Tasks And Skills Of A Quantity Surveyor Construction Essay

Tasks And Skills Of A Quantity Surveyor Construction Essay The construction industry is global and extends across all real estate and infrastructure markets. As the construction projects grow in complexity and size, it is immediately clear that many quantity surveyors have diversified into providing project and building management services. Quantity surveyor (QS) is the recognized cost managers of construction as well as accountant of the building profession. The term Quantity Surveyor derives from the role taken in quantifying the various items of labour, material and plant that it takes to construct a given project. Quantity surveyor is the specialist in the financial and contractual aspects of construction projects. QS is involved at all stages of the project and is usually appointed by the architect or engineer who has designed the construction. The QSs traditional independent role on the team comprising client, architect, engineer, QS and contractor has given him a reputation and appreciation for fairness. This, combined with his expert ise in drafting and interpretation of contract documents, enables him to settle issues, avoid disputes and ensure the effective progress of a project. MAJOR TASKS OF A QUANTITY SURVEYOR Allocating work to subcontractors The QS has to interact with the site employees and employees from subcontracting organisations. The QS distribute the works to subcontractor firm. Valuing completed work and arranging payments is also one of the tasks of the QS. Once the works done, QS has to approve payments made to suppliers, employees and subcontractors. Managing costs on site and dealing with cost reconciliation A quantity surveyor is able to manage costs on a wide variety of new building projects and structures such as residential developments, sports stadiums, shopping complexes, roads and bridges, schools, hospitals, offices and factories. The QS controls cost before, during and after construction. Costs are managed from the feasibility stage of a project and continued to do so right through to tendering and construction. When a building project is complete, QS may be involved in preparing tax depreciation schedules, estimating replacement costs for insurance purposes and, if necessary, mediation and arbitration. analysing outcomes and writing detailed progress reports; Advising on the cost The QS provides cost advice for a project at inception, during construction and for any unplanned changes that occur. The QS also provides estimation during the initial stages of the process of construction procurement for the project initiators such as developers. The QS has to advise from time to time on cost management, or value management. The QS plays important role during the design phase. The QS throughout the design and construction process is required to advise the client on any cost implications that may arise. Such advice will be necessary irrespective of the procurement method used for contractor selection or tendering purposes. However, the advice will be especially crucial during the projectà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s inception. During this time major decisions are taken affecting the size of the project and the quality of the works, if only in outline form. The cost advice given must therefore be as reliable as possible, so that clients can proceed with the gre atest amount of confidence. In addition, the QS provides post-occupancy advice, facilities management services and life cycle costing advice. Preparing tender and contract documents A bill of quantities (BOQ) is a document detailing the materials, parts, and labour required to construct, maintain, or repair a structure or device. Preparation of bills of quantity for work in progress and the final accounts is also done by QS. The technique of measuring quantities from drawings, sketches and specifications prepared by architects and engineers, in order to prepare tender/contract documents, is known in the industry as taking off. The quantities of work taken off typically are used to prepare bills of quantities, which usually are prepared in accordance with a published standard method of measurement (SMM) as agreed to by the QS profession and representatives of the construction industry. Many larger QS firms have their own in-house methods of measurement and most bills of quantities prepared today are in an abbreviated format from the one required by the SMM. Emphasizing contracts management The QS also emphasizes contracts management. Trained to draft, interpret and administer complex contracts, QS who operates in the broader field of project management often adopt other titles such as Contracts manager or Construction surveyor. A number of QS 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. The QS analyses tenders, prepare and analyze cost data and perform contract administration including evaluate interim payments to contractors, charge variations and claims and settle contract accounts. The role of a contractors QS will extend further than the day to day running of building projects and will cover such other areas as sub-contract formation, forecasting of costs and values of the project, cash flow forecasts and the collation of the operation and maintenance manuals of the project (OM manuals). The skills required by a Quantity Surveyor Being a good Quantity Surveyor, there are numerous skills required in preparing and ensuring good quality of documents for construction projects. As a professional Quantity Surveyor, knowledge in Mathematics, Information Technology(IT), Economic, Human Resource, Science, Business, Global Politics, Global General Knowledge, Geography and etc are crucial. Information technology continues to develop at an exponential rate. Virtually everyone involved in the construction industry now has extensive access to this technology. A qualified QS should be computer literate, that is, familiar with the common uses or applications of computers. Good IT and numeracy skills, together with the ability to analyse the content of complicated documents are important to be a Quantity Surveyor. The QS is able to learn sophisticated design and costing IT packages when the QS uses the computer effectively. In addition, the QS should be proficient in Mathematics. This is a bonus point when the QS is managing the cost of the construction. A well-trained QS understands both of construction techniques and technology. The QS also needs knowledge of construction law, health and safety issues, building methods and time scales, and the costs of materials. Detailed knowledge of past and current building and construction technology, business and legal matters is essential for the QS. Besides, a sound knowledge of building construction is also vital for the QS. These knowledges are required to ensure that the project is undergone smoothly. Moreover, good communications skill is necessary to express your opinions verbally as well as on paper. The ability to write clear and precise reports and to relate complex information simply to a diverse range of people are also done by the QS. Hence, the language skills are one of the skills required b a successful QS. The QS are advisable to master English. Majority of the contracts are written in English. The QS is unable to understand the contracts well due to poor language skills. Other languages such as local language in respective area are also advisable for a QS to smoothen QSà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s work during communicating with the clients. The QS is always involved in a construction team, which included architects, civil engineers, mechanical electrical engineers, quantity surveyor and etc. Good negotiating skills are important, as is initiative to make decisions. The QS has to negotiate with a wide variety of people, which means that the QS would have to listen to the opinions of others as well as giving your own point of view. Therefore, the QS must works well in a team which may require the QS to motivate and lead people on site. As a quantity surveyor, a logical and methodical person is needed in problem solving. With logical thinking, the QS uses reasoning consistently to come to a conclusion which is seem sensible. The attitude of the QS must be optimistic all the time once the project begins. The QS shows the willingness of doing jobs throughout the whole process. Passion and dedication should place in the heart of the QS in order to achieve high quality of works. Creative and innovative during solving the obstacles are crucial to the QS. Accuracy when preparing the bills of quantities is vital for the QS. A little difference in calculations will affect the whole presentation of works. Thus, the QS is always careful with the calculations to avoid any careless mistakes. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the existence of Quantity Surveyor is getting more important in the construction field. Quantity Surveyor is involved in a construction project from inception to completion and even demolition in some instances. Besides acts as the financial overseer of a particular project, QS translate the plans into detailed costs. Quantity Surveyor helps to minimize the time scales, the costs of a project and enhance value for money, while still achieving the required standards and quality. A professional Quantity Surveyor is equipped with the strong language, technical and communication skills. Strong base in Mathematics and English helps in speeding up the work as well as reducing the time scale. The QS must be flexible to any kind of work conditions such as site and office.

Case Study- Culinarian Cookware

1. Describe consumer behavior in the cookware market. How is cookware bought? How is it sold? What are the implications for Culinarian’s marketing strategy? Cookwre was bought either by piece or in a boxed set. Below are two graphs about how cookware is bought and sold. How is cookware bought: How is cookware sold: Implications: * There is a big potential in mass merchandise outlet, which has not been explored yet. * Enhance cooperative relationships with department store, because this is a very important sector with a large share in both purchasing and selling. Direct sales doesn’t have a large share (only 5%), and the percentage that people buy through this channel is almost zero, so we need to consider if direct sales is necessary. * A large share of cookware is sold in 75 local specialty stores (27%), and we need to reduce the sales of this channel. * Target customers should be women from 30-55 with household income over $75,000. 2. What are Culinarian’s stre ngths and weaknesses? Why has the company been successful? Strengths| Weakness| Strategy| Advertising|Very clear four strategic priorities| A fraction of Competitors| Product| Promotion| Unparalleled product quality| Lack of consistent and meaningful price discount events | Advanced performance technology| | Leader in metallurgy technology | | First manufacturer to provide the benefits of copper cookware with effortless and maintenance. | | Sales and Distribution | Market share| Very strong relationships with retailers| Low compared to other competitors (6. 5%)| Eight experienced account managers| | The success of Culinarian lies in the following aspects:Above all, the company has very clear four strategies priorities. Furthermore, good execution is very important. Strategies play like a guideline, and all marketing and sales activities are launched under this guideline. Then, the company did a good job on preserving its brand image with unparalleled product quality and advanced tec hnology. Building strong relationships with retailers is another factor. The company offers a higher margin to retailer than other competitors, which stimulates the retailer to push the sales.Finally, Culinarian is quite clear about their target customers, who have high-income, so their advertising is very effective that they focus on magazines and newspapers targeted at high income audience. 3. Was the 2004 promotion profitable? Calculate the profitability using Brown’s logic and then calculate profitability using the consultant’s model. How would you calculate profitability? My conclusion is the 2004 promotion was profitable. Using Brown’s logic Actual units = 184987 Forecast units = 59871 Variable costs = 38. 4 Incremental contribution impact = (62. 4-38. 64)*184987-(72-38. 64)* 59871 = 2397995 Using consultant’s model Actual units = 129386 Forecast units = 119504 Variable costs = 52. 05 Incremental contribution impact = 10. 35*129386-19. 95*119504-993 32+39540 = -1104752 My method Conclusion: the promotion is profitable Promotion period March to May Variable cost Both overhead cost and advertising cost should not be included in the variable cost, so my variable cost should be 38. 64-(52. 05*7%)= 35 Forecast unitsI use consultant’s figure by the computer-generated model, which is 119504 Actual units Actual orders from March to May in 2004, which equals 184987 (47191+89423+48373) (62. 4-35)*184987-(72-35)*119504=646995 4. Should Culinarian run a 2007 price promotion? If so, what should be the specifics of such a promotion (e. g. , product scope, discount rate, timing, communicate) Culinarian should run a 2007 promotion. First of all, in 2006, Culnarian’s CEO established four strategies for the company. The 2007 price promotion would be a very good implementation of the strategy.Moreover, 2005 telephone survey shows that unaided brand awareness for Culinarian are 15% with household income under $75000 and 25% with hous ehold income over $75000 ( this figure is lower than its competitor Le Gourmand and Robusto). Finally, the cookware market in U. S. had been increasing year on year, so had been Culinarian’s products, so there must be a great potential on sales growth. Details of the promotion Product Scope They should run promotion on product DX1 and CX1. First, SX1 and PROX1 are for advanced and professional chefs, so they are very high-end with smaller shares of the revenue.Then, DX1 and CX1 take a lion share of the total revenue. Finally, discount on DX1 and CX1 would not affect brand image as they are relatively low-end products with low price and technology. Timing They should choose April, May and June as spring sales and October, November and December as winter sales. May and June are weddings seasons, while November and December are Christmas time. According to the survey, 55% of the respondents received or purchased cookware as a gift. So I suggest there should be two price promotio ns in spring and winter. Communications:Commercial advertisement on cook channels (39% watch television cooking shows and 18% purchase cookware seen on television cooking shows) Direct support to retail stores such as displays and sales staff (30% stated that they would be drawn to stores with attractive displays, and 25% preferred a full- service store) Enhance channel communication with mass merchandise outlet (32% of respondents bought cookware in mass merchandise outlet) Traditional channels, including TV, radio, newspapers and cook magazines. (10% said they might respond to TV, radio, magazine, or newspaper advertising) Discount rate :20%

Short Story - 1499 Words

Sam wakes up soaked in sweat, the morning sun boiling through the windows. A crick in his neck and cramped legs, aching from being tucked into the back seat of the Impala. He can’t help but groan as he feels the back of his t-shirt unstick from the smooth leather. There are similar sounds of misery as Dean tries to peel himself off the front seat and cracks open the car door with a squeak. His heavy booted feet hit the ground with a crunch and Sam can hear Dean’s shoulders pop as he stretches. Theres a grumble from his brother as Dean kicks away whatever debris his boots landed on. A hot breeze rushes in and barely stirs the muggy air, thick with sleep, in the car. The bloody flannel shirt Sam threw in the backseat when Dean wasn’t†¦show more content†¦It’s not long after that Sam notices Dean checking the rearview mirror. And then the side mirror again. The first couple of times he writes it off as a habit, or a coincidence. But by the sixth mirror check Sam sits up in his seat to look out the window at the empty road behind them. â€Å"What the hell are you looking at Dean? Theres literally nothing there.† Dean gives an awkward chuckle. â€Å"Thought I saw something in the mirror. I guess it must have been a trick of the light,† he says with a shrug, turning his attention back to the road. The radio sputters out static and crackly music. â€Å"-I used to be-â€Å" They stop for gas. â€Å"-Riding the Highway-â€Å" Sam fills the tank while Dean goes inside the tiny ramshackled building to pay. Sam watches as Dean leaves the shop juggling a plastic bag of junk food and digging for his keys. Dean jerks when he pulls his keys from his pocket. Hands fumbling as the glitter of metal falls through his fingers. He stoops down to sweep the keys off the pavement, slamming the car door heavily behind him. Through the windshield Sam sees him put his finger in his mouth. Dean pulls a piece of plastic packed cake out of his bag and digs into it with his bare hands. Sam’s face twists in distaste as he watches. â€Å"Dude you’re getting crumbs everywhere. Why are you so gross?† Dean just shrugs and wipes his sugar sticky fingers on the leather seat and smiles a sharp toothy smile. Sam makes a frustrated noise and switches on theShow MoreRelatedshort story1018 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Short Stories:  Ã‚  Characteristics †¢Short  - Can usually be read in one sitting. †¢Concise:  Ã‚  Information offered in the story is relevant to the tale being told.  Ã‚  This is unlike a novel, where the story can diverge from the main plot †¢Usually tries to leave behind a  single impression  or effect.  Ã‚  Usually, though not always built around one character, place, idea, or act. †¢Because they are concise, writers depend on the reader bringing  personal experiences  and  prior knowledge  to the story. 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Public Association Between Violent Gun Crimes And Mental...

Since Barack Obama’s second full term in office, not a single full calendar week has gone by without some sort of mass shooting. A mass shooting is defined as â€Å" an incident in which four or more people are shot,† and a Sunday-to-Saturday week has not passed without one of these incidents in more than a year (Bump, 2015). So, what gives? Following a mass shooting crime, one of the first things that always comes up is the perpetrator’s mental health: Was the shooter mentally ill? In recent years, the mass shooters we hear about have been, enabling a cycle of stereotyping in which those who have some sort of mental illness are associated with violent crime. Terms like â€Å"psycho† and â€Å"insane† are thrown around, creating a blanket of†¦show more content†¦It’s estimated that the onset of 50% of chronic mental illnesses occurs by the age of fourteen, and about 75% by the age of 24 (NAMI, 2015). The most common mental health dia gnoses in the United States are mood disorders, which include the spectrums of anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Unfortunately, 60% of adults and 50% of youth did not receive medical services for their mental health conditions in the previous fiscal year (NAMI, 2015). 18.1% of American adults have some sort of anxiety disorder. That percentage may seem low, but when calculated person for person it adds up to approximately 42 million people. Anxiety symptoms include feeling powerless, nervous, or helpless, even over mundane tasks; having a sense of impending doom or increased heart rate; sweating and shaking; restricted breathing or hyperventilating; and trouble thinking about or concentrating on anything other than the present worry. Anxiety disorders can have specific focuses, like phobias, or just be about everyday trivial tasks, known as generalized anxiety. 6.9%, or about 16 million people, live with clinical depression, also known as major depressive disorder. Symptoms of clinical depression include: feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness; angry or irritable outbursts, often over trivial matters; changes in appetite, sleep habits, or weight; trouble concentrating, thinking and recalling information; loss of interest in normal activities