Pre-contract Services
Procurement
Let us help you select the most appropriate procurement route for your supply chain appointment and management. We can provide advice on the most effective method of procuring subcontractors and suppliers to help you improve project delivery efficiency and commercial returns, whilst minimising risk and uncertainty.
Cost advice and Feasibility Studies
Working closely with developers, architects, designers, planners and clients we are able to provide insight into the commercial viability of a project at the early inception and design development stages.
Contract advice and negotiation
Understanding and managing project and business risks is an essential part of your success. We will help you identify risks and support you with informed decision making to ensure obligations, liabilities and risk allocation is apportioned between the contracting parties. Our experienced professionals are able to recognise risks which may not be obvious and will help negotiate appointments to ensure contracts are properly drafted to reflect the intentions of the contracting parties. Risk can be analysed and managed through the 4 main options;
- Risk Avoidance – Avoidance of risk would involve withdrawing from a risk scenario or deciding not to move forward with an aspect or element of the project
- Risk Reduction – Risks would be assessed and considered with the intention of keeping risk to an acceptable level and minimising the severity of a risk impact.
- Risk Transfer – Risks can be reduced or made more acceptable if shared amongst the parties or other stakeholders.
- Risk Retention – Retention would require risks to be agreed, accepted and appropriately budgeted for by the parties responsible for and controlling the risk.
Take-offs and the preparation of Bills of Quantities
Understanding which method of measurement to use is an important part of any take off process. Either by using traditional take- off skills or making use of the latest technology and software, we are able to produce accurate bills of quantities for tendering purposes, schedules of works, or builders quantities for subcontractor pricing or material orders. Our experience and knowledge of standard methods of measurement and measurement best practices allows us to quickly identify shortfalls and gaps within bills of quantities, which in turn may then provide positive commercial opportunities for your project.
Tendering and Estimating
We understand tender deadlines can often be short and require urgent attention. Prompt reaction to ensure compliant submissions are made within stipulated timeframes is recognised as one of the most difficult challenges when tendering for new work. Let Diafora take away some of those pressures by utilising our experienced team of estimators and quantity surveyors.
We promote a collaborative and informative approach to estimating to ensure submissions are based on a logical and auditable solution, feeding from information established from your existing knowledge and delivery objectives. This allows us to understand your internal resourcing preferences, such as the ability to self-delivery all or part of a project, provide input raising subcontract / materials enquiries to ensure current market rates and prices are established and will undertake cost comparisons to understand best value. Project Management and Supervision costs, along with other project preliminaries and company overhead allowances will be considered in conjunction with your wider business objectives.
We advocate the benefits of early site visits during the tendering process and would either attend in person or could make use of information gathered from your existing personnel.
Utilising industry recognised estimating software we are able to provide pricing solutions which are easily transferable to support effective commercial and financial management of a successful project. Where required to ensure fully compliant tender submissions, we are also able to support with detailed bid-writing, writing construction methodologies, quality submissions and the production of tender programmes. Our experienced consultants are also able to review proposed contract documents to identify risks and indicate potential solutions.
