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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
MARCH
2017
46
QUANTITY SURVEYORS
member toolkit via continuous professional
development (CPD) training courses which
are being offered around the country. The
intended outcome is to assist quantity
surveyors in making accurate assessments,
determining root causes and, ultimately,
saving customers money.
Alongside supporting the more accurate
and efficient assessment of delay claims,
the tool adds a sense of fair play – the
standardisation of process and procedure
allowing all parties equal say. Often, there
is no small measure of uncertainty when
it comes to claim assessments, so if all
parties are using the same resource, it
ensures that both client and contractor
have the same input, see the same results
and have their concerns acknowledged.
This can also have a positive impact on
time spent with claims, reducing disputes
and saving on costs.
The goal is to complete the project, not
become embroiled in lengthy debate or lose
money as the days tick by and the build
remains dormant.
In any industry, time is money. More so
in the construction industry where time
delayed decisions can result in a cost per
day impact. Likewise, a delay in the delivery
Redefining the
IMPACT
of project
DELAYS
on cost
by Dr Hendrik Prinsloo, course facilitator, The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS)
of materials to site, can impact costs.
By identifying delays and ensuring swift
resolution, the Decision Support Framework
can have immediate and long-term cost
savings. The quantity surveyor can assist
in determining the delay far more efficiently
and this can significantly lower the financial
implications which normally come hand in
hand with any delay claim.
Sidestepping the usual
problems
The Decision Support Framework sidesteps
the usual problems by taking the user
through four primary decision making
processes. Each of these has been
carefully researched to fit alongside the
extension of time claims, and each one
uses a process to allow for deliberation and
careful resolution. The tool helps to arrive
at the easiest conclusion as users follow
the steps to a solution and find a mutually
beneficial agreement.
For those who are cost conscious and
who always keep a keen eye on the bottom
line, this Decision Support Framework
methodology will add another metaphorical
arrow to the professional quantity surveyors
quiver. By virtue of the work that quantity
surveying professionals undertake, they
regularly find themselves at the centre of
cost related misunderstandings, while being
ever mindful of bringing the project home
within budget.
The ASAQS’s EduTech Division has
identified the need to bring clarity to
both the construction industry and to
the associations QS professionals, by
offering bespoke training that provides the
participant with a broad understanding of
the principles and best practice around this
sensitive issue.
Project delays can have a significant impact on trust and budget if not
handled adeptly from the start, and now there are tools which can help
to transform the challenge
When it comes to delays and the
assessment of delay claims, there is
limited guidance available. In fact, there
is no clear path in terms of managing the
issue, establishing process or determining
who is ultimately responsible. The result
is that many unexpected delays end in
disputes which can potentially impact on
relationships and the success of a project.
There has long been a need for the industry
to have access to a simple, standardised
process which walks all parties through the
claim and finds equally simple answers to
the problems.
Inspiring a tool
This need inspired the development of
the Decision Support Framework, a tool
designed to assist in the assessment of
claims from the start, eliminating indecision
and uncertainty and providing users with
a clear route to resolution. The framework
was crafted over a number of years, and
was designed to be easy to understand
and capable of managing claims across
industry and incident. The Decision
Support Framework is currently being
integrated as part of the Association of
South African Quantity Surveyors’ (ASAQS)