Choosing Quality in Engineering Services

What do you consider when hiring an engineer? 

Unfortunately, the choice often relies solely on the price. Engineering fees for a project are often a small piece of the pie relative to the overall construction budget; however, the decisions made by engineers are vital in determining the overall cost of your building. In this article, we will investigate ways in which a consultant can reduce construction costs and explain why the decision to hire an engineer should be a quality-based decision rather than a low-bid/low-cost decision. 

Research shows that Non-Quality based selections result in an average of 27.2% higher costs than quality based selection projects [1].

Engineers have the responsibility of creating safe buildings and infrastructure. Before we jump into this topic with both feet, it’s important to acknowledge that Canada’s governing bodies and education system do an adequate job of ensuring that engineers are competent and equipped with the expertise to design safe and secure structures. This article, in no way insinuates that the procurement of engineering through low-cost/low-bid approaches result in unsafe structures. 

Disadvantages of Low-Cost/Low-Bid

Low-cost/low-bid procurement does disincentivize consultants from designing project-specific details and investing time in collaborative efforts and coordination with other consultants. It also reduces the amount of time spent in the design phase of a project. Investing time upfront during the design and planning phases of a project benefits not only the initial construction cost, but also the long-term costs associated with life-cycle management.

Key factors

When selecting an engineer, we believe that there are four key factors that should be considered:

1. Expertise:
To be successful, consultants should be capable of demonstrating their expertise and experience in the relevant field. To achieve this, request project sheets listing similar projects and/or client references for comparable completed projects.

2. Flexibility:
The consultant who is willing to attentively listen to the entire problem and propose multiple solutions or even innovate a new approach is the consultant you should seek. The likelihood of finding the best solution increases significantly when your consultant displays flexibility throughout the design process.

3. Collaboration:
A consultant who approaches the table with readiness to collaborate, learn and listen is more likely to produce better drawings, as they will possess a better understanding of the site conditions and the client’s ultimate goals. By having the ability to cross-reference their work with the rest of the consultant team, the likelihood of errors diminishes, and therefore resulting in better outcomes at the end of the project.

4. Team Sustainability:
Being a part of a team that intends to work together over the long term is an investment in relationships that can bear great rewards. Decisions made on one project can be carried over to future projects. When long-term relationship building is part of the decision-making process, every project becomes an opportunity to build upon the lessons learned from the past.

So, the next time you are evaluating competing proposals, focus on these four key factors. They will help you in narrowing down your options and making the right decision.

[1] AbouRizk. S et. al, Detailed Reports, Impact of Qualificatoin-Based Selection of Engineering Services on Project Outcomes, University of Edmonton 2021