Construction differs from Building. Building describes the combining of materials/information to form arrangements on a site plot, whilst construction refers to the overseeing of activities during such building. Construction projects typically comprise dozens of teams and activities organized into specific work packages.
Traditional Construction Services, defined as leading activities relating to construction without being explicitly referred to as project/construction-management, occupy only a fraction of possible Construction Service scope. Professional construction services known primarily as ‘building’ but extending well beyond ‘construction’ benefit from a definition that encompasses five components: clarity, scope, expertise, licensing and standards.
Construction Services may be broadly defined as the overarching supervision and leadership of multiple and/or cross-industry stakeholders engaged in the various activities of construction. It encompasses managing broader, greater, longer and multiple works of construction and renderings that oversee only discrete works or activities linked to building. Basic policies or advisory aid to a client, and even the management of a single construction building, do not constitute Professional Construction Services.
Construction Services encompass the management of invitations to tender from sub-contractors, coordination of quantity surveying, negotiations for client approvals, project and following up on progress planning and control, execution of follow-on requirements, and post-project measuring and detailing. Professional Construction Services involve managing wider, broader, longer and multiple constructions. Project Leadership, Project Management, Construction Management, or other such titles describe these services.
The necessity of Professional construction services
Construction is inherently risky across multiple dimensions having serious implications. All construction operations are invariably local. Many activities are site-dependent and local on specified sites. Clients, and ultimately the project, expose themselves to these risks if they have the responsibility of final on-site decisions. The number and extent of areas involved, such as multisite, multidiscipline, or multimodal operations, significantly amplify risk probability. Schoenefeldt & Campbell (2018) state that such clients may face a triply penalized situation: elevated risk in general, extensive on-site activities, and a local tendency for most entities engaged and sourced.
Operating and maintaining first-cost low facilities becomes increasingly challenging as budgets tighten and capital expenditures decline. A professional construction service assures the facility is constructed for economy of operation that continues beyond the construction phase. Quality design, materials, and appropriate construction techniques enhance a facility’s endurance, minimize repair, maintenance, and operating expenses, and protect resources invested by individuals or the public.
Additionally, conducting a life-cycle cost analysis to estimate total ownership expenses promotes the understanding that upfront cost represents only a fraction of the total. Lifetime costs; utilities, maintenance, repairs, renovations, replacement etc. continue long after the initial public or private financing concludes and represent a larger fiscal burden.
I. Eilers (2015) concluded that engaging professional construction services is a primary factor to consider when planning a construction project aimed at long-term value and sustainability. Focusing primarily on low upfront costs leads to disproportionate expenditure over a lifetime. Sustained value increases with a primary emphasis on integrated design, construction, and project delivery. Professional construction services engage in this capability and support long-term project sustainability.
Individuals with few resources still depend on adequate facilities for education, health, shelter, and civil involvement to build futures, economy, community development, and quality of life. Professional construction services proactively consider these factors and guide implementation. Many projects pursue sustainable practices, yet basic guidance remains poorly understood. Professional services identify and address appropriate options for any project scale and budget.
The result of engaging professional services is an unambiguous framing of the headed document and, by extension, the promise of professional services: value, reliability, and accountability achieved through formal standards and discipline; appropriate herculean labour; rigorous measurement; trained tradespeople; and techniques for minimizing, revealing, and communicating error.
