Client's aspirations, briefing and alignment of needs both within the client organisation and throughout the supply chain

Introduction It is now widely held that in the construction industry: 1.Professionals have to, pay more attention to understanding as far as possible the needs and wants of their clients 2.Professionals need to look for opportunities to add value both to clients and to themselves 3.New business developments need also to be explored to add value to the process, and to integrate these into the way that products (facilities) are developed

Introduction The emphasis is now on whole life procurement as opposed to just simply initial capital costs, 1.The client will also want to know about other concerns, which will affect the business side of the business 2.The recognition of the initial need to understand a client’s business process offers a promising step forward in that it clearly goes beyond the simplistic checklists offered by more typical traditional briefing literature 3.The emphasis given to understanding the client's strategic context directly addresses the recurring criticism of practitioners that they tend to give far too little time and attention to exploring the problem

Introduction 1.It is also persuasive to link client briefing with the latest thinking on business processes 2.To argue the case for a new facility in terms of business process improvement represents a significantly new approach to formulating the statement of need 3.The skills and knowledge required for a strategic briefing are significantly different from traditional ones 4.Of paramount importance is the need to understand the complexities of the client organisation.

The needs of Clients The needs of clients can be separated into three distinct categories 1.time requirements 2.cost requirements 3.quality requirements

Time requirements 1.No critical time requirements 2.Shortest overall time from inception to handover 3.Shortest contract period from the time of appointment of builder 4.Shortest contract period from the time that construction starts 5.Early start on site 6.Firm completion date stated by client 7.Early completion unwelcome

Cost Requirements 1.Low total cost of whole project 2.Low cost of building contract 3.Low cost of building contract 4.Good forecast of cost at contractual commitment 5.Timing of cash flow 6.Minimum capital commitment 7.Best combination of capital and maintenance costs 8.Share in risk of development

Quality Requirements Poor workmanship and materials will have not only the effect of causing more disruption and downtime costs during repair periods, but also may detract from the good name and reputation of the business. The long term operation of the building will also be of concern to the client, and such, they will want to ensure that the quality of materials and products used in the building will be of sufficient quality to serve the purpose of the building Although quality maybe seen as a secondary consideration to cost, it is nevertheless very important and the level of quality that is sought by the client should be established in the briefing stage.

Integrating client needs - the briefing process Buildings are expensive acquisitions They can also have an important effect on the operations of the organisations that occupy them Poorly performing buildings may result in low productivity, an unsatisfactory working environment and low staff morale. In a competitive world such shortcomings can be very serious The costs of disposing of a poorly performing building and obtaining a satisfactory replacement can be high and sometimes prohibitive

Integrating client needs - the briefing process Good designers will do their best to give clients the buildings that meet their needs If they are unable to determine what clients really need The result can be a bad building This is where good briefing comes in It seeks to minimise the likelihood of a client receiving an unsatisfactory building by ensuring that project requirements are fully explored and as clearly communicated as possible Whilst good briefing cannot guarantee that a building will be perfectly adapted to its occupants, it can help avoid serious mistakes.

When does briefing take place? Briefing is often regarded as an early stage in the construction process during which the client's requirements are written down The brief then provides a fixed reference for the subsequent design of the building. This traditional view of briefing is highly constraining in many ways. The client, particularly the inexperienced client, cannot be expected to know everything that will be required of the building at the outset of the project. Requirements are only developed in detail as the project progresses. This means the client cannot sit back after the initial brief has been written and expect a satisfactory design to emerge without further effort. Full participation throughout the project is important. Whilst a clear initial brief can be a great asset it is not the end of the story. The important thing is to make decisions appropriate to the particular stage of project development. Strategic decisions will need to be made early on and the detail left until a later stage and the client should not withdraw from the process once an initial brief has been drawn up.

When does briefing take place? This means the client cannot sit back after the initial brief has been written and expect a satisfactory design to emerge without further effort. Full participation throughout the project is important. Whilst a clear initial brief can be a great asset it is not the end of the story. It is important to make decisions appropriate to the particular stage of project development. Strategic decisions will need to be made early on and the detail left until a later stage and the client should not withdraw from the process once an initial brief has been drawn up.

Key points of good briefing 1.. Establish the need to build 2.Adequate resources 3.Careful management 4.Good teamwork 5.Clear communication 6. An approach appropriate to the project 7.Involve the end users 8.Formal information gathering methods where appropriate

Key points of good briefing In summary, the client should try to consider the following when embarking on a construction project 1. establish the objectives and/or business case 2. examine other means of achieving them before deciding to build 3. spend time at the beginning to define what is wanted, when and for how long - changes later are expensive 4. establish any budget and/or time limitations 5. prioritise time, cost and quality 6. take care to choose the people to represent, advise and work for you – they should be qualified, experienced and able to work well with you and each other 7. understand the risks involved, quantify them and confirm your budget.

Key points of good briefing In summary, the client should try to consider the following when embarking on a construction project 1.identify the cost of the project over the period you intend to use 2.identify the options 3.compare the costs and benefits of each option on a common financial basis 4.ensure the financial and management resources are available – the client should be willing to demonstrate the ability to pay 5.know the obligations imposed on you by Statute monitor progress and performance and be ready to deal with the unexpected.