Investing in the services of a quantity surveyor for the first time is often a big step and may fall outside your comfort zone. As with any service provider, it is important that you find a proficient company that meets your needs and fits with your organisation’s vision. Ultimately, you are seeking a good return on investment, so, here are our top five tips for getting just that:

1) Know what you are looking for

If you are looking to make big changes in your organisation, you need to identify the results you are expecting to get, then make sure that they will be delivered. To do that, you need to look at how and when they will be measured. For example, if your goal is business growth, and you have decided to achieve that by increasing the value of the jobs you wish to attract then you want a QS to help you tender for the best fit contracts, help you to price them correctly, monitor the contract and make sure you are reaching your target profit margin.

2) Don’t be a jack of all trades

Be a master of the construction trade! The loudest argument we hear against employing the services of a QS is “but I can do that myself”. We’d beg to differ, but more importantly, why would you? Your time is too valuable to be spent analysing budgets, seeking opportunities to maximise efficiency and get better value for money, checking legal and project compliance or updating yourself on procurement strategies. A good quantity surveyor will not only become a part of your team, they will also be one step ahead and proactively pinpoint potential opportunities for and threats against maximum profitability.

3) Leave conflict to the experts

Contracts and large-scale projects are prone to conflict. Sometimes that is through misunderstanding, cash-flow issues, contract interpretation or maybe just personality clashes. Whatever the cause, conflict is expensive; either in time or in money. A QS will, where possible, prevent conflict by removing any ambiguity from contracts, seeking resolution to any issues before they escalate and if necessary, settling conflict through official procedures.

4) Step away from the numbers game

Let’s be frank here, if you wanted to be an accountant, you’d be wearing a suit and not a hard hat. You wouldn’t be where you are if you didn’t understand the numbers game, but that doesn’t mean someone else might play it better. Free up your time by finding a QS to manage project finance from inception to completion, with regular financial updates that keep you informed. By receiving financial forecasts, being warned of issues before they become insurmountable and managing project costs, your QS will make you more money.

5) Get the balance right

If you’re considering the services of a quantity surveyor, you are probably already contemplating the amount of time and money they will save you, along with the improved quality and mitigated risk their expertise will bring to your organisation. Give some thought as to how you could use your time better to maximise growth and call us on 07734 386700 to find out why ProQS is the right quantity surveyor for you.