This story was prepared by Southbase Group and is being published by the New Zealand Herald as advertorial.
Streamlined approach saves time, cuts costs and boosts efficiency.
Successful construction of public infrastructure in New Zealand is being held back by a piecemeal procurement process.
Traditionally, agencies procure jobs one by one; each soliciting various bids for the work that must be evaluated, awarded, and managed. This lengthy process has seen some agencies fall behind procurement goals.
In contrast, Southbase Group are executing a highly efficient procurement and delivery method by bundling projects into a single approach. Recently, they’ve been engaged to deliver 46 teaching spaces across 10 schools in a programme approach for the Ministry of Education.
Southbase Group’s North Island regional manager Marcus Beddis praises the programme approach, “When 10 schools are procured at once, as opposed to 10 schools separately, the Ministry benefits from having one project manager, one QS, one contractor managing it all for them. We’ve seen improvements in relationships and communication, and transparency and accountability. The time and cost savings are also clear.”
For example, needing to allocate resource for only one project manager, as opposed to 10, is a clear and immediate cost saving. This programme approach provides efficient utilisation of critical resource in an industry short of it.
Streamlined procurement – one point of contact and one contract – avoids the inconsistencies and delays of trying to manage multiples and increases accountability across the full breadth of each project.
“When delivering Government infrastructure, all anybody wants is certainty around time and cost. What we’re achieving with our programme approach is much better value for the taxpayer.”
One of the tactics employed by Southbase Group is repeatable designs. This improves supply chain certainty, offers better value for money, and compounds time efficiencies as it gets quicker and quicker to build each time.
Asset delivery is also expedited by utilising lessons learned and data gathered from previous projects.
The pipeline certainty of a programme approach encourages investment in innovation. Beddis explains that giving the construction industry certainty means they can confidently commit resource to it. “Being asked to deliver 100 classrooms over 24 months for $X per unit – we’d find a way to make that happen efficiently. Whereas if we’re just asked to deliver 10 classrooms, that’s BAU and it’s not going to stimulate the same levels of innovation.”
Southbase Group’s integrated capabilities across design, delivery and off-site manufacturing uniquely position them to be the Government’s contractor of choice for infrastructure programmes, particularly for sectors such as education, healthcare, housing and defence.
“We’ve proven on multiple projects that we’re capable of delivering on time and on budget by procuring all major construction contracts under our managing contractor model. It means we hold all the accountability for keeping the brief and budget together and managing risk throughout the entire project and its procurement lifecycle.”
To learn more or to discuss your next project contact marcus.beddis@southbase.co.nz