Procurement

1400 Words3 Pages

Procurement
What is procurement? Put in simple terms it is the acquisition of goods and services from inception to completion. In architectural specific terms it would be the sourcing, tendering, construction, payments, and buying of goods and more of a construction project from concept design stage to finished, constructed building.
Therefore it is fair to say that the role of an architect in the process of procurement is not only critical but also essential. The architect along with the client, without which there would be no project to begin with, controls the many factors of procurement and plays a vital role but also varying role in the many method or types of procurement.
The two types, referred to as procurement strategies, we will discuss today are; Design and Build method of procurement and the Traditional RIAI method of Procurement.
Before discussing, in the depth, the differences and similarities between both strategies above, let us first sum up, on a simple basis, the basic role of the architect in the procurement process.
This role originates from the “Standard of Knowledge, Skill and Competence for Professional Practice as an Architect” set out by the RIAI, which defines the specific requirement an architect must adhere to in order to be an architect member of Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland.
One of these requirements is Procurement. Or rather procurement is the heading attached to the functions or skills necessary in order for procurement process to happen. Under this title an architect must be diligent and always plan ahead, they must talk to the client always, from which every design, cost and essential decision will be made through, must certainly budget effectively and efficiently, as well as coord...

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... price and quantity. Both are lump sum form of contracts.
Though an architectural project not maximizing quality, or skimping out to allow for an early open, in my opinion is dishonest and demeaning to the profession. Buildings don’t naturally diminish after time, or disintegrate with age, and there for it is our duty as architects to ensure that what we produce is of a high standard an aesthetic that is appreciated and admired by many today, and many more in years to come.
For the reasons above the traditional method would have been used in my Semester 1 Library project. Following the private RIAI traditional method, promoting the design team to over look the project, finalizing the design and pushing it to competitive tendering. Providing substantial contingencies for any high risks or changes and adjusting any design issues, or complications along the way.

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