Value Engineering
AFEC use value engineering to solve problems, identify and eliminate unwanted costs, while improving function and quality.
Approach
This involves considering the availability of materials, construction methods, transportation issues, site limitations or restrictions, planning and organisation, costs, profits and so on, which forms the basis of our project management model. Benefits that can be delivered include a reduction in life cycle costs, improvement in quality, and reduction of environmental impacts and cost savings to the client. At every stage in the design process our team of construction professionals access the process milestones and apply the criteria of value engineering across the project model. This integrated approach does not form a distinct service but is seamlessly integrated from strategic planning right through to on-site delivery and construction.
Some Value Engineering Parameters include:
Identifying the main elements of a product, service or project.
Analysing the functions of those elements.
Developing alternative solutions for delivering those functions.
Assessing the alternative solutions.
Allocating costs to the alternative solutions.
Developing in more detail the alternatives with the highest likelihood of success.
RESULT ACCELERATORS
Value engineering is an exercise that involves most of the project team as the project develops, by selecting the most cost-effective solution. However it is about taking a wider view and looking at the selection of materials, plant, equipment and processes to see if a more cost-effective solution exists that will achieve the same project objectives.
The “results accelerators” originally proposed by Miles still act a useful guide to value engineering. Key to this is remembering the relationship between cost and value – value is function divided by cost. We concentrate on the function of the project or product avoiding mere cost cutting.
Result accelerators:
Avoid generalities.
Get all available costs.
Use information from the best source.
Blast, create and refine.
Be creative.
Identify and overcome road blocks.
Use industry experts.
Price key tolerances.
Use standard products.
Use (and pay for) expert advice.
Use specialist’s processes.