QS Services

CES Delivers a professional service within the construction industry concerned with construction costs and contracts.

Services provided by CES include:

• Cost planning and commercial management throughout the entire life cycle of the project from inception to post-completion
• Value engineering
• Risk management and calculation
• Procurement advice and assistance during the tendering procedures
• Tender analysis and agreement of the contract sum
• Commercial management and contract administration
• Assistance in dispute resolution
• Asset capitalisation
• Interim valuations and payment assessment
• Cost management process
• Assessing the additional costs of design variations
• Production of company pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) documentation in line with company policies

 One key objective of cost engineering is to arrive at accurate cost estimates and schedules and to avoid cost overruns and schedule slips. Cost engineering goes beyond preparing cost estimates and schedules by helping manage resources and supporting assessment and decision making. "The discipline of ‘cost engineering’ can be considered to encompass a wide range of cost-related aspects of engineering and program management, but in particular cost estimating, cost analysis/cost assessment, design-to-cost, schedule analysis/planning and risk assessment." The broad array of cost engineering topics represent the intersection of the fields of project management, business management, and engineering. Most people have a limited view of what engineering encompasses. The most obvious perception is that engineering addresses technical issues such as the physical design of a structure or system. However, beyond the physical manifestation of a design of a structure or system (for example, a building), there are other dimensions to consider such as the money, time, and other resources that were invested in the creation of the building. Cost engineers refer to these investments collectively as "costs". 

 CES aims to provide Project management by making use of the Project Management Triangle (called also Triple Constraint or the Iron Triangle). It is a graphic aid where the three attributes show on the corners of the triangle to show opposition. It is useful to help with intentionally choosing project biases, or analyzing the goals of a project.[1] It is used to illustrate that project management success is measured by the project team's ability to manage the project, so that the expected results are produced while managing time and cost.

Like any human undertaking, projects need to be performed and delivered under certain constraints. Traditionally, these constraints have been listed as "scope" (features and quality), "time", and "cost". These are also referred to as the "Project Management Triangle," where each side represents a constraint. One side of the triangle cannot be changed without affecting the others. A further refinement of the constraints separates product "quality" or "performance" from the scope, and turns quality into a fourth constraint.

 CES delivers all functions associated with contract administration. These functions include an understanding of all the major components of the contract. The components can include delivery dates, disbursement dates and amounts and terms to accept or dissolve the agreement. Contract administrators often will include the means by which to measure the performance of both parties to determine if they are meeting their obligations, as well as procedures to monitor the performance of both parties.

We go further by managing the contracts when parties have entered into a contract. CES Contract managers ensure all parties involved in the contract meet their obligations as quickly and effectively as possible. These managers make sure that each party has the equipment, personnel and expertise they need to deliver the expected results and provides adequate value for their compensation. Contract managers also work out any required modifications to existing contracts.

Conditions of contract:

• NEC - New Engineering Contract
• FIDIC - International Federation of Consulting Engineers
• JBCC - Joint Building Contracts Committee
• GCC (General Conditions of Contract)
• DPD

In addition, we have undertaken the administration of bespoke contracts as compiled by our Clients.

 CES also provides its clients with Quality control or QC for short. This a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in the production. ISO 9000 defines quality control as "A part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements".

This approach places an emphasis on three aspects:

• Elements such as controls, job management, defined and well-managed processes, performance and integrity criteria, and identification of records
• Competence, such as knowledge, skills, experience, and qualifications
• Soft elements, such as personnel, integrity, confidence, organizational culture, motivation, team spirit, and quality relationships.

Controls include product inspection, where every product is examined visually, and often using a stereo microscope for fine detail before the product is sold into the external market. Inspectors will be provided with lists and descriptions of unacceptable product defects such as cracks or surface blemishes for example.

The quality of the outputs is at risk if any of these three aspects is deficient in any way.

Quality control emphasizes testing of products to uncover defects and reporting to management who make the decision to allow or deny product release, whereas quality assurance attempts to improve and stabilize production (and associated processes) to avoid, or at least minimize, issues which led to the defect(s) in the first place. For contract work, particularly work awarded by government agencies, quality control issues are among the top reasons for not renewing a contract.