Specification or Speculation?

The UK construction industry appears to have two primary procurement methods when purchasing or selecting materials.

A client speculates and appoints a management, Design and Build, or Main contractor to coordinate, procure, and deliver the project via subcontract labour.

They often do this by V- E -ing (Value Engineering) the project to give the client what he has been speculating all this time ……… Profit.

In many ways V E is like Jazz. The song sounds a little like “When the saints go marching in, “but there’s something added or subtracted from or to the melody.

Consider if you will the role of our Architects in a D and B contract.

They remain artists, and many, technicians who detail outline proposals, planning disputes, or if they are lucky, novated design.

They also must underwrite the largest and most comprehensive indemnity cover on their work, thus carrying the highest monetary risk..

Alas, I can hear poor Mies, spinning like a top, neath the cold earth.

Twelve to fifteen years in further education, our Architects are sometimes destined to be the bridesmaid and never the bride.

Given this mish- mash portrait painted before your very eyes.

An unfinished work of art, akin to matchstick men among Constable’s Hay Wain.

Further consider if you will, the product procurement selection process and whether to specify or speculate materials,

Speculative projects tend to be a largely price driven selection process or inclusion in a sub-contractor package.

There are many design issues requiring definitive statements, with proven performance data and certification on the products we select for inclusion in the final bill whether you be speculating or specifying.

Further procurement complications arise, with input from the various sub-contractors who may have only installed the blue ones before, so cannot install the red ones, and the green ones are cheaper.

Product manufacturers should teach their contractor base how the various products are different thus offering training as part of their product portfolio.

This is differentiation versus Price.

Differentiation!

Stick that in your marketing budget Mr. Product Manufacturer.

Surely outline product performance must read something like this:

Selected materials for sub structure must have 60 years design life and components within the exposed and outer structure, we must expect design life performance of twenty to forty years.

Having worked in construction specification sales for almost forty years, there remains an unanswered, dare I say avoided, question that lies deep within the minds of all design team members.

A question that will indicate the sum total commitment of all the manufacturers involved in the scheme.

The question I often posed right at the end of my CPD presentation as my swan song finale.

My very own” KNOCK ‘EM DEAD” moment, as the dry ice swirled around the curled-up sandwiches, in the centre of the boardroom table.

The question I had to ask of my audience, over Lunch and Learn session many times, then close my eyes, whilst listening to the predictable rhythmic, percussions of jaws hitting desks making the silver sandwich trays, with their curled crusted remnants vibrate.

The question? What happens when it all goes wrong?

Or more accurately, who takes overall responsibility?

This is surely THE question we must ask of any relevant goods, products or services supplier.

What in monetary value will you offer if your product fails on performance or longevity?

It’s a tall order for all concerned, because company indemnity is like our virginity. Often flaunted but never relinquished easily.

Or did I frequent the wrong night clubs?

Moving on swiftly………

Unfortunately, and despite rigorous contingencies, when the chips are down and something in the design, procurement, QS information exchange has gone awry.

When we scan the horizon for culpability, a one stock reply echoes down the line of “Subbies” in the supply chain………….. “Not me!”

To further exacerbate this fairground wall of mirrors, the Big D and B – Turnkey contractors often enter supply chain partnerships with product manufacturers and therefore insist that sub-contractors purchase that brand of bath taps or cavity wall ties Etc.

WHAT ABOUT THE INTERFACES??? “I hear our novated hero’s cry. Mies still spinning like a rotisserie.

Is the project buckled up nice and tight like that tapestry in Normandy or is there a drop stitch where the arrow once met the eye? Should have used BIM!

Surely, the project was an integrated plan Specification or Speculation? like gears in a well- oiled machine, symbiotically inter dependent but progressing on time and on budget, steered down this route by the main contractor, Design, QS Procurement, Client, Main structure component suppliers’ and major material manufacturers.

All parties invited to relevant CPDs with that Salesman- CPD Delivery Director of Product Manufacturer’s Projects, who……

Looks like a decent chap

Goes on a bit during his presentations,

Perhaps need his shirt ironing, and ‘He’s a bit pushy.

Not always technically relevant, but you cannot get a better sandwich than Preta Manger for a CPD.

Did we all read the manufacture’s marketing material?

Was it more jazz hands than helping or in some cases, healing?

Will the CPD Presenter chap from the major manufacturer leave us with a gift flash drive filled with standard, irrelevant out of date specifications that don’t comply with elements or interfaces on our current project.

Will they consist of churned out clauses with conflicting warranty or performance requirements?

Or will you decision makers out there consider him to be competent and trustworthy enough to join the design team.

That is of course, when you have trained him not tobe so pushy, and to now understand that you intend to specify his product, because he offers performance differentiation, so you are sold on his goods and services exclusively …………. Or equal approved!

He and his company must now serve as product consultants, not salespeople.

He should be writing bespoke specification with reliable data, considering specific elements, structures and interfaces that are unique to that project.

He is then an asset to the project

Our industry is complex, the issues, varied and many, and I’m unsure as to whether we learn from even the most catastrophic events, but please be reassured as a last resort in the blame game, herein lies a free get out of jail card.

A plan to absolve us all from liability

To keep our company reputation in its rightful place so that we may tender for other similar projects in future

When the project goes over budget and schedule, we simply blame the QS!

Like a Premiership goalkeeper, these unsung heroes are scrutinised forensically on every performance, but last in line to lift a trophy.

In summary, and to put an end to this tongue in cheek, view of our often-chaotic industry.

Also, because you expected an advert, and we hate to disappoint

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We solve design detailing problems regarding Weather sealing Roofs, Walls, Balconies, Flooring, Swimming Pools. Car Parks, Tanking Etc.

We offer the Maris range of products exclusively

We train our customers

We have various life span warranties and great technical support.

We have a new CPD. Presented by a person.

We act diligently in an advisory capacity

We respond to feedback.

I welcome yours.