A quantity surveyor, or better known as chartered surveyors in the UK, are construction professionals with in-depth knowledge of construction expenses and contracts. They make sure the client is given the requested specifications in the optimum quality without compromising on the value for money to the contractor. Their role is pivotal when it comes to comparing expenses against the actual work done.
Preparing tender documents, contracts, budgets, bills of quantities are some of the few key responsibilities entrusted with a quantity surveyor. Given below are the prominent 4 ideas to make quantity surveyors more efficient by adopting modern construction technologies.
Monitor your sub-contractors performance 24/7.
Quantity surveyors are in charge of agreeing or disagreeing service terms of sub-contractors. They are also responsible for squeezing the juice out of the sub-contractor to get the task completed on time and within the pre-estimated budget. Thus it makes sense for a quantity surveyor to have an eye on the sub-contractors while they are executing their work.
Ensure timely release of work orders within the budgeted limits
Prepare work orders for a sub-contractors or third-party for completing the critical aspect of your customer’s requirements. The use of construction management software helps generate automated work orders and schedules their release (post-approval from QS) to sub-contractors as per situation based requirements in no time. This saves time while also making schedules for follow-ups on inspections.
Instantly resolve critical or stoppage activity requirements at sites.
Instant resolving of critical issues on site that may delay the execution of a project yields more fruitful outcomes than taking a lethargic approach. Project sites may encounter multiple issues on more than one front while the work is in progress. One effective way of mitigating these issues is by adopting a digital BI (business intelligence) solution like saying, for example, the Construction Project Management Software which is equipped with BI to Monitor Subcontractors, Raise Client Bills and Vendor Bills, Monitor Monthly Job-Cost Reports to mention a few. This makes the quantity surveyor’s work more efficient, instantaneous and easier to execute.
Track client billing the smart way.
This may probably be the most important function of a quantity surveyor. This is the part where the cash comes in from the client. Discrepancies in the billing, like numeric errors, unaccounted line items, missing service charges, the inclusion of taxes (if applicable), etc. may spiral into a huge financial situation for the contractor.
“Prevention is better than cure,” it’s a time consuming and cumbersome process to reverse the bill, reconcile it for rectification and reissuing it. Quantity surveyors are thereby advised to adopt digital solutions into their work to automate their billing operations to a certain level where they can rest assured of any ambiguity or data entry errors.
Screens used by Quantity Surveyors in the Tactive Construction ERP Software:
Bottom line…
Gajendran et al., (2005) say that digitization in QS practices ensures the provision of services to clients at minimum cost, improved performance, profitability, growth and competitiveness. (Ref: www.researchgate.net › publication › 327449944)
Quantity surveying is a precise business process with multiple intricacies to be taken into account for the effective outcome. In this context, it is clear that a business process of such a delicate nature requires the support of digitization and automation to increase the efficiency in the long-run.
According to McKinsey and Company (2017) using conventional methods of doing business in competitive markets without digitization and automation leads to low revenue and profit.
Tactive is a suite of web and mobile-based construction ERP software that effectively addresses the issues of Quantity Surveyors and many others. Take a free Construction Management DEMO.
