Radical thinking

Also, I disagree with his linking of training and innovation: innovative thoughts need not cost anything. In fact, my proposals here will save the industry money, but will anyone be sufficiently brave to even read and consider them?

Now I realise what I'm about to say will upset a lot of diehards, but isn't it about time we had some radical and innovative changes? My thought is that we have become too specialised with quantity surveyors, engineers, architects and project managers, which has resulted in too much time being spent on the administrative aspect of the industry rather than the operational side.

Do we really need quantity surveyors who debate endlessly over theoretical issues even after the project has been finished? What an utter waste of time and money. We also have engineers and architects who know their own bit of the design process and nothing more. Why haven't we developed multiskilled professional who can do it all? We have only got where we have today by evolution rather than design. The industry is full of QSs with poor technical knowledge and engineers and architects with poor commercial and contractual knowledge. How much more efficient it would be if we had professionals who can cope with both the technical and commercial aspects of a project.

Let's carry the radical thought even further and do away with all the rules for variations and all the wasted time taken to resolve and agree them. Either do not allow them at all or accept their agreement on a reasonable cost basis. Quantity surveyors will be panicked by such radical thoughts, and no doubt defending their sacred sphere of expertise to the bitter end.

We have overly complicated the construction process but I doubt if anyone has the influence to bring about radical change, as the parties have too much to lose to make too many changes. Perhaps the answer is to wipe the slate clean and start afresh – but who's going to be the leader?