A Quantity Surveyor
(QS) is a professional working within the construction field concerned
with construction costs and contracts. There can be seen differences between
past and future role of QS. In olden
days the duties of a Quantity Surveyor were limited to; measuring quantities or
surveying quantities for proposed construction works to arrive the value of the
proposed works, and; measuring quantities or surveying quantities to arrive the
value of the completed works. But currently the Quantity Surveyor has to
perform the entire Construction Cost Management services in addition to above
mentioned conventional duties.
Traditional role of
Quantity Surveyor can be described as a measure and value system. Quantity
Surveyor should prepared using a single price method of estimating, produce
bills of quantities for tendering, measure the progress payments base on the
work and prepare final account on the basis of the tender documentation. The
following listed the traditional role of Quantity Surveyor:
ü Single
rate approximate estimates
ü Cost
planning
ü Procurement
advice
ü Measurement
and quantification
ü Document
preparation, especially bills of quantities
ü Cost
control during construction
ü Interim
valuations and payments
ü Financial
statements
ü Final
account preparation and agreement
ü Settlement
of contractual claims
ü Approximate
estimates
ü Earned
value reporting
ü Budget
estimating
ü Advice
on tendering procedures and contract arrangements
ü Preparing
tendering documents for main contract and specialist sub-contractor
ü Examining
tenders received and reporting thereon or negotiating tenders
ü Pricing
with a selected contractor and/or sub-contractors
ü Preparing
recommendations for interim payments on account to the contractor
ü Preparing
periodic assessments of anticipated final cost and reporting thereon
ü Measuring
work and adjusting variations in accordance with the terms of the contract
ü Preparing
final account, pricing same and agreeing totals with the contractor
ü Providing
a reasonable number of copies of bills of quantities and other documents
More than traditional role it can be
seen skills and knowledge of quantity surveyor in the past...here listed,
ü Planning,
estimating and controlling costs, evaluating alternative designs, undertaking
feasibility studies,
ü Measuring
and describing construction work,
ü Analyzing
complex projects into manageable work packages,
ü Producing
contract documents, especially bills of quantities,
ü Advising
on appropriate methods of procurement; selecting, organizing and evaluating
tender bids and contractual arrangements,
ü Valuing
work in progress, and exercising cost control during construction, undertaking
the valuing of variations and potential variations,
ü Preparing
valuations for insurance purposes and advising on insurance claims,
Sub-contract administration,
Sub-contract administration,
ü Settlement
of final accounts,
ü Advice
and settlement of contractual disputes and claims,
ü Use
of computer technology and developing computer aided design techniques,
ü Advising
on taxation, grant and financial matters and forecasting expenditure flows,
ü Advising
on cost-limits and preparing budgets,
ü Advising
on cash flow forecasting,
ü Advising
on life-cycle costs,
ü Cost-analysis,
ü Cost
benefit analysis,
ü Scheduling
resources,
ü Planning
and programming design and construction work, use of network analysis
techniques, project and construction management,
ü Preparing
and administering maintenance programmed.
Besides the above skills and knowledge, Quantity Surveyor had
skills and knowledge such as construction economics, design and construction
management technology, resource control, mathematical modeling, policy
decisions, strategic planning, risk analysis, network analysis, other
programming techniques, and to suit for the changing of working environment and
economics.
In traditional Quantity Surveyor has a skill in measurement
and valuation in the field of construction in order that such work can be
described and the cost and price can be forecast analyzed, planned, controlled
and accounted for. Most of their traditional roles are related to the cost, and
most of their evolved roles are related to management and the cost. That means
the roles of Quantity Surveyor would not leave the link to the cost and it
would develop to the direction of management. Quantity Surveyor after gained
the knowledge and experience in construction economics, management and resource
control, he will evolve his role. These roles are policy making, numerate
skills, strategic planning, contracting, work in construction management,
multi-disciplinary working, diversity in procurement, life cycle costing and
building procurement adviser. Encourage Quantity Surveyors use more new
technology can get more benefit and experience. Additional and more specialist
courses should be provide an education and training to people who want to
become a professional Quantity Surveyor. Make more occupy in different company
to Quantity Surveyor for their practice. Individual Quantity Surveyors,
profession, the institution, in education and training, all parties should know
their role to develop the field of Quantity Surveyor.
When summarized the changing scene in client requirement, economic and political. There is decline in new building and engineering work and an increase in repair, maintenance, energy conservation and rehabilitation work. Changing technology will affect the construction industry’s ability to design, erect and internally re-plan buildings more efficiently and economically. In the private sector, returns are low, Clients are becoming more critical and demanding in terms of both time-scale and cost for money and the profession must react accordingly. More Quantity Surveyors are being employed in resource and manpower planning, construction and project management and allied areas. Quantity Surveyor act as project and construction managers to perform wider management and co-ordination functions. They are employed by contractors, sub-contractors, building owners, property developers and others with a major input in management, resource planning and manpower control.
When summarized the changing scene in client requirement, economic and political. There is decline in new building and engineering work and an increase in repair, maintenance, energy conservation and rehabilitation work. Changing technology will affect the construction industry’s ability to design, erect and internally re-plan buildings more efficiently and economically. In the private sector, returns are low, Clients are becoming more critical and demanding in terms of both time-scale and cost for money and the profession must react accordingly. More Quantity Surveyors are being employed in resource and manpower planning, construction and project management and allied areas. Quantity Surveyor act as project and construction managers to perform wider management and co-ordination functions. They are employed by contractors, sub-contractors, building owners, property developers and others with a major input in management, resource planning and manpower control.
There are some changing of the roles of Quantity Surveyor
between the past and the current. Some roles and responsibilities of Quantity
Surveyor are same as the past. It is because some are the main roles and
responsibilities of Quantity Surveyor such as measurement of works. Some roles
and responsibilities are developed from time to time for the Quantity Surveyor
to adapt the changing environment and keep the competitive. Thus, they need
learn more knowledge and skills to achieve this objective. Here are some core services
of Quantity Surveying are listed in the following...
ü Cost
planning
ü Life
cycle costing
ü Value
management
ü Facilities
management
ü Project
management
ü Preliminary
cost advice
ü Procurement
methods
ü Contractual
advice
ü Tendering
ü Valuation
of construction work
ü Cost
control & financial management
ü Financial
claims & programmed analysis
ü Dispute
resolution and insurance advice
Quantity Surveyors are cost management professional.
Practiced surveyors can be appointed to act as experts in property rent review
to discover the facts and relevant transactions. They can act as business
adviser, property advisers, management consultancy and sole trader to work in
the industry.
Financial Management, Computing, Project Management,
Professional Practice/ Contracts, Communications, Languages, Law, Management,
Value Engineering become more important, on the contrary, Land Surveying,
Mathematics, Statistics, Structures will become less important for the Quantity
Surveyor.
The Quantity Surveyor can design and produce new standard
form of contract. The Quantity Surveyor also needs to communicate with other
countries’ surveyor to get more chance and opportunities in the world.
Prepare contract and provide suitable procurement method,
evaluate the cost and value of project or company, management different parties
in the project or company are the some of responsibly of Quantity Surveyor. In
the different stages of the project, Quantity Surveyor has different duties.
More than this, future role of quantity surveyors is expected
following...
ü Investment
appraisal
ü Advice
on cost limits and budgets
ü Whole
life cycle costing
ü Value
management
ü Risk
analysis
ü Insolvency
services.
ü Subcontract
administration
ü Environmental
services measurement and costing.
ü Technical
auditing
ü Planning
and supervision
ü Valuation
for insurance purposes
ü Project
management
ü Administering
maintenance programmed
ü Advice
on contractual disputes.
Quantity Surveyor still
acts as an important role in the construction industry in the current. Their
skills and knowledge help them to bear the responsibilities and make many
effects to the time, cost, quality and management of company in construction
industry.
Chartered quantity surveyors are well placed to develop a construction management service and well on the way towards realizing this potential to adapt the changing of environment.
The professions are continued to exploit a wide range of employment opportunities. Quantity Surveyors are employed by clients, developers and contractors increasingly. Quantity Surveyors should satisfy client’s requirements by provides independent professional advice such as provide procurement advice for construction. Unique skill-base which combines procurement and cost management can provide a clear practice identity for Quantity Surveyors to develop in their direction.
Continue to develop Quantity Surveyors’ skills and knowledge particularly in strategic management, policy decisions, mathematical modeling and information technology can ensure that clients can have the best advice in selecting procurement techniques and management procedures for construction projects. Make more use of specialists in economics, statistics and construction management can seek to occupy senior management posts in major contracting organizations, other commercial firms and public sector.
Client demand for management-orientated valued-added services; the growing emphasis on value and the management of cost in the context of value criteria; the emergence of alternative procurement systems; increasing competition both within the profession and from outside are the responsibilities and liabilities of Quantity Surveyor.
As Quantity Surveyors, they should have the following skills include personal qualities, core skills and process skills. For example, they should included the personal qualities such as independence, adaptability, initiative taking, willingness to learn and ability to reflect on what has and what has not been achieved. For the core skills, Quantity Surveyor should included the ability to present clear information when in a group, self-management, critical analysis and the ability to listen to others. Computer literacy, commercial awareness, prioritizing, negotiating, acting morally and ethically, coping with ambiguity and complexity are the process skills of Quantity Surveyor should include.
