Submission for RICS
• summary of experience against technical competencies - 2000 - 3000 in total. (10 pages 12 point double spacing)
Competencies
My experience in the Construction and Interiors industry cover these competencies :
· Commercial management of construction
· Design economics and cost planning
· Procurement and tendering, Contract practice
· Construction technology and environmental services (M & E services)
· Quantification and costing of construction works
· Project financial control and reporting
Summary
I’ve been in construction as a quantity surveyor for over 30 years, and wouldn’t have chosen any other career. Every day is different, every project is challenging and I’m always learning.
My career started right after I graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a diploma in Building. I was offered a job as a quantity surveyor to work for a large local construction company.
I was reporting to contracts manager and my job scope included pre and post contracts of building works such as tendering, quantification and costing of construction works, valuation of sub-contractors payments, submission of progress payment claims, variation and claims settlement and final accounts.
During my 5 years with the company I had overseen two projects, a multi storey factory and Singapore General Hospital from the start through to completion. I was stationed on site for the larger project but had to go back to head office to help out in the tendering as those days, construction industry in Singapore was booming. I used to have to work till next morning especially on the last days of tender closing.
I was fortunate to work under a very capable and talented Contract Manager. Though he was just a polytechnic graduate but he was very good in negotiating Sub-Contract orders, resolving disputes with sub-contractors, fighting for claims and delays. He was dealing with highly qualified professionals. I also learnt from his good writing skills in contracts matter, correspondences or keeping systemic and detailed claims and delay record.
It was here that put me on a solid foundation that seen me through my lifelong career. I had learned to understand all aspects of the tendering and contracting process, the SIA contracts, and technical building requirements — plus good commercial sense. I also learned to be able to establish strong working relationships with a wide range of people, a team player and being able to use my own initiative and making own decisions as well. Mastered with a wealth of knowledge and confidence, it was like I had just graduated with a university degree, I proceeded to work independently as a quantity surveyor. From my previous building works experience, I realized my passion and interest in Interiors works (FF & E) and wanted to focus primarily on hotel and commercial projects. I joined the Interiors works industry for more than 15 years, first as QS/Project co-ordinator with Interiors Renovation contractors and then as an independent QS consultant.
My job scope with Interiors Contractors includes:
- Account Service and Marketing - Tendering for Projects and Preparation of Quotations
- Planning and Managing Project Timeline and Works & Reporting - Planning and Managing Project Cost and Profits. - Negotiation Skills and Contracting of Vendors. - Managing Teams of Operations and Vendors. - Quality Checks and Control. - Procurement and Material Sourcing
I was also involved in project management and co-ordination on Technical (design matter on M & E, Architectural and Interiors), Design (solving site matters relating to detailing and finishing), and Quality/Specification audits. Projects included shopping centres, office blocks, residential and hotel developments of large new build and refurbishment projects across Singapore, Japan and Malaysia.
Dealing with projects in Designs was intriguing and complex and required a creative and innovative mind and an eye for designs and details. Project works was about problem solving, without this any project will not be successful so I spent a lot of time with designers, clients on site to achieve a logical solution to the many design problems. The logical solution appeared to be concealed beneath my innate design and organizing ability. As a result, I was able to study and understand the dynamic energies of human interaction among the various stakeholders, professionals, workmen and the laymen. I was also able to explain and conceptualize designs into works on site.
From here I had the experience dealing with designs, arts and ergonomics (human factors) in my projects.
Ergonomics (Human factors), also known as comfort design, functional design, and user-friendly systems, is the practice of designing products, systems or processes to take proper account of the interaction between them and the people that use them. I had to work closely with the Design profession that applied theory, principles and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. I usually had to produce prototype samples (FF &E) for approval. Sometimes the process was tedious as it had to go through many rounds of amendment to get it right as not many especially the local designers are as professional as the international designers from Japan or US or Europe.
As a project co-ordinator I played the intermediary role between designer and my workmen. It had to be one who can understand design and concept to help designers to conceptualize designs into beautiful works on site. As a quantity surveyor I helped my company to secure projects through bidding and then managed the projects myself or helped the project teams in successfully delivered a project on time, cost and quality. At all times, I was the first point of contact for members of the public, clients, designers/architects & consultants, site managers and sub-contractors for as long as the contract lasted. I was also responsible for agreeing extra work to be done on a contract, helping to resolve any disputes which come up, and identifying areas for improvement in my company’s contracting processes.
My foray into quantity surveying as a consultant in the Interiors Works industry was by chance of a meeting with a Japanese architect boss of an International Design company which specializes in hotel projects. It was on freelance arrangement, that is, I was engaged alongside with them to go in to secure the consultancy works (design + contracts) of hotels or any commercial projects. As an independent Quantity Surveying consultant in the Interiors Works industry I worked with developers and designers on high-end luxury hotel brands such as Pan Pacific, Far East Group, Mandarin, Le Meridien, Marriott, Westin, Hilton Sheraton, Intercontinental, Crown Prince, Ana Hotel etc and commercial & residential projects for developers such as Far East Organization, Keppeland, Hong Leong etc across Singapore and Malaysia.
I was responsible for the budget, cost control and contracts management, quantity surveying, financial reporting, procurement strategy, value engineering, and negotiation.
My scope included :
- Preliminary design, Site surveys, Consultants/Landlord/Contractors Meetings,
- Budget Cost Plan/Control
- Evaluation, Analysis and Cost Valve Engineering of Tenders
- Conduct Tender Interview and negotiation up to tender award
- Materials Scheduling and Procurements
- Financial Review / Cost Control/ Final Accounts/Claims support/resolutions / Pre/Post Contract Administration
My designer and I played the intermediary role between client and appointed main contractors.
I overseen projects from the preliminary stage to start through to completion, ensuring that works were completed on time and within its budget. Apart from Hotels, I also worked on a wide variety of projects, from office to showflats or F & B outlets, whether, new development or refurbishment. But I was not involved in the building structure or civil engineering works. My works covered interior fit-out works, ceiling, wall & floor finishes, architectural works, doors & windows, FF & E works, artworks, M& E and Sanitary works, landscaping works, internal building structural works and steelworks etc. Health and safety issues was a top priority, as is managing client expectations.
Coupled with strong leadership and good business acumen with effective negotiating skill, team player with the ability to work independently and within tight schedule, strong analytical, financial and organization skill, I was able to successfully complete many projects in my 10 years as an independent Quantity Surveying consultant
Many had adviced me to pursue a degree in Quantity surveying. Finally the chance for me came when a school was started in Singapore to conduct Heriot Watt University’s courses in 2005. I joined that year and graduated as a top student with a bachelor of science in Quantity Surveying and Building Economics in 2006. Our government think that part-time courses even offer by renowned HeriotWatt is not as valuable as their local four big universities. Actually the secret to scoring grade A is not difficult if you know the subject well, having said that, experience counts a great way.
Armed with a degree I tried to penetrate the developers market in Hongkong/China as I like to do mega projects. I was finally engaged as a Contract Manager in Hotel Property Development for Kerry (Shangri-La groups) I was given two projects to handle; namely Hotel/Service Apartment in Ningbo / Yangzhou / Manzhouli.
My job responsibility was :
Budget Cost Plan / Control
Co-ordinate with Designers / Consultants / Contractors / Suppliers
Manage a team of QS and Project assistants
Manage Tender processeses
Pre-qualification of tenderers
vexing and approval of tender documentations prepared by Consultants
conduct tender interview and negotiation up to tender award
prepare recommendation letter for awards to top management / CEO for final approval
Procurement (direct client's purchase items)
Pre/Post Contract Administration; verification of claims support/resolution
The company saw the need for dedicated, good Contract Managers in high value / high risk business-to-business markets such as large construction and civil engineering projects in an emerging country. My role as a Contract Manager with the company was more strategic. In particular, there was a need to ensure that awarded contracts were not stifled by risk-aversion but were able to achieve a positive economic outcomes for the company.
I had to ensure that commitments sought or given by various parties were ethical, achievable and in compliance with organizational and local regulatory policy especially so for projects in China where trust in standards of corporate governance and regulatory risk made my role as a contract manager implicitly more important. I also had to ensure the appointed direct or sub contractors/suppliers were of acceptable reputational risk, ensuring on-going competitiveness and performance driven. I also had to deliver results and keep the business out of trouble. Hence the need for balance between compliance and innovation.
In an emerging market, new regulation always occurs, I was expected to understand it and ensured that it was respected. Also businesses conducted must remain flexible; the rules, practices and procedures must made both ethical and economic sense. I had to ensure that all contracts awarded were a win win situation so that the contractors were able to perform and commit to the jobs fully, and not giving up half way.
I too had to preserve the integrity of financial and risk control management through ethical contracting and relationship practices; yet at the same time with the need to ensure competitiveness through innovative terms and adaptive processes. As the company is well established in the market it had a good established right contractual framework and thus my job was to oversee its successful management and delivery of expected results.
To do that, unlike building contracts in Singapore where usually the Main Contractor is entrusted with the full contracts to manage for the developer. That’s the reason you hardly see developers here have in house contracts manager/quantity surveyors because the project is managed by the Project Manager who is primarily required to co-ordinate with the Main Contractor, the external Architect and Quantity Surveyors Consultants on the cost, time, quality and safety. Here we had to break down the various work packages and award individually so that we, and not the Main Contractor were managing and controlling the works. This was to ensure that works were delivered to the standards and quality that we wanted. I had to select the appropriate types of contract such as measurement or lump sum for various works packages so that it could achieve economic value, the reduction in claims and disputes.
In 2013 I finally felt the need to go back into construction industry again especially to have a hand on feel of doing construction from start. I was engaged by China Construction (SP) Pte Ltd as a Deputy Contract Manager to handle the newly awarded $200 million high end Residential project in Singapore. As time was critical and the project was large I was to rush out the award of all works packages. The company was well established with good framework for procurement, purchasing, contracts and a team of quantity surveyors to assist me.
My job responsibilities :
Post Contract:
Budget Analysis & Cost Control, Procurement, Contracts Management, Variation Control, Claim Management,
Customer Service & Dispute Resolution and Financial Reporting Health & Safety
In summary
For a contract manager to be successful, I have to recognize that I can no longer flourish as talented individuals, but must adopt the behavior of a profession – a consistent body of knowledge, shared tools and methods, a commitment to continuous improvement through research, benchmarking and pooled experiences and development of learning sources that enable a career path.
It is a demanding ever growing and learning job because of the challenge to establish leaders who welcome accountability for results.
I feel that I have achieve my competency in Quantity Surveying, Contracts & Cost Management :
- Project Estimating - from preliminary estimate with limited information to detailed estimate for cost plan.
- Budget Analysis and Cost Control & Financial Review/Cash flow management – Manage Projects budgets and periodic financial reporting
- Project implementation and development – oversee the management in a cost-effective and efficient manner
- Manage Consultants and Contractors – Prepare and Review tender specifications and documentations, proposals and work plans to ensure all requirements are adhered to
- Prepare or manage tender documents, lead biddings process, evaluate bids, negotiation of prices & terms to recommendation of awards.
- Procurement – Manage/research Contractors/Suppliers/Vendors' capabilities and deliverables. – Manage quality, economies of scale and timelines
- Contracts Administration, Progress Payment, Variations Control, Claims Management and Final accounts. Customer Service and Dispute Resolution
- Risk Management – To provide support to the Tendering/Procurement and Project Teams on the assessment of risks of all project proposals and/or contract documents.
- To manage contract administration Team consisting of quantity surveyors/project assistants providing support for project operations department
I see myself as an approach driven QS manager who questions and challenges my team as they take on projects of a greater and grander scale. My intention is to imbue project management with a modern interpretation of project engineering, a vision that acknowledge the significance of the construction development industry and then capturing the importance of good contract/procurement management. The result is an open fluid works that captures the vibrancy and comfort of today’s construction works
It’s this variety which many quantity surveyors love about their job. The variety is great. And when you deliver a successful project and have a good end product, it’s very satisfying. It’s a good idea to get as much on site experience as early as possible in your career. You will gain much more respect if you have a good understanding of the realities of life on site from the outset.”
No one would pretend that the construction industry wasn't affected by the recession. But talent, hard work and perseverance will always be recognised, and construction remains Singapore’s largest industry.
