NEWS  

January 2005

THE PEOPLE FACTOR IN QUALITY CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

A survey into architects’ perception of quality, conducted by Bovey Construction of Ashburton, Devon, has found that 59 per cent of respondents select construction firms on the basis of track record rather than price (14 per cent). While the majority of architects are highly satisfied with the quality and consistency of the construction work, 45 per cent are concerned about the quality of company-wide communication.

Architects clearly value harmonious working relationships: when asked to cite other factors that influenced selection, 24 per cent (the highest proportion) highlighted teamworking skills and a positive attitude on the part of potential contractors. However, in practice, while communication with site managers was rated high (90 per cent considered it to be good or excellent), overall communication with their current contractors got the thumbs down, with only 49 per cent feeling satisfied or better.

Poor communication has consequences, which could include the perceived inability of contractors to meet completion dates, for example, when they fail to keep the architect up to date with progress. Indeed, 45 per cent of respondents were concerned about communication, even though the overall satisfaction with the quality of work was high (98 per cent were satisfied or better with their current contractors).
Eighty one per cent of architects volunteered that contractors could improve their service to them by focusing on communication and teamworking. However, the survey also suggests that architects’ own communication could be more effective. For example, many neglect to ask other architects for their opinion of contractors and fail to select effectively for the qualities they value during the interview.

The survey recommends that architects adopt a more structured approach to inviting tenders, for example, by requesting in advance a list of other architects with whom the contractor has worked, and then following these up. Site visits could be a useful way of finding out whether architect and contractor could work together effectively. Architects are also advised to re-examine their whole tendering process.
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