Commercial Success

EXPERTS IN COST CONSULTANCY

With experience costing some of the world’s best projects, deep expertise and real-time data, we prioritise our clients’ business objectives to deliver cost management services that get the balance right.
Services

Cost Management & Quantity Surveying

The three most common primary objectives in construction project management are getting the best value in cost, the highest quality and the shortest time. In the formulation of any procurement strategy, RLB strives to achieve an optimum balance of these factors to suit the requirements of each project. Our service encompasses cost estimating and planning, cost management, production of tender and contract documents, the complete financial administration of construction contracts and/or advice on dispute resolution.

Feasibility Studies

We provide our clients with reliable feasibility study information at the early stages of a project, to enable them to assess the viability of project opportunities and advise on the cost of various alternative planning and design solutions.

Our cost benchmarking data, together with cost modelling, is used as a dynamic tool to evaluate alternative design options and explore ‘what if’ scenarios to identify the most cost-effective options within the parameters of the brief.

Cost Planning & Value Engineering

Establishing a robust elemental cost plan is key to cost control for any project. Cost plans are prepared in conjunction with the whole project team to ensure ownership of the budget. All future changes will be managed against the cost plan. Cost plans identify key cost drivers of a project. It is also used as a management tool for tracking design development, alternative cost studies, and supports value engineering and risk management.

We will work with the project team, and where required, facilitate Value Engineering workshops in order to undertake a structured review at key project stages, to ascertain that the project is meeting the functional requirements of the project brief. Value engineering is most effective during the early planning and design development stages of a project and we aim to instill a mindset of ‘best value for money’ and not ‘the lowest cost’.

Our specialist MEP surveyors add value by providing detailed cost advice in relation to MEP Services and where appropriate, challenging design solutions, and taking whole-life maintenance and operational costs into consideration.

Risk Management

Quantifying and managing risk is fundamental to delivering a project on time and on budget. We will advise the project team on strategies for identifying and minimising specific risks, together with appropriate levels of cost, and a methodology for managing risks within the identified levels. We apply probabilistic risk assessment techniques to support risk management.

QS-BIM Industry Leaders

We embrace Building Information Modelling (BIM) and work within a BIM environment across all of our service areas. We are a CostX® Certified Partner. CostX® enables us to produce quick and accurate quantities measurement from 2D drawings and generate automatic quantities from 3D BIM models using the most advanced on-screen electronic measurement system.

Cost Benchmarking

We are able to provide benchmarking reference for a particular project against similar projects to quickly assess the cost effectiveness of the design. We have a global cost benchmarking tool that enables us to benchmark building efficiencies as well as cost, help identify alternative solutions and add value.

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I consider RLB performed their services with a high degree of professionalism and integrity in what were testing circumstances and I would have no hesitation in recommending them to perform Cost Consultant services in the future.

Ian Humphreys, Vice President – Construction (Asia), Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd

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Life Cycle Costing

Our approach to Whole Life Costs and Life Cycle Costs (WLC/LCC) is one which focuses on the business needs for our clients, and delivers a service which enables our clients to make informed decisions in relation to their property assets over long term.

We create best value in sustainable operational solutions for our clients by integrating capital, energy, carbon and operation/life cycle replacement costs with the aim of delivering cost savings to our clients.

We collect data from numerous sources including industry-published data and our own internal data from previous and live projects. The data can be applied in WLC/LCC models of projects from initial feasibility stage through to financial close out and operation. The WLC/LCC models can be applied to any concession length of time and irrespective of individual assets or large portfolios.

Procurement

Selecting the correct procurement strategy for a particular project is key to commercial success. Based on the client’s principal objectives in relation to cost certainty, quality of design, workmanship and program, we undertake a review of these objectives and provide recommendations in relation to the optimal procurement strategy that best achieves these objectives.

Selecting the most appropriate contractor or supplier is equally important. We can evaluate the most suitable contractor/supplier for a project based upon scope of work, content, complexity, procurement and the need for specialist knowledge and innovative thinking.

We play an important role at the tendering stage to ensure the project is procured with integrity through:

  • Advising on the most appropriate procurement and contract strategies
  • Drafting contract clauses to suit the special circumstances of the project, and to promote fair and equitable allocation of risks and a partnering relationship between the contracting parties
  • Applying best practice in tendering procedures
  • Obtaining competitive prices from selected contractors by tendering, using bills of quantities, or by adaptation of this system to suit the particular requirements of the project time constraints.

In order to provide uniformity of contractors’ pricing and to promote reasonable contract pricing, bills of quantities are adopted for tendering purposes.

Bills of quantities translate the design team’s drawings and specifications into a quantitative document that is prepared in accordance with the rules of the Standard Method of Measurement. Issued to each contractor for pricing purposes, it enables each tenderer to estimate his price on exactly the same basis as his competitors for the project.

Upon award of a contract, the bills of quantities become a part of the construction contract that is a highly useful document for cost control purposes. It can be used as a basis for interim payment valuations, valuation of variations, settlement of the final account, etc. The document also provides a contractual basis for the contracting parties in case a contractual dispute arises during the course of a project.

Bills of quantities can be adapted for use for different types of contracts, such as lump-sum contracts, management contracts and fast-track contracts.

We can introduce social value metrics into the tender process to achieve the client’s social value objectives. We undertake preparation of tender and contract documents which provide full details of the project requirements and clearly identify responsibility for risks. Undertaking a detailed tender analysis ensures both compliance with the tender requirements and parity between the bids.

Contract Administration

Cost certainty during the construction phase relies on robust methodology and experienced staff. We can fulfil the traditional Quantity Surveyor role or undertake a Contract Administrator’s or Employer’s Agent role to suit clients’ requirements. The key element of our role is to manage the construction costs through:

  • Post contract cost control via a robust change management process
  • Proactive cost monitoring of design changes
  • Cost studies on alternative design solutions
  • Valuation of potential cost extras and raising early warning
  • Valuation of variations and agreeing the cost of variations
  • Regular financial reporting on contingency draw-down and estimated final cost

When our clients enter into construction contracts or relationships, we provide support through:

  • Identifying, understanding and managing risks
  • Instigating cost reductions
  • Testing contingency plans
  • Ensuring regularity compliance
  • Protecting company reputation
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