The key to successful construction is good pre-construction planning.
Construction budget overrun, extended completion date, and overall poor quality are some common problems of projects. Most failed projects were doomed from the start due to a lack of preparation and careful planning. These results could be prevented and it takes a good project team to deliver.
Pre-construction planning allows project team members to contribute their expertise, analysis, and solutions to various project constraints. The project owner must communicate specific constraints (usually cost & time) to the project team. This allows the project team to analyze the various options and deliver customized and well-thought-out solutions addressing the constraints. Designers determine and communicate design constraints that have major cost and time implications. This exchange of communication allows the value engineering exercise to take place within the pre-construction planning stage.
Cost constraints are addressed by doing a careful analysis using various techniques such as key performance indices, cost-benefit analysis, baseline comparisons, and unit price analysis. These exercises allow good ideas to turn into workable solutions.
The most common pitfall of planners is just to replace a certain item with a cheaper alternative. Before replacement, options must be exhausted to determine the long-term viability and benefits. Some solutions are expensive at the onset but lower the recurring operational expense. Some solutions lower the initial cost as well as the operational cost but will affect the comfort of the user. At the end of the day, these options allow the project team, together with the owner, to determine the value of each solution. Thus, it becomes an educated and informed decision.
