2. 01
CONSTUCTION
INDUSTRY
he term 'construction' can include any works involving building, repairing, erecting and
demolition of any houses, roads, highways, shop lots, commercial complexes, schools,
factories, bridges, golf courses, resorts, hotels and many more. To a layman's mind, con-
struction work simply means works involving excavators, cement, sand, bricks and men wearing
boots and safety helmets at an empty site. However, the issues that arise in the construction
industry are not as easy as it seems to be. Moreover the massive expansion of the industry over
the past few decades has resulted in many different skills due to the natural outcome of modern
technologies, as well as the economical and sociological impact. This demanded different
professionals, experts and suppliers in the industry. As the industry expanded and developed
further, problems also tend to affect the construction industry. This is due to the unclear nature of
relationships between the parties and the boundaries of the industry which are also not clear.
PARTIES
THAT INVOVLED IN CONSTUCTION INDUSTRY
TOWN PLANNER
ARCHITECT
QUANTITY SURVEYOR
LAND AND BUILDING SURVEYOR
INTERIOR DESIGN
3. WHAT IS
02
quantity surveyor is a professional working within the
construction industry concerned with building costs.
The profession is one that provides a qualification
gained following formal education, specific training and
experience that provide a general set of skills that are then
applied to a diverse variety of problems. Predominantly
these relate to costs and contracts on construction projects.
The Quantity Surveyor usually reports to a Commercial
Manager, Project Manager or Project Director and provides
advice in the decision-making process throughout the
management of a project from initial inception to final
completion.
The Quantity Surveyor handles estimating and cost control,
the tendering process and, after contract award, the
commercial interface. QS's should be able to carry out
estimating and measurement of construction works prior to
tender, producing the bill of quantities; produce tender
documentation and manage the tender process; clarify and
evaluate tenders; and manage the resultant contract through
monthly valuations, variations control, contract administra-
tion and assessment of claims.
Some QS's are trained in techniques of cost control.Those
QS's who emphasize the cost discipline often use the term
"Cost Consultant".They ensure that projects are designed
and constructed in such a manner as to secure value for
money, cost certainty and programme dates.
Others emphasize contracts management.Trained to draft,
interpret and administer complex contracts, those QS's who
operate in the broader field of project management often
adopt other titles such as "Contracts manager" or
"Construction surveyor".Anumber of QS’s work in
procurement in the oil & gas industry, process and power
industries, and civil engineering.Their preferred title, in
countries where the QS profession is less known, is
"Contracts engineer".
Some QS’s specialize in project management and running
multi-disciplinary projects, the QS background being a good
foundation for understanding the complexities of modern
large-scale projects.
As well as in professional quantity surveying practices, the
QS finds employment in all parts of industry and government
including primary and secondary industry, national and local
government bodies and agencies, contractors and
subcontractors, developers, and financial and legal
companies.
Although all QS’s will have followed a similar course of
education and training (for those entering the profession
today, this is usually to degree level), there are many areas
of specialization in which a QS may concentrate.The main
distinction amongst QS’s is between those who carry out
work on behalf of a client organisation, often known as a
"professional quantity surveyor", and those who work for
construction companies, often known as a "main contractor's
quantity surveyor".
Aquantitysurveyorisaprofessionalworkingwithin
“
”theconstuctionindustryconcernedwithbuildingcosts.
A
4. 04
WHAT ARE THE
SKILLS REQUIRED
TO BE A
QUANTITY SURVEYOR?
ecoming a surveyor is about
more than having the
relevant academic experi-
ence. Employers will expect
applicants to be excellent commu-
nicators and possess impressive
numeracy skills to handle the
financial and mathematical
demands of the role. Given the
demands of the construction world
and its frequent challenges, you
should demonstrate innovative
approaches to problem solving
and an ability to negotiate across
the various levels of any construc-
tion environment.
Obviously, a passion for the
construction trade and knowledge
of the wider industry are qualities
which should make employers
take notice - prospective quantity
surveyors can keep themselves
appraised of industry develop-
ments through various trade
publications. Work experience is
also highly valued - prospective
and current students may be able
to seek out roles on construction
sites or with quantity surveying
firms, who offer structured place-
ments designed to help applicants
find their path into the industry.
WHY
DO YOU
NEED
A
QS
Quantity Surveyor will
be highly methodical
and logical and be able
to identify and cost all resources
required on a project from initial
sketch ideas through to refining
the cost forecast as more
detailed drawings evolve. This
is essential to establish an
accurate and realistic budget at
all stages of the design.
The Quantity Surveyor will then
monitor actual costs as the
works proceed to continually
report that the project is on
budget, or to advise that the
costs are varying from budget
and will recommend alternative
courses of action.
Additionally, the Quantity
Surveyor will Prepare or agree
the Contract Documents, Valua-
tions, Change Instructions and
Final Account.
For an Employer or Bank, a
Quantity Surveyor will produce
Feasibility Studies, Budget
Costings, Tender Documenta-
tion and manage the cost
process from Invitations to
Tender and receipt of Tenders
right through to the End of the
Defects Period with all that this
entails.
For a Contractor a Quantity
Surveyor will Prepare the
Tender, Negotiate the Contract
Sum and Form of Contract and
manage the entire cost process
from Valuations and Change
Instructions right through to the
Final Account.
Not appointing a Quantity
Surveyor on a small straightfor-
ward project may appear low
risk, but on larger, intricate,
refurbishment or adaptation
high risk projects, the appoint-
ment of a Quantity Surveyor is
not only wise, but ultimately cost
effective.
6. 06
What is your advise
toward those who are
entering this career?
ike what I said, you must
have interest in this pro-
fession. You need to ask
back yourself, whether you
want to choose this as your
career, because after gradu-
ating from university, you will
have your own profession.
You need to ask back your-
self, whether you have inter-
est in this career? If you are
interested, you will excel from
there, then this will keep you
long. Otherwise, if you do
against your will, you will not
come out with a good result.
What is the attitude
that everybody should
have when choosing
their career?
n whatever profession, be it
architect, be it engineer or
be it any other profession,
you must have passion of
what you are doing, if you
have interest of it, something
that you wanted to do well,
then only you can come out
with a good result, a good
output. Otherwise, you will not
do anything, be it in any of the
profession, you will not come
out with a good achievement.
Without coming out with any
good achievement you will not
be recognized. So, I will say,
whatever profession that you
choose, you must stay focus.
If you are doing something
that you are interested with,
you will excel from there.
I
How does this profes-
sion work with archi-
tect and engineer?
n this, we are not like other profession,
like architecture and engineer, a more
important, a more productive role in the
sense that they need to provide the
designs. Architects need to come out with
the architectural design, with that
engineers, following the architectural
layout, come out with an engineering
design. They are also the party that need
to deal with the authority submission for
necessary approval before a project can
carry out. QS, in this case, base on the
architectural drawing provided, need to
come out with feasibility study and also the
primary cost estimation. The cost estima-
tion will keep on updating according to the
progress of the design. It’s a ongoing
process, there will be many, many version
from the initial design of the construction
until the final accepted and confirmed
design. So, along the way, QS need to do
the necessary advise from time to time
when there is a revision made. Our work
depends on the information provided by
other two profession, but we are also one
of the construction team. Because cost is
always the most important matter, we need
to know whether it is feasible or not, this is
actually depending on the feasibility study
that were putted up by the QS. So, the
information need to be updated, we cannot
give client an outdated advise, which is
dangerous.
I
