Wood, B and Kenley, R (2004) The effectiveness of the bills of quantities in Australia. Journal of Construction Research, 5(2), pp. 291-309. ISSN 1609-9451
Abstract
The research aimed to explore if the information in the Australian Bill of Quantities (BOQ) was presented in a manner that could be utilized effectively by the end user. Populations surveyed; contractor, subcontractor and quantity surveyor, agree that the BOQ is a document that should be retained and would be used if produced. The adequacy of information was found to be in question by the users of the BOQ. The locational information is not adequate for its purpose. The quantities are neither located in the structure nor broken down into zones so useful for material ordering, daily work production management and cost management tasks. This information provided was requested to be supplemented by the inclusion of drawings, drawing numbers and the zonal breakdown of quantities in a smaller number of BOQ items. End users concluded that the current information contained within the BOQ is efficient but not effective. Not one participant - quantity surveyors, contractors and subcontractors - believed they were adequately consulted or represented in production of the latest Standard Method of Measurement (SMM). It is concluded that there is a need for end-users such as contractors and subcontractors to have greater input into the design, development and implementation of the Australian SMM. The resultant "consensus document" could then be an effective communication tool that is used for estimating, planning, purchasing and site management.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | bills of quantities; subcontractors; contractors; abridged bills of quantities; Australia |
| Index terms: | subcontractor, bills of quantities, end user, standard method of measurement, site management, purchasing, quantity surveying, estimating, production management, population, implementation, effectiveness, drawing, Australia, cost management |
| Subjects: | practitioner, stakeholder, procurement strategy, project delivery, financial and cost management, Geography, technical documentation, construction operations, demography, profession, performance management, contractual arrangements, accounting and finance |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Geographical Context, Cost Management, Procurement, Urban Studies, Site Management, Quality Management, Project Management, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here