Tomas Jr. L. • life is a continous quantity surveying, it never dies wether in business or in personnal life..materials, costs, success, failures, bad or good..it has all quantities to analyse and study....
YJ P.
YJ
YJ P. • Agree, QS role can be replaced by A/C and Engineer. Worse still, it's just the assist department not the core role in the industry. The ceiling of this career is obvious, sigh!
8 months ago
Alan H.
Alan
Alan H. • It's tiresome to read this kind of post. I've read this nonesense since I was a trainee, many years ago. A properly trained QS has a mindset that others can only hope to emulate. I don't say I can design parts of a structure, so I don't understand other disciplines saying they can "be a QS" - they can't, if they're not trained. I would point to the growth in the profession, and the demand on the Job Sites for QS's, as sufficient evidence that the skills are in demand. Yes, there are poor QS's out there, as there are in the other professions. If a client secures a good QS, then he can rest a lot easier than if he let a non-QS loose with his budget. But carry on posting the negative things. After all, there's no such thing as bad publicity!
Evance
Evance N. • I disagree. QS field is not dying..., the only problem is that incompetent or untrained QSs are the ones bruising the good reputation and invaluable skills rendered to the construction industry. Nowadays, clients want value for money projects and QSs are better equipped to advise the client on the same. QS should adapt to technology and globalisation for them to survive like in any other construction professionals. To Engineers or other construction professionals doing some QS's tasks such as BQ production and valuation does not mean you are fully QS.
Simon Mark B.
Simon Mark
Simon Mark B. • The problem is that the Plutotonic state of supply chain agreements for engagement of professional services and certainly the ability within the UK to tender these through business networks in central London ensuring that all our best graduates ensue to central London. Try ringing a client to even get on the list and you end up hiring a Private Investigator sat in an office car part cross referencing car number plates. Even in this regard they are not trained as per say a solicitor or barrister in that they have extensive client networking skills. This is due to nature of most Partnerships being equity based and the in availability of business development funds from international banking or funding organisations to buy shares. To secure certain positions in private equity funds you must buy an exclusive directors share. As a professional body we detract our brightest and most enthusiastic graduates in the realms of global finance and other higher yielding professions whilst we bog down our best in to highly technical professions especially from lower 'class' back grounds or force those who wish to achieve in gaining money for directors shares in to business dealings with friends. Even our global power is diminished due to the lack of historic international networking even in an information age from our professional bodies and in some circumstances these professional bodies act as barriers to entry in a competitive market. We are reliant as with most professions on a intricate network of business acquaintances which are exclusively in the realms of the more affluent. Apparently he joined that one there to go to that one there!
Simon Mark B.
Simon Mark
Simon Mark B. • I forgot to mention that this is the unwillingness of many clients to engage the services of small business enterprises with limited marketing budgets - they still want that meal at that Micthelin star restaurant. It is like Murdoch doing the rounds with MP's monopoly money at times. Even with a marketing budget to approach members of the Institute of Directors or the Free Masons funds are limited in times of such austerity.Should a client contact be secured even in this regard the loops are so exhaustive that many of our brightest do not even consider being a QS as a worthy professional as some of us still believe in contributing to society as opposed to making money for the already affluent. Even many of our local government services are outsourced to profit making large multi-nationals only a few constructive trusts remain and even then many of our clients doors remain firmly bolted to career progression as many senior managers consider it a job for life and instigate in fighting as opposed to team work in an archaic management style not in keeping with current management thinking.
Simon Mark B.
Simon Mark
Simon Mark B. • Need I go on or are those letter to the president of the RICS being typed yet?! Need we complain anymore before we change as a society or must we still be ranked as the second largest Plutonomy before we change. Because frankly - right now - it is like an exodus, but it cheaper to engage a graduate recruitment fair, business as usual, let the next generation figure this all out for them selves. It is easier to do that than buy a mirror, take a good long look at ourselves and change for a brighter future!
Teddy F.
Teddy
Teddy F. • The QS profession is not dying but rather it is being destroyed by other professionals in the construction industry who are performing the duties of the QS
Andrew G.
Andrew
Andrew G. • I think you will find that a QS can potentially apply their particular set of skills in many parts of the world. They may not be producing a BofQ, may need to make some adjustments, learn some new skills, generally adapt and re-brand themselves, but ultimately, the cost management of construction projects will always be a requirement.There is a lot of potential for the growth of QS type services in some parts of the world, particularly where cost management is not always done with the same degree of professionalism. I admit, however, that, for the large part, you will have to work within the prevailing structure and set up of the area you're in. When BIM finally does come of age, it actually offers very real opportunities for significant growth of a seperate discipline of independent cost consultants. This is particularly true of areas where, in the past, neither a separate independent discipline, nor the BofQ has really traditionally flourished. Whether quantity surveyors see and act upon these opportunities, or whether others will seize the opportunity remains to be seen.
Simon Mark B.
Simon Mark
Simon Mark B. • The inescapable fact is that these discussions are always prevalent when the UK industry is in decline - what are we up to now 58% sector reduction since 2007? I mean - we are reliant on private funding with banks not lending anything and a UK economy pretty much bankrupt. We learn that large multi-national practices make experienced staff redundant whilst recruiting graduates in to current Cash Cow Markets. It is cheaper and easier to do this than retrain the work force of a total organisation, so long as the share holders (mostly equity) are happy who cares? The fact is inescapable.
That although the QS function is extinct as with most of the building trades and professions here in the UK, we are and will continue to be in specialist shortage occupations in other parts of the world and secure excellent VISA allocation points as a consequence. Should organisations, like bankers, account to gready equity partners or shareholders in extensive marketing of a diversification of services to which they would have to train an existing workforce to exploit. They make the vast majority redundant and look to management to train a new enthusiastic gradute instead - it is simply cheaper corporate strategy. Look at Value, Risk Management - prevalent cash cow services kept for associates or equity partnerships for services prevalent in the USA industry for 50 years. That's how originally the UK industry thinks - lets them have something 'new; to talk about on the golf course or over that A La Carte Dinner - a bit like BIM. Remember this industry is economically cyclical and a stop valave to the UK economy - that is why the UK has had no economic growth.
There is very little point in trying to exploit a dog market even with extensive diversification - it is cheaper, simpler and more time and cost effective to simply log a VISA application. Look at Davis Langdon (my old firm) I lost count after the 5th round of reduancies. No company ever anticipated it would be so extensive or so pro-longed a starvation of project funding which has direct consequence to the employment of all (not just QS's). I thought you lot were so clever as to be able to kiss enough ass to get that share option so cheap, or I am not ashamed to call myself top of class of 2001? Oh yer and poor too! But I must confess I am on my third VISA. I mean lets take a brief look - my CV is worth £35,000 PA in the UK or £220,000 ay year in Dubai and £60,000 in Australia/New Zealand - what you think it is in the UK - join the gravy train?
Simon Mark B.
Simon Mark
Simon Mark B. • Oh and like any good company you think the share holders want to take a cut in dividend -of course not so just shaft the workers, the attitude is that the profit margin absolutely must paramount remain the same under any market circumstances.. Plan, simply 'business sense'. But you know I always saw a load of sub aquatic species after my seventh RICS complaint and the fourth employment tribunal. I had three directors along the way though!
Chuks A.
Chuks
Chuks A. • All Contributors to this Topic did justice to it!!! However, what the Quantity Surveying profession need is a evolution process that will address future needs of the profession holistically.
Just as this discussion started here, i call for a Global Colloquium on the future of the Q/S profession.
To remain relevant, we must research proactively into future needs of our services to the world.
1 month ago
Craig H.
Craig
Craig H. • An interesting discussion. I have been in the profession for over 25 years and, as far as I can recall, this debate has been on-going even since my university years back in 1985.
The skills and services offered by Quantity Surveyors have evolved over the years as our industry and client requirements have changed. This is no different to any other profession and should be seen as quite normal and indeed, necessary. I do however find it quite disconcerting that I have not heard of our sister professions, engineers, architects and the like having the same discussion. Their professions have also been impacted by similar trends and technological developments but I have not perceived a similar level of pessimism about the future of their professions.
Quantity Surveyors have, in fact, made substantial inroads into the engineering arena and are, and should continue, to assume a leading role in all cost, procurement and contractual related aspects associated with any construction or engineering project. Our training and variety of skills is by far the most suited of the construction related professions to the development and control of these aspects of a project.
What remain is for the profession to continue to provide excellent, relevant, proactive services to our clients and peer professionals and the profession will not only remain an essential part of any serious, quality minded construction team but will become an even more relevant contributor to the built environment.
Millan D.
Millan
Millan D. • I totally agree with Craig Hinde and Chuks Arinmah. QS professionals must be proactive and must lead a role of Cost Management rather than Cost Reporting. Today's Construction world it is essential that the Quantity Surveyor take a leading role of Commercial Management and Cost Management.
4 days ago
Carlos H.
Carlos
Carlos H. • The Quantity Surveying Profession is so diverse,that it could never become a dying profession. I've been in the industry for almost 32 years, now having before studied Mechanical Engineering,Civil Engineering and Project Management. I have had my own PQS practice for 18 years now, and it is so immensely rewarding. We attain and learn something new everyday.So my advice to students who are wanting to enter a career in Quantity Surveying, you have my blessing and you won't be sorry,I assure you.
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