Build August PDF

Build Magazine 70 TenderSpace: The Business Case for Transparency m sure that, in a quiet, unguarded moment, whether you are a Client, a Contractor or a Professional, you would admit to close friends and colleagues that there is a deep rooted trust issue in our industry. Whichever side of the fence you are on, there remains an element, either large or small, of “them and us”. You might argue that it has always been the case and will always be so, because the profit of one party comes at the expense of the other. But I believe that there is a forceful argument that this mistrust is to the detriment of all involved and a greater degree of transparency could yield greater returns for all parties. Procurement within the industry has always been a cumbersome, lengthy and wasteful process. Pre-qualification is time consuming, repetitive and expensive. And then the tendering process exacerbates the expense and duplication and the mistrust continues: the Client fears collusion and hunts for hidden traps in the responses and the Contractor wonders if the Client had made their mind up on their preferred choice before the whole process began. And then there is the lengthy negotiation and rewriting of standard form contracts... TenderSpace (www.thetenderspace.com ) is predicated on the principle that collaboration, early engagement and transparency yield better returns for all. If the Client can engage with Contractors and specialists at the feasibility stage, projects can be value engineered and expensive redesigns can be avoided. Specialists can suggest alternative solutions that the procurement team might not have considered. Contractors can negotiate the contract openly sharing cost information developed in partnership with the entire design team. And the Contractor avoids I’ the abortive costs of numerous failed tenders that he has to try and recoup through those that he is successful on. And what about the time saved for all involved? The Client gets certainty sooner and work starts on site far earlier, meaning they are less likely to worry about changes in the economic cycle, uncertainties and inflationary pressures. The Contractor has a workload he can bank on and greater certainty as to profits. The entire supply chain can plan with confidence. Our industry has always been reluctant to adopt technology and new ways of working, but we believe that to deny the seismic changes that technology and platforms like TenderSpace are bringing about is foolish. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is here to stay and in years to come, the data and efficiencies it derives will be transformative. Its’ evolution has only just begun. We are making it easier for everyone to collaborate and get done what they need to do more efficiently and more economically. We are offering solutions businesses need to avoid duplication and waste; to get involved in projects at the earliest stages to get buildings built on time and on budget. It takes trust, but transparency, early engagement and greater collaboration will save us all unnecessary worry, wasted time and, most importantly, money. David Stapleton is the Chief Executive Officer of TenderSpace (www.thetenderspace. com) Tech