Value Engineering is a term that has become so pervasive in the construction industry that the meaning of the phrase has been diluted down to the simple concept of saving money on a construction project, regardless of means and methods. A few years ago, I heard an architect say that most instances of contractor-initiated value engineering lack both value and engineering. At the time, I took offense to his statement, but I now find myself triggered when I hear the term value engineering used so flippantly within the industry.
While I acknowledge that true value engineering efforts often result in lowered construction costs, cost-saving initiatives like scope reductions or scope omissions are often mislabeled as “value engineering”. However, true value engineering attacks the project in ways which reduced costs and/or time to construct while still achieving the objectives of the intended use of the property and those of our clients. So...
Read More >