Who is Quantity Surveyor

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,

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.

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.