低价的高成本:AEC采购中避免陷阱

成功的组织常常因积极追求成本效率而受到钦佩. These organizations prioritize 成本 reduction through strong procurement and purchasing groups and leverage their bargaining power to drive down prices for tangible goods such as raw materials, 设备, 和耗材. Thin margins and deep competition in many sectors amplify the need for this mindset because it translates to stronger financial performance.

然而, when executing capital projects and engaging knowledge-based service providers like engineers and architects, a singular focus on 成本 can often be detrimental and result in poor outcomes for a client organization. 在极端情况下, this approach can undermine a client’s big-picture objectives and negatively impact critical business relationships.

资本项目是涉及多方的复杂努力, 比如利益相关者, 设计师, 承包商, 顾问和管辖政府. These complex business relationships require agility and flexibility to manage; each organization will have its own unique recipe for success. 不像购买有形的物品, 不管在什么地方都是一样的, 使用的组织或方法, procurement of professional services must be tailored to the unique needs of their circumstances. 项目经理经常引用三重约束的概念, 在质量, 成本, and schedule exist in some form of conflict and that prioritization of one constraint adversely impacts the others. 一个具有高质量标准的快速跟踪项目很可能是昂贵的. A project with a tight budget and schedule will likely experience design shortcuts and diminished 质量.

Those capital projects with 工程 and design elements necessitate a nuanced understanding of the client’s systems and operations to develop customized solutions. 采购-driven组织, 从本质上说, 在项目执行中优先考虑节约成本, 从而导致项目进度或项目质量的限制. 这种对成本的积极关注迫使供应商做出艰难的决定, 经常损害项目成果. A faster schedule and rushed design process may keep fees low but reduce the opportunity to innovate and explore alternatives. A consultant may utilize an inexpensive one-size-fits-all solution to keep their 成本s down and cause the client to miss out on a customized approach better suited to their needs.

在任何情况下, indiscriminately slashing prices in the context of service providers results in fewer available hours by critical knowledge workers or limits the number of hours the more expensive (experienced) individuals can contribute. 这段职业关系可能会有变成交易关系的风险, 甚至是敌对的, 充满活力而不是富有成效的伙伴关系. 滥用竞争性投标进行价格检查的组织越来越多, complicated sourcing management software platforms and third-party purchasing teams erode relationships between clients and providers. While many companies have used these elements to streamline their procurement processes of tangible goods and achieve better overall value, 这种好处并没有转化为购买服务.

正相反, organizations with a 质量-first mindset prioritize excellence as the primary driver in their operations. These clients understand the value of expertise and innovation and are willing to invest in premium services to achieve superior outcomes, 意识到它可能并不总是在最低价格点. 质量第一的方法为创新营造了有利的环境, 让服务提供商有时间和资源开发有意义的解决方案. 项目更有可能被精确地执行，并交付客户的需求和愿景. 技术项目团队可以关注项目的目的，而不是其价格, 通常会形成一个更加开放和协作的项目文化. 当然，对质量的单一关注并非没有挑战. Those 质量-driven organizations are likely to find their projects in conflict with the realities of fixed budgets or set timelines, leading to potential adversarial dynamics when the endless pursuit of perfection hobbles the timely delivery of good.

The reality is that there are only a small number of organizations where the focus is exclusively on 成本 or exclusively on 质量; the vast majority operate on the awareness that different initiatives may require a different weighting of importance between those mindsets. 当涉及到成功执行知识型项目和采购这些服务时, both parties are well-served to consider the intrinsic value of 质量 and advocate for fair pricing models that reflect the true 成本 of expertise and innovation.

It is possible to create a 质量-driven culture that co-exists with a 成本-driven one; the key to success is nurturing true partnerships and moving away from transactional dynamics. Eliminating the binary mindset of 成本 or 质量 and instead fostering open communication and flexible approaches to deliver the greatest value to the client based on each situation's needs and critical requirements.

作者简介: Michael Asher 是澳门足彩app生命科学部的运营总监. He is a credentialed Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI) and a Certified Project Manager (CPM) from the Project Management Leadership Group (PMLG). 他持有St . Washington University的化学工程学士学位. 路易.