ECI, tendering, and Schedule
ECI, tendering, and Schedule
Name of Student
Name of Instructor
Date
Early Contractor Investment (ECI)
We have been embarking on a visionary and transformative effort, a project that assurances to reshape our landscape and bring innovation to the front of our industry. This project has an estimated budget of $148 million and a planned duration of thirty-six months which shows a commitment to progress, excellence, and collaboration.
This project redefines the conventional strategy in the construction industry, taking on the principles of Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) to make certain that our stakeholders (visionary contractors) are active contributors in the journey from beginning to realization (Love et al., 2014). This novel strategy allows us to harness collective craftsmanship and expertise, confirming that the end result fulfills our expertise and surpasses our expectations.
Delving deeper into this project, it is discovered that it is more than just bricks and mortar; it is evidence of our dedication and commitment to sustainable development, pioneering technology, and a shared vision for a brighter future. Our goal is to construct a 6-story building (Performance hall, offices, council chambers, Gymnasium, and basement parking).
Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) benefits the construction of a 6-story building with varied functions such as offices, performance halls, council chambers, gymnasium, and basement parking (Finnie et al., 2018). ECI involves engaging with the contractor during the initial stage of the project and making sure their valuable input is well-thought-out in the design, risk management, cost estimation, and more. ECI has different benefits in this project activity.
ECI permits contractors to take part in the design phase which results in spaces that are aesthetically pleasing and highly functional. For example, the expertise of the contractor can be leveraged to seating arrangements, and optimize acoustics, and backstage facilities in the performance hall. Collaborative efforts will lead to innovative solutions for sound systems, lighting, and stage setup.
The construction of offices in the building benefits from the input of the contractor in terms of layout, space utilization, and selection of materials. Early contractor involvement will lead to an office design for the promotion of productivity and comfort while complying with budget constraints (Finnie et al., 2023).
Council chambers generally need special consideration. ECI allows an effectual layout for council members and attendees to improve the functionality of the space. Furthermore, the contractor could provide insights into advanced audio-visual systems to diversify the quality of meetings and discussions.
Incorporating a gymnasium into the project needs careful planning and construction expertise. ECI eases structural considerations for the safety and stability of the gym (accommodating heavy equipment). This early collaboration indicates an opportunity to embrace sustainable construction methods to lessen operational costs and environmental impact (Hastie et al., 2017).
The basement parking facility benefits from the input of the contractor on layout, safety measures, and selection of material. ECI aids in the development of an efficient parking structure that reduces congestion and maximizes space use. Durability and maintenance ease are also considerations for the basement (Opoku & Ibrahim-Adam, 2018).
Early contractor involvement has different gains. It leads to more accurate cost estimates at an early stage, lessening the risk of budget overruns. Quality assurance is improved as the contractor makes certain the project fulfills industry standards and client expectations. Possible construction challenges and risks are marked and addressed in advance to mitigate delays and cost enhancement.
Further, ECI will expedite project delivery. Early preparation by the contractor will cause a shorter project timeline. Collaboration can bring pioneering and sustainable solutions to the forefront. An application of advanced building methods and materials could increase the overall quality and timely delivery of the project.
Client satisfaction is a basic consequence of ECI. The client is energetically engaged in shaping the project, confirming that it is arranged in line with their vision and requirements. Transparency and open communication are necessary in this process. Regular meetings and effective communication channels are arranged for all stakeholders, ensuring that are informed and aligned.
Tendering Process
The tendering process is a crucial phase in a construction project, where contractors and suppliers submit their proposals for contemplation. The six tendering for this construction project are discussed as follows
Stage 1: Tender Decision
The initial stage in the tendering process is the decision to tender the project. An owner or client shows a positive attitude toward competitive bidding in this phase. Several factors impact the decision (Finnie et al., 2018). These factors include project complexity, size, and budget. For the selection of bidders, the client also set up the criteria. It is vital to make certain that the project is well-defined and that the client should have a complete understanding of their requirements prior to going on to the subsequent stages (Rahmani et al., 2017).
Stage 2: Determination of Tender Basis
The next step is to describe the basis upon which the tender would be performed after the decision to take the tender, including setting out the scope of the project, contract terms, and specifications (Yahya et al., 2018). The client needs to prepare a complete set of tender documents that generally include architectural drawings, technical specifications, terms and conditions, and other related information. These documents must be clear and precise so that all bidders understand the project requirements (Urquhart et al., 2017).
Stage 3: Preparation of Cost Estimates
Contractors interested in bidding on the project create estimates of cost according to tender documents provided by the client. It is a critical step in the tendering process because it involves the accurate determination of labor costs, equipment, materials, and other expenses needed to complete the project. Contractors need to pay close attention to details and make sure that their estimates are as accurate as possible. This stage generally needs collaboration between the estimating team and other experts inside an organization (Ellis et al., 2021).
Stage 4: Commercial Appreciation
The commercial appreciation stage is the review and evaluation of the financial features of the project (Yahya et al., 2018). Contractors take into account factors such as overhead costs, profit margins, risk assessment, and financing requirements. The aim of this stage is to make sure that the tendered project covers the direct costs and will also generate an acceptable profit for the contractor. Contractors should strike a balance between providing competitive pricing to win the bid and continuing profitability (Ballesteros-Prez et al., 2015).
Stage 5: Conversion of Estimate to Tender
The contractor prepares actual tender documents after the estimation of cost and commercial aspects have been thoroughly analyzed and assessed. These documents are the formal tender submission, details of pricing, and any other needed documentation. It is necessary that the tender submission is accurate, complies, and adheres with the terms and conditions highlighted in the tender documents given by the client. It is necessary for the contractor to include any qualifications or clarifications in case of uncertainties or ambiguities in the tender documents of the client (Brook, 2016).
Stage 6: Submission of Tender
The final stage in the tendering process is the submission of the tender by the contractors to the client or their designated representative. Contractors should ensure that the submission is made within the particular deadline and in the way set in the tender documents. It is in the process because late submissions or deviations from the submission process could lead to disqualification.
The client will normally open and review all submitted tenders during the submission stage. The client or their representatives could perform evaluations, assessments, and clarifications if essential. Once all submissions have been comprehensively examined, the client selects the winning bid according to criteria such as price, adherence to specifications, and other appropriate factors.
Program Schedule (Key Milestones)
The schedule for each task is shown in Table 1
Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 1: Schedule for Task
Task Name Duration (days) Start Time Finish Time Detailed Description of Activity
Pre-design 51 01/01/2023 21/02/2023 Initial project planning, defining scope, and setting objectives.
Detail Design of Development 113 02/01/2023 25/04/2023 Creating detailed architectural and engineering plans and blueprints.
Documentation 30 15/04/2023 15/05/2023 Preparing project reports and essential documentation.
Selection of Contractor 39 01/07/2023 09/08/2023 Choosing a suitable contractor through evaluation and negotiation.
Pre-construction Activities 0 Initial project groundwork and planning activities.
Defining the Project 49 01/09/2023 20/10/2023 Clearly defining project scope, objectives, and requirements.
Identify Potential Issues 30 10/10/2023 09/11/2023 Identifying potential challenges and risks associated with the project.
Planning and Scheduling 50 10/11/2023 30/12/2023 Developing project plans and schedules to guide construction.
Scope 71 10/10/2023 20/12/2023 Further specifying project scope and deliverables.
Estimation of Cost 40 10/11/2023 20/12/2023 Calculating the estimated cost of the entire project.
Analysis 30 10/11/2023 10/12/2023 In-depth analysis of project data and requirements.
Construction 0 Main construction phase involving various tasks.
Preliminaries 865 01/01/2024 15/05/2026 Site preparation and initial construction activities.
Demolition 91 01/01/2024 01/04/2024 Dismantling and removal of existing structures.
Excavation 39 01/04/2024 10/05/2024 Digging and preparing the foundation for construction.
Civil Works 1230 01/01/2024 15/05/2027 Major construction activities related to the project.
Footings, Slab, and Setting Out 921 01/04/2024 09/10/2026 Creating the foundation and setting up structural elements.
Steel Framing 892 01/04/2024 10/09/2026 Erecting the steel framework of the structure.
Roofing 61 15/09/2026 15/11/2026 Installing the roofing structure for the building.
Cladding 893 01/01/2024 12/06/2026 Applying exterior cladding materials to the structure.
Hydraulics 397 11/05/2025 12/06/2026 Installing plumbing and hydraulic systems within the building.
Glazing 281 10/05/2025 15/02/2026 Installing glass windows and panels for the building.
Waterproofing 91 10/04/2025 10/07/2025 Applying waterproofing materials to protect the structure.
Partitions and Ceiling 258 20/05/2025 02/02/2026 Creating interior partitions and ceilings within the building.
Fit-Out 299 10/05/2025 05/03/2026 Interior finishing, fixture installation, and fit-out activities.
Tiling 123 01/05/2026 01/09/2026 Installing floor and wall tiles throughout the building.
Painting 122 10/04/2026 10/08/2026 Painting both interior and exterior surfaces of the building.
Flooring 245 10/05/2025 10/01/2026 Laying various types of flooring materials within the building.
Electrical 182 11/04/2024 10/10/2024 Installation of electrical systems for lighting and power.
Mechanical 206 10/09/2025 04/04/2026 Installing mechanical systems, including HVAC and ventilation.
Landscaping 555 10/10/2024 18/04/2026 Designing and landscaping the surrounding areas of the building.
Others 40 11/11/2026 21/12/2026 Miscellaneous or additional tasks not covered by other activities.
Post-construction 0 Activities after construction completion, including final documentation.
Finalizing Payment Documents 31 10/01/2027 10/02/2027 Completion of financial documentation and finalizing payments.
References
Brook, M. (2016).Estimating and tendering for construction work. Taylor & Francis.
Ballesteros-Prez, P., Skitmore, M., Pellicer, E., & Gonzlez-Cruz, M. C. (2015). Scoring rules and abnormally low bids criteria in construction tenders: a taxonomic review.Construction management and economics,33(4), 259-278.
ED Love, P., ODonoghue, D., R. Davis, P., & Smith, J. (2014). Procurement of public sector facilities: Views of early contractor involvement.Facilities,32(9/10), 460-471.
Ellis, J., Edwards, D. J., Thwala, W. D., Ejohwomu, O., Ameyaw, E. E., & Shelbourn, M. (2021). A case study of a negotiated tender within a small-to-medium construction contractor: modelling project cost variance.Buildings,11(6), 260.
Finnie, D., Ali, N. A., & Park, K. (2018). Enhancing off-site manufacturing through early contractor involvement (ECI) in New Zealand.Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Management, Procurement and Law,171(4), 176-185.
Finnie, D., Ali, N. A. N. A., & Park, K. (2023, October). Transparent and sustainable procurement through two-stage early contractor involvement (2S-ECI)Industry perceptions. InAIP Conference Proceedings(Vol. 2881, No. 1). AIP Publishing.
Hastie, J., Sutrisna, M., & Egbu, C. (2017). Modelling knowledge integration process in early contractor involvement procurement at tender stagea Western Australian case study.Construction Innovation,17(4), 429-456.
Opoku, A., & Ibrahim-Adam, R. (2018, September). Early contractor involvement in government construction projects in Ghana. InProceeding of the 34th Annual ARCOM Conference, ARCOM 2018(Vol. 34, pp. 199-208). Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM).
Rahmani, F., Maqsood, T., & Khalfan, M. (2017). An overview of construction procurement methods in Australia.Engineering, construction and architectural management,24(4), 593-609.
Urquhart, S., Whyte, A., & Lloyd, N. (2017). The development of a more efficient internal tender procedure framework for Australian construction contractors. InProceeding of the 33rd Annual ARCOM Conference(pp. 693-702).
Al Yahya, M., Skitmore, M., Bridge, A., Nepal, M., & Cattell, D. (2018). e-Tendering readiness in construction: The posterior model.Construction Innovation,18(2).
School of Built Environment
Complex Building Project
Individual Report
The Project
Now that you have completed the first and second presentation plus the group report you are now required to complete an individual assessment of lessons learnt by reflecting on your progress during this semester.
Important Criteria
Weighting: 30%
Length: 2000 words
Due Date: Week 14 Sunday 29th October 2023 11.59pm
Submission: Turnitin as a Word document
Marking Criteria
Final Report
The final individual report for Construction in Practice 3 is to be submitted to Turnitin. This involves lessons learned (lessons learnt in some references) and reflective comments on the project from the perspective of your role in the group. In other words, how did you handle the project from your role in the group, what would you change etc.
IntroductionCapturing lessons learned is an integral part of every project and serves several purposes. While the finalization of a formal lessons learned document is completed during the project closeout process, capturing lessons learned should occur throughout the project lifecycle to ensure all information is documented in a timely and accurate manner. The lessons learned document serves as a valuable tool for use by other project managers within an organization who are assigned similar projects. This document should not only describe what went wrong during a project and suggestions to avoid similar occurrences in the future, but it should also describe what went well and how similar projects may benefit from this information.
The purpose of the lessons learned document for a construction project is to capture the projects lessons learned in a formal document for use by other project managers on similar future projects. This document may be used as part of new project planning for similar projects in order to determine what problems occurred and how those problems were handled and may be avoided in the future. Additionally, this document details what went well with the project and why, so that other project managers may capitalize on these actions. Project managers may also use this document to determine who the project team members were in order to solicit feedback for planning their projects in the future. This document will be formally communicated with the organization and will become a part of the organizational assets and archives.
Lessons Learned ApproachThe lessons learned approach describes how the document will be created, what it will consist of, and how lessons will be categorized. It is important that the lessons learned approach is covered in the initial stages of project planning. The reason for this is that a methodology along with an appropriate set of tools should be established to capture these lessons throughout the projects lifecycle. A project journal is one example of a tool to capture these lessons. If no thought is given to lessons learned until project closeout, then it is likely that many lessons and details will be omitted from the document. The contents of the lessons learned document should also be determined ahead of time. They should be detailed enough to provide value for future use and the contents should be consistent with other lessons learned documents or organizational standards. The categorization of lessons learned is another consideration. Many organizations categorize lessons by project lifecycle phase or by the knowledge area that the lesson applies to.
The lessons learned from a construction project are compiled from project journal entries throughout the project lifecycle. The lessons learned from this project are to be used as references for future projects and contain an adequate level of detail so that other project managers may have enough information on which to help base their project plans.
The lessons learned are categorized by project knowledge area. These knowledge areas may consist of: procurement management, risk management, integration management, quality management, time management, cost management, scope management, human resource management, and communications management.
Lessons Learned from a Project
The lessons learned must be communicated in a consistent manner. In addition to the categorization and description of the lesson, it is important to state what the impact was and provide a recommendation for project managers to consider on future projects.
Table 1 lists an example of lessons learned for a construction project. These lessons are categorized by project knowledge area and descriptions, impacts, and recommendations are provided for consideration on similar future new construction projects. It is important to note that not only failures or shortcomings are included but successes as well.
Table 1: Example Lessons Learned Document
Category Issue Name Problem/Success Impact Recommendation
Procurement Management Contract Requirements The PM was not fully engaged in the contract process. All requirements were not included in the initial contract award. A contract modification was required which added a week to the project. PM must be fully engaged in all contract processes. This must be communicated to both PM and contract personnel.
Human Resources Management Award Plan There was no plan for providing awards and recognition to team members. Toward the end of the project morale was low among the project team. There was increased conflict and team members were asking to leave the project. The PM should institute and communicate an awards/recognition program for every project.
Scope Management Scope Creep Stakeholders continuously tried adding to the project scope throughout the project lifecycle. The PM did not have a plan for addressing scope creep and allowed some requirements to be added until the sponsor stopped it. Overall project delay of 3 weeks was the result. The PM must have an approval process for any proposed scope changes and communicate this process to all stakeholders.
Quality Management Building Material A process for determining acceptable building material quality was planned into the project. This allowed the project team to work with the contractors to smoothly ensure all materials were of acceptable quality and avoided any re-work and delays associated with substandard material. Always plan quality standards and allowances into the project plan. This helps avoid delays and cost overruns.
Risk Management Zoning Approval A risk was identified that there may be delays in receiving approval from the county zoning board. This was a success because it was identified early and planned for. Impact was minimal because the PM included potential zoning delays into the project schedule. Always consider external impacts on the project cost and schedule. This must be continuous throughout the project lifecycle.
Process Improvement RecommendationsIt is important that once lessons learned are collected and documented that the organization approves and implement any process improvements identified. It is important for organizations to strive for continuous improvement and this portion of the lessons learned process is an integral step.
Individual Lessons Learned Report for CBP
The individual assignment is intended to assess your understanding of your groups project. The report is to be 2000 words and this does not include words prepopulated in the table (182 words). Originally this was called a reflective diary, however Lessons Learned is more appropriate to Construction Management. Note some references call it Lessons Learnt.
The format of the report is to include the following:
Title Page:
Your name, group number, company name, and your role
Date
Page 1
Table of Contents
Page 2
Introduction
Your role in the group.
Interaction with group members.
Page.
Key points of decisions madePage.
Insert the table from the next 3 pages and fill out details from your perspective of the project. Add or delete topics to be relevant to your projectPage.
Lessons Learned
Summary
Category (add or modify these categories to fit your project) Issue Name Problem/Success Impact Recommendation
Company background and team biography, include example projects Identifying existing and emerging markets as potential tenants/owners either buy or lease Proposal for the development of the site and description of the building including a physical or virtual model Timeline
Information presented has been justified in terms of Council constraints, building regulations and company capabilities Impact on local infrastructure Recommendations for tendering and contract arrangements Applications of value management to optimize quality and cost Assessing the likely price to pay for the site chosen Financial planning strategy methods used by the company
Financial analysis of the project considering cost analysis and projected income from sale and/or lease of building including:
Net Present Value
Preliminary return on investment projections
Other financial matters consideredExit strategy after 15 yearsOther matters considered important by your group (add additional rows as required. A critical evaluation of the companys ability to handle the development from the above criteria Presentation Skills
Comment on areas that worked or could be improved.
Assessment criteria for your report
Section Action Value
Introduction Summary of your role and interaction with group members. /10
Key points of decisions made How your overall contribution impacted the assessment throughout semester. /10
Identify Problems/Successes You need to consider major problems or successes that you encountered that influenced decisions for the group. /10
Impact What happened /15
Recommendations How was this dealt with. /15
Lesson learned What were the lessons learned throughout the project? If you started this project again what would you do differently. /20
Academic standard and logical structure Note that your written expression must be PROFESSIONAL.
Need to structure your report logically with a concluding statement. /20
