The UK construction cost was already one of the highest in Europe, and now with increased global demand in the construction sector, material costs have reached a 40-year-high. At the RICS UK QS and Construction Conference, we discuss daily challenges, including how we can adapt to ensure that UK construction is actively supporting the path to Net Zero, how the value toolkit enables value-based decision-making, and the need for surveyors to embrace the use of the data and information management processes.

As Bola Abisogun OBE, Chairman of Urbanis and Founder & Chairman of DiverseCity Surveyors said the QS remains the largest cohort of professional membership across the surveying profession, yet it would appear that we are also facing the most compelling career challenges to remaining both an active and integral part of the client's design and delivery team.

Here are some key lessons from the conference shared by Tom Young, director at MagiCAD.

Economy

The UK economy like other regions is suffering from inflation which is causing cost of living issues, this will impact markets and demand reductions. After strong inflation (around 11%), it may also go into recession, and surveyors should be prepared for a challenging few years ahead.?There are also key challenges for main contractors who are dealing with some of the smallest profit margins of any industry (1-2%) which is unsustainable at the best of times. More businesses will likely become insolvent in the coming years.

It's very clear that the significant short-term economic challenges we are starting to face, while important, do not detract from the key challenges the industry faces in the medium and long term, namely achieving decarbonisation and Net Zero targets on time. As the greatest challenge and paradigm shift even for construction, the route to Net Zero provides both an opportunity and risk to Surveyors. QS must evolve or risk obscurity. A sizable shift, more cultural than anything, that could take the best part of a generation to realise.

The key components of this evolution are the application and stewardship of data & data flows between technologies facilitated by a Digital Twin and 5D native approach. Digital Twins are not only a catalyst for stagnant productivity, but they also act as a platform to facilitate the role of the modern QS. A modern QS role must now be centred on Digital Twin technology, data sciences, and carbon quantification within the scope of the offering.

Net Zero

Net Zero is a highly important subject and the UK government has goals and milestones that must be met. The two key components are the immediate carbon load of construction and the ongoing operational carbon of the building.

Immediate carbon from construction can be reduced through better use and advanced materials, construction methods like offsite construction and well as specifying more efficient designs and products that may not be immediately cheaper.

As the ever-important decarbonisation agenda becomes ever more critically important, the need for carbon assessment and management of building projects needs to evolve into a management system, which is akin to cost reporting and control, so that the trade-offs between cost and carbon are systematically identified, predicted and managed; a role particularly aligned to the skills of the QS.

Role & Technology

The role of the QS, Cost Managers and PQS needs to change to be more in touch with digital trends, such as digital twins. Survey suggest that Surveyors are falling far behind when it comes to knowledge of advanced technology whereby other professionals, such as project managers, embrace the concept of 4D construction, many surveyors do not know where to start with 5D construction.

The role also needs to adapt to quantify and calculate carbon emissions, and the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) cost database is creating a carbon database in 2022 so that surveyors can create cost plans and carbon plans. It's said unless the role changes then it may be at risk of becoming less significant and many QSs will lose work.

Data management and APIs will be an integral part of modern surveyors' work and members should be looking at advancing these skills along with learning about emerging tech such as Blockchain, Smart Contracts, and AI.

As a leading digital building platform service provider, Glodon's vision is to use technology to create a better living and working environment. For this purpose, Glodon has been working closely with partners on industry research. The latest study with RICS featuring a survey and a focus group discussion is developed to understand better the role and importance of data and technology in quantity surveying and cost management practice. The study is welcomed by industry experts, as it will provide much-needed insights for industry development. Research findings will be released by RICS and Glodon in a joint industry white paper later.