The resurgence of Bills of Quantities
I've seen a lot of posts recently that are 'advertising' Bills of Quantities. I find this fascinating, namely because a couple of years ago Bills of Quants (BoQ) were very much 'out of fashion'. There seemed to be a loss of perceived value for Bills, and the inherent benefits they bring, as we moved extensively towards Design and Build projects and early Contractor involvement. There was also a feeling that it was a dying art, with the loss of the skillset required to produce Bills of Quantities in their purest form.
As well as being a basis for tendering and any contract negotiations, the value of BoQ in Pre-Construction phases is massive. We (McComb Partnership) set BoQ's as the cornerstone of our commercial lifecycle back in 2008 when we invested in Bill software; This has developed and evolved over time to enable BIM integration, both SMM7 and NRM2 as a measurement suites and other features along the way. But the principle remains.
Bills of Quantities bring value.
As a practice We find that a BoQ focuses the ownership of design from consultants, with a necessary understanding for detailing to be correct so that it can be measured. With specifications required to accurately price and/or in the absence of a specification, setting a benchmark for the project based on our in-house experience and expertise. There are, after all, only so many types of non-slip vinyl suitable for healthcare applications and carpet tiles for classrooms. As we often remind design colleagues - "If we can't bill it, how is the Contractor supposed to price it". That increased scrutiny, increased attention, before a Contractor is on site tends to draw better design outputs and reduce the potential for delays on site.
This is not to say that Design and Build is 'the enemy of bills of quantities'. More that we need a rethink to how we approach Pre-Construction and tendering practices. With an eye on Sustainable tendering, we need to pay thought to the costs incurred by the supply chain when a project is issued without a Bill (or measured Schedule of Works). Six Contractors, all producing their own documentation, or issuing it to their supply chain for them to - there's a significant cost to this process that will be borne by the Client as part of the Tender return. A single, shared BoQ (or SoW) can save 1% of Contract Value alone, with up to 5% saving seen on projects through supply chain savings. This is without taking in to consideration reductions in both Procurement time and Contractor Risk, both bringing potential financial benefits to the Client.
And so we find ourselves with Bills of Quantities, back in fashion. Where we're able to clearly provide details of individual pricing increases to individual pricing items measured in a standard method of measurement. Maybe that is reason for the new found resurgence; Transparency of cost, scope, quantities and managing material and works inflation.
Whatever the reason, I for one am pleased to see it. Even now I love nothing more than getting stuck in to a project, feeling the design and gaining an understanding of intent, even if that means picking a few holes along the way. Whether that be a Bill in SMM7 or NRM2, McComb Partnership are able to provide this service, with our experienced and skilled staff members ready to take on (and take off!) your next challenge.
