Bee Consult understands that our clients demand a cost effective delivered product. Defining what is cost effective for a particular project is a critical decision as there’s no typical project; each has its different objectives. Some projects require a low initial cost; others require a design with the lowest operating & maintenance costs.
Depending on the investment & ownership it maybe the building with the longest life period that is the most important, or it could be a facility which ensures that the users are their most creative. Or it could be as simplistic as the building that offers the greatest return on investment.
While an economically efficient project is likely to have one or more of these attributes, it is impossible to summarise cost-effectiveness by a single parameter. Determining true cost-effectiveness requires a life-cycle perspective where all costs and benefits of a given project are evaluated and compared over its economic life.
In economic terms, a building design is deemed to be cost-effective if it results in benefits equal to those of alternative designs & has a lower whole life cost, or total cost of ownership. Components of the whole life cost include the initial design & construction cost, on-going operations & maintenance & of course the useful life of the system or building.
It’s also no longer good enough for a building to simply ‘work’. They have to be energy efficient, conducive to a productive work environment, comfortable, affordable to construct & operate & fit for the purpose for which they are intended.
The obstruction to reliable life cycle costing has always been data. Knowing how much something costs to install, maintain and replace is challenging, but knowing how long equipment and components will last is even more difficult. The longevity of equipment and digital technology is linked to how much its being used and how good the maintenance regime has been.
The selection of plant and equipment is fundamentally linked to the performance of the building throughout its life. Not only does this performance have a financial cost, it also has a cost to the environment. Every time an asset within a building is replaced, it results in both a financial and an environmental cost. Therefore, it is important that these should no longer be considered independently. This awareness of cost and environment coupled with legislative pressures, escalating energy costs and higher profile public ethics is resulting in a need to demonstrate design choices that incorporate intelligent and sensible green sustainable solutions.
It is therefore important to determine the life and environmental cost of the components used within a building and be able to present the options/alternatives in a consistent manner. The implementation of HMI solutions will empower the data collection to quantify capital cost, maintenance costs, operational costs and carbon emissions over the lifetime of a building.
Holistic Approach
Bee Consult considers all of the following aspects by adopting a holistic approach through working with the customer & designer, directed under our leadership; also where possible we ensure that the designer implements the latest HMI solutions creating & using intelligent 3D models to inform & communicate project decisions to provide greater clarity for all stakeholders across the project lifecycle. Solutions we can independently consult on include:
- Holistic Project Management - Time & Cost
- Tender Process Management
- Trade Contractors Selection Management & procurement
- Data Centre Solutions
- Data Centre Infrastructure Management - DCIM
- Pre-construction Project Management Consultancy Solutions
- Human, Machine Interoperability - Smart Building Solutions
- Data Centre Infrastructure Management Solutions
- Data Centre Thermal Containment Solutions
- Energy & Building Management Systems
- Access Control, CCTV, Fire & Security
- Network Integration
- Structured Cabling Networks
- Land & Property Acquisition
- Total Cost of Ownership Evaluation
- FM Appraisals & Tender Analysis
- Audits
Effective Solutions
Adaptable selection methods consider relationship, ownership & cost responsibility, with a focus on raising the quality of the delivered product. A process that creates long-term relationships with a portfolio of assigned customers & suppliers, understanding challenges, effectively implementing action plans & generating high-quality delivery is the goal.
Creating a framework for best in class provider & procurer enables a structured approach creating valuable long-term business relationships.
Selecting the specialist in the right competence area optimises production & delivery. Equally working with the customers that are on the same wave-length as the provider will allow superior communication to be accomplished so the best in class product is created for the best reward.