Core Services

As specialists in cost intelligence, Rawlinsons’ team across the motu brings a range of specialised skills and decades of experience to every project entrusted to us.

That experience is supported by real-world data which enables us to forecast, plan and monitor costs so that investment risk is minimised and managed.

Keeping your priorities in mind, we find innovative yet practical solutions that ensure you receive maximum value and cost efficiency across every aspect, and at every stage, of the design and build process.

We are here to guide you, advise you, and help you achieve the best value project possible.

Choosing the best strategy to undertake any building project requires extensive experience, and Rawlinsons have the people with the knowledge and understanding to best advise clients on their options.

Beyond the traditional procurement strategies (e.g. tendering a design for construction, or a contractor-led Design and Build), there are many other possibilities.

We have experience of multiple strategies for procurement and incentivisation e.g. Alliance Delivery Model; Early Contractor Involvement (ECI); Cost Reimbursable; Package Based; and Panels and Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP). We also understand and have direct experience with the full range of New Zealand and international construction contracts.

Before choosing a strategy, we suggest considering the project’s priorities and influencing factors – what the current market can provide in terms of resources, what the risks are, the client’s primary needs, and the guiding timeframe etc. For instance, different approaches may be suitable for delivering projects where timeframe is the main driver, as opposed to prioritising budget, sustainability or user experience.

As Contract Procurement and Negotiation specialists, Rawlinsons will help you understand what is practicable or even possible, and then utilise our vast experience to advise you on the best way to achieve it.

Value Management and Value Engineering are specific ways that we ensure our clients receive maximum value for money invested.

‘Value’ does not equate simply to dollars spent; it relates to the value of an item, process or the project in terms of its ability to deliver on the client’s primary goals for the project – what the project must do, how, when and for whom. Those priorities help align design, build and investment considerations.

Value Engineering and Value Management encourage careful consideration and reconsideration about how best to invest budget to achieve the overarching priorities of the project, which may be different even between similar projects. For instance, one hotel may prioritise sustainability; another, profitability. One office build may prioritise client experience; another, maximised use of floor space.

Although the terms Value Management and Value Engineering are often used interchangeably, they do in fact mean different things.

However, both focus on improving the ratio between cost ($) and benefit (the value derived based on the project’s priorities), given the constraints of budget, time and quality. Value Management and Value Engineering help keep budgets in line as the project progresses, while offering options that will still deliver the priority value. These processes also encourage us to challenge existing assumptions about how things should or could be done, e.g. accommodating 150 workers may not, in fact, require 150 workspaces if the client/tenant operates a policy allowing flexible work arrangements.

Rawlinsons undertake continuous Value Management and Value Engineering throughout a project, so it’s less likely that there will be surprises for our clients in terms of costs or value.

This continuous process also enables us to build a range of practical and real-world cost data which we can apply to other project planning processes.