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Project Planning – Are you Counting Security?
Are Quantity Surveyors constraining your Business Security?
Recently whilst in a meeting for a project that is well advanced in the design stages, a client comment was “do we need all this security, the project is over budget!”.
Now, this is not the first time I’ve heard this, but I must ask, what was the budget start point for security?
So, this leads me to how does the Quantity Surveyor (QS) set the budget? Well typically they consult their building bibles (other religious texts are available), look at previous projects, and arrive at a cost -Don’t get me wrong it is no doubt complicated work, involving many complex architectural and building services elements.
It’s fine looking back but in order to calculate the likely security measures after all security is just a few cameras and a door lock or two, isn’t it? Well, this appears to be how the application of physical security is viewed by a large section the construction industry.
For the QS to make a valued calculation on security measures and so provide the clients with accurate information then you need to have done that little piece of work called Threat and Vulnerability Analysis. Once you have this you can look at the outline ideas on how the building comes together.
You are most likely going to find that further on you can remove other controls that not only have a CAPCOST but also an OPCOST because you have made the spaces of the building (internally and externally) work for you.
So, as a more efficient approach, before starting the process of estimating the cost of security (with unknowns such as planning conditions and specific physical measures causing a high costing impact), take pause.
Engaging professional security advise up front and in the initial stages of a design allows the development of the most cost-effective solution for a particular set of client and operations requirements.
As an example, from a few years ago an allowance of £150M was provided, but because of up front work, only £15m needed to be spent.
Now as a QS, would you not like that?
If you or the organisation that your work for would like to discuss how to effectively apply physical, technical & operational security measures, please contact Design Security Ltd, Wales’s only Independent Security Design Consultancy at enquires@designsecurityltd.com
T: +44 (0) 1873 855113
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