Our project management services have developed and grown over many years. We recognise every project and client is different and that a bespoke solution may be required. From project inception to maintaining the asset our services include:

Feasibility Studies and Business Case Preparation

Undertaking strategic reviews and evaluating project investment options including formalising the business case for the project.

Planning and Programme Management

Developing project programmes and management information systems to support effective planning and project control. Monitoring and reporting progress on individual projects or strategic programmes of work.

Design Management

Co-ordinating the input of the design team with clear reference to the client’s objectives to ensure that the optimum design solution is achieved.

Contract Administration / Employer’s Agents

Acting in the post-contract role of client representative ensuring the proper and effective management and administration of the building contract.

Process Engineering

Developing process and governance models with RACI’s and team structures that support effective and efficient ways of working.

Risk Management

Identifying the risks facing a particular project and the potential impact. Managing, and mitigating these risks and ensuring they are clearly and equitably allocated.

Fund Surveyor / Monitor

Acting as a monitoring surveyor, providing a range of due diligence and project monitoring services for major banks, investors and end-users/ tenants.

Our acquired expertise and experience has enabled us to develop and refine a wide range of skills and resources to meet the financial and cost control management needs of our clients’ investment programmes.

Cost certainty requires proactive and dynamic project cost management. At Underwood Carpenter our cost managers will influence and lead at every stage of the cost management process.

Investment Feasibility Cost Planning

Working closely with the project team and client to ensure realistic investment assumptions are made when appraising the viability of projects.

Project Cost Planning, Reporting and Forecasting

Developing accurate and robust cost plans based on properly evaluating all available data and the application of benchmarks and our extensive experience across most project types and sectors. A realistic cost plan is then benchmarked and managed through to completion.

Recognising the fine balance between under spend and over spend and the adverse impact each can have on clients’ financial models. The aim is to ensure a level of certainty is provided to the client at each stage of the project with clarity around both risks and opportunities.

Value Engineering

Value engineering requires a good grasp and understanding of how a building is designed and put together. Our team are experienced professionals with a huge knowledge base to call upon in both divisions of the company. With an in-depth understanding of the influences and impacts key and timely decisions can have on design, buildability and life cycle costs, all VE opportunities are communicated and tracked at every stage of the process.

Procurement and Buying Strategies

Providing insight, industry knowledge in to different procurement strategies for different projects, sectors and economic environments.

Tender Management

Taking the completed design and client’s requirements and preparing a comprehensive tender package and set of contract documentation that reflects accurately what the client wishes to buy.

Industry Benchmarking and Data Analysis

Our Involvement in a wide range of projects and sectors enables us to benchmark cost and specifications and share this industry data with our clients.

The acquisition and/or redevelopment of real estate represents probably the most significant outlay of capital for a client. This may involve the purchase of a new site or the redevelopment and / or disposal of an existing estate asset.

With a continuing shift in end-user space requirements, particularly in the retail sector we have many case examples where values have been maximised from the existing estate by downsizing, redevelopment or from simply generating the best disposal strategy.

To ensure any type of project is both viable and feasible an appropriate level of work must be carried out. Our construction and property experts will work closely with the client’s construction and property teams on feasibility exercises, evaluation of options and costings to identify the maximum ROI and the right decision for the business.

The work we carry out includes:

• Due Diligence Investigations
• Investment Feasibility Studies
• Feasibility Costings
• Coordination of expert inputs in to one investment feasibility report
• Facilitation and access to a network of agents, funders, landowners and potential purchasers
• Management of the project delivery stage including negotiations and coordination of multiple stakeholders

A broad range of expertise is provided by our Building Surveying team. These include:

• Building dilapidation reports
• Party Wall reports & agreements
• Building acquisition due diligence surveys and reports
• Building failure forensic analysis
• Building repair specifications and minor works structural design

Principal Designer

The role of CDM Coordinator (CDM-C) ceased in October 2015 and many of the functions which were previously fulfilled by the CDM-C are now carried out by the Principal Designer (PD).

As Principal Designer and CDM Advisor we work closely with the design team to assist clients to deliver a safe project and fulfil their duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). by:

• Checking that suitable arrangements for safely managing the project are in place
• Developing a Client Brief and Project Design Risk Summary
• Taking reasonable steps to ensure that Designers and the Principal Contractor comply with their duties
• Where applicable, submitting notification to the HSE (F10) and updating as necessary
• Providing pre-construction information to designers and contractors
• Ensuring that a Construction Phase Plan is drawn up by the Principal Contractor
• Ensuring that a Health & Safety File is prepared for the project

Health & Safety Advisory and Support Services

Utilising our Chartered Safety and Health Practitioners a range of health & safety support and advisory services are provided:

• Health & Safety Audits and Gap Analysis
• Policy Writing and Reviews
• Health & Safety Management Systems
• Risk Assessments, Method Statements and Safe Operating Procedures
• Construction Site Audits, Inspections and Improvement Plans
• Fire Risk Assessments
• Manual Handling, COSHH and DSE Assessments