In order to implement the project on time and achieve the best results, it is not only the work and competences of the specialists that are important, but also the contribution of the client – responding to questions and providing information. According to Ovidijus Andrijauskas, Project Manager at TEC Consulting, when working on the JW Trade project, the smooth communication between the TEC team and the client enabled quick decision-making, efficient and high-quality work. “Also, the goodwill of the Šiauliai City Municipality’s Economic and Investment Department staff was a positive influence in promptly resolving issues related to the project,” says Mr. Andrijauskas.
The designers’ work is always full of surprises and challenges, which were not avoided in this project either: the scope of work, the concept, the materials, and the complexity of the work all changed. TEC Consulting’s direct contracting of construction services ensured that JW Trade’s client received the final result on time and with minimal risks and costs.
In particular, the rapidly rising cost of materials, works and equipment on the market led to a decision to look for alternative technical solutions for the project, which required additional input from TEC Consulting’s team and designers to modify the design solutions and to manage these changes appropriately. “Nevertheless, we can be pleased that we have managed to minimise the impact of material cost increases on the project budget without deviating from the planned schedule of works,” shares the project manager.
He adds that the war in Ukraine has also significantly changed the plans: “The situation has made it necessary to order new ventilation equipment and to pay extra attention to the timely ordering of building materials. We had to act quickly and find solutions, so the project team’s ability to focus on the problem and react quickly was very useful here.”
In this case, the direct contracting approach not only facilitated the decision-making process, but also allowed it to be optimised. The client would have had to spend more money on building materials under a conventional construction management approach, and the project was unlikely to be completed on time due to broken supply chains…
Quick solutions were also needed to address the utilities situation: the construction of the JW Trade warehouse was taking place on the site of a former military campus, where utilities were found to be inaccurately marked. As a result, the TEC team had to find new solutions to connect to the Šiauliai water supply network. “We had to quickly change the design solutions, carry out coordination procedures for the related part of the project, and re-plan and coordinate the construction work. But, again, there is probably nothing that teamwork can’t solve – we worked together and managed to minimise the impact of this challenge on the project schedule. The building was delivered on time, with the completion certificate signed on 23 September 2022,” says Mr. Andrijauskas.
TEC Consulting is part of the TEC Group, which also includes TEC Industry and TEC Infrastructure. The group provides design, consulting, technical supervision, project and construction management and other engineering services for transport infrastructure, industrial and energy facilities.
