the cost and analyses the value of the designing stage of a project. This is usually to ensure that the particular client obtains the highest value possible for their money. This includes adding value to a client’s property assets in regard to total cost. This is done using the life cycle costing techniques. The Surveyor should ensure that costs are evenly distributed in a realistic manner throughout the elements or various sections of a building ( Towey, 2012, Pg. 95). Tender figures are also kept within their client’s budget. Procurement advice The Client Surveyor advises their client on the best form of a building procurement. This is done in regard to the project type, quality, construction speed, price certainty and apportionment of risk. The main aim here is identifying the best means of bringing up the project. The surveyor conducts the evaluation of tenders and recommends selection of the most suitable contractor. Document preparation Clients Surveyor assists in preparing the bills of material quantities as well as all the other documents that relate to the project. Surveyors are usually trained and experienced in proper documentation. The Surveyor will also examine the priced bills and tenders of quantities after which they report the findings (Kirkham, 2013, Pg.25). Rates Negotiations On behalf of the client, a surveyor will negotiate rates with different contractors on the negotiated contracts. They also deal with any cost reimbursement contracts, design, build, manage and deal with all forms of contract. Valuation Client Surveyor is tasked with valuing the work in progress and then makes recommendations of the payments that need to be made to their contractor. He then prepares a final account of successful work completed by the contractors. After this, proper advice is offered on contractual and financial aspects of the contractors’ claims. Client quantitative surveyor is also entitled to be given crucial cost advice as well as important information at all the contract stages (Ashworth, Hogg & Higgs, 2013, Pg. 61). A cost report and analyses will then be prepared and given to the client. Construction industry solely depends on cash flow. In this regard, the role of surveyor is of great importance. Specialist advice The surveyor gives special advice on important areas such as, fire insurance valuations, grants, funding advice, taxation, capital allowances, technical auditing, risk analysis as well as their management, project management and bank monitoring. He also advises on the cost of building services and the related matters that include health, safety and quality control (Towey, 2012, Pg. 93). The Contractor’s Quantity Surveyor The duties of the Contractor’s Quantity Surveyor depend on and vary with the size of a company. Working in relation to the contractor, they have various duties in the project. Bills preparation The Contractor’s Surveyor prepares the bills of quantities for smaller contracts. He also tends to agree with measurements made by the Client’s Quantity Surveyor. The surveyor then collects the right information costs of various operations from where the contractor can proceed to prepare future estimates (Stanley, 2014). Preparation of materials and interim costing Contractor’s Quantitative Surveyor prepares precise important details on all the materials required for the project at hand. Target figures are then compiled to enable the awarding of production bonuses to the operatives. For the financial position of a project to be ascertained, interim costs are prepared by the surveyor. This is done while the work is still in progress and necessary measures are taken. Contracts are planned and progress charts are prepared in conjunction with the site manager also known as foremen. Application is made to the architect to give variation orders (Ashworth, Hogg & Higgs, 2013, Pg. 67). Agreeing subcontractors accounts Subcontractors’ orders are placed and compared with alternative methods that would be used to carry out the various operations. After comparisons the most economical procedures are adopted. The contractor’s Surveyor also advises the contractor on the implementation of different contractual methods and contract conditions (Towey, 2012, Pg. 93). Possible future developments of both Client quantity Surveyors and contractor’s quantity surveyors Change is inevitable and the law of life. Looking only to the past and present is a sure way of missing the future. Quantity surveying future development will be influenced by various critical factors. These factors include; client focus, development and application of information as well as communication technologies, research and dissemination and sustainability agenda. Contractor’s Quantity surveyors will be required to demonstrate high competence that will enable them to apply knowledge and also perform tasks. Specialism will also be realized due to advanced programs like insurance, diligence, planning and programming, conflict avoidance, dispute resolution procedures, project evaluation and risk management (Towey, 2012, Pg. 130). For the Client quantity surveyor, wider range of professionalism and competency will be possessed. The competencies will consist of a mix of interpersonal skills, professional practice, business as well as management skills. The surveyors will require the minimum standards of conducting ethics, rules and professional practice (Olatunji, Sher & Gu, 2010, Pg. 68). They will also have an appropriate client care with effective communication, negotiation, health and safety skills (Hughes, Champion & Murdoch, 2007, Pg. 35). Client focus by the client surveyor In their decisions to build, clients will have to consider the construction cost based on the capital project works. Consultants have been seen adding excess costs to contractors and projects. The services offered to get late, poor in quality and of high costs. In the future, clients will prepare to pay for the services that will demonstrate financial gains and benefits. Clients’ needs will be seen at the very heart of every step in the process (Towey, 2012, Pg. 99). Basic client requirements will be reduced time scales, simplified process, choice, commitment, risk taking and co-investment. Development and application of technologies Information and communication technology have been said to be effective tools tending to support increased changes and uncertainties in the entire construction industry, mostly within the profession. The Client Quantity surveyor will develop a repertoire of techniques. Different surveyors will place varying emphasis upon practice. The skills of quantity surveyors used in the past will be replaced by new advanced skills. The current skills will also have to be enhanced owing to the evolving demands and future changes. Improved skills like computer literacy, prioritizing, commercial awareness, moral and ethical acting, negotiating, the ability to cope with complexity and ambiguity will have to be implemented (Hughes, Champion & Murdoch, 2007, Pg. 38). The mutual future role of both Client quantity surveyor and the contractor’s surveyor will be to ensure that the construction industry resources are fully utilized to the society’s advantage. This will come along with financial management for projects, cost consultancy service and designer to the client throughout the construction process. Changes within the profession of the quantity surveying will be facilitated by the changing needs and attitudes by clients, changes in the business practices and markets as well as a changing Quantity surveying profession (Kirkham, 2013, Pg. 24). Just like other ever changing factors, roles of the quantity surveyors will continue to evolve with equally changing business environments and the rising client expectations. Quantity surveyors will therefore have to accept the inevitable challenge of change and adopt a cooperative and a proactive approach to strengthen and complement the design and construction processes. Conclusion Modern quantity surveyors play an integral role in managing construction projects. Both Client Quantity and Contractor’s Quantity surveyor have similar knowledge and experience, but their roles differ depending on the one who has employed them. Client’s surveyor ensures that the client gets value for their money with a possibility of value increased asset with high quality standards. The Contractor’s surveyor on his part caters for the running of building project, cost and project management, construction planning and contract administration. However, just like the world is changing, change requirements in this profession are also inevitable. References Ashworth, A., Hogg, K., & Higgs, C. (2013). Williss practice and procedure for the quantity surveyor. New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell. Cunningham, T. (2014). The Work and Skills Base of the Quantity Surveyor in Ireland – An Introduction. Dublin Institute of Technology. Retrieved April 29, 2015, from < http://arrow.dit.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1034&context=beschreoth> Hughes, W., Champion, R., & Murdoch, J. (2007). Construction contracts: law and management. Routledge. Kirkham, R. (2013). Ferry and Brandons Cost Planning of Buildings. Chicester: Wiley. Olatunji, O. A., Sher, W., & Gu, N. (2010). Building information modeling and quantity surveying practice. Emirates Journal for Engineering Research, 15(1), 67-70. Stanley, L. (2014, April) . Quantity surveyor. PROSPECTS. Retrieved April 29, 2015, from < http://www.prospects.ac.uk/quantity_surveyor_job_description.htm > Towey, D. (2012). Construction Quantity Surveying A Practical Guide for the Contractors QS. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Read More