Services
Project Management
One of the reasons clients prefer Comcon Services is that their Project Management department works hand in hand with the Financial and Commercial side of the business. Project Management is the technical side of the company which involves planning, organising and managing recourses to bring about the successful completion of a specific construction project.
The fundamental aim of PM, regardless of the size of the project, is to achieve all of the project’s goals and objectives whilst adhering to classic project constraints that typically include the scope of work, quality, time and budget. A professional PM will be able to manage and balance all of these aspects and oversee the smooth management of the project.
In our experience, we have seen too many project managers leave cost or budgeting off their list of priorities, thus enabling a project to complete on time, yet at a huge budget deficit. Not commonly acceptable to customers. This is where the Comcon approach to this role differs to many of our competitors. Comcon puts equal emphasis on all aspects of a project, including but not limited to cost, time and quality.
Comcon provide a number of project management services both at the pre and post contract phase. Our services include:
Pre-Contract:
- Selecting the right consultants for the projects and consulting with the client regarding local and international licenses.
- Managing planning applications (IEE, EIA)
- Controlling design processes and ensuring design information moves smoothly along the different stages of construction
- Set a master programme for the project
- Feasibility studies on the design concept
- Quantity Surveying services for setting a budget for the project
- Assist the client in selecting the right contractors for the project
Post-Contract:
- Manage the design information releases
- Progress/Programme monitoring
- QA/QC management
- Full time site supervision
- Health & Safety management with the contractor on the project
- Review and approve method statement for high risk works
- Monthly project management report
Quantity Surveying (QS)
A QS is a professional person working within the construction industry. The role of the QS is to initially set a budget and then to manage and control costs within the project, he may involve the use of a range of management procedures and technical tools to achieve this goal.
The profession developed during the 19th century from the early “Measurer”, a specialist tradesman (often a Guild member), who prepared standardised schedules for a building project in which all the construction materials, labour activities and the like were quantified and against which competing builders could submit price tenders. Because the tenders were each based on the same schedule of information, they would be easily compared to find the most suitable candidate.
Comcon’s staff is breaking away from just performing the traditional QS functions. Comcon offers Commercial Management of projects from the inception to the feedback stages of a project. Each assignment is undertaken on an individual basis, utilising the varying experiences and skills of our personnel, supported by a comprehensive database of historical and current information.
Comcon provides QS Services at all stages of projects and the roles we perform are:
Pre-Contract:
- Feasibility Studies
- Provision of preliminary estimates, budgets and detailed cost plans
- Preparation of Bill of Quantities
- Tender Documentation
- Tender reviews, analysis and recommendations
- Contract and sub-contract documentation
Post-Contract:
- Cost Control
- Contract Administration
- Interim and Final accounts
- Valuation of variations
- Financial monthly reporting
- Contractual claims and disputes
Commercial Management
Commercial management within the construction industry is applied only at policy levels. Commercial policies relate to the rules or practices that define how projects will be conducted and the standard terms under which external relationships will be conducted. Many of these policies are reflected in the terms of any contract in which the organisation engages. At a transactional level, commercial management is applied through the oversight of trading relationships to ensure their compliance with business goals or policies and to understand or manage the financial and risk implications of any variations. The advice provided for commercial management is critical to effective project and contract implementation.
Insurance Evaluation
Due to it’s vast experience in the construction industry, Comcon is perfectly suited to the role of Insurance Evaluators. This includes working with insurance companies and underwriters giving accurate estimates regarding the scope of work required and the budget. This is a very complex task and often includes combining the skills of Comcon’s professional teams. It is not unusual for claims to run into millions of Dollars so therefore detailed reports must be drawn up. In the case of any calamity where Insurance Evaluators are needed, Comcon’s teams are immediately available.
In the past, Comcon has conducted insurance evaluations on a number of projects in southeast Asia. These include:
- War damage at Pochentong Airport in Cambodia
- Evaluation of fire damage at Kempinski Hotel in Bangkok
- Evaluation of a contractor’s insurance claim at Phu-May 3 Power Station in Vietnam
Construction Efficiency Study
A construction efficiency study is the study of the productivity or lack of, on a certain project. This is usually achieved by assessing the project management along with the use of the correct techniques and technologies. This is particularly important on larger infrastructure projects when small oversights can lead to losses running into hundreds of thousands of Dollars. Minor changes can make big savings and the importance of this role should not be overlooked.
This is a function Comcon are asked to perform quite frequently as Comcon is one of only a handful of consultancies in the Far East equipped with the financial and technical know-how to undertake such tasks. One of our recent clients was a large oil company and repeat business confirms the need for this service.
Claims & Disputes
Unfortunately, contractual disputes are frequent occurrences and these disputes naturally need to be resolved. This can involve mediation and the offering of an objective, unbiased, reasonable and fair assessment of the situation. Comcon’s highly qualified teams are experts in producing claims for all parties. Previous experience includes preparation of arbitration pleadings and production of contractual claims for international construction projects.