26 | CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
Cut through the BS… (A QS Guide) Qandor member and founder of Redshell Consulting, Michelle Lowe shares some insight into avoiding the BS from the start
C
onstruction can be risky business. With so much at stake, it’s easy and quite usual for emotions to run high!
inevitable frustrations, finger pointing and dispute situations that can then arise. This is when the BS really starts.
There are many parties with a vested financial interest in any development and it is always wise to remember everyone has their own objectives, goals and financial expectations from the project. Not just the obvious funders, developers and clients, but right down to each trade contractor, supplier, consultant and main contractor involved in the build.
Now let’s be frank: any and all parts of the puzzle may succumb to the BS tactic when things get difficult. It’s easy to point the finger with a ‘he said she said’ and respond with the same. It never ends well. It’s confusing, time wasting and stressful and without question will lead to further delays, disruption and cost increases. If the project is under pressure, it’s the last thing you want to happen.
Construction projects bring big gains, and if not managed in a considered way, they can bring the risk of big losses too. In my years of delivering construction projects I have found myself in many situations where the objectives of either party become a dominating force driven by cost constraints, programme and cost overruns and the
Ultimately the clearer, more accurate and more concise the project information is the less scope for BS any party has. BS grows in a feeding ground of uncertainty and confusion. Don’t give it a chance to breed. Here’s a short guide of how to avoid the BS from the start;
