The Evolving Role of Estimators in the Construction Industry

The construction field is vast, dynamic, and complex due to emerging technologies, innovative construction materials, changing laws and standards, and distinctive ways of construction project delivery. All the above changes have seen the estimators undergo a corresponding change as well in their capacity. Construction estimating services are very crucial to the success of any construction company as they forecast costs and risks inherent in construction projects. Thus, learning more about this industry is of utmost importance to continue being effective while helping the industry grow. Here are some of the key ways the role of estimators in construction is changing: 

Leveraging New Technologies

Generations of estimators used paper prints, hand calculations, and simple spreadsheets in their operations. They are integrating innovative technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), and sophisticated estimating software. BIM facilitates material quantities to be derived easily by estimators and designs can also be viewed in 3D which makes it accurate. Other areas where AI and machine learning aid include the evaluation of the repetitive project aspects in less time. It allows estimators to also walk through designs to note any flaws that may be present. Large software companies have complex databases, perform accurate take-offs, and identify issues. Despite their effectiveness in optimizing efficiency and providing detailed information, construction estimating companies estimators need to constantly acquire new skills to effectively employ these technologies.

The Collaborative Relationships Between Project Managers & Project Teams 

The hierarchy and divisions that have traditionally divided construction estimating service NYC teams are fading away. Modern estimators can no longer merely deliver cost estimates to the construction team. They must interact with architects, engineers, project managers, and field crews during the design phase and on projects to offer value-adding expertise that includes constructability advice, risk assessment, and cost containment. Estimators provide valuable input to designs and schedules, which have an important influence over budgets. They also have to stay on top of the project and offer solutions to construction problems as they occur, apart from merely informing the management of a rise in costs. This partnership increases the scope of the estimator’s tasks.

Providing Broader Business Insights

Estimators are now ready to provide the business with more than just a cost estimate of a project; they are ready to provide it with more insights. Estimators can use actual history to estimate the effects that these design changes would have on budgets for future projects. It is possible to dissect major cost-influencing factors on the entire project spectrum in an organization to identify areas that, if addressed, can greatly enhance profitability across the board. Estimators also must have the depth of knowledge to guide strategic planning considerations such as make or buy analysis, capital expenditure decisions, viability of change, and market diversification, identification of new kinds of projects and new regions.

Owning Budget Management

Historically, after the preliminary cost estimation, estimators handed off their work and did not have further involvement in cost control while project managers were responsible for it. In the present different and sophisticated projects and unpredictability of prices, cost control, and monitoring is a must. Estimators are now involved in construction projects right through to the end of construction, to continuously track the actual costs of construction, update the estimates to reflect current costs, and instantly identify and address any major discrepancies. Unlike other professionals who can easily offload their blame on any ‘unforeseen conditions,’ the role of an estimator is to join forces with the field and management teams to find the right solution. Some construction companies are coming to realize that effective fund management means that estimators are doing more than just their traditional jobs.

New delivery methods are its specializations

Design-build, integrated project delivery (IPD), and public-private partnerships (P3s) are now becoming more and more popular in construction, and this is putting demands on estimators. Design-build and IPD imply that estimators have to furnish decision support, budget checks, and cost evaluation far earlier than traditional procurement methods, sometimes even during the proposal stage. Cost estimators are required to estimate costs based on generic conceptual ideas before actual design documentation. When it comes to P3s, estimators need to possess knowledge of financial and lifecycle costs as the concession period in some cases will span for decades. These other project delivery methods decrease risk for owners but estimators must possess these certain skills.

Mastering Advanced Data Analysis

Data analysis was not an important competency that estimators would be required to employ in the past. However, with metrics, analytics, machine learning, and data visualization tools that are available today, it becomes possible to get business value out of cost and operational data. Using measures on estimate accuracy, risks, performance, and variation can help estimators enhance the accuracy of estimates besides assisting construction estimating services NYC companies in their overall performance in the future. There are also abilities of estimators to search data in order to find some interconnections which are not seen by the naked eye. Charts such as the scatter plot chart, the heat chart, and the histogram chart could be used by the estimators to portray cost risks and opportunities to parties that are not conversant with technicalities in estimation. As stated, the roles of estimating teams will require more and more data science and analytics skills in the future.

Pursuing Ongoing Education

Due to the ever-changing dynamics in the construction industry, it becomes mandatory for an estimator to be in a continuous learning process. It is no longer acceptable to rely on basic cost estimating, mathematical computation via MS Excel, or basic computer applications for an entire professional lifespan. Appraisers have to take courses on new methods and technology more often. They also require places to experiment with innovations in implementing such projects in pilot stages before going to full-scale implementation. As for the first one, the advancement is extremely fast and what was popular, state-of-art one year may become obsolete a few years later. Providing estimators with more knowledge about their field ensures that they are informed about the current trends and hence remain relevant.

Conclusion

As the broader construction ecosystem evolves through advanced technologies, integrated project delivery options, vast data, and advanced construction techniques, the role of estimators in construction is also growing and diversifying. The new responsibilities of estimators include cost control, information support, analysis of costs and necessary data, preliminary estimating, and the development of financial models. The scholars that will survive are those who will rise to the challenge of adopting new technologies to enhance their work and to show that they are capable of delivering what is required of them in today’s construction business environment. Estimators are poised to deliver more value than before thanks in part to the new technical skills and the communication skills to work with a wide variety of people.