Traditional Methods of Project Procurement - Essay Example

The construction work is differentiated from the design procedure (Joint Contracts Tribunal, n.d.). Traditional methods of procurement have been the source of an enormous debate in regard to their current suitability, especially in this modern era. Are they of any use or not? The paper will examine whether the statement that they have no use for the current construction procurement is right.

Review of Known Facts

It has been stated by Adenuga (2013) that the traditional technique of project procurement involves a group of specialized consultants entering into a contractual arrangement with the contractor and the client. The group of specialized consultants may constitute quantity surveyors, engineers, and other professionals. Their role is to oversee the contractor, who works on the real construction and deliver a suitable design. Normally, the specialized consultants ply their trade in different corporations. However, they come together and offer their expertise to the client for a certain amount of money. The agreed amount is made possible by the bills of quantities. The contractor gets the work after going through a competitive bidding process. In addition, the contractor and the design can be conducted at the same time up to a certain point. However, the cost know-how is not estimated accurately. Under this method, there are cost reimbursement, lump sum, and measurement contracts. The total cost of the contract can be assessed as per the definite materials, labor, and plant cost; it can be done before the beginning of the construction through an agreement; or after the construction is complete respectively (Davis, et al., 2008).

Addressing the Question

Do the traditional methods of project procurement have no use in the current procurement method? To determine if this is so, the pros and cons of the traditional forms of project procurement are examined. Under the pros, the client regulates the specialized group of consultants working on the design. Many clients may have familiarity with the methods. The methods have been utilized in the past. In addition, the contractor is not requested to have a management risk of the design. The cons include the increased likelihood of disputes due to the separation of construction and design. The rigidity presents for future changes due to the completion of the design before the construction. The specialized design consultants are not chosen from competitive bidding; hence, designs may be restricted and of high cost. The time consumed is much because the construction cannot start unless the design is complete (MinterEllison, 2011). The traditional methods of procurement provide disadvantages that make them inapplicable in modern procurement methods like cost-led and two-stage open book procurement.

Conclusion

From the discussion, it is evident that traditional methods of procurement have come a long way in promoting the efficiency of the construction industry. However, the means of procurement that they present, such as separate design and construction present a set of pros that have minimal impact and cons that make them incompatible with the modern methods of procurement. Hence, past constructions that have been conducted using them can be used as case studies to enhance modern methods of procurement. It is recommended that modern methods, though without a place for traditional methods of procurement make use of the findings of these case studies to ensure efficiency.