Are Your Consultants Just a Commodity?

Times Have Changed

At some point, an up-and-coming corporate finance guru made the realization that the hard costs of the building had too many limitations for reductions. It turns out it was a heck of a lot easier to make cuts on the soft costs or consultancy fees, as these weren’t anything anybody would miss from the design. Now, don’t get me wrong, we love our finance teams as they bring great value to the business world. However, once the consultants were commoditized and lumped in with ductwork, staplers, and rutabagas, the whole world changed. Well, maybe not the whole world, but for us consultants, it certainly did. This change in perspective is troubling to consultants who bring a wealth of expertise and insights invaluable to the design and construction process. The mantra “You need to sharpen your pencils” resonates well with owners, but the cost of doing business for consultants has not gone down. From a pure business perspective, many firms are being asked by their clients to reduce scope to minimize the financial impact of a project. Clients “appropriately” still expect the highest level of professional expertise, but many do not want to incur the costs for the work to be performed comprehensively.

Clients often find it financially beneficial to outsource the building survey of an existing facility to a third-party company. Many survey firms do a fantastic job at this task. Some are… well, let’s just say “not so great.” The information provided at this stage of a project lays the groundwork for a good portion of the design decisions that impact the entire construction process. Having your Architect and/or Engineer observe the existing conditions prior to documentation provides invaluable insights into many potential obstacles that may lie ahead. When items come up during construction, the design team should have firsthand knowledge of the situation, minimizing the possibility of finger-pointing during the resolution.

Construction administration is another scope item clients often exclude from proposals as they may have in-house staff that can “deal with it.” The in-house staff typically knows the client’s brand and construction needs as well as anyone. However, there are items that come up during the due diligence and documentation phases that may be more site-specific to a jurisdictional entity or unique building conditions that can greatly impact construction needs. There are always unexpected surprises that pop up during demolition and construction. That lovely, buried column in the wall that wasn’t on the as-builts is just one of the many things that keep our lives interesting. The design professionals should be available to discuss the options with everyone as these problems come to our attention and not after a solution has been implemented in the field. Often, there are multiple solutions to the same problem with vastly different cost implications, and your consultants should be ready to jump into the discussions to advise.

The Bottom Line

Architects, engineers, and designers provide value from the site selection phase to the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy. By engaging the entire consultancy team throughout the design process, the coordination issues and conflicts that arise in the field can be reduced exponentially. This saves time during construction and minimizes the impact of those pesky change orders that everyone loves to deal with.

We would like to ask everyone to step back and evaluate the roles and expectations of their consultants. At CESO, we are working hard to change the “commodity” perception by providing top-in-class services throughout all phases of the program. We know you need fresh eyes and ears to address all situations in a timely manner as they arise. It is imperative that the owner, contractor, and consultants work together as a team to be successful at the grand opening. Each consultant brings a unique perspective and expertise that is crucial for the project's success.