The rise of the machines

Judging by the first issues of QS News, the industry’s opinion on QSs is still mixed. However, it’s impossible not to acknowledge that the profession has developed. Many companies have remodelled themselves as project managers now advising on procurement and development strategies, partnering contracts, community and tenant liaison and KPIs, alongside traditional cost expertise. It seems that the days when QSs were criticised for holding back the development of best practice – so publicly denounced by Zara Lamont four years ago – are gone forever.

And so we find ourselves at an interesting junction in the evolution of QS. Newly-created project managers and consultants are facing challenges that will test the value of their role in delivering construction projects. The drive for efficiency in the public sector; the continued moves to implement best practice; wider use of offsite manufacturing; greater integration with foreign contractors, clients and trades, and use of KPIs are now all important considerations. Project managers must respond.

Just as the QS has evolved to advise on techniques and materials as well as cost, they now have an important role to play in implementing the right tools to co-ordinate projects. Enter IT. Making effective use of computers will be essential in delivering projects and keeping lines of communication open. We’re not just talking about e-mail and mobile phones here, but innovative IT technologies. Construction-specific IT solutions are already available that can calculate a project’s energy efficiency, aid in design and estimation, and catalogue and manage all project information and correspondence.

Of the technologies available, it is perhaps project extranets that could make the most valuable contribution to project managers by influencing how they interact with clients and contractors.

Put simply, project extranets are online locations where construction teams can collaborate more easily, exchanging information and ideas. Client, project manager and contractors can share information (from CAD drawings and other complex files to e-mails and contact details) in a secure network, where people can only gain access if they are registered and have a password. Revisions can be made to documents online where they can subsequently be viewed by other project members – but more importantly revisions are logged and assigned to a project team member. It means that all stakeholders are in possession of the latest versions of project documents, helping to avoid mistakes that come about by people working from out of date information.

The result? A team of happy people all fully up to speed, sharing information and working together to get the project completed.

The place of QS in the project has changed. It’s time to cement this change by adopting new ways of working to co-ordinate projects more effectively and deliver better results.

With construction projects becoming increasingly complex, embracing IT technologies could prove to be essential in keeping ahead of the game.