Cost & Contracts Consultancy

Critical decisions involving value and cost are made at project inception. A comprehensive feasibility study that considers all aspects such as function, design, risk, location and market conditions is essential to a successful project.

TPM takes a full and proactive role in supporting feasibility teams, providing new ideas and identifying innovative and cost effective design solutions. Our feasibility studies ensure that the information informs and validates business decisions, selects best value options, identifies any risks or opportunities and provides an indicative budget for the development appraisal or business case.

Our Financial Feasibility services shall include:

• Review of project constraints
• Development evaluations
• Risk and opportunity review
• Benchmarking analysis
• Cost and value analysis
• Review of logistics and phasing cost impacts
• Project option evaluations

Cost planning is vital to successful planning, design and construction of projects and is aimed at providing best value solutions. It enables capital cost budgets to be set and provides a framework to accommodate and manage changes to the brief and design.

We have learned from our experience on the delivery of successful projects that it is important to clarify and establish the brief with the client and design team at the earliest stage possible. We are able to draw on statistical data collected from previous projects and current market cost information.

Through our on-screen quantity take-off tools and BIM integration with CAD systems, we are able to respond quickly with detail when required.

A well-established cost plan allows the client and design team to understand where and how monies have been allocated. It provides the essential framework within which design and cost changes can be considered and balanced between differing elements and priorities.

Our Cost Planning & Pre-Contract Cost Control services shall include:
• Cost plans and capital expenditure budgets
• Project option studies
• Contingency analysis and management
• Risk and opportunity schedules
• Market condition surveys and trending
• Design development monitoring

Successful project delivery requires the right foundations.  An informed procurement strategy and careful selection of the appropriate contract arrangements are essential to any project and large capital program.

Our view is that proper procurement strategy is fundamental to a project's success and may influence the appointment of professionals, affect timescales as well as the potential project outcome. TPM has a wealth of experience in the accepted procurement methods available in the industry and can recommend a particular route depending upon client and project needs.

Our in-house procurement and contracts specialists advise on contractual matters and support our ability to expertly service clients when it comes to the drafting and agreeing clauses that may be necessary to reflect individual client preferences and circumstances.

Our Procurement & Contract Advice services shall include:

• Procurement and contract strategy advice
• Advice on specific procurement procedures
• Project specific drafting and contract tailoring
• Contract amendments and interpretation of all standard forms

The production of tender documentation can be taken for granted, however it is one of the most important activities in order to ensure the successful outcome of any project. We believe that some of the essential skills are being lost within the industry, however at Williams we provide comprehensive training to all of quantity surveyors, estimators and contract management specialists.

The procurement and contract advice will have determined the required form for the tender document that might include full bills of quantities, specification and drawings, or the client's requirements. Whichever form is adopted, our documents will always be prepared with care and attention to detail that is critical for its use as a key cost control document. Firstly in creating market confidence in the project and thereby obtaining competitive prices and, secondly, in forming a solid basis for the administration of the.

We offer the full range of tender document production, usually as part of a wider cost & contract scope, but quite often as a one off task.

Our Tender Documentation & Appraisal services shall include:

• Preparation of front-end tender documents including instruction to tenders, conditions of contract, form of tender, appendices, model of agreements and guarantees
• Drafting of methods of measurements
• Bills of quantities preparation or evaluation
• Pre-tender estimate preparation or evaluation
• Project preliminaries / general requirements preparation
• Schedule of values preparation
• Tender procedure and management
• Tender evaluation, reporting, negotiation and award

It is the case that a lot of good work can be undone if the cost control service falters when operations commence on site. Projects last for a considerable period on site and so the service must not only be of a high quality, but also the quality must be maintained over the entire project lifecycle.

Dedication and a pro-active approach are also key features of TPM post contract services. There is nothing easier for a cost consultant than to simply wait for information to be provided and then report the consequences; neither is there anything more frustrating for clients, design consultants, and contractors. This is not TPM approach and we will be a fully active member of the project team, dealing with issues as they arise and preventing expenditure that is not approved.

Once work is completed we will ensure that the contractor or consultant is paid what they are entitled to under the contract; nothing more nothing less. Negotiation will be handled fairly but firmly without recourse to hasty agreements simply to get the job completed.

Our Post Contract Cost Control services shall include:

• Variation preparation, pricing, evaluation and negotiation
• Cash flow monitoring and trending
• Payment application evaluation and recommendation
• Regular financial reporting
• Final account preparation, negotiation and settlement

Our life cycle costing advice measures the economic impact of built assets over a building's life span, helps deliver value for money and reduces costs associated with day-to-day operation and maintenance of the facility. Our combination of leading experts and robust data enables us to achieve the best value for our clients throughout the whole life of a facility.

We select the best design and specification in terms of life cycle value and this ultimately has additional advantages when managing assets or when selling facilities.

Our Life Cycle Cost Analysis services shall include:

• Life cycle cost models for new and existing buildings
• Optimization of whole life costs
• Net present value and sinking fund calculations
• Benchmarking of life cycle costs
• Durability advice
• Building component option appraisals

The key to obtaining the greatest value from a construction project is to review the decision making process as early as possible. The value benefit curve decreases over the time line of a scheme. TPM therefore welcomes being involved with value reviews at the earliest opportunity followed by a regular series of interventions as the project proceeds. We have first class systems for drilling down into the rationale for expenditure and we test whether better value solutions exist.

Although early intervention is important, projects may change their funding availability or other circumstances may arise requiring a rapid review of the project at later stages. TPM will lead any such review and find the most appropriate means of bringing down cost.

Underpinning all of our work in this area is that a whole life cost approach will be taken at all stages. TPM recognizes that the simple removal of capital cost without reference to the long-term consequences is not acceptable. The life cycle implications will always be part of any reporting on the cost benefit of any value engineering proposal.

Complete independent value management services are also provided our Value Engineering team.

Our Value Management services shall include:

• Reviewing budgets and cost plans
• Participation in value engineering workshops
• Assisting in alternative design studies
• Assisting in alternative specification studies
• Detailed costing of value engineering proposals

Capital and life cycle cost assessments